Trail name(s)
Prosper Trail, North Ridge Loop, Pogue Pond Loop Trail, McKenzie Road
Location
Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Prosper Road Trailhead Woodstock Vermont
Permitted uses
Hiking, Nature Study, Horseback riding
Prohibited uses
Bicycles are not permitted on park trails. No Hunting. No Trapping.. No Swimming. No Wading and no fishing. Pets are not allowed in Pogue Pond. Do not feed or approach wildlife.
Hours
The trails are available from dawn to dusk.
Fees and Parking
There is no fee to park or to use the trails. The parking area is quite large and will accommodate several cars. Horse trailers are able to use this parking area as well.
Pets
Dogs are allowed on the trails and must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Owners are required to remove all pet waste.
Accessibility
This hike was not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities
There are no restrooms or trash bins at this trailhead. There is no water available to hikers so remember to bring adequate water for your hike. Please carry out all the trash you create or find. There are two information kiosks at two different areas of the parking lot.There is a map posted at the kiosk. Hikers can take a picture with their phones to take along with them or they can download a map by visiting the link below:
Length and Trail information
This was an easy hike done as a loop which was approximately 2.75 miles in length. Our goal for this hike was to reach The Pogue (aka Pogue Pond), hike around its perimeter and enjoy the views.
Our hike started from the parking area to a small boardwalk that led us into the dense mixed forest.There are no trail blazes but there are wooden signs at intersections to help visitors stay on the trail. The trail was wide and we were able to walk side by side for most of the hike. There were little to no trip hazards along the trail. Any gain in elevation was gradual and hardly noticed. One section with a modest incline had wide rock/earth steps to ease ascent. The Pogue (aka Pogue Pond) is a man made pond, said to be roughly 14 acres in size. During the time Mr. George Marsh owned the property, Pogue Pond was a spring fed fen describe as a swampy depression below Mount Tom. When Mr. Billings took over the property in the 1880s, he made an earthen dam and dredged Pogue Pond thus allowing it to be used as a water source for his property. We took advantage of the benches installed beside the pond and spent some time watching the wildlife before hiking around the pond. A diverse population of wildlife is the happy result of keeping humans and dogs out of the Pogue Pond. It is reported that fish, turtles, frogs, ducks and Barred owls call this area home. During our visit we were able to see a lot of large dragonflies buzzing about and a family of ducks enjoying the pond.
For anyone wishing an easy hike in a lovely setting would very much enjoy visiting these trails in the Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park.
