Posts Tagged ‘ Bird Watching ’

Mussachuck Grove & Beach – Barrington

This Barrington Land Conservation Trust property is quite a hidden secret and a gem. The walk itself is short unless you want to follow the beach beyond the property. There is parking for a couple cars at the intersection of Appian Way and Grove Street. From here walk up Grove Street a few feet to the entrance of the grove. The small grove offers a loop trail through the predominantly oak tree canopy. At the opposite end of the loop is a spur that leads to the end of Appian Way. Here you will find the beach access in which you can follow the path to the beach. Low tide is particularly good time to visit as nature makes some interesting artwork of the beach sand as the tide recedes. Once at the beach you will notice the nesting area for purple martins as well as several birdboxes on the landward side. The view from the beach stretches from the Port of Providence to Conimicut Point. The view of the lighthouse from here is also quite impressive. There is a small creek that can be easily forded at low tide if you wanted to continue further down the beach for further distance. Just be sure to stay below the high water mark beyond the creek.

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Looking Toward The Conimicut Point Lighthouse

2024
03/13
CATEGORY
Mussachuck Beach
~1 Mile or Less~
~BARRINGTON RI~
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Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor – Ledyard

  • Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor
  • Whalehead Road, Ledyard, CT
  • Trailhead: 41°26’32.7″N 72°03’10.7″W
  • Last Time Hiked: December 30, 2023
  • Approximate distance hiked: 3.0 miles
  • Moderate, can be difficult in areas.

Most of southeastern Connecticut is within a glacial moraine. This Avalonia Land Conservancy property is a great spot to see the evidence of that. Here at Pine Swamp there are several areas of small boulder fields and glacial erratic. Starting from a small parking area on Whalehead Road, follow the blue blazed trail into the property. The trail swings to the left keeping a stone wall to the left before coming to a service road for power line access. Ignoring the trail ahead and slightly to the left, turn right here and follow the service road. After a heavy rain there may be some ponding along this road. you will pass some ponds along the service road before coming to a bridge. After the bridge, start looking for the blue blazed loop trail to the right. The trail narrow at first, passes an area of boulders and a stretch of mountain laurel while hugging the northern property line of the preserve. You will soon cross a stream and approach a neighborhood. The trail gets substantially muddy in this area as you will find yourself hopping from rock to rock. There are also conveniently placed cinder blocks along this stretch to help cross this area. The trail then approaches Whalehead Road at the western end of the property before turning left onto the most challenging part of the hike (especially after heavy rains). There is a rather wide stream crossing. Though there are plenty of stones to help cross you may find yourself getting your feet wet if the width of the stream exceeds its banks. At the time of this hike, after a day of rain, I found myself crossing successfully. Continuing ahead, you will come to a short boardwalk before entering a boulder field with low lying mountain laurel. This stretch of the trail can be a bit challenging as you will be jumping from rock to rock. The trail soon comes to the powerlines once again before traversing back into the woods. The trail narrows and becomes very rocky once again while climbing uphill. Soon you will be back out to the service road at the powerlines. From here you could follow the service road back to where you came in from, however, for this hike make your way to pole LN1911. Turn right here and you will find a narrow trail that leads back into the woods. Soon you will come to the yellow blazed trail. Turn left here. The trail straddles the southern property line as you pass stone walls, ponds, and ditches with small boardwalk bridges. Along this stretch there were several woodpeckers and songbirds. The yellow trail then comes to the service road. Continue straight ahead onto the blue trail that first led you into the preserve. Follow it back to the parking area

 

Trail map: Pine Swamp

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Boulder Field with Low Laying Mountain Laurel

2024
01/06
CATEGORY
Pine Swamp
~3 to 5 Miles~
~LEDYARD CT~
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Crystal Spring Preserve – Plainville

Newly opened to the public, Crystal Spring Preserve provides a fairly easy hike through the woods less than a half mile from the bustling Route 1. There is a small parking area along the side of School Street opposite house 91 big enough for 2 cars. The access trail to the loop is short with a small patch of wetlands on left. A few hundred feet in you will come to the split at the loop. For this hike I decided to go right where I immediately started to come across some pines mixed in with the prominent deciduous trees. The trail soon comes to an open field with sporadic pines. Follow the treeline to the right for a bit and start looking for the red blaze on a tree at the far end of the field.  Back into woods you will cross stone wall, then the trail climbs slightly uphill. You will pass unmarked connector trails on the left before coming to Grandfather Rock. The trail then loops back around, coming again to a connector trail, stay right here and follow red blazes. After a cairn trail turns sharp left and uphill. At next intersection turn left. Trail to right leads to town property and the Eagle Scout Nature Trails. Following the red blazes the trail winds gently to a meditation circle. The unique stone formation is quite interesting. Continuing ahead, keep an eye out for your turn on the right to continue following red blazes. The trail straight ahead is the first connector trail you passed earlier. The trail again winds gently for a bit coming to a stone wall. The trail turns left here and follows the stone wall. Near the end of wall is small mound of stone. Start looking for the intersection for the access trail you came in on, turn right and follow red blazes back to street.

