Projo Fitness Blog

Conservationists are blazing new trails in one of the wildest places in southern New England, the Pawcatuck Borderlands, where Rhode Island and Connecticut meet. More than 70 hikers registered to walk the Flintlock Loop Trail which opened officially Oct. 10.

It's an easy and fragrant three-mile hike, mostly through white-pine woods, sprinkled with hardwoods. The loop is in the Tillinghast Management Area, a 1,800-acre property, jointly administered by The Nature Conservancy, the state Department of Environmental Management and the town of West Greenwich. Volunteers have been clearing and blazing the trail since early spring.

The loop takes hikers along Narrow Lane, a scenic old farm road, starting on Plain Meeting House Road, that had been closed to everyone when the land was privately owned. Narrow Lane passes beneath large pines and comes to a clearing where a farmhouse once stood. About halfway along the main loop, hikers encounter a smaller loop. "If you do go, I recommend taking the south way around the small, inner loop," says Tim Mooney, The Nature Conservancy's manager of the area.

To get to Flintlock Loop Trail from Rte. 95, take exit 5B toward West Greenwich. Follow Rte. 102 north to Plain Meeting House Road and turn left. Follow Plain Meeting House Road for 3.4 miles, and look for a small parking area with a metal gate on the right (it is .5 miles after the entrance to the Wickaboxet Management Area. Flintlock Loop Trail starts at the gate to Narrow Lane.

You can also drive a little farther and turn right onto Plain Road. There is a larger parking area there, with a path to Tillinghast Pond.
Flintlock Loop Trail starts near the information kiosk.

If you go, state regulations require you to wear 200 square inches of solid, daylight-fluorescent orange during hunting season open through the end of February, and 500 square inches of orange during shotgun hunting season for deer, opening Dec. 5 - 13 on state land.

 Tags  hike hiking RI Tillinghast Pond West Greenwich

Comments

Chris and Steve Harrop said:

This was a very nice trail and a walk we will do over again. There are two points in the hike that we feel could be clarified...the sign showing the trail split (the map on the trail refers to it as the overlook or overview???), where we followed the fluorescent ribbons, led us back to a section of the trail that we'd already walked. The split should be where we re-entered the trail; that way, it picks up yellow blazes at the correct point. The other concern is when we came to Narrow Lane...a sign pointing to the right would help hikers who are not familiar with directions.

Thanks for another great area to hike!!!

Link | November 5, 2009 9:34 PM
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carol said:

Walked the trail today, Nov. 10. Enjoyable walk!. It would be helpful in a few places if trail directions to right/left could be clearer; utilizing the way the north-south trail is marked; with a blaze above and to left of original blaze for left turn and vice- versa for right turn.

Link | November 10, 2009 7:34 PM
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