North End of Killkenny Ridge – The Devil’s Hopyard Info

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walker

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I was very surprised the other day :eek: when I drove north to climb into the Devil’s Hopyard and up to Roger Ledge on the northern end of The “Killkenny Ridge Trail” and found a gate one mile from the trail head LOCKED. I can’t remember anyone, anywhere ever saying anything about a gate. :confused:

Killkenny Ridge Trail starts (ends) at the South Pond Recreation Area operated and maintained by the White Mountain National Forest. The trail originates just off the parking lot so I think maybe one of the AMC Guide Books would have said something about a gate.

Oh ya…..The sign at the gate states it opens at 10am / closes at 8pm. I parked my vehicle at a pull off just before the gate and hoped it would be all right (yes, I have a parking pass on my windshield and yes it’s “signed”). When I returned at 4 pm the gate was still close and locked. It’s signed as a “day use area only”.

I have since checked on the WMNF “road closure“ web page and found it on the page as being “close”.

It will add one mile from the gate to trailhead. Nice walk on a tarred road (with a family of foxes playing in the middle of it). Just surprised I didn’t read anything about it. If you want to use the parking lot (when the gate is open) it will cost you five bucks$$$$$.

Did I miss the memo??? Just wondering.

Happy hiking.....Walker
 
Page 461 of the WMG 26th Edition says: "The access road to South Pond recreational Area has a gate 1.1 miles from the trailhead in the picnic area; this gate is kept locked from 8 PM to 9 AM during the season when the beach and picnic area are open. At other times it is usually locked, but it is normally left open from Labor Day to the end of hunting season. Foot travel is always permitted. Check with the Androscoggin Ranger District office of the WMNF ((603-466-2713) for details."

When we hiked the Kilkenny Ridge Trail end to end a few years ago, we reached the gate at 8:25 knowing that the gate would probably be closed but oddly enough, the sign on the gate said the gate would be opened at 10:00. so I cannot say for sure exactly when it does open.

JohnL
 
South Pond gate

When we hiked the Kilkenny Ridge Trail a few years ago, we spotted a car at the Starr King Trail and drove the other car to the start of our hike at the South Pond Rec area. We simply informed the woman running the rec. area of our plans and she kindly kept the gate open for us until we returned for our car a couple days later (It was after the posted closing time when we returned).

It seems like the gate times are pretty random. Perhaps checking with the rec. area operators would be a good way of avoiding the roadwalk- or worse-havng your car trapped on the other side of the gate!
 
There is a "host" there during the summer who locks & unlocks the gate, during the off season the gate is either open or closed continuously.

Even if the gate is open they may not let you in, I was there one hot day in July and the ranger said the beach was full. I said I wanted to hike Devils Hopyard instead and he said I wasn't allowed in even on foot if I parked outside.

At one time it required a parking pass to park outside the gate and an extra fee to park at the beach.
 
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