PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management is encouraging children, families and individuals to get outdoors and enjoy the recreational resources that Rhode Island state parks and management areas have to offer. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, snowmobiling and ice fishing are among the many outdoor activities that residents and visitors can experience at state parks and recreation areas across Rhode Island.
"With the tremendous snowfall we've just had, our state parks and conservation areas are some of the best places to engage in winter sports, get fit and have fun," said DEM Director Janet Coit. "Winter is a terrific time to get outdoors, enjoy nature and experience new activities. This weekend, I hope Rhode Islanders will visit Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area in Glocester to trek through the snow on cross-country skis or snowshoes, or go snowmobiling on the designated trails at George Washington Management Area."
Cross-country Skiing and Snowshoeing
The Department is reporting good snow conditions for cross-country skiing at Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area in Glocester. Due to deep snow conditions, the trails have been partially tracked and all routes are open. DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation maintains four one-way loop ski trails at Pulaski, ranging from less than one mile to four miles long. The management area's 10 miles of tracked trails offer beginner and expert cross-country skiers a variety of terrain on which to ski. For example, the half-mile long Pulaski trail has several small inclines and stays close to the start point. The three other trails - Hemlock Glen trail, Covered Bridge trail, and Woods trail - cover longer distances, and each has some downhill terrain.
Pulaski also offers a designated snowshoe trail that has become a very popular attraction for snowshoeing enthusiasts. In addition to these trails, Pulaski also includes several hilly areas where the public may enjoy sledding, snowshoeing and hiking. However, these activities, as well as animals, are not permitted on the ski trails.
The ski trails at Pulaksi Memorial Recreation Area are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. Cross-country skiers must bring their own skis and equipment, as rentals are not provided at the management area. Parking is available for 200 vehicles, and heated restroom facilities are available while the recreation area is open for skiing.
To reach Pulaski Recreation Area from Providence, take Interstate Route 6 West, to Route 295 North, to Route 44 west. Follow 44 west approximately 15.4 miles and turn right onto Pulaski Road. The Recreation Area entrance is .8 miles ahead.
While Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area is the only state facility offering tracked ski trails, Colt, Goddard, and Lincoln Woods State Parks and state management areas including Arcadia in Exeter and Big River in West Greenwich offer open areas where patrons can enjoy snow-related recreational activities such as hiking, sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. All users of state management areas are reminded that they must wear 200 square inches of fluorescent orange material -- equivalent to a hat or cap -- during the hunting season which ends on February 28.
Snowmobiling
George Washington Management Area in Glocester provides designated trails for those operating snowmobiles. Snowmobiling is also permitted on the roadways in Arcadia, Burlingame, Wickaboxet and Woody Hill Management Areas, Burlingame State Park and Campground, Lincoln Woods State Park, Snake Den State Park, and on open fields at Colt State Park. All snowmobiles must be registered by DEM's Office of Licensing and Registration, located at 235 Promenade Street in Providence. For registration information, call 222-3576 or visit the office weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Regulations regarding snowmobile use in state parks and management areas are available online at http://www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/regs/fishwild/parkmgmt.pdf.
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is a popular winter activity in Rhode Island, and DEM's Division of Fish & Wildlife has stocked about 3,000 trout in ponds throughout Rhode Island for the winter fishing season. Locations include Carbuncle Pond, Coventry; Olney Pond, Lincoln; Barber Pond, South Kingstown; Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown; Upper Melville Pond, Portsmouth; Meadowbrook Pond, Richmond; and Round Top Ponds, Burrillville. Also, Fish & Wildlife staff routinely clears the parking lots at many fishing and hunting access areas in the winter, including the upper and lower lots at Browning Mill Pond in Arcadia Management Area, Tefft Hill, Frosty Hollow Road, and Breakheart Pond.
DEM reminds anglers that ice on the ponds must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it is considered safe.
DEM-Monitored Ponds Not Suitable for Ice Skating
The ice at monitored areas at Lincoln Woods State Park in Lincoln, Goddard Memorial State Park in Warwick, and Meshanticut State Park in Cranston is unsuitable for skating at the present time. DEM monitors the thickness of the ice at the three state parks on a daily basis, from Monday through Friday, weather permitting, during the winter months. For the latest information on ice conditions at these three locations, call DEM's 24-hour Ice Information telephone line, 667-6222.
The Department does not monitor ice conditions in local communities. Residents should contact their local recreation departments regarding skating opportunities and conditions in individual communities. DEM strongly encourages skaters to utilize indoor skating rinks until the ice at the monitored state parks is considered safe and suitable for skating.
Ice must have a uniform thickness of at least six inches before it is considered safe.
DEM has an ice safety guide that can be found online at website, www.riparks.com. Developed by DEM's Ice Safety Committee, the guide has safety tips, information on ice strength, and information on what to do if a person were to fall through the ice. The first safety tip: never assume the ice is safe. Among the others: never skate alone or on an untested lake or pond; never use the ice for a shortcut; and never go out onto the ice after an animal or a toy.
DEM's website at www.riparks.com also lists municipal ice skating rinks and their telephone numbers, and provides links to those with websites.