Queen's River Preserve

Visit

• Parking

  Parking for approximately eight cars is available at a wide turn on School Land Woods Road. Look for an orange and white Queen's River Preserve entrance sign, next to a gated dirt road. The trailhead kiosk is just inside the gate. 

• Trails

  The entrance to the preserve is located on School Land Woods Road. A trailhead kiosk greets visitors with an introduction to the preserve and its hiking trails. The trail system follows the tracks of old town roads that are gradually being reclaimed by the forest.

  The main trail, once called Dawley Road, is a wide, flat, dirt path running west to the Queen’s River. Shaded by pine trees, it passes a shallow cellar hole and two small clearings. The trail ends at the bridge. The land on the far side of the bridge is privately owned and is not open to the public.

  Returning the same way, visitors can take a quick right and follow a narrow path along the Queen's River. Mountain laurel patches that escaped the fire will bloom in early summer, while scorched laurel thickets are resprouting from the base. 

  At the end, there's the option of exploring Howard's Trail, which leads to the riverbank. 

  Coming back from the river, continue into a clearing and turn left on the old Hathaway Road. Look for the Sherman Burial Ground on the left side.

  Along this trail, you will also walk through an area that was cleared by TNC to promote the growth of grasses and shrubs that attract bluebirds and other songbirds. An open hayfield lies beyond it.

  After retracing your steps back to the main trail, the next right turn offers a second, longer view of the hayfield.

  A round-trip loop hike that includes Howard's Trail is about two miles, out and back.

• What to See

  The Queen's River Preserve helps connect more than 2,500 acres conserved by TNC, DEM and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. 

  Plants: Along the main trail, a young pine and oak forest is rebounding after a 2023 wildfire, resetting the growth that occurred following an earlier fire in the 1950s. Where sunlight reaches the forest floor through new gaps in the canopy, blueberries and ferns are sprouting vigorously.

  Elsewhere, larger white pines and oaks are dominant. Red maples and white oaks overhang the Queen’s River and the leafy canopy helps keep the river cold. The preserve is known for the numerous pink lady’s-slipper orchids that bloom in late spring.
  

  Birds: The Queen’s River Preserve is an important stopover site for many songbirds during spring migration. Scarlet tanagers, Baltimore orioles, blue-gray gnatcatchers and many warblers rely on the preserve to rest and refuel. Summer nesters include woodpeckers, eastern bluebirds, wood ducks, and pine warblers.

  Animals and Insects: Common woodland mammals in the area include white-tailed deer, eastern coyote, fisher, mink, and raccoon. The preserve's streams and wetlands provide excellent habitat for frogs and salamanders. In summer, ebony jewelwing damselflies, with vivid emerald green bodies and velvety black wings, flutter about the stream banks.
  

• Preserve Guidelines

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

  • Stay on marked trails.
    
  • Dogs are permitted but must be leashed at all times. 
  • Respect preserve 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 preserve or on the trails.
  • 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.
  • 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.