Sometimes Three Miles is Enough
Posted By auntie on June 29, 2018
3 miles; Hopkinton, RI
Finally managed to get myself back out on the trail today. It’s been a rough couple months.
The last time I explored this trail I got stymied both by bad blazes and a gate with a “No Trespassing” sign on it. Not today. It was hot and buggy and wet, but still a good day in the woods. Saw the historic crossroads and everything.
The Trail
The trail starts out from the parking lot of the Hopkinton Public Works Department on Woodville Road. It was a steamy morning as we’d had a little rain the night before, and it didn’t take long before my hiking pants were soaked to the knees.
Bog Bridge
I was doing this as an out-and-back, and on the way south decided to take the yellow-blazed Beaver Flood Trail. There’s an extensive series of old bog bridges on this trail, true to its name, and some of them were underwater. Still quite passable, though.
Wild Strawberries
There were masses of wild strawberry blossoms through here. This is a very pretty trail.
Collins Road Trailhead
After I rejoined the white-blazed Tomaquag Trail it wasn’t long before I came to the Collins Road Trailhead. It’s a really nicely landscaped spot!
Wineberries
There were tons of wineberries on the trail headed back. These guys are delicious! Apologies to the wildlife from whom I stole a couple handfuls…
Giant Sycamores
Finally got to see the actual historic crossroads of Kenyon Crossroads. There were several gigantic sycamore trees and some very impressive stone foundations here. From the ExploreRI website:
Much of Tomaquag Trail is along an historic town Driftway which intersects the colonial era King’s Highway at the Four Corners. Here there are house and barn foundations and large planted sugar maples and sycamores.
I never did find the “Split Rock Trail,” but speaking of the Tomaquag Trail…
Tomaquag Trail Map Signage
This map was posted on a sign at the Collins Road Trailhead. I’ve linked the image to a higher resolution pdf file. Apparently there is a 9.2 mile hike to be made here… Adding it to my “Hikes I’d Like to Do” list. I couldn’t find any info about this online, and I don’t know that it’s blazed or anything, but it looks as though it ends at the Westerly Grills trailhead on Bowling Lane.
You can find out more about this Kenyon Crossroads hike at the ExploreRI website link, above, and from Trails and Walks in RI. As always, click the image above for details about this hike and to download the gps track.
Thanks for sharing! Never been in your state and loved your trail pics! I miss seeing sycamores (we now live in MN)…back in Michigan where I grew up we had them on our farm!
Thanks! I like the other name for those trees, “Buttonwood.”