Every Lake
Ponkapoag Pond
A kettle pond in the Blue Hills Reservation, ten miles south of Boston, ringed by a bog boardwalk.
- 9 ft · first step
- 17 ft
- 26 ft
- 34 ft
- 43 ft
- 52 ft · bottom
About Ponkapoag Pond
Ponkapoag Pond sits inside the Blue Hills Reservation, on the border of Canton and Randolph, Massachusetts, about ten miles south of downtown Boston. It is a kettle pond, formed when a block of glacial ice buried in outwash sediment melted and left a depression that filled with water. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation manages the surrounding land as part of Blue Hills, one of the largest stretches of undeveloped forest inside Boston's Route 128 ring, drawing hikers, birders, and commuters from both towns.
The pond is known locally for two things on its shore: a public golf course built on adjoining reservation land, and a cabin camp long operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club where members still rent bunks by the water. On the western side, a boardwalk trail crosses Ponkapoag Bog, a quaking peat mat thick enough to walk on and studded with cranberry vines, sundews, and orchids that state naturalists monitor. Canoes, kayaks, and small fishing boats work the open water on weekends, and the surrounding trails connect into the wider Blue Hills path network.
- 5 roads engraved around the shore, 1 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Ponkapoag Pond depth chart, in wood
This is a Ponkapoag Pond depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 17 ft, 26 ft, 34 ft, 43 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 52 ft. The lake covers about 0.3 square miles, and 5 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Ponkapoag Pond map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Ponkapoag Pond for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Ponkapoag Pond.
Ponkapoag Pond map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Ponkapoag Pond; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Ponkapoag Pond is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 52 ft
- 0.3 square miles of water
- 5 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
