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| rails are flat and wide at the Great Swamp Management Area. (Tim Faulkner/ecoRI News photos) |
By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff
What: Great Swamp Management Area.
Location: South Kingstown.
Size: 3,349 acres.
Accessibility: Easy.
Who should go: Families, birders, day hikers.
Info: 401-789-7481, dem.ri.gov.
Location: South Kingstown.
Size: 3,349 acres.
Accessibility: Easy.
Who should go: Families, birders, day hikers.
Info: 401-789-7481, dem.ri.gov.
It's not an enormous, bug-infested marshland as its name suggests, but from a hiker's standpoint, the Great Swamp Management Area is mostly dry terrain and wooded trails that skirt several vernal pools, ponds and an impressive 138-acre manmade marsh. Turtles, frogs and waterfowl are abundant and easy to find.
History. There's a lot of history about the Great Swamp, although it's not visible, or as idyllic as the habitat. In 1695, Colonial soldiers massacred Narragansett Indians encamped in fort on a small island.
The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has managed the property since 1950 and uses it for disposal of large animals. Over the years, beached whales and large road kill such as deer, a moose and a wayward bear have been buried there. The burial locations are not marked.
Hunting. Seasonal hunting is allowed for small game, waterfowl and deer.
As a management area, portions of the land are used to farm food for wildlife, some tree cutting is done, prescribed burns are conducted and pesticides are used to control invasive plants.
The following natural wonders were spotted on a recent hike sponsored by the Sierra Club of Rhode Island: a black snake, tree frogs, wood-pewees (bird), black-wing damselflies, leopard frogs and a beaver lodge.
Editor's Note: The Great Swamp Management area is only a short distance north of Charlestown. Here is a link to Google Map directions.
