Narragansett Trail, Final Section
Posted By auntie on September 23, 2017

4.87 miles, Hopkinton, RI
This last section hike of the Providence County Hiking Club of the Narragansett Trail consisted of the entire extant Rhode Island part, and went through the Yawgoog Scout Camp. It’s probably also the hardest hike in RI, including as it does the trails around Long and El Ponds in Hopkinton. Kicked our asses, that’s for sure.

Great Map
At the trail head on Stubtown Road at Ashville Pond, we immediately noticed this fantastic Nature Conservancy map which showed some trails that none of us were previously aware of, including one that appeared to circumnavigate [the place where] Blue Pond [used to be], and another that paralleled Stubtown Road labeled “Table Rock Trail.” Hm. Some more exploration is clearly called for.

Cranberries
We saw lots of wild cranberries. I also may have to come back and do a little foraging!

Tunnel of Laurels
The initial part of this hike went through Camp Yawgoog, and all the trails through here are gorgeous. As I always say, lucky Boy Scouts.

View from Long Pond Overlook
I was kind of hoping we could skip the arduous climb up to the Long Pond overlook, but one of our hikers had never seen it, and if you’re gonna do all the work this stretch of trail entails, you have to see the overlook, so off we trooped. It’s really impressive and worth the climb.
The weather, as you can see from the above photo, was overcast and cool, until maybe 15 minutes after this photo was taken. Then, as if by magic, the clouds disappeared, the sun came out, and the temperature climbed up into the mid-80s. Not what you’d expect for the end of September.
And so concluded this year’s “long trail” hike with the Providence County Hiking Club. Next year, we’re hoping to do either the Warner Trail or maybe the proposed route of the East-West trail, which will theoretically run from the Tri-State marker to Diamond Hill in Cumberland RI. Stay tuned!
You can read more about the Narragansett Trail on its Wikipedia page. Here is my complete “Auntie” map of the trail. And as always, click on the image, above, for details about this section and to download the GPS track.
Hi Auntiebeak:
Happy Holidays!
Just wondering, were you ever able to find any information about the trail that supposedly goes around Blue Pond, as shown on the Nature Conservancy map referenced in your posting, “Narragansett Trail, Final Section?”
Thanks,
Bob
No, Bob, haven’t gotten out there yet. Very curious about it, though…
Thanks very much for your reply.
I have not been able to find any info online about this trail either.
A couple of months ago we walked from the parking lot for the Blue Pond trail down to the pond and then around to the place where the dam gave way. We then walked a little further up the hill to the point where the dirt road (apparently, also called the Blue Pond trail) comes in from the east.
We did not see anything that looked like an established trail going around the eastern side of the pond. But, maybe we didn’t go far enough past the point where the Blue Pond Road/Trail comes in from the Alton Road.
Wouldn’t make sense for the Nature Conservancy to put a non-existent trail on its map. Maybe its a trail to be developed? Don’t know.
Thanks again,
Bob