Muddy Pond
The 70-acre Muddy Pond property includes the last section of the undeveloped shoreline of Muddy Pond, a remote, high-elevation glacial pond, populated mostly by otters and other wild creatures. This peaceful 30-acre pond, which includes a waterfront campsite utilized by local Scout troops, is located in Westminster alongside the Midstate Trail, a 95-mile trail through wild and scenic land that runs from Rhode Island to New Hampshire. The pond and Whitney Hill ridge provide an important wildlife corridor and high ecological diversity including open water, floating bog mats, shallow marsh, flooded beaver meadow, hemlock-swamp, red-maple swamp and upland hardwood forest.
Learn more about the natural resources at Muddy Pond:
NRWA Whitney Hill and Muddy Pond Eco Inventory
File size: 601 KB
Public Access
Muddy Pond is open to the public for non-motorized recreation including hiking, hunting, fishing, and canoeing/kayaking. The 4-mile spur trail on the property connects to the Midstate Trail.
Directions
213 Bragg Hill Rd. Westminster, MA 01473
Parking is available in a small parking lot off Bragg Hill Rd.
To find the trailhead for the Midstate on Bragg Hill Rd from Route 2A in the center of Westminster: Travel northeast on Bacon Street for .6 miles. Bear right onto North Common Rd and continue for .6 miles. Bear left onto Oakmont Avenue and continue for 1.7 miles. Cross South Ashburnham Rd and continue north on Bragg Hill Rd to the Trailhead. Hike about 1 mile to the Pond.
Ownership
Len and Amy Engman
Year Protected
2014
Property History
Len and Amy Engman, who have lived at the Pond since 1978, worked with Mount Grace to place a conservation restriction (CR) on their 70-acre property. The CR is held by the Town of Westminster. Due to the project’s high resource value, community support, and recreational potential, Mount Grace secured a competitive Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mount Grace and community members completed a successful local fundraising campaign to conserve Muddy Pond for everyone, forever.
