NOTES

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Even Google Maps will show you right where Muckshaw Pond is, but actually getting there— well, that became quite the challenge and undoubtedly one of the trickier spots to visit.

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You see, the pond is just smack in the middle of a large forested section of Fredon.

No visible trails. No obvious place to park or direction of travel to get there. Hm. At one point, I almost considered visiting Windy Brown Farms up on the ridge and just cutting through their orchard and into the forest (super glad I decided against this route!)

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After quite extensive searching, I found traces of information that indicated that The Nature Conservancy looked after this land, and that there was an unassuming gravel pull-off lot with the trail entry on the opposite side of the road.

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We went for it on a hot, muggy afternoon, and the scant information provided actually worked! We found the trailhead and embarked, soon realizing that this stretch of path was likely seldom travelled. Long sections of completely weeded-over trail made us hope that the Ben's Tick Repellent was working overtime, but the surroundings were lovely nonetheless— lots of mushrooms, forest flowers, and absolutely no other humans.

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We soon found ourselves at the ned of the trail, and looking out over a pristine natural, serene pond punctuated by this old oak and a large beaver dam framing what turned out to be a lovely vantage point.