Projo Fitness Blog

River lovers don't need boats to see some of the most scenic stretches of the Pawcatuck River and the woods on its banks.

The Westerly Land Trust's Grills Preserve includes more than two miles of the Pawcatuck's riparian environment.

The 482-acre property was purchased from Richard and Michael Grills in November 2003 with money from the Department of Environmental Management, The Nature Conservancy, and other sources. It is part of a larger river corridor that includes Burlingame State Park.

The trails are so clearly marked, with blazes every 50 feet or so, that it is hard to imagine getting lost here. The land trust has a trail map available for downloading here, and there is a large map in an information kiosk at the preserve's large parking area at the end of Bowling Lane in Bradford.

Beyond the entrance gate, a wide trail is blazed in red with the letters XC for cross-country skiing. (None of the trails appears to be suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.) The cross-country trail passes through a forest of mixed hardwoods with some white pine and pitch pine. The recent logging activity there creates a fragrant experience. The XC trail comes to a turn-around, and a hiker or skier can take a fork to the right to return to the parking area.

Soon after the entrance, the Blue Trail on the right takes hikers along a lazy stretch of the Pawcatuck. It's a pretty walk throughout the year, but the river's shore shimmers with red maples in autumn. The Blue Trail is a loop that takes less than an hour to complete.

To extend the hike and experience a completely different environment, take a turn on to the Yellow Trail which passes through a bog, covered with berry bushes and filled with the fragrance of coastal sweet pepperbush. The Yellow Trail loops back to the Blue Trail that returns to the parking area.

Though hunting is limited on the property, the preserve's rules require visitors to wear blaze orange after Oct. 1.

The entrance to the Grills Preserve is at the end of Bowling Lane in the village of Bradford. For GPS guidance, set the destination for 131 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI 02808. The parking area is across the road from that address.

 Tags  cross-country skiing hiking RI Westerly

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