Ell / Long Pond Preserve

Rhode Island's First National Natural Landmark

Ell Pond Preserve © Harold E. Malde

Why You Should Visit
This land's beauty lies in its contrasts - forested valleys dip between rugged bedrock ridges. From atop rocky cliffs, you can see spectacular vistas, views of Long Pond and Ell Pond nestled in a deep hollow below. A rich diversity of plants and animals flourish among unique cedar bog and wetland habitats in the valley.

Location
Hopkinton in rural southwestern Rhode Island

Size
50 acres owned by TNC; 218 acres owned by Audubon Society of RI

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Preserve Visitation Guidelines
Wear water-resistant hiking boots with ankle support. Please stay on trails.

What to Expect
The terrain is often steep and slippery. You may walk over rugged rocks and cross several small swamps. The site is co-owned and managed by the State, Audubon Society of Rhode Island and The Nature Conservancy.  The majority of the trails lie on Audubon property to the east and the state’s Rockville Management area toward the south side of Long Pond.  Be sure to wear blaze orange if walking on state property during hunting season.

Directions

• From I-95, take Exit 3 (Route 138 west, toward Wyoming)
• Follow Route 138 until you come to Route 3
• Go south on Route 3 for a little over three miles
• Turn right onto Canonchet Road, and travel about 2.5 miles to its end
• Turn left onto North Road
• After North Road becomes a dirt road, look for a small parking area on your left. The Ell Pond Preserve trail begins here.

What to See: Plants
The preserve is beautiful at any time of the year, but especially in mid-June when mountain laurel and rhododendron blooms.  There is no access to Ell Pond due to the sensitivity of habitats there.  Ell Pond's wetland is an example of classical succession. Each concentric zone of vegetation represents a stage in its history. Over the course of thousands of years, more of the wetland is likely to fill in and become wooded swamp.

• The open water area (the innermost ring) is surrounded by a quaking bog mat containing leatherleaf, cotton-grass, cranberries, pitcher plants and sundews.
• The bog mat is surrounded by a narrow band of bog forested by stunted Atlantic white cedar.
• The outer swamp zone consists of red maple.
• Surrounding woodlands are dense with great rhododendron and mountain laurel.

What to See: Animals
White-tailed deer, red fox, raccoon, opossum, red squirrel, hooded warbler, worm-eating warbler, black rat snake, bobcat.

Why the Conservancy Selected this Site
The preserve abuts lands owned by The Audubon Society of Rhode Island and the state of Rhode Island. In 1972, The Nature Conservancy purchased Ell Pond to add a link to a growing web of contiguous protected lands in Rhode Island.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Ell Pond Preserve is part of the Pawcatuck Borderlands site, where the Connecticut and Rhode Island chapters of the Conservancy partner with state agencies, local land trusts, municipalities and individuals to protect the region's forests and promote enduring ecological management.