Camp Aya-Po

The two main hiking highlights here are the views around Hurds Lake and the climb up Perkins Mtn.

• Lakeside Trail – Blue – 1 mile
  • The lake views can be seen from the 1 mile blue trail which wraps around the edge of the pond and returns on the road to the parking area. This is a good strolling trail and was nice among the fall foliage.  There are benches and bridges with views of the pond throughout though sections of the northern stretch can be very wet, rocky, and rooty.
• Lower Trail – Yellow – 0.6 miles
  • The first stretch combines with the blue trail along the water offering a view or two before peeling off at about 0.25 miles into the woods.  The trail is ever so slightly uphill until reaching a gate at Stafford Rd.  Turning left at the gate connects steeply up to the red trail.
• Perkins Mtn. Trail – Red – 1 mile
  • From the parking area the trail heads uphill into pines passing the chimney and foundations of the camp buildings.  Climbing the mountain is steady but not steep (unless coming from the yellow lower trail then its a fairly steep 0.25 mile climb).  The summit of the mountain is a small clearing with a large fire pit and an arrangement of stones in a peace sign.  There isn’t much for views, but you can get a sense of the views through the trees especially when the leaves are off the trees.  Accounts from the camp say that Sunday services were held here and the trees were cleared at one point for a proper overlook.
• Old Shenipsit Trail – Green 0.8 miles
  • I didn’t explore this section of trail, but it is a discontinued section of the Shenipsit Trail.  The current terminus of the Shenipsit peters out about a mile south and I bet they hope to reconnect here one day.