The Narragansett Trail is a 16 mile long CFPA Blue Blaze Trail running through the towns of Voluntown, North Stonington and running at the Rhode island Border with Connecticut. It is split into a 4 mile northern section and a 12 mile southern section. Highlights include the Dinosaur Caves, lakeside views, Lantern Hill and High Ledge viewpoints.

In Depth Guide

Named after ‘The People of the Small Point’ this trail is on land owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. The northern part of the trail starts at the border with Rhode Island and then heads south through a camping area winding through the woods and streams and rocky outcrops. Its about 4 miles long. After a few miles of ‘no trail’ there is supposed to be another 12 miles of a separate section but this is actually more complicated than it sounds because a 2 to 3 mile section near the end has been closed for 4 years. Confused ? Yes we were too.

In short this trail is actually 3 trails, a 4 mile section, an 8 mile section and a small 1 mile section at Lantern hill.

The 4 Mile Section

Pachaug State Forest

The 30,000 acre Pachaug State Forest was the first state forest in Connecticut and grew rapidly as local farmers came to realize how poor the soil was for growing crops.

Dinosaur Caves

About 1.5 miles from the northern end is a large rocky outcrop on the trail known as Dinosaur Caves. It features a large mass of boulders that have formed a few caves of various sizes and its well worth wandering round this area for a while.

After the Dinosaur Caves the trail winds along a gorge caused by the river being dammed further up. This section has a real ‘ land that time forgot’ feel and is also really beautiful. The Eagle Scouts that look after the trail have spent time building walkways and bridges to help get through the area easily too.

The 8 Mile Section

The next section starts a couple of miles away and ambles through the woods for 2 miles following a shallow stream with lots of wet crossings.

After that the trail is absolutely stunning. There are miles of rocky overhangs, cliffs and deep forest with signs of old house cellar ruins and a stunning viewpoint about half way along this section.

About 8 miles in to this section you get to Route 2. Stop here and don’t carry on. The trail has been closed from beyond here for 4 years. We tried to carry on and the trail is completely gone .

The 1 Mile Section

Lantern Hill

Lantern Hill gets its name from the white cliffs that are sad to shine in the sun when seen from the sea. The hill was heavily mined for its high quality quartz used in glass making and construction. This roughly 1 mile section is now standalone and features a fantastic view and a relatively easy climb up and down.

Parking Info

Rhode Island Border Northern Terminus Parking

4 Miles in to the Trail from northern end Parking

Start of the 8 Mile Section

Lantern Hill Parking