Middle Pond Trail
This trail description was written by Bill Sherrard in 2009. Most details are still accurate, but keep in mind that foliage and other flora change seasonally and over time, as do trail signs and other manmade accents.
The Middle Pond Trail is a 0.23 mile long trail that traverses the south and east sides of Middle Pond. The trail starts 0.46 miles from the southern terminus of the Ranch House Road Trail.
The trailhead elevation is 1,338 feet. From here the trail descends down to about 1,280 feet than rises to 1,319 feet as the trail dead ends into the East Ridge trail. The trail is an easy hike descending and/or rising no more than 20 feet, however, one must climb a major hill on the Ranch House Road trail in order to reach the Middle Pond trailhead.
The trail starts out wide enough for the trucks driven by the Daley Ranch Rangers. It soon narrows down to a single lane hiking trail. It is at this point, 400 feet from the trailhead, that we catch our first glimpse of Middle Pond.
Between 0.08 and 0.17 miles from the trailhead we get some excellent views of the water. Beyond the latter point our view of the pond is blocked by the foliage along the trail.
At 0.17 miles the trail parallels a ditch that contains a large sluice gate. The flow of the water that at one time flowed down the ditch to irrigate the ranch was controlled by this gate. Boards in the sluice gate controlled the amount of water allowed to flow from the pond to places of lower elevation on the ranch.
Between the sluice gate and the end of the trail are some excellent views of the lake. A short distance beyond these views of the lake the trail ends.
Text and Photos Copyright © 2009 William R. Sherrard. Used with permission