Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area
Venture through deep pine and beech forests that provide a vital lakeside home for local wildlife at Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area. This state-owned property provides access to a uniquely peaceful part of Plymouth for hunters and outdoor explorers of all stripes.
Features
The waterside trail through Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area provides stunning views of Halfway Pond, and connects to Wildlands Trust’s Halfway Pond Conservation Area.
Quiet forests, stunning pond views, and abundant wildlife: Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has a little bit of everything to offer Plymouth’s more adventurous explorers. Like its neighbor Myles Standish State Forest, Halfway Pond WMA is a popular spot for hunting and fishing. These wild-feeling trails are also a fantastic place for hiking, trail running, horseback riding, and mountain biking.
While wildlife management areas are open to all types of outdoor exploration, they’re protected primarily to ensure local wildlife habitat. If you’re coming to Halfway Pond to hunt its white-tailed deer, wild turkey, or eastern coyote, please note that hunting is not allowed on the privately-owned land and cranberry bogs within the WMA, which are marked by signs.
For safety, visitors (and dogs!) should wear blaze orange if visiting during hunting season.
Trails
You can enter Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area by way of three trailheads. The first is at the intersection of Mast Road and Halfway Pond Road, and has a small dirt parking area. The second trailhead on Halfway Pond Road is directly across from Wildflower Lane, beside the red sign. The third trailhead is on West Long Pond Road, at the gate that leads past the cranberry bog.
You can also reach Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area via Betsy’s Trail, which starts at Wildlands Trust’s Halfway Pond Conservation Area and circles entirely around the pond. This loop trail, which also connects to three WMA trailheads, is a fantastic spot to take in views of the unique natural beauty of Halfway Pond.
The trails at Halfway Pond Wildlife Management Area are not mapped, and its many branching side paths can be confusing for inexperienced explorers. We recommend this spot for those who are comfortable using a compass to navigate.
Habitats & Wildlife
Upland forest habitat of American beech and pine abuts wooded wetland along Halfway Pond, a freshwater oasis for the federally endangered Northern Redbelly Cooter turtle. The six mussel species found here, including two rare species, mark the health of Halfway Pond’s water. Below the smooth surface of the pond, fishermen will find chain pickerel and large and smallmouth bass chasing their hooks. Watch for deer, turkey, and coyote along the shore.
The Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game works to preserve the state's natural resources and people's right to conservation of those resources.
