Halfmile Bluff across Halfmile Pond
Along the Airline (ME 9) east of Bangor, there are numerous small mountains and hills with open ledges that have great views. Most folks know about Big and Little Chick Hills (really Big and Little Peaked Mountains). The rock climbing community has openned access to a couple of others, most notably Eagle Bluff and Parks Pond Bluff. The farthest east of these bluffs is Bald Bluff Mountain. The least well-known is Halfmile Bluff in the Amherst Mountains Community Forest.
The hike visits the beautiful Halfmile Pond then climbs steeply to the viewpoints on the bluff. The hike is only 2.0 miles out and back, but the trail up the climb is not well-defined and very steep. The view is worth the work, though.
Looking across Halfmile Pond from the bluff
To get to the trailhead, drive east on the Airline (Maine route 9) through Eddington into Clifton. From the junction of ME9 and ME180 in Clifton, continue on the Airline. Drive 7.8 miles, passing Parks Pond then Chick Hill. Turn left onto Trout Pond Road at the new sign for Amherst Public Land. If you reach the village of Amherst, you went way too far. (Also, note that there’s a second marked road into Amherst Public Land between Trout Pond Road and the village—this is the road to Bald Bluff Mountain.)
Drive 1.7 miles on Trout Pond Road. It’s a well-maintained but narrow gravel road. Turn right at the sign for Halfmile Pond. Drive another 0.7 miles to where the road peters out. There’s a parking area on the left and a trailhead sign on the left side of the road just past the parking area.
0.0 The trail is on the north side of the road (where it becomes little more than an overgrown skidder trail) at the sign.
0.2 Descend steadily to the south shore of Halfmile Pond. You have a great view of the bluff on the far shore.
0.3 A blue blazed trail heads east along the shore of the pond. The pond is shallow and home to several kinds of flowering aquatic plants and the animals that go with them. The trail reaches the end of the pond and seems to end. Turn left and cross an old, abandoned beaver dam to the far shore.
0.8 Across the dam, an obvious trail leads into the woods. It is occassionally flagged but not blazed. The trail heads in a straight line toward the bluff through a forest littered with boulders. The trail reaches the base of the bluff. You begin climbing to a fork. An obvious trail climbs steeply to the left. This is a red herring. It climbs to a ledge between the lower and upper cliffs. You can bushwack across the ledge to several fine overlooks and nice views of the upper cliffs.
Looking up the cliffs from the lower ledge
1.0 To continue the hike, turn right at the fork. The trail goes through some boulders at the base of a cliff. Then you climb very steeply beside the end of the cliffs to the top of the bluff. The trail crosses the top of the bluff to an overlook. There are a couple of viewpoints along the trail that you can bushwack to.
Looking across Halfmile Pond from the overlook. You can see the mountains on MDI peeking out from behind the hill in the distance.
On your return hike, take time to explore the woods and cliffs before reaching the pond. You never know what you might find. The last time I was there a large mixed flock of chickadees and warblers was feeding in the trees near the end of the pond. The woods are full of wildflowers in the spring, including lady slipper orchids that grow right in the trail.
Elm sawfly larva on the moss in the trail
The pond itself is also a great place to find wildlife. I haven’t seen one, but the area looks like good moose habitat. Lots of yummy aquatic plants to eat.
Looking up the pond from the dam