The trail continues by Smith Pond, passes a fork to the right that leads to the parking area on John Dyer Road, and slowly ascends into Atlantic Oak-Holly forest as it reaches the historic farm site at the apex of the loop. On the high dam of Chace pond, nodding ladies’ tresses ( Spiranthes cernua) bloom in the early autumn. The right-hand (or east) trail is the old cart-path, which passes through the lush growth of sweet pepperbush ( Clethra alnifolia) before arriving at the high dam overlooking Chace pond (to the north) and Horseshoe Pond (to the south). You can proceed in either direction around the one mile loop. This is the site of the former gristmill, and the old mill’s raceway lined with stone walls is still visible through the elderberry and winterberry shrubs.Īcross the dam from the old mill site the trail intersects the main farm loop. Volunteers help maintain the laneways, keep fishing access sites open, and provide signage relating to the native flora and historic features.īeginning in the main parking area on Cold Brook Road, the trail passes an information sign with a rough map of the area and descends gently for a half mile through Atlantic Oak-Holly forest to the Simmons Mill Pond, the largest of the six ponds. The State of Rhode Island bought the land from the Chace family in 1995 and opened it as a Management Area. The laneways also pass by four newer ponds that were built in the 1960s. These historic laneways are now maintained as walking paths through the rare Atlantic Oak-Holly forest. Ox carts used the paths until the 1930s to haul firewood from these old woodlots, and subsequently the cart paths were used by woodcutters’ trucks until the 1970s. Some of the plants growing around the farm-site are characteristic of woodlands that have taken over former farm fields. A farm-site on the Amy Hart Path (a historic laneway passing through the Management Area) demonstrates the former land use with its old well, barn foundation, and patchwork of stonewalls that enclosed pastures and cultivated fields. Portions of the woodlots were eventually cleared to create farms in the poorer soils on the east side of Little Compton. About 1750, Cold Brook was dammed to power a gristmill, flooding the adjacent lowland and creating wetland plant communities that still exist around Simmons Mill Pond. This section of town was set aside as woodlots for farmers throughout the town. Recorded use of the management area dates back to the 1600s when the town of Little Compton was created. The plant communities here reflect centuries of changing land use patterns. A second trail originates from a small parking area on John Dyer Road, and canoe or kayak access to Simmons Pond is possible via Cold Brook as it crosses under Cold Brook Road east of the main parking area. Trail access is available from a parking lot on Cold Brook Road near the junction with Long Highway. It is located in the upper reaches of the Cold Brook drainage as it makes its way to Quicksand Pond and Goosewing Beach. The Simmons Mill Pond Management Area is a 500+ acre site in Little Compton, RI, composed of several parcels of land, six ponds, and more than three miles of well-marked trails. On the Trail – by Gail and Roger Green, Dick Fisher
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