Directions: From Westbrook, Take River Road towards Windham. Cross over Rt. 202, staying on River Road. Come to the 'rotary' at the intersection of Windham Center Road, and take third exit to go onto Windham Center Road, passing St. Anne's Church. Stay on Windham Center Rd. for about 0.5 miles then turn right onto Middle Jam Road. About 0.1 miles on the right is the launch I used.
Boat Launch: This was a narrow open spot along the shore. Grassy knoll down to the water. The bottom of the pond was sandy but covered with some decaying leafs, so a bit mucky, but not bad!
(*Note: I did not see signs for this being a public launch, but also didn't see any 'no parking' signs... )
Parking: Very little. It looks more like a pull off spot or turn around spot than a parking area. I think this area is designed for access to the power line tower you can see behind my truck. Again, I didn't see any no parking signs here, so I parked... it appeared others had done the same. MAYBE two or three vehicles could park here strategically, but if more than one vehicle people won't be able to leave because a second or third vehicle would block the spot.
Bathroom: None
Wildlife: Loons, ducks, turtles, active fish jumping today near the falls...
Notes:
I was SO incredibly excited to get on the water today. AND so excited to have a NEW place to share with you! (I apologize if there are too many photos...what can I say? I was excited! The weather forecast had predicted today as a rainy day. As a result I had planned on staying close to home, to do chores. As the day wore on I started getting a little antsy and thought about paddling. I looked at the sky and there were some white clouds in the gray sky, but it wasn't raining, so... I decided to go for it. I reached out to a friend of mine and was very happy she was up for a spontaneous trip. I heard about North Gorham Pond from a co-worker whose family, at some point, had a camp here. I thought today would be a great day to check it out. I had driven by here a couple weeks ago, trying to see where to park. I had read on some fishing website that there was access to the lake up by the power house. We drove up there and I gotta tell ya, I would NOT launch from up there. Walking down to the waters edge involves a steep bank. I would not recommend it.
At the southern end of the pond, along Windham Center Road, there is another power house/small, and a dam. . There is a tiny parking area and I have read that people launch from there, but it looked like it would involve needing to carry my boat a ways, so... even though I was ready to do that, as we drove back towards that area, we spotted this little pull off area and decided that would be best! It worked great.
Once on the water this was the view looking up the pond...
One house had this adorable little table for two along the shore. It made me smile.
There are a few tiny islands here, fun to paddle around them.
One of the islands was just big enough for a small cabin. A true island getaway!
The shore opposite from where we launched had several homes/camps.
After paddling up a bit I noticed this little off shoot and HAD to explore.
This was cool...
This..not so cool... milfoil! a GREAT reminder to WASH your boat between destinations!
I got to these logs and couldn't pass, but seeing the turtles was worth it! So glad to see these guys again!
Back on the more open water I kept looking to the top of the trees, expecting an eagle, but no luck.
I am happy to say that the houses/camps along this pond seem well used and well taken care of... this house was FUN. This water pump... next to the steps to get out of the water... to be able to wash off your feet, how cool is that?
I had heard that there were 'falls' here. (I had read it on a fishing website.) But wasn't sure what they would look like. They were very prettty and the sound of the rushing water was SOO relaxing!
Before going closer to the falls I wanted to explore near the power house. I didn't get too close because there were a couple of fishermen and I didn't want to interrupt them. But this was cool...and the greens that are coming out now, are beautiful!
Then ... the falls!
This fly fisherman was trying his luck... as we were there, suddenly tiny moths were flitting about..and fish started jumping... hope that helped this guy out!
Looking back down the lake, this loon had its first photo opp. It had followed us up the pond, but was camera shy.
I'm not too sure what the story is with this stump... but... if anyone knows, I would love to learn!
Terrible photo, but the babies were so cute I had to share. They were TINY, new babies!
As I was looking at the ducks, the loon visited my friend. She had never had a loon get so close to her before and was mesmerized. So fun to see her enjoying it!
Love when they do this!
This tree reminded me of Harry Potter...the Whomping Willow!
This is a GREAT little pond. It is small, so a great after work destination for folks who live nearby. Please be careful of the fishermen, you don't want to get 'caught' while you are paddling!
Hi I have been staying on North Gorham pond for the summer your pictures do you justice. Thanks. Maybe see you out there. My time is 8 am
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