Experience Sowams Woods in the autumn, with a profusion of fall colors and the glistening waters of Echo Lake. The Barrington Land Conservation Trust, which owns and manages the property, invites all ages to join this free public walk through 12 acres of forested trails.
Advance registration is required due to limited parking at the site.
The walk is part of Land Trust Days, a two-month series of programs offered by land trusts across the state who are members of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council.
The terrain is gentle. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear.
The Sowams Woods walks will begin at the juncture of North Lake Drive and old South Lake Drive, which is now a walking trail that meanders along the shore of Echo Lake to Sowams Woods. The entire walk covers a distance of 1.5 miles round trip. The guided walk will last a little over an hour.
Sowams Woods was acquired by the Barrington Land Conservation Trust in 2006 after a four-year, two-million dollar campaign that involved widespread support from Barrington residents, the Rhode Island Country Club (which borders the property), the Town of Barrington, the State of Rhode Island, and the federal government.
Located on the ancestral homelands of the Pokanokets, Sowams Woods is rich with history and significance. During the years-long effort to protect the property from development, leaders of the Pokanoket advised and educated the Land Trust on the property’s importance to Indigenous Peoples.
The Barrington Land Conservation Trust has preserved nearly 300 acres of open space in perpetuity for the benefit of the public. For more information, email cindyelder@blct.org.