• Spencer Property
• Old Danielson Pike, Foster, RI
• Trailhead: 41°49’11.38″N, 71°42’49.01″W
• First Time Hiked: September 20, 2014
• Last Time Hiked: December 10, 2016
• Approximate distance hiked: 3.2 miles
• Fairly easy with slight elevation.

The Foster Land Trust hosted a Rhode Island Land Trust Days event this morning on their Spencer Property. This property was once owned by a well known local doctor and was donated to the Land Trust in 1999. We started the hike from a small parking area across from utility pole 64 on Old Danielson Pike. We started by following the main trail named the Ponaganset River Trail into the property. The trail is marked at each intersection and is easy to follow. The stone dust trail winds downhill toward Spencer Pond. Large sections of the shore are accessible and the pond is known to have trout and bass in it. The trail then makes it way into the woods and becomes a traditional natural hiking trail. Soon a trail to the right appears, it is unofficially named the Gravel Pit Trail. We passed it on the way in but explored it on the way out. One of the spur trails here leads to the Ponaganset River. Continuing along the main trail we passed a few more trails to the left that lead to private property. One of them, however, leads to a newly acquired D.E.M. property once owned by the Carpenter family. An eagle scout has received permission from both D.E.M. and the Foster Land Trust to connect and blaze this trail from the Ponaganset River Trail to East Killingly Road. A majority of the work should be done this fall and should be completed by spring. We explored this trail for a bit as well on the way out. The aptly named main trail eventually ends at the Ponaganset River. There is a faint trail to the right that follows the river. There are plans to establish this trail to connect back to the Gravel Pit Trail to form a loop. There are areas where it can be a little wet and there are streams and brooks here. However, at the time of this hike it was very dry. There are also several stone walls and a cellar hole on the property as well. This property is dog friendly, in fact our guides dog led us most of the hike. I did not see much of wildlife other than birds, but there was plenty of evidence of it. The locals informed us that bear is not an uncommon sight in the area. So much so that the University of Rhode Island is using this property, as well as several others, as part of their bear population studies.

I did not find a trail map on-line.

Spencer Pond