Jabe Pond and Little Jabe Pond are popular destination for hiking, camping, fishing, swimming and paddling

Jabe Pond and Little Jabe Pond
1 mile (2 miles round trip)
Lake George Wild Forest
Hague, Warren County
Hiking, Snowshoeing
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

 

Hike Jabe Pond

Jabe Pond and Little Jabe Pond are located near Silver Bay, in the Town of Hague in Warren  County. The trail is part of the Lake George Wild Forest area of the public Forest Preserve. Jabe Pond and Little Jabe Pond are beautiful remote ponds popular for swimming and fishing (no motors).

The trail to Jabe Pond and Little Jabe Pond is accessed off of Battle Hill Road, which can be reached by turning onto Split Rock Road from Route 9N, south of Hague. There is a parking area for Jabe Pond just off of Battle Hill Road. The Jabe Pond Road is open seasonally, so motor vehicles can drive for another mile to reach the ponds at different points of the year. Jabe Pond Road is very rough in some sections with large bumps, and high clearance is highly recommended.

 

The hike into Jabe Pond begins at the Battle Hill Road Parking area (if hikers decided not to drive into the second parking area or their cars are not well equipped to do so). The trail follows the road and is one mile long and, for the most part, follows a gentle incline, with a couple of steep sections and downhills to balance them out. After the second parking area, near Jabe Pond, hikers will pass by a boat launch area for canoes, kayaks, and other small paddling boats.

Beautiful Jabe Pond

The foot trail along Jabe Pond continues to the right of the boat launch. There are campsites marked along the pond. The trail along Jabe Pond runs for about 0.6 miles and passes by a couple of campsites (side trails lead off to the right to open forested areas and officially marked camping areas). The campsites are in generally good condition.

 

From the trail, Jabe Pond is visible at all times through the trees, and at various points, there are rocky outcroppings into the water that could be used as spots to rest, soak tired feet into the cool water, or swim. The trail ends at a third campsite. Unofficial trails continue around the lake, and there are a few other camping locations on the shore at other points, but the trails to them are unmarked and can be challenging to follow.

Hike to Little Jabe Pond

The trail to Little Jabe Pond splits off to the right, and its destination is not marked, but it is a very short trip over to a much more isolated, if smaller, pond with swimming access, a campfire site, and potential for paddling if hikers carry their boats the extra 0.3 miles.

 

Overall, the Jabe Pond trails and campsites are well maintained, easy to follow where marked, and the hike as a whole along the trails is very easy and short. Even with the hike in on the road, getting out to the farthest campsite and back is only a 3.2-mile trek, and there are no huge inclines or difficult trail sections to climb. Jabe Pond is suitable for hikers of all ages and ability levels, and provides a wide variety of activity options for all to enjoy.

Click here for a map and directions to Jabe Pond.

When You Hike Make Sure to Practice “Leave No Trace” to be Prepared and to Protect the Forest Preserve

Please follow “carry in, carry out” rules for all trash and follow other Leave No Trace principles when hiking in the public Forest Preserve and other wild areas. The seven Leave No Trace principles are: 1) Plan ahead and prepare; 2) Stay on hiking trails and camp at designated areas; 3) Dispose of human waste and trash properly; 4) Leave what you find; 5) Minimize campfires; 6) Respect wildlife; 7) Respect other hikers.

Educated hikers do not damage the environment. Prepared hikers do not need search and rescue unless injured.

Winter Use: Jabe Pond is a popular snowshoeing and ice fishing in the winter. The gate is locked and the road is not plowed.

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