Trail map: Crystal Spring Preserve

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Field With Pines

2023
12/27
CATEGORY
Crystal Spring Preserve
~1 to 2 Miles~
~PLAINVILLE MA~
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McCourt Trails – Cumberland

Behind the McCourt Middle School in Cumberland is a series of short stone dust trails. The loop trail (blue on the map, marked sporadically with yellow blazes) is about three quarters of a mile long with some small hills. The trails connect the school property with the High Street ball field by the fire station. The easiest entrance is at the ball field. Follow the first base line fence into the woods.

Trail map can be found at: McCourt Trails (Page 4)

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Trails at McCourt Middle School

2023
09/10
CATEGORY
McCourt Trails
~1 Mile or Less~
~CUMBERLAND RI~
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Stella Hall Conservation Area – Coventry

Opened in September of 2022, this Coventry Land Trust property offers a nice stroll to and along the shores of Stump Pond. From the trailhead along Phillips Hill Road follow the yellow blazes into the property. After heading west for a short distance you will soon be following the shore of the pond. There are several spots along way to view the pond. The yellow trail does dead end near a peninsula. The side trails (blue, orange, and white) do exist, they just not have been blazed as of yet. At the time of this hike hawks could be heard. There are also many species of trees on the property ranging from maples, oaks, pitch pine, juniper, hemlock, and beech.

Trail map can be found at: Stella Hall

TWRI-Stella09

Stump Pond

2023
07/16
CATEGORY
Stella Hall Conservation Area
~1 to 2 Miles~
~COVENTRY RI~
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Harbour Island – Narragansett

The out and back blue blazed “Main Trail” runs from Brush Hill Road to Beach Plum Road. Along the way you will pass a vernal pool and climb up and over a rather significant hill. At the top of the hill you will find a swing and also sweeping views of Long Cove. On the way back be sure to check out the two “Scenic Side Trails”, both blazed white. They offer more views of Long Cove. The entire hike in total is just under three quarters of a mile.

Trail map can be found at: Harbour Island

TWRI-3Days01

The “Welcoming” Tree near the Brush Hill Entrance

2023
03/06
CATEGORY
Harbour Island
~1 Mile or Less~
~NARRAGANSETT RI~
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Crooked Brook – Narragansett

This three mile out and back trail, recently marked with signs by the Narragansett Land Conservancy Trust, winds through the thick woods that surround Crooked Brook. Parking is available at the Narragansett Pier Middle School and the trail head is across the street. The first half of this hike traverses in a southerly direction between South Pier Road and Kinney Avenue under a canopy of tall trees while passing stone walls. The trail is blazed in a light green. The blue blazed Westmoreland Trail intersects about halfway through the first section. Just before the end of this first section you will come upon a long abandoned automobile. At Kinney Avenue turn left and follow the paved road a few feet to the trail head on the other side of the road. The remainder of the trail is a long straight section that seems to be an old cart path. You will cross Crooked Brook before coming to the granite fence post and the Kendal Green Stone. At the end of the trail turn left to check out the Historical Cemetery. This so called cemetery is one of the more interesting ones I have stumbled upon. There are eight pillars in a circular pattern surrounding a center stone. Records indicate that no one is actually buried here which brings into question its origins. You are now a mile and a half from the parking area. From here retrace your steps back.

Trail map can be found at: Crooked Brook

TWRI-Crooked01

Wide Path and Tall Trees

2023
01/16
CATEGORY
Crooked Brook
~3 to 5 Miles~
~NARRAGANSETT RI~
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Pemmerl Town Trails – Rehoboth

  • Pemmerl Town Trails
  • Danforth Street, Rehoboth, MA
  • Trailhead:  41°51’28.02″N, 71°15’47.04″W
  • Last Time Hiked: October 21, 2022
  • Approximate distance hiked: 3.7 miles
  • Moderate with some elevation.

A recently developed parking area and a small handmade sign reading “Pemmerl Town Trails” is what I stumbled upon while doing some country road driving. What a great find!! The property is quite large and has a small network of trails at the southern end and a long meandering trail that reaches into the northern end and beyond. At the time of this hike the trails we marked with some occasional flagging indicating to me that there may be more improvements to come. Each intersection was well marked with homemade signs. I did stumble upon a map of the property artistically portrayed on one of the homemade signs. I explored the yellow “Cliff Walk Trail” with its wonderful ledges and outcrops, the high point of Counsel Rock, the orange “Winter View Trail” where in spots you have to get on your hands and knees to crawl and climb to reach the “LedgEdge”, and the green “Main Trail” which winds through the property to Perryville Pond. The blue “West Palmer River Trail” crosses private property, however there is a sign that seems to welcome visitors to use it. This is a beautiful trail that winds through areas of boulders, into low laying marsh, before coming to the banks of the river. At the pond there is a dam and waterfall. Be sure to use your GPS here as the trails are only marked at the intersections. And do respect private properties as there are unmarked trails that lead off the property.

