Tillinghast Pond Management Area

Tillinghast Pond   © Nat Rea   Self-Guided Preserve Tour Brochure (.pdf, 2.4 MB)

Why You Should Visit
The Tillinghast Pond Management Area is The Nature Conservancy's largest land holding in Rhode Island.  Its oak and pine woods protect the headwaters of the Wood River, one of the most pristine waterways in southern New England.

Location
West Greenwich, in western Rhode Island

Size
1800 acres

NEW!  Self-Guided Preserve Tour Brochure!

Trails
A half-mile trail leads from the Plain Road parking lot to a scenic lookout on the east side of Tillinghast Pond.  Visitors may also enjoy views of the property by strolling along Plain Road or Hazard Road (part of the North-South Trail).  Additional trails are in design and will be opened in phases, starting in October 2009. 

Parking is also available at the entrance to Narrow Lane, a wide farm road passing beneath towering white pines.  The three-quarter mile trail leads past a small pond to a clearing where a farmhouse once stood.

Please note:  The red barn on Plain Road, and the house and garages across the street, are private property.  There is no public access on the farm roads that pass next to those buildings.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see "Preserve Visitation Guidelines"

What to Expect
A trailhead kiosk greets visitors with an introduction to the preserve and its natural features.  In addition, there is a public fishing area and canoe/kayak launch, located at the north end of the Plain Road parking lot. 

Volunteers
The Nature Conservancy anticipates the establishment of a volunteer group called the Friends of Tillinghast Pond. We hope that volunteers assist with ongoing stewardship projects including trail maintenance, litter cleanups and removal of invasive plants.  If you would like to become a Friend of Tillinghast Pond, please get in touch with Tim Mooney at tmooney@tnc.org or (401) 529-1072.
 

Directions

• From I-95, take Exit 5B - Route 102 North
• Follow Route 102 for 3 miles, past the West Greenwich Town Hall
• Turn left onto Plain Meeting House Road, follow for 3.5 miles

To the Narrow Lane entrance:

• Pass the Wickboxet Management Area
• Look for a small parking lot on the right
• The trailhead is a swing gate at the start of Narrow Lane

To the Plain Road entrance:

• Pass the Wickboxet Management Area and the entrance to Narrow Lane
• Turn right at the next intersection, onto Plain Road
• Follow Plain Road for 1/2 Mile to the parking lot on the right

What to See: Plants
Both parking lots are surrounded by tall white pines, with occasional oaks and red maples.  Several tree species are identified along the walking trail.  Elsewhere on the property, there are pockets of Atlantic white cedar swamp, rhododendron, and hemlock, with another 60 acres maintained as open hayfields.
 

What to See: Animals
Birds such as the Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and Belted Kingfisher are fairly common around Tillinghast Pond during the summer.  The property's ponds and wetlands also support beavers, otters, and numerous frogs, salamanders, dragonflies, and damselflies.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The property abuts URI's Alton Jones campus, and lies just north of Arcadia Management Area and west of Wickaboxet Management Area.  It connects a block of protected forest that spans more than 40,000 acres across the Rhode Island/Connecticut border.  Its preservation was integral to the conservation of the forest and the streams that pass through it.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
In November 2008, The Nature Conservancy, the Town of West Greenwich, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management dedicated a portion of the Tillinghast Pond Management Area as the Sharpe Family Preserve.  A short hiking trail around the pond was opened at that time.  The Conservancy and its partners are working with the National Park Service to develop a more extensive trail system that showcases the natural beauty and rural character of the area.