Welcome to our first walk of the 2022 First Thursday Botanizing series. Forester and long-time RIWPS volunteer Paul Dolan will guide us through an area in Lincoln Woods State Park in Lincoln, RI.

Named in honor of Abraham Lincoln,  Lincoln Woods was part of the Quinsnicket parcel, developed as a woodlot by industrialist and inventor Zachariah Allen. In 1820, Allen began an experiment in silviculture: re-foresting spent pasture land with tree species suitable for home building, commercial construction and furniture making. According to some forestry experts, Allen’s woodlot was the first such effort in the country.

This area has seen many stages of New England forest succession, where cleared agricultural land gave way to pastures and eventually to managed woodlots and forests in the 19th century. A typical upland woodlot, the site also features vernal pools and numerous glacial boulders.  Directions and meeting place below.

This walk is a part of our First Thursday Botanizing Walk Series. See our Botanizing Walks home page for important details you should know about the walks in this series. 

Directions to Lincoln Woods State Park, Lincoln, RI.  (SEE MAP OF THE PARK BELOW)

From the south:

• Going north on I-95 in Providence, use the two right lanes to take Exit 23 for RI-146 N (Woonsocket/State Offices).
• Follow the signs for Lincoln/Woonsocket to continue onto RI-146 N.
• After 4.6 miles, take the Twin River Road exit.
• Turn left on Twin River Road. After .3 miles, you will pass an entrance booth and enter Lincoln Woods.
• Turn right after the booth onto the Les Pawson loop road, which circles Olney Pond. You can immediately start looking for a parking space on either side of the road.

Our meeting place will be a hundred feet or so farther on the left, at the sign marking the turnoff to picnic sites 43-47. You will also see a large glacial erratic boulder nearby.

From the north:

• Follow RI-146 S to the Twin River Road exit. Turn right on Twin River Road. After .5 miles, you will pass an entrance booth and enter Lincoln Woods.
• Follow the directions above to our meeting place at the sign for picnic sites 43-47.