Lewis Pond Overlook Access

[Kerry29]

Is it possible--with reasonable effort--to reach Lewis Pond overlook in a passenger car? If not, how close can you get?

I ask with the notion of hiking up there via the road with my photo gear if need be. I am both willing and able to do so as long as the hike isn't prohibitively long; I routinely undertake day hikes, some of which are long and quite strenuous, on photo trips.

[ctyanky]

Kerry: oh boy. I highly suggest an SUV or truck and don't go by yourself if at all possible. By passenger car, do you have an SUV??? The Nulhegin Basin is quite remote and I would recommend that you time your daylight hours to get out of the preserve by dusk. It takes a couple of hours more or less to get in to the overlook. I don't think there is any cell service in there but I could be wrong. Also check before you go to see if the access roads are closed and I think you can call the forestry service for that area beforehand. The road is bad in some places and if there is rain up there you can expect washouts. Once you reach the overlook, you really don't have to hike anywhere because the road takes you right to the parking lot before the overlook. You won't need to carry gear anywhere. The trek in is long and the road is quite narrow. Be advised that you might meet hunters or loggers in trucks and you would have to pull over or back up which can be a challenge if it happens. I consider this almost a full day's journey but quite worth it. The views are like none other. If you google the forum for directions you will get there fine. I've been twice and never regretted it and would love to go again. You should watch the weather. You want 100 percent visibility to experience this gem. We've all gone in caravans in the past. I think you should experience Lewis Pond at least once. Charles (ixl) from the forum has the most incredible photos from Lewis Pond. You should be able to find his link easily here on the forum. Any other questions, ask away. Quite a few of us here have been to the Lewis Overlook. Good luck!

[From_the_NEK]

Strangely, I'm one of the few frequent posters in this forum that has never been to the Lewis Pond Lookout. However, I know the general area well. After turning off of Route 105 onto the Lewis Pond Rd, it is about a 12 mile drive through wilderness to the lookout. If you were to walk in and out you would easily use up an entire day plus it would likely remove any chance of being there for a sunrise or sunset.

As others have suggested the road condition may be questionable. If you have experience maneuvering a sedan through rough roads you may be able to make it. If not, you may want to skip this location of see if you can secure a higher clearance vehicle for the day.

[Kerry29]

I will NOT have an SUV or high clearance vehicle of any kind, and I'm going to be traveling by myself so I'm not sure how I'd be able to overcome that aspect of things. Via search on this forum I found directions a few weeks ago and I also found some suggestions that it WAS possible to get all the way to the overlook in regular passenger car (a Corolla was referenced) as well as some that suggested it would be very difficult to do so. I gather that this is a function of differing road conditions over time--to account for general deterioration, lack of maintenance and weather conditions.

The reason I mentioned hiking was that I saw a note that implied that the road wasn't bad until the final mile or two. I thought, if that was the case, that I could drive to that point and then hike the remainder of the road to the overlook. (I've done that sort of thing many times before.)

I have a lot of experience dealing with miserable forest service roads. Five years ago, I suffered a flat while descending an atrocious road following a sunrise shoot at Bear Rocks (Monongahela National Forest) in West Virginia. Just getting the car jacked up--on a fairly steep grade, dirt/rock road--was a hell of a thing (ditto descending the rest of that road with a donut spare and then finding someone to patch the tire). That experience has--probably appropriately--made me a little bit more gun shy than I might have been otherwise.

[Kerry29]

Strangely, I'm one of the few frequent posters in this forum that has never been to the Lewis Pond Lookout. However, I know the general area well. After turning off of Route 105 onto the Lewis Pond Rd, it is about a 12 mile drive through wilderness to the lookout. If you were to walk in and out you would easily use up an entire day plus it would likely remove any chance of being there for a sunrise or sunset.

A 24-mile round trip hike is out. What I was thinking was that it might be possible to drive partway (i.e. most of the way) in and then hike the remainder. If I could get within, say, a couple of miles of the overlook without any major issues, I'd have no problem doing that.

[ctyanky]

All: Charles (ixl) got a two page spread in Vermont Life 2015 on his Lewis Pond photo. Here is the forum link with a photo from his coup! I hope Charles comes on to comment.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3410&hilit=lewis+pond

[Kerry29]

if you go to http://www.fws.gov you can get links to Nulhegan Basin information including topographical maps, etc.
I also found this contact information that might help:
Nulhegan Basin Division Office & Visitor Contact Station
5396 Rte. 105
Brunswick, Vermont 05905
Phone: 802-962-5240
Fax: 802-962-5006

I think you are correct about the mixed reviews on the roads to this area. I have been on a LOT of VT "back roads" and many were far more challenging that this particular road when I was on it. I don't remember it being very steep for driving - there are a few uphill areas but it's not like climbing some super steep mountain roads that i've done in other parts of VT.

If you learn anything about road conditions please let us know what you learn

Thanks very much for the information and if I learn anything of value I'll certainly pass it along.

[kcflanders]

I don't believe you can access it from Lewis Pond Rd. I'm pretty sure the road is (or at least was) blocked before the Nulhegan River. You might have to take Henshaw Rd to Four Mile Rd. I would certainly attempt Lewis Pond Rd first, but have another plan just in case.

[Kerry29]

Thanks very much, Carol!