North South Trail Wetland Damage
Slide show of wetland damage in post
Great Swamp Press Blog
North South Trail Trek is postponed again until March 28
The first leg of the 2015 North South Trail Trek is postponed again until next Saturday, March 28. Trails in Burlingame are still quite deep in snow and more snow and rain is forecast for this Friday. All the other Trek dates remain the same. Lets hope we get some melting this week!
2015 North South Trail Trek Delayed Two Weeks
Mark your calendars! The North South Trail Trek begins March 21! Due to the deep snow pack this is a two week delay from the original start date. Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This is the 23rd year of the North South Trail Treks. Registration is required for the Trek. […]
Honey Bees and Beekeeping Workshop
Honey Bees may seem to have nothing to do with hiking, but there is a connection. So many of our hikes take us through or past Rhode Island’s agricultural lands. Farming depends on honey bees, and bees are in crisis in our state and all over our country. Becoming a bee keeper can help to […]
North South Trail Trek 2014
Mark your calendars! The North South Trail Trek begins March 8! Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This is the 22nd year of the North South Trail Treks. Registration is required for the Trek. The first hike begins at Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown and ends at Meadowbrook Pond on Route […]
Rome Point photos-North Kingstown
Recently I went for a walk at Rome Point on Narragansett Bay. I had never been there before and what a pleasant surprise it was. This 230 arce protected open space is officially known as the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve. Access to the coast is by way of a long straight path that leads […]
Day 6 of NS Trek – Saturday, May 18
Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This is the last hike of this year’s North South Trail Trek. This Hike: Burrillville Rhode island to Douglas Massachusetts, 13 miles. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the parking lot at Wallum lake in douglas State Forest. We’ll take the bus to the hike starting […]
Day 5 of NS Trek – Saturday, May 4
Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This Hike: Northern Foster, Killingly Connecticut, to Glocester, 13 miles. Meet at 9:30 a.m. (NOT 9!!!) at George Washington Campground. We’ll take the bus to the hike starting point at Shady Acres on Rt. 6. Fluorescent Orange is required. A hunter orange vest or hat […]
Day 4 of NS Trek – Saturday, April 20
Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This Hike: Northern Coventry to Foster, 11 miles. This week we’ll hike mostly on town roads through historic villages and past scenic farms. Meet at 9 a.m. at the parking lot of Vasa Park, off Boswell Road (off Route 6) in Foster. We’ll take the […]
Day 3 of NS Trek – Saturday April 6
This week we’ll hike through Arcadia, passing by Stepstone Falls and through Pine Top. We’ll continue on Molasses Hill and Hazard Roads and into the Nicholas Farms Management Area.
Day 2 of NS Trek – Saturday March 23
Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This week we’ll hike through the Carolina Management Area and along the Meadowbrook Trail and through Arcadia Management Area to Browning Mill Pond. Meet at 9 a.m. at the parking lot of Browning Mill Pond. This is the 21st year of the North South Trail […]
First hike of NS trail trek is on!
The hike is on for Saturday March 9. There is only a dusting of snow in Charlestown and Richmond Rhode Island where the first segment of the trek takes place. So don’t let snow in your home town discourage you, it will be a nice day tomorrow.
