Conservation Areas

Ice Caves Trail (2 miles round trip): This quick, 1-mile trail offers three separate destinations. The parking lot is located at the end of the Hurd Pond Road, a left turn off of the Golden Road immediately after crossing Abol Bridge. Keep left at the fork and drive about four miles to reach the trailhead. The trail leads up and down through granite boulders, leftovers of the last Ice Age’s glacial activity. The first turnoff on the right leads to a scenic lookout, which offers a vista of First Debsconeag Lake and the Debsconeag Deadwater. Continuing down the Ice Cave Trail (left at the fork), will bring you to another fork. Veer right to see the Ice Cave – a deep hole under a jumble of boulders with a cool environment that retains ice sometimes as late as August. This is a great spot to cool off in some of Nature’s best air conditioning. Turning left at the fork will bring you to the shore of First Debsconeag Lake.