York Pond, Berlin

About this Location

York Pond is a scenic water body located in Berlin. It is part of the Berlin Fish Hatchery, which was established in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is one of the largest hatcheries of its kind in the country. Visitors can access York Pond by driving on York Pond Road off NH-110, or by hiking on the York Pond Trail, which goes through a notch in the mountains and crosses the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. 

The York Pond Trailhead is located 2.1 miles past the Fish Hatchery gate, which is on York Pond Road off of NH-110.

Hikers can park on the left side of the road with the trail sign, being careful not to block the gate. At 0.2 miles, the Bunnel Notch Trail branches to the right to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail and provides the most direct route to Cabot Cabin. The York Pond Trail leads to Willard Notch and crosses the Kilkenny Ridge Trail.

About White Mountain National Forest

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In the decades prior to 1911, the unregulated logging practices of private timber companies in the White Mountains had resulted in a damaged landscape susceptible to both fire and flood. Fires had burned thousands of acres, and flash floods affected the water power necessary to the mills of major industrial centers downstream, such as Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massachusetts. Concerns over losses to industry, business, and tourism, and the growing conservation movement led to citizen action. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) spearheaded an effort to ensure the permanent protection of the White Mountains from further depredation. After years of lobbying and intense public pressure, Senator John Weeks of Massachusetts, a native of Lancaster, New Hampshire, introduced legislation that became known as the Weeks Act. The Weeks Act was passed by Congress in 1911, appropriating 9 million dollars to purchase 6 million acres of land in the Eastern U.S. In turn, this led to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in 1918, and twenty-one other national forests throughout the north and southeast. Many of the groups who were instrumental in the passage of the Weeks Act, including the SPNHF and the AMC, are still active today, and the WMNF has grown from 7,000 acres to almost 800,000. Today, the reforested mountains and hillsides supply forest products and provide magnificent recreational opportunities while maintaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website and White Mountain National Forest Official Website

Last updated November 22, 2023