PARKING
The trailhead and parking area are located at 445 North Road in Hopkinton. TNC expanded the parking lot in 2024 to accomodate up to seven cars. Note that this section of North Road is unpaved and may be deeply rutted at times.
Parking is also available at the RI DEM lot on Canonchet Road.
TRAILS
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 Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the RI Department of Environmental Management and TNC. 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.
WHAT TO SEE: PLANTS
The preserve is beautiful at any time of the year, but especially in early summer 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.
PRESERVE GUIDELINES
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wear water-resistant hiking boots with ankle support. Please stay on trails.
- Be careful! Your safety is your responsibility.
Thank you for your help.
