Hiking Bald Rock

Bald Rock Mountain is the renowned rock face that overlooks Fairfield Lake. Many people have admired the view from the Sapphire Valley Boat Dock and Beach, but  people seem to be intimidated by its size when they are thinking about an afternoon hike. I had the opportunity to hike Bald Rock last week and it truly is a fairly strenuous hike. You can start the hike from the Sapphire Valley Boat Docks and start at the trail head next to the pavilion. You will stay on flat ground next to the serene lake for the first quarter mile or so. As you cross over the dam at the end of the lake stay straight on Emerald Cove until you see a sign that reads "Old Bald Trail" on your left. This is where the hike begins to get difficult. The next quarter to half a mile is up hill. It begins to flatten out for a little while before you finish up a steep hill. The hike took me about 50 minutes without any breaks, so plan it taking anywhere from that to over an hour to get to the top. The hike down was about 45 minutes. While on the hike you can observe many different plants and animals. You stay under the cover of trees the entire way up until you appear on top of bald rock. It is a strenuous hike, but if you do happen to conquer Bald Rock the view is definitely worth it!