One of the trails at the new preserve in Lincoln, R.I., runs along the Moshassuck River. (Tim Mooney/TNC)
By ecoRI News staff
The Nature Conservancy recently opened its 25th nature preserve in Rhode Island, the Moshassuck River Preserve in Lincoln. Formerly a Boy Scout property called Camp Conklin, the new preserve features 3 miles of blazed trails, laid out over 210 acres of southern New England hardwood forest.
Increased public interest in outdoor recreation was one of the main factors behind the decision to open the preserve, according to The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Owned by TNC and protected from development since the 1990s, it has been managed primarily as wildlife habitat, without a formal parking area or trailhead until last month.
“We’re so excited to open the Moshassuck River Preserve to the public,” said Scott Comings, associate state director for TNC’s Rhode Island chapter. “TNC maintains about 90 miles of trails in Rhode Island, and the number of visitors is way up on all of our preserves.”
TNC credits abutting landowners for their help in resolving potential roadblocks to opening the preserve. The Fairlawn Golf Course voluntarily built a 15-car parking area for the preserve, with a shared entrance off Sherman Avenue. The MacColl YMCA on Breakneck Hill Road accommodated existing, historic trails that leave the preserve and cross onto YMCA property. The YMCA and TNC agreed the matter could be addressed through signage rather than relocating the trails.
The Moshassuck River Preserve features a shady canopy of hickories and oaks, glacial boulders, and a meandering river and small streams.
The trailhead for the 3-mile trail system is near the golf course’s first tee. The Blue Trail follows the Moshassuck River, then rises to higher ground before winding back down through a boulder field. The Yellow Trail crosses several tributary streams to the Moshassuck and passes a historic cemetery, with graves marked by plain fieldstones.
Dogs are permitted on the preserve but must be leashed at all times, for the benefit of wildlife and the safe enjoyment of other visitors.
TNC established the Moshassuck River Preserve with support from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s open space grant program, the Champlin Foundation, the Bafflin Foundation, the AMICA Companies Foundation, and individual donors.
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October 30, 2021 at 08:46PM
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