Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge in Charlestown, Rhode Island, next to Burlingame State Park. Its trails are open from sunrise to sunset, and the Kettle Pond Visitor Center at 50 Bend Road is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The half-mile Ocean View Trail ends at a tower looking over Ninigret Pond to Block Island. Dogs are allowed only on a leash on the Kettle Pond trails.
The Refuge at a Glance
What the Refuge Is
Ninigret is one of five national wildlife refuges in the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, with Block Island, Sachuest Point, Trustom Pond and John H. Chafee. USFWS says the refuge sits on the former Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Facility, and that the glacial ice sheet and those former uses shaped its landscape. Its headquarters sits on the Charlestown Moraine, a ridge the ice sheet left as it retreated.
The refuge is known for birding, especially in spring and fall migration. USFWS lists fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, environmental education and photography as its activities.
Two Units
Headquarters (Kettle Pond) Unit. This is where the Kettle Pond Visitor Center is, at 50 Bend Road, with habitat dioramas, crafts and nature games inside. Two trails leave the parking area and two more connect to Burlingame State Park and the Kimball Wildlife Sanctuary. From here it is about a half-mile walk to Watchaug Pond, which USFWS describes as "part glacial lake, part Kettle Pond."
Salt Pond Unit. The old airfield on the shore of Ninigret Pond, with restored runways where white-tailed deer gather in the evenings.
Trails
- Ocean View Trail (Kettle Pond Unit): a half-mile trail across ridges and hollows shaped by the ice sheet 15,000 years ago. At the end, a tower gives views of Ninigret Pond, coastal shrublands, the barrier beaches and Block Island.
- Watchaug Pond Trail (Kettle Pond Unit): a birders' favourite, along the Kimball sanctuary to Watchaug Pond, which USFWS calls one of the best vernal pools in the state, and into Burlingame.
- Trails Through Time (Salt Pond Unit, east entrance): along the Grassy Point trail, signs walk you through the area's history, from the glaciers about 12,000 years ago through Native peoples, colonial farming and the World War II naval air field.
- West entrance trail (Salt Pond Unit): a usually quiet route past Foster's Cove and the restored runways to Fisherman's Point, with a view across Ninigret Pond to the barrier beach.
- Cross Refuge Trail and Charlietown Runway Trail: connect the west and east entrances of the Salt Pond Unit. The Cross Refuge Trail passes good birding spots with fresh water for migrating birds.
USFWS publishes Salt Pond and Kettle Pond trail maps and a "Watchaug Pond Trail and BSP Trails" map as PDFs. The map page has more.
Rules
- Open sunrise to sunset; stay on the designated trails.
- Dogs, horses and other pets are not permitted, with one exception: leashed dogs are allowed on the Kettle Pond Visitor Center trails, but not on the Toupoysett Pond Trail. Service animals are allowed under the ADA.
- No bicycles or rollerblades.
- No kite flying. USFWS explains that during nesting season kites look like large birds of prey and can scare adult birds off their nests.
- Do not disturb, destroy or remove wildlife, