Francis Carter Grassland Trail
Posted By auntie on December 3, 2016
1.75 miles; Charlestown, RI
Today was a 3-fer trail scouting trip with Ernie and Jen for his blog, Trails and Walks in Rhode Island. Our first stop was supposed to be a hike to check out the new trails at the Francis Carter Preserve, but they were not quite done yet, so we just did the Grassland Trail. The temps weren’t bad but the wind was, and we froze. All day.
Huge Meadow
The Grassland Trail at this preserve follows the perimeter of an enormous hayfield. It must seriously be 60 acres or more. It was pretty monotonous today, as it had just recently been hayed. The Nature Conservancy runs programs here during the spring and summer, most notably Woodcock Skydance programs and Owl Prowls.
Milkweed Pod
As I mentioned, there really wasn’t a lot to see in the meadow portion, but the edges of the property were alive with birds since the seeds and seedpods and berries were quite plentiful.
Trailhead Map
This map was at the Old Mill Road trailhead. The red trails were the ones we were hoping to explore today, but other signs indicated they were not open yet.
You can find out more about the Francis Carter Preserve at the Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island’s website. There is also a trail map, although it does not include the new trails or the additional property that was added last year. Trailhead: 41.432064, -71.667774; 364 Old Mill Rd, Charlestown, RI.
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