Pawcatuck River Wildlife Management Area (Stanton Weir)

Location: Pawcatuck, CT
Cost: Free
Open: Sunrise to Sunset, year-round
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs: Allowed on Leash
Amenities: None
Description: Two short trails leading to the Pawcatuck River, offering beautiful views of Pawcatuck, CT, Westerly, RI, and down the river towards Little Narragansett Bay.  The inlets off of the brackish Pawcatuck River are haven to a variety of wildlife and interesting plant life.
Resident Critters:  Mute Swan, Mallard Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cormorant, White-tailed Deer, Muskrat, Eastern Striped Skunk, Raccoon, Red Fox, Coyote, and more.  There have also been sightings of harbor seals and in 2006 an Atlantic white-sided dolphin mistakenly swam past 'The Brink', eventually going quite far up the river.
Trails: 2
Activities:  Hiking, Birdwatching, Wildlife Viewing, Fishing, Canoe/Kayak, End of trail to the right is a great place for a picnic on the water
Foot Traffic: During Fall/Winter, you can usually expect to be alone during the morning/early afternoon hours.  Expect to encounter several other dog walkers in the evening prior to sunset.  Spring/Summer there is increased traffic and fishing throughout the day, however it remains fairly quiet.  

The park has a double-peninsula shape, and is just across the river from Westerly, RI.

Timing our walk for just before sunset guaranteed beautiful skies and a quiet atmosphere.

Dublin braved the cold waters and trampled through some tall grasses to keep an eye
on a dog playing fetch across the cove.

 

Unfortunately, the trees are boasting minimal foliage this year due to

salty sea spray and winds that ravaged leaves during Hurricane Irene's visit 

to the area in late August.

We decided to keep it local this week, with a visit to an old favorite.  Known to locals as “The Brink,” Stanton-Weir State Park on River Road in Pawcatuck, Connecticut is one of a very few places that offers public access to the Pawcatuck River.  The Brink is a great place to launch a kayak or canoe, and even lies adjacent to some intriguing canoe-paths through the tall grasses that grow out of the river’s shoreline waters. 

We brought Dubs here for a walk after a long day of work and school, and were rewarded with views of beautiful sunset skies.  A leash was necessary for a large portion of our walk because several other families were already there with their dogs roaming freely.  

When we eventually found a quiet area to let her off the leash, Dublin bee-lined for the water and hopped in.  This California pooch was definitely not expecting the wrath of late-October New England frigidity that has taken over all local waters, and only made it about knee-deep before she scurried right back on land.

The hike starts at the road, where ample parking is provided in a dirt lot.  A less-commonly used path that veers to the right will take you on one short hike, while just walking straight will take you on another hike of a similar distance.  Both paths lead to the water. 

  

When you have reached the waterfront and can walk no further, across the river you will see the Riverbend Cemetery of Westerly, RI.  On your side of the river, to your left you will see an old, retired 19^th Century thread mill.  It was one of the first mills in the area to be powered by steam during the Industrial Revolution.  It now awaits its heinous fate as a Condominium Development.  

Directions:
From CT/NY: Get off exit 91 on I-95.  Go straight through the stoplight at the end of the off-ramp.  Take your second right onto Farmholme Road.  Farmholme Rd. ends at Rt. 1.  Take a right on Rt 1. and then an immediate left onto Greenhaven Road.  Follow Greenhaven Road approx. 2.5 miles until you reach the intersection with Mary Hall Road.  Take a left on Mary Hall Road.  Take right on River Road.  Parking lot will be on left about 1/8 of a mile down the road, after passing the small water treatment plant.


From RI/MA:  Get off exit 92 on I-95.  Take left at end of offramp onto Rt. 49.  At intersection with Rt. 2, go left.  Follow Rt. 2 until you reach the intersection with Rt. 1 (There will be an intersection under a trainbridge that says Pawcatuck on it).  Take left on Rt. 1 and then immediate right onto Mechanic St.  Mechanic St. becomes River Road.  Stay on River Road, parking lot will be on left.

More Information:
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association - Official website of the WPWA, information on water quality, events, and the status of the conservation of the river.  Opportunities to volunteer/participate.
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed - Information on the history of the Pawcatuck River and its' banks from the Pequots to the threadmills, and the subsequent changes in river quality.
Pawcatuck River Wikipedia Entry
Riverbend Cemetery - the scenic cemetery located across the river from this wildlife management area.