Leonard’s Pond
Take in a lovely view of Leonard’s Pond in Rochester from the shores of two small properties owned by the town of Rochester and the Rochester Land Trust. They’re a perfect destination if you’re looking for a short outdoor stroll, an idyllic waterfront picnic spot, or a place to put in your kayak or canoe for a quiet pond paddle.
Features
Enjoy a picnic by the water at the Rochester Land Trust Leonard’s Pond property.
This Leonard’s Pond destination is actually two separate waterfront properties: a 4.1-acre town of Rochester property and a 2.95-acre Rochester Land Trust property, both located on the same stretch of Mary’s Pond Road.
The larger town-owned property is on the southeast side of Leonard’s Pond, situated along a peaceful wooded curve of the pond’s edge. Put in your canoe or kayak and set off on a tranquil paddle around the pond while you look for birds, frogs, and turtles.
The smaller Rochester Land Trust property sits in the southwest corner of Leonard’s Pond, directly across from Eastover Farm. Here, you can take short walk along the Herbert Wood, Jr. Memorial Trail or enjoy a picnic as you take in the view of the farm’s golden yellow barns over the water.
Trails
The Rochester Land Trust property is home to a quarter-mile loop trail that’s named in memory of Herb Wood, a longtime Rochester resident and devoted land trust board member. The picnic table is located along the trail to the left, while the rest of the trail loops through the woods to the east before returning to the parking area. As you walk, look for red maple trees among the pines, as well as blueberry bushes in the understory.
Habitats & Wildlife
Leonard’s Pond is a stopover for migrating waterfowl, so look for geese, mergansers, and buffleheads rafting on the pond’s surface in fall, winter, and spring. In warmer weather, the pond teems with reptiles and amphibians like snapping turtles, painted turtles, bullfrogs, and pickerel frogs.
The bobbers festooning the trees along the pond’s edge are testimony to the many fishermen who try their luck here. If you have a valid freshwater fishing license, you can cast a line for species such as bass, sunfish, perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and pickerel. Leonard’s Pond has also been used historically by river herring, which swim up the Sippican River and into the pond each spring.
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