Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / New Hampshire / Sandwich Range and Kancamagus

Sawyer Pond

Sawyer Pond Scenic Area, White Mountain National Forest (Kancamagus Highway and Sawyer River Road, Livermore/Bartlett)

Sawyer Pond lies north of the Kancamagus Highway, within the Sawyer Pond Scenic Area, with a Forest Service shelter and tent platforms near the shore. A reviewer on The Dyrt says it was their “introduction to backpacking more than 40 years ago,” and SectionHiker’s trip plan describes a 1.5-mile walk to the campsites from the north trailhead.

In 2026 there is no short approach: the north trailhead’s road has been closed to cars since a December 2023 storm, and the south side starts with a river ford.

The hike

From the Kancamagus Highway. The Forest Service calls this the less-traveled side of the Sawyer Pond Trail. The trail fords the Swift River, then reaches the pond at 4.5 miles; it also connects with the Brunel Trail. The Dyrt reviewer warns that the crossing may be dangerous when the river is high. Beyond the pond, the trail continues to Sawyer River Road, 6.0 miles from the highway.

From Sawyer River Road. SectionHiker’s trip plan uses the north end, 1.5 miles and about 150 feet of climbing from the trailhead to the campsites, starting on a small footbridge over the Sawyer River. A brook runs beside the trail most of the way. Normally, Sawyer River Road leaves US 302 and runs 3.8 miles to the trailhead, passing the Signal Ridge Trail lot. The Forest Service closed the road to all vehicles after a December 2023 storm washed out part of it, and says to walk in from the gate on US 302; a 2024 VFTT post puts the washout about a mile from the highway. Walking the road adds roughly 3.8 miles each way (an estimate from SectionHiker’s driving distance).

At the pond, the campsites sit near the shore, and the lean-to is 0.15 mile down a spur. The Forest Service lists Little Sawyer Pond as part of the same quarter-mile Forest Protection Area. The Dyrt reviewer describes the pond as a year-round destination: snowshoeing and ice fishing in winter and fall colors across the water. SectionHiker notes that fishing requires a New Hampshire license.

With a car at each end, the full 6-mile trail makes a point-to-point trip across the scenic area. For another pond-side shelter on an old logging grade, see Flat Mountain Pond in the Sandwich Range.

Tips

Camping

No permit is needed, and camping is free and first come, first served (SectionHiker). The Forest Service lists Sawyer Ponds, including Little Sawyer Pond, as a quarter-mile Forest Protection Area: camping and wood or charcoal fires are banned within a quarter mile except at designated sites, and stays are limited to 14 days. SectionHiker says the area has six large platforms, each allowing several tents with up to 8 people per site, plus fire rings, two outhouses, and a lean-to for six. If the platforms are full, SectionHiker says campers must hike a quarter mile away to a dispersed site.

Inside Intel: SectionHiker’s trip plan describes the lean-to as “clean and in good condition.” The Dyrt reviewer calls Sawyer Pond family friendly because of the easy access but cautions that the same access can attract weekend partiers.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Fording the Swift River to Sawyer Pond:

From the Kancamagus Highway, the Sawyer Pond Trail starts with a ford of the Swift River, which may be dangerous when the river is high. Read five tips before you wade.

Get the five tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.