Posted By auntie on November 15, 2017

3 miles; East Providence, RI and Seekonk, MA

The James V. Turner Reservoir in East Providence, Rhode Island, and Seekonk, Massachusetts, was constructed with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Turner Reservoir was created in 1935 with the building of the Turner Dam, and the City of East Providence used it for their drinking water supply until the 1960s. Turner Reservoir is now open to the public for recreation. It is also part of the Ten Mile River Watershed, and my friend Marjorie is currently working on a book of “Easy Walks” in that watershed.

I met my friend Marjorie and her friend Dale to explore the Turner Reservoir Loop Trail, which circumnavigates the reservoir. This is a great little trail with lots to see. It’s quite the bird magnet, too. Beautiful day on the trail.

Reservoir Dam

The dam here is quite a sight. It’s very large and very nicely maintained.

The Trail

Marjorie, author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts and More Easy Walks in Massachusetts is a hiker and nature lover who is physically challenged but completely unwilling to give up the thing she loves, so she has made a sort of career of scoping out and describing “easy walks” for others in her situation, as well as mothers with kids, the elderly, and… you get the drift.

Ornamental Selfie

Part of the trail is actually on city roads, some of which are under construction right now, and a bit scary to navigate. This is a temporary situation.

We did come across a nicely-decorated little pine tree on our travels. I am a bit leery of using glass ornaments in the woods, however, and I wish that whoever did the decorating had used plastic instead. These glass ones inevitably get blown off and broken.

Stunning Late Color

We were treated to the last of the late-fall color, too. The beech trees were on fire.

Signage

Here’s a shot of the informational sign at the trailhead, showing the trail route and describing some of the fish in the reservoir.

Track (click for details)

You can find out more about the Turner Reservoir Loop Trail from the ExploreRI website. There’s a link there to a nice little map. As always, click on the image, above, for details about this hike and to download the GPS track.

Categories: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2–5 miles, East Providence RI, MA, RI, Seekonk MA