Timbuckhilltoo: Three States for the Price of One
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http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/1/2/4/event_15084868.jpegBuck Hill Management Area is a 2,000+ acre forest in the northwest corner of Rhode Island. The trails are mostly old wagon roads, relatively rocky, but wide and inviting for conversation and enjoying the wildlife that flourishes in the area. This is a six mile hike that will take us past ponds, grain fields, and eventually to the Tri-State Marker where Rhode Island, Massachesetts and Connecticut meet. Yes, W&R has been here before but from the Douglas State Forest side and this time we'll be following Ken Weber's 28th hike from his "Weekend Hikes in Rhode Island" book.
As this is a longer hike, be sure to bring water and something to snack on as we'll take a brief respite at the Tri-State Marker. Good foot wear with ample ankle support is highly recommended as well as these old wagon roads are heavily eroded in places and the footing is more loose cobbles than solid earth in places.
There is no RSVP limit on this hike as the parking area is fairly large (judging by Google Earth's NAIP imagery). Still, I'd suggest carpooling if you can as it is a wee bit out of the way by RI's standards. The group could get big so bear that in mind and change your RSVP if you'd prefer smaller groups.
NST Section 10 and this hike are completely separate beasts; in fact this hike doesn't come close to the NST anywhere along the route.
To get to the parking area, get yourself to Pascoag and take RI 100 north out of town until you see Buck Hill Road veer off to the left. Once on Buck Hill Road, pay attention to your odometer as Wood Road is 2.3 miles down on the right. Some landmarks to indicate your getting close to Wood Road is you'll pass a fire tower, a sign for a BSA camp on the left, then a rifle range on the right before you see Wood Road. It is a gravel road and could be little soft and bumpy for that 0.3 miles, drive slowly and your car's front end will thank you. Use the map above to figure out your directions as the address I've used is a place holder only...Wood Road doesn't even show up in my GPS.
We are aiming to be on the trail by 9:40 AM. Cell reception is dicey out there, so calling me may not be an option but I will post my cell number the morning of the hike just in case.