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.
Carter Preserve 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. © The Nature Conservancy

Places We Protect

Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve

Rhode Island

CONNECT

This is the Rhode Island Chapter's second largest nature preserve.

Why You Should Visit

This is TNC in Rhode Island'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.

****Bowhunting for deer is permitted at the Preserve. During the bowhunting season (September 15 - January 31), all visitors are required to wear a fluorescent orange hat or vest.  

Dogs are permitted but must be leashed at all times.

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 Jeanne Cooper at jeanne.cooper@tnc.org or 401-331-7110.

Why TNC 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 TNC Has Done/Is Doing

TNC purchased the property with major contributions from The Champlin Foundations, a longtime supporter of TNC'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.

  • TNC 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.
  • TNC is restoring and maintaining wildlife habitat at the Carter Preserve, to help reverse the decline in the number of grassland and shrub-nesting birds.

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.

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.

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.

We hope you enjoy visiting our preserves in any season. We ask that you please observe the following guidelines:

  • Stay on the walking trails, using marked trails wherever they exist.
  • Respect preserve open hours (one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset). Overnight camping is not allowed.
  • Do not ride horses, bikes or any motorized vehicle through preserves or on the trails.
  • Do not disturb bird nesting areas. Between April 15 and September 1, nesting areas may be off-limits to visitors. People or dogs can easily destroy a nest with one misstep.
  • Leave your pets at home, for the safety of the fragile ecology of preserves and as a courtesy to other visitors.
  • Contact our office in Providence to visit those preserves that have restricted public access because of their very sensitive flora and fauna. These places deserve special respect and are best visited only on guided field trips.
  • Do not remove any living materials from a preserve or disturb any vegetation.
  • Remove any trash you create and, if possible, any garbage that you see left by someone else.
  • When visiting Block Island or Prudence Island in the spring, summer and fall, dress in long pants and socks to avoid deer ticks. After any walk on a preserve, it is a good idea to check for ticks when you return home.
  • Be careful! Your safety is your responsibility.

Thank you for your help.

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