hours and service at goosewing beach little compton ri

Goosewing Beach’s shores also see wintering populations of seals and are a popular place to fish for striped bass in the spring and summer. Both of these species nearly went extinct in the 1900s due to hunting and habitat destruction, but careful management over the past few decades has enabled them to make a slow but promising return. Least terns, a state-threatened bird, also nest here. Goosewing Beach - Little Compton, RI Spot Code: SNE33 Pros: Goosewing Beach is one of the less frequented surf spots in Rhode Island, so crowds are very. The dunes and shoreline of Goosewing Beach are one of five places in Rhode Island where globally rare piping plovers are known to nest. The Coalition monitors the health of Quicksand Pond through its Baywatchers program to help keep an eye on this unique coastal habitat. This creates a unique ecosystem that supports a variety of fish, birds, amphibians, and even mammals like river otters. Storms periodically break through Goosewing’s barrier beach, allowing salt water to flow into the pond. Quicksand Pond is the largest natural salt pond on Buzzards Bay.

To protect them, please stay on the trails, keep out of marked and fenced-off areas, and leave dogs at home during the bird breeding season (April 1 – September 1). The dunes and edge of Quicksand Pond are extremely fragile nesting spots for local birds. Please respect these private lands by remaining on the south side of Quicksand Pond and the beach.) (Note: The land on the eastern and western side of Quicksand Pond is private property. From there, you can walk east on a small network of paths through the dunes.

They first lead north to the Benjamin Family Environmental Center. Walking trails begin behind the small cedar building at the entrance to the preserve. Goosewing Beach Preserve begins just after eastern border of Tunipus Pond, and is marked by Nature Conservancy signs. After parking in the South Shore Beach lot, walk east down the shoreline. Goosewing Beach Preserve can only be publicly accessed by way of South Shore Beach. Take a walk on the trails along the south end of Quicksand Pond to discover grassy dunes beneath wide-open skies, or learn something new about this special protected habitat at the seasonal Benjamin Family Environmental Center. Grab a patch of sand for yourself and spend the day swimming, beachcombing, or fishing the shoreline, which is studded with rocks dropped off by glaciers that shaped this region.

Although it’s just down the shore from the popular sands of town-owned South Shore Beach, this coastal nature preserve feels like a hidden secret, remaining quiet even in the summer months. Stop by the seasonal Benjamin Family Environmental Center, located next to Quicksand Pond, to learn more about the rare and important habitats of Goosewing Beach Preserve.Įscape the crowds for the serenity of windswept dunes and crashing waves at Goosewing Beach Preserve. Westport Fishermen’s Association Merger.The national Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) recently awarded the Buzzards Bay Coalition its 2021 Coastal Stewardship Award for the breadth and depth of its programs to protect and preserve Buzzards Bay.

Hours and service at goosewing beach little compton ri