North South Trail Trek 2013
Mark your calendars! The North South Trail Trek begins March 9! Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This is the 21st year of the North South Trail Treks. Registration is required for the Trek. More …
DEM preserves land on Pawcatuck River
The Department of Environmental Management has acquired 4 acres of land in Westerly that will provide fishing and boating access on the Pawcatuck River. The property includes over 500 feet of river frontage! “Thanks to this acquisition, DEM will be able to make this spectacular site and several miles of the river readily accessible to the public.” More…
Sakonnet – Little Compton Coast Walk
While I enjoy going to the beach as much as anyone, I’m not satisfied to just sit on the sand and splash around in the surf. I need to walk and explore. And that’s what I’ve been doing, focusing my attention this summer on the coast of Aquidneck Island, walking its beaches as well as hiking along the rocky coastline, which there’s plenty of on the island. Nature reigns here. This is a remote, isolated part of the coast, mostly due to the ruggedness of the shore and because there’s no public coastal access between Town Way and Taylor’s Lane. More …
Press Release: Bike Map of Aquidneck Island
Great Swamp Press, a Rhode Island company, is pleased to announce the publication of our newest map, entitled Bike Map of Aquidneck Island and Guide to Coastal Access. This fine new map, created with both islanders and visitors in mind, features a comprehensive list of the over 90 coastal access points found in Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth. Many of these access points do not allow parking, and thus, with this guide, bicyclers will have a great way to gain access to parts of the coast they may not otherwise visit. More …
DEM adds land to Buck Hill Management Area
More good news: The Department of Environmental Management has acquired 189 acres of land in Burrillville from the Boy Scouts of Rhode Island to add to the state’s Buck Hill Management Area and George Washington/Durfee Hill Management Area. More…
Charlestown Passes Dark Sky Ordinance
If you have ever hiked in a remote wilderness area, you’ve seen spectacular night skies. Surprisingly in the densely populated state of Rhode Island there is a great place to see the stars. The Frosty Drew Observatory is located just between the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and Charlestown’s Ninigret Park. Satellite images show this area and the surrounding town as a dark spot in the very brightly lit eastern seaboard. More…
Friends of the Pleistocene Field Trip
I recently attended a series of glacial geologic field trips held on Mt Washington in New Hampshire, which were organized by the Northeast chapter of a group called the Friends of the Pleistocene. The Friends are made up primarily of professional geologists and others interested in Northeast glacial geology. More…
Last North South Trail Trek of 2012
For those who missed this year’s 20th annual North South Trail Trek, you have one last opportunity to join a group hike of a part of Rhode Island’s longest trail, which is 77 miles in length. We’ll pass through George Washington Management Area, then Buck Hill Management Area, and finally cross the border into Douglas State Forest in Massachusetts. More …
Map and Compass Workshop – Thursday, May 10, 6:00 pm
Do you like to get out and explore, but worry about your skills to find your way back? Join Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association and the Narragansett Chapter of the AMC for a two-part course that will teach you how to read and understand maps and use a compass correctly. More…
Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges Photo Contest
The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island have announced their 12th Annual Amateur Photo Competition to highlight the beauty of the five refuges that comprise our state’s National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
All photos must have been taken on one of the five national wildlife refuges in Rhode Island: Ninigret NWR, Charlestown; Block Island NWR; Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingston; Chafee NWR at Pettaquamscutt Cove, South Kingstown and Narragansett; and Sachuest Point NWR, Middletown. More…
More land added to Arcadia Management Area
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has acquired 84.5 acres of land along Arcadia Road in Richmond to add to the state’s 16,000-acre Arcadia Management Area. The property includes over three-quarters of a mile of frontage on the Wood River and Frying Pan Pond. It is an excellent fishing spot and canoeing area. More…
North South Trail Trek begins March 10
Mark your calendars! The North South Trail Trek begins March 10! Hike the entire length of Rhode Island in 6 Saturdays. This is the 20th year of the North South Trail Treks. Registration is required for the Trek. More…
Watchaug Pond Preserve
The Charlestown Land Trust has a campaign to raise money to purchase land on Watchaug Pond. This 27 acre parcel will connect to the Vin Gormley Trail and provide hikers on that trail with access to the pond. Hikers that use the Vin Gormley or other trails in Burlingame should consider supporting the Land Trust’s efforts to preserve this parcel. They have received a $367,000.00 grant from DEM, but still need to raise an equal amount. Visit the Charlestown Land Trust website to learn more about the Campaign for Watchaug Pond Preserve. More…
New Web Site
We’ve just put a new web site up. Please leave a comment if you have any problems with the site or if you have trouble finding the title you are looking for.