Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve
***Please Note: Bowhunting is allowed by permit only from November 1 to December 31 at the Francis Carter Preserve.
***Hikers are encouraged to wear blaze orange and stay on established trails.
Why You Should Visit
This is the Rhode Island Chapter's second largest nature preserve. Straddling the rocky uplands of the Charlestown moraine and the sandy floodplain of the Pawcatuck River, the property supports a variety of natural communities, most notably rare pitch pine/scrub oak barrens, vernal pools, and a 35 acre grassland.
Location
Charlestown, in southwestern Rhode Island
Size
841 acres
NEW! Self-Guided Preserve Tour Brochure
How to Prepare for Your Visit
Preserve Visitation Guidelines
What to Expect
Trailhead kiosks greet visitors with an introduction to the preserve and its natural features. There, visitors can pick up a trail map, a self guided hike, and a bird checklist. Visitors have a choice of hiking the wide Narragansett trail that leads to the grassland or hike on the narrower woodland trails that meander through the heart of the property.
In addition, the preserve is open to horseback riding on specified trails. The parking area at the Old Mill Road entrance is large enough to accommodate horse trailers, and there is a manual water pump to provide water for horses.
Volunteers
The Carter Preserve has its own volunteer group called the “Friends of the Carter Preserve”. These volunteers are valuable in helping to keep the preserve enjoyable for future generations. Volunteers assist with ongoing stewardship projects including trail maintenance, preserve monitoring, litter cleanups, and treatment of invasive plants. They play a vital role in the stewardship of the Carter Preserve, for the benefit of wildlife and visitors, alike. If you would like to become a Friend of the Carter Preserve, please contact Tim Mooney at tmooney@tnc.org or (401) 529-1072. We thank our current volunteers for their efforts!
Directions
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From I-95, take exit 3-Route 138 East
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Continue to the intersection with Route 112
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Bear right onto Route 112 and continue south through Richmond
- Continue through the intersection with Route 91 and over the railroad bridge
To the Route 112 entrance:
- Watch for the preserve sign on the right
- A short dirt road leads to the parking area
To the Old Mill Road entrance:
- Drive past the preserve sign on Route 112 and take the next right onto Old Mill Road
- Continue on Old Mill Road until the road curves sharply to the left
- Do not turn the corner, but bear right onto the dirt road at the sign
- Follow the dirt road straight to a parking area
What to See: Plants
The grassland provides a nesting area for state-threatened grasshopper sparrows and the adjacent pine barrens support the globally rare barrens buck moth. The uplands feature black oak, scarlet oak, white oak, pitch pine, black huckleberry, and lowbush blueberry.
Monarch butterfly on milkweed
© Geoff Dennis |
What to See: Animals
Birds such as the eastern towhee, scarlet tanager, and prairie warbler live here during the summer, as do several rare moth species. Vernal pools and wetlands within the forest support a diversity of frogs, salamanders, dragonflies and damselflies.
Why the Conservancy Selected this Site
This preserve is one of the largest protected properties in the state. It joins several thousand acres of contiguous forest and contributes to an 11-mile corridor of open space running from the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge to the state's Carolina Management Area.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy purchased the property with major contributions from The Champlin Foundations, a longtime supporter of the Conservancy's conservation work in Rhode Island, the Cove Point Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The preserve is dedicated to Francis ("Frank") C. Carter, who led the Champlin Foundations for many years.
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Conservancy staff regularly lead two-hour nature walks on the preserve, showcasing key features of the southern New England forest. Scout and school programs are encouraged to use the property as an outdoor classroom.
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The Conservancy is restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat at the Carter Preserve, to help reverse the decline in the number of grassland and shrub-nesting birds.
***Please Note: Bowhunting is allowed by permit only from November 1 to December 31 at the Francis Carter Preserve.
***Hikers are encouraged to wear blaze orange and stay on established trails.
Why You Should Visit
***Hikers are encouraged to wear blaze orange and stay on established trails.
Why You Should Visit
Join The Nature Conservancy on