Narragansett Loop, Francis Carter Preserve
Posted By auntie on March 16, 2018
3.36 miles; Charlestown, RI
I just love me a new trail! This is the newly-opened lollipop loop on the Francis Carter Preserve that was created on the old United Nuclear* property. It’s a very lovely little trail, and a wonderful addition to the Francis Carter. And I passed it during last week’s N-S Trail Trek.
Old Family Cemetery
My friend and I started this hike from the brand shiny new Kings Factory Road trailhead. The first thing you come to, almost while still within sight of your car, is this meticulously-maintained old family cemetery. And yes, there was a lot of snow still on the ground, but it only made for bad walking in a couple places.
Pawcatuck River Through the Trees
There are many spots along the “stick” part of the lollipop loop that brush right up against the Pawcatuck River. It made me wonder about the brilliance of putting a nuclear facility right on the banks of a major river…? I guess they did things a little differently in the late 50s, early 60s.
Massive Glacial Erratic
The loop portion of this trail circumnavigates the giant grassy field on Francis Carter, and boy howdy was the wind cutting! Fortunately we never had to actually walk into it, or it would have been a very cold hike. However, once it leaves the grassland, the trail enters some beautiful pitchpine woodlands. I liked this part of the trail the best.
Unusual Signage
Speaking of signage, the trail is very nicely blazed (red), and there are several helpful signs with arrows on them for the parts of the trail that have no trees to blaze. I liked the creative use of an old glove, above, the best though. Yes, the trail turns here.
You can find out more about the Francis Carter Preserve and download a very fine trail map from the Nature Conservancy of RI. As always, click the image above for details about this hike and to download the gps track.
*If you don’t know the story of United Nuclear and the only fatality ever recorded in the US as a result of a civilian nuclear accident, see this Yankee Magazine story.
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