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Pondicherry Park, Bridgton

Writer: Jill McMahon
Jill McMahon
8 hours ago
2 min read

A ghost chimney, covered bridge, accessible trail, and mini ropes course.


Dunning Bridge at Pondicherry Park in Bridgton, Maine. The trees surrounding the bridge are red, orange and yellow on a bluebird fall day.

This hidden gem is located in the heart of downtown Bridgton, Maine. The 66-acre park includes 2.3 miles of trails, winding through woodlands, streams, old stone walls, ruins, and natural playgrounds. The property was conserved by the Loon Echo Land Trust and Lakes Environmental Association in 2012, then gifted to the town of Bridgton.


Parking


The main entrance for this park is off of Depot Street behind Reny's in downtown Bridgton, where you'll find plenty of free parking in the outdoor Depot Street Public Lot. The kiosk and trailhead are visible to the southwest, and begin on the Bob Dunning Memorial Bridge over Steven's Brook.


Accessible Trail


This entrance is also the start of the 0.7-miles universally accessible trail, marked with diamonds on the kiosk map. It begins at the covered bridge, then follows the eastern side of the trail network all the way to Willard Rd., where you'll find another trailhead and parking area for 8 cars. According to Maine Trail Finder, the accessible trail "has a packed gravel surface,  grade and cross slope both under 2%, and is six feet wide at its narrowest point. There are rest areas to pull aside and a few benches as well." Enock Glidden rated this trail as, "Wheelie Easy: A trail that is easy to push on, has very few obstacles, and is mostly flat."


Natural Playground


If you're bringing young kids to the park, start from the Willet Rd trailhead, which is closest to the Lake's Environmental Association's natural playground and low ropes course. You'll find a short trail leading to the playground on the left as you set out from the parking lot.



The Lakes Environmental Association's natural playground and low ropes course at Bridgton, Maine's Pondicherry Park. The surrounding trees are green, yellow and orange and there are fall leaves on the ground.


Ghost Chimney


One of the most exciting discoveries I found along the Willet Brook Trail, was an old stone chimney. The chimney is located along a spur, leading from the main trail down towards Willet Brook. It's surrounded by a wooden viewing platform and ramp, making it fully accessible. Once the site of a historic single-family camp, owned by the Cook family, the chimney is all that remains.


Old stone chimney with accessible ramp at Pondicherry Park in Bridgton. There are fall leaves covering the ground and the leaves on the surrounding trees are bright yellow and green.

Pondicherry Park offers many more trail options, including those that lead to old pastures, along stone walls, over boardwalks and through quiet forest. Find a detailed map of the trail network on the Loon Echo Land Trust's website here.


Light streaming through a wooded forest at Pondicherry Park in Bridgton.

For winter photos, read my blog post from 2021 when I first explored this park - it has much to offer in all seasons!



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