Date visited: 7/27/2022

Arcadia Management Area is vast, 14,000 acres in fact. It spans parts of four towns. I've driven through on Route 165 many times, but this is the first time we stopped and did a proper hike. Reaching the trail around Breakheart Pond requires a two mile drive down a bumpy dirt road. It really feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. We walked the very wide trails around the pond. This is a great place if you are looking for complete escape into nature. About half the loop is in Exeter, while the other half is in West Greenwich. The pictures below are from the Exeter section.

Date visited: 6/12/2020

Beach Pond is a popular recreation area in Exeter, RI and Voluntown, CT. We stopped to take pictures here after our hiking adventure at Big River Management Area. I only took photos in the Exeter section... I wish I took some in Voluntown as it would have saved me a trip later, but I didn't know I was going to decide to visit all the towns in Connecticut at the time.

Dates visited: 6/12/2020 & 8/16/2022

On our first visit here, I think I just pulled over to let the dogs out to do their business. We didn't actually hike around the pond, but did take pictures in front of the sign. Over 50 months later, we returned and hiked the nearly two mile loop around the pond. The trail is actually quite nice, and is very well maintained. There are a bunch of spots that provide access to the pond, as well as some ruins of the old mill. The trail actually dips into Richmond. There are a few other pictures on that page. After we were done, I crossed the street and took the same picture in front of the sign. This time the dogs were looking, but the giant rock in front of the sign wasn't there two years ago.

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Date visited: 7/7/2023

My original plan was to go to the beach today, but the weather clouded over so I decided to save that trip for a sunnier day. This was my backup plan, and it's probably the exact opposite of the beach. This preserve is the site of the horrific brush fire back in April that burned about 600 acres. It was the largest brush fire in the state since 1942. It was eerie to hike the trail through such destruction. One portion would look green and lush, and just a few feet away, everything would be dead and burned. Some sections still smelled like burnt wood. Hats off to the firefighters, and Rhode Island's National Guard Black Hawk Team who worked tirelessy to get the fire under control. Despite the destruction, signs of resurgence are evident, as green plants have started pop through the charred ground. Nature is a wonderful thing!

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