Little Rock Pond, described as "a gem in the rugged setting," was the site of a private lumber camp located on the west shore of the Pond that offered shelter to hikers during the late 1920s and early 1930s.
The camp’s origins reflected Vermont’s active logging heritage. The trail to Little Rock Pond formerly connected via an old wood road from the Aldrich Camp area at an abandoned highway, situating the camp within a landscape of industrial forest activity. By the time it appeared in guidebooks around 1930, the camp provided simple shelter for backpackers following the Long Trail’s route along the pond’s shoreline.
The camp operated only briefly, primarily between 1928 and 1931, existing in that transitional period when private lumber operations coexisted with the emerging infrastructure of the Long Trail. Unlike the GMC’s growing network of institutional shelters, Little Rock Pond Camp remained a privately operated facility, offering lodging to hikers who passed through this scenic location in the heart of Vermont’s then-active timber region. By the mid-twentieth century, the structure had disappeared, eventually replaced by the current USFS-built shelter and modern tent platforms that serve the thousands of hikers who annually visit this beautiful mountain pond.
Sources
- Long Trail Guide Book. 7th Edition ed. Green Mountain Club, 1928.
- Woodward, Paul & Joanne. Long Trail System Shelter History. 2nd ed. Green Mountain Club, 1999. Pp. 147.
