Posted By auntie on September 25, 2015

2.75 miles; south kingstown, ri

i had to be in south kingstown for other reasons, so i decided to visit this park while i was there. it’s not huge, but it is very interesting.

big tree crotch

the park’s trail is maintained by the appalachian mountain club, narragansett chapter, and there are more bog bridges per trail mile than i think i’ve ever seen, which, i guess, makes sense for a trail system built around 3 ponds. and the blazing is absolutely standard amc blazing, as well. the map doesn’t show it, but there are 3 colors of blazes: yellow, white, and blue. and you should be sure to keep an eye out for them, as there are also a lot of unmarked side trails that kind of go all over the place.

geese on asa pond

technically, asa pond is the second of the three ponds, as i parked near rocky brook reservoir. but it’s the first you get a good look at.

from asa pond, you meet up with the south county bike path, which is quite lovely. very bucolic and peaceful. so much so that the next turning of the trail system is almost easy to miss… watch for the white blazes! the turn off the bike path takes you to the second of the three ponds: california jim’s pond. who is california jim? beats me. he has a nice pond, though.

california jim’s pond

the woodland part of the trail is quite gnarly—lotta roots and rocks and the aforementioned bog bridges. you sort of have to pay attention.

california jim’s pond from the walkway on the dam

at one point you come out to a cement walkway that runs along the top of the dam. is it california jim’s dam? who knows. the yellow-blazed trail makes another sharp turn just after the walkway. again, watch for the blazes!

at this point, in order to make it a nice loop, i turned south when i met the bike path again till i got to fagan park, which is a nice little green space with a playground and basketball court just beside the bike path. i turned in here and followed the sidewalk out of the park where i saw more yellow blazes going down dam street. not far down the street, the path again takes a sharp turn back into the woods to follow the shore of the third pond, rocky brook reservoir.

rocky brook reservoir

at one point while i was walking through here, on one of the many bog bridges, i came across a man with his dog coming towards me, and naturally, the dog was not on a leash. the dog came right up to me and began growl, even while the guy was telling me how very friendly he was. really, dude? is that why he’s growling at me? honestly, i don’t really dislike dogs or dog owners—some of my best friends own dogs. but i do very much resent people who let their dogs run up to strangers who, let’s face it, may or may not like dogs, or who might even be afraid of dogs. and just because your dog likes you, it doesn’t mean your dog will like every random stranger he or she meets. it’s only courteous to leash your dog when you’re approaching other hikers, in my opinion.

anyway, rant over. this trail system is a nice, easy, flat walk (watch for the roots) through a semi-urban area in and around peacedale. it’s not far from the winter home of the south kingstown farmer’s market, so consider it next time you visit.

i have added this hike to the hikefinder. trailhead, trail map courtesy the town of south kingstown.

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