Posted By auntie on October 29, 2015

4.17 miles; charlestown, ri

i’ve wanted to visit this spot ever since last may when i saw a facebook post about it on the hiking-in-ri page, but it’s difficult to voluntarily add more mileage to an 8-mile, or 11-1/2-mile hike. so today i made a special trip, and it was worth it. it’s an absolutely beautiful trail.

typical burlingame terrain

i started this hike from the same place as the last two times i was here, the parking area on buckeye brook road. from there i took the vin gormley trail, moving clockwise around the loop till i got to the old woods road leading south to the camp (track here).

old building

there were a number of creepy old buildings overgrown in the woods, including this huge old barn-like structure. and call me a wimp, but i wasn’t really up for exploring. this is as close as i got.

heart rock

this is such a cool shot—look for it on my facebook page. it really says it all.

beach at north beach

at first when i came down the old woods road, it ended in kind of a tangle of vegetation with a skimpy little access point to the pond, and i thought, “hm. for a place called ‘north beach,’ i guess i expected something more, uh, beach-y.” but further exploration brought me to this spot. i am SO going to remember this for next summer, and i will bring a picnic and a bathing suit and a towel. this spot is awesome.

gorgeous turkey tail

i’ve only seen this lavender-edged turkey tail fungus on one other hike, but it’s so beautiful. new wallpaper for my computer, for sure.

witch hazel in bloom

even amid the spectacular, if now slightly off-peak, autumn foliage, you can still find a few flowering plants. i saw new england asters and these witch hazels. and i don’t know if you can make him out, but there’s a shy little bug (actual order name: hemiptera, or true bugs) hiding behind the biggest blossom. it was actually warm enough today that i saw a few insects—i swatted 1 mosquito, inhaled 1 gnat, and shooed away 1 horsefly. and i’m sure my permethrin-laced clothing killed more than 1 deer tick.

off peak? don’t tell these beech trees

winding my way around the old woods roads that made up the campground area, i came to a smaller hiking (or more likely mountain-biking) trail that seemed to lead back in the right direction, so rather than retrace my steps i decided to follow it. wow. what a beautiful trail! and for being “off-peak,” the fall foliage was still pretty spectacular.

the trail

also, please don’t tell these blueberry bushes that they’re late to the party. they are the party!

i have not (yet) added this hike to the hikefinder. see above for the track which includes the trailhead i used.

[UPDATE] according to the mushroom i.d. forum on facebook, that lavender-edged fungus is not a turkey tail, it is a trichaptum biforme, or a violet-toothed polypore. just to be precise.

Categories: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2–5 miles, Charlestown RI, RI