The trail begins on the opposite side of Shagg Pond Road from the parking area. The trail climbs very gradually along a dirt road for 0.6 miles before reaching Little Concord Pond. As the Pond comes into view, turn right onto a trail with blue blazes. Almost immediately, the Bald Mountain trail forks right again, continuing with blue blazes. The left fork is an easily followed, but un-maintained, trail that goes around the Pond.
If you continue straight along the dirt road/ trail, it leads to the Pond where there are several old canoes and boats along the shore. An unmaintained trail continues along the southwest shore and around the Pond.
The Bald Mountain Trail continues climbing, steeply in places, following blue blaze marks, along the prominent western ridge. The trail goes through mature forest and sometimes along exposed rocks. Near the top a rough trail, sometimes marked by flagging tape, heads down to the right. Ignore this unless you are interested in very steep rock-climbing. Soon after this, there is a trail intersection with a sign. To the right is the Bald Mountain summit (1692 feet). The trail emerges to a ledge outcrop that provides great views of the mountains and Shagg Pond below. Wind turbines on nearby Spruce Mountain are clearly visible from the outcrop. Please take care not to knock anything off the cliffs; climbers are often at the bottom.
A short loop trail circles around the ledges and back into the forest, and meets back up with the main trail near the trail sign. At the intersection of the loop and the Bald Mountain Trail is also the trail to Speckled Mountain (not shown on map). This trail leads about 1.2 miles to the 2200-foot open summit of Speckled.
Bald Mountain-Little Concord Pond is a 64-acre tract that was acquired in 1990 by the Maine Division of Parks and Public Lands. The 26-acre pond is surrounded by Bald Mountain, Speckled Mountain, and Mount Zircon. It is cold and deep (<50 feet) and supports a brook trout fishery. Bald Mountain has a noted rock-climbing area on its southwest face and a bald summit that has excellent views of the surrounding area. Since 2011 that view has included the 11 wind turbines 1.5 miles away on Spruce Mountain.
On August 25, 2011 Little Concord Pond in Woodstock was “reclaimed” to remove several fish species that compete with and displace native brook trout, including golden shiners, brown bullhead, white suckers, chain pickerel and rainbow smelt. The goal of reclamation is to remove “invasive” fish and subsequently reestablish native fish and plankton communities more representative of natural lake ecosystems. In 2012, Little Concord Pond was stocked with brook trout and is expected to produce a high quality brook trout fishery. Check out this document (Page 14) for more information on this ambitious project.
Because of its remote location, the Little Concord Pond project was logistically complicated. Its success required the specialized equipment and expertise of the following partner organizations: Maine Department of Conservation, IFW’s Hatcheries, Wildlife, Fisheries and Engineering divisions, The Mollyocket Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Patriot Renewables LLC, Berry Logging, The Biodiversity Research Institute, and the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited (Donated much of the funding and much of the volunteer support).
Signage has been posted to inform the public of the pond’s special management, which includes special fishing regulations designed to enhance the brook trout fishery and reduce introductions of other fish.
Visit Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands online for more information or contact:
Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, AugustaThere is one trailhead for the Bald Mountain Trail with a small parking area just off the road.
From the west, turn from ME Route 232 on to South Rumford Road in Abbotts Mill. After 0.5 miles, stay straight on to Concord Pond Road and continue for 4.9 miles. Turn right on to Shagg Pond Road. On the right side of the road after 1.5 miles there will be a small parking area. The trailhead is on the opposite side of the road from the parking lot.
From the east, heading south on Route 140, turn right on to Stetson Road 2.6 miles south of Canton center. After 2.8 miles turn right on to Fields Hill Road. Fields Hill Road turns in to Labrador Pond Road after 1.6 miles and stay straight for another 1.0 miles. Stay straight on to Greenwood Road for 0.2 miles before bearing left on to Black Mountain Road. After 0.8 miles turn left on to Redding Road. Stay straight (Redding Road turns into Shagg Pond Road) for 5.3 miles. The parking area will be to the left.
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