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West Palmer River

TWRI_PemMap

Map of Pemmerl Town Trails

2022
12/27
CATEGORY
Pemmerl Town Trails
~3 to 5 Miles~
~REHOBOTH MA~
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Osamequin Farm – Seekonk

At the headwaters of the Runnins River lies the sprawling Osamequin Farm. Known for its farm stand, the operational farm offers trails that are (currently) only open to the public during special events. A visit during a tree identification hike brought a small group for a mile long stroll along just a portion of the farms woodland trails. Along with stone walls, open fields, small ponds and the river, the property is graced with sugar maples, red maples, red oaks, sweet birches, white pines, junipers, spruce, and blooming witch hazel.

TWRI-OsaFarm06

A Farm Road in Fall

2022
10/16
CATEGORY
Osamequin Farm
~1 to 2 Miles~
~SEEKONK MA~
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Ash Swamp – Cumberland

  • Ash Swamp
  • Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland, RI
  • Trailhead:  41°58’57.94″N, 71°25’32.16″W
  • Last Time Hiked: September 4, 2022
  • Approximate distance hiked: 2.4 miles
  • Moderate due to lack of blazes and mapping, Some Elevation.

In the thickly wooded area behind the North Cumberland Middle School are a series of trails that meander across lesser known town owned land. Some of these trails are used by the schools cross country team and the remainder reach to Tower Hill Road. For this hike, I ventured into the woods with a map from “OpenStreetMaps” with the intention of finding and completing the two loops in the middle of the property. The first challenge was getting to the trail head. Passing through the main parking area for the school, drive behind the school to a smaller parking area at the back of the school. There is enough room for 2 or 3 cars here. From here follow the tree line around the bend and you will encounter a sign for the schools cross country program. This the trailhead! After entering the woods stay to the left. The trail to the right will lead you to Schofield Farm. In a little bit you will come to a four way intersection with some park benches. Turn right here. The trail winds northerly toward the first of the two loops. There will be a trail to the left just before a stream. Ignore it and continue ahead crossing the stream. Soon on the left you will get a glimpse of a boulder strewn landscape. At the next intersection stay to the right and you will cross a stream. A short distance ahead a trail comes in from the right. Ignore and stay on the main trail that veers to the left and starts a climb uphill. At the top of the hill the trail splits. Stay to the left and pass through the stone wall. The trail starts to turn to the left before straightening out. At the next split, stay to the left again. You will pass another stone wall before coming to the next trail intersection. Stay to the right here and continue ahead about sixty feet or so and there will be another intersection. Continue straight here and ahead to the next trail intersection. Ahead the trail is slightly overgrown. The main trail turns abruptly to the left. Follow the main trail as it starts a climb uphill. The trail turns to the right and levels out a bit, then turns left again and again uphill. There will be a trail to the left, ignore it and continue the climb uphill. At the top of the hill will be the next intersection. Turn left here and in about twenty feet or so will be another intersection, turn left once again. There will be a trail on the right, ignore it and continue ahead. You will now start a long descent downhill. Next, a trail comes in from the left, stay to the right and follow the main trail. And yet another trail to the right to ignore. Continue to follow the main trail downhill. At the end of the trail at the bottom of the hill turn right. Follow this trail about sixty feet to the next intersection. Turn right here and follow the main trail slightly uphill. Again a trail comes in from the right, and again ignore it. Near the top of the hill and on the left there is a narrow trail that leads to a footbridge. Take a moment to check this out. There is a babbling brook that cascades over the rocks here. Return to the main trail, it will turn slightly to the left and cross a stream. Shortly after the stream there will be another trail intersection. Stay to the left here. The trail descends downhill passing boulders and outcrops before ending at the next trail intersection. Turn right here and continue ahead to the four way intersection with the park benches. At the intersection turn left and follow the trail back to the trail head. During this hike, we encountered some chipmunks, squirrels, and a lone deer. A few suggestions and notes about this hike. Use GPS! You could easily get lost here and you will likely do some backtracking if you take a wrong turn. The map that I had used only showed the main trails. There are many other trails here that are not shown on the map. Some of the trails were blazed at intersections. These blazes are for the cross country team and are not typical “hiking blazes”. Also, it may be a good idea to tackle this hike on a weekend or holiday when the school is closed.

Trail map can be found at: Ash Swamp

TWRI-AshSwamp

Trail and Stone Wall at Ash Swamp

2022
09/05
CATEGORY
Ash Swamp
~2 to 3 Miles~
~CUMBERLAND RI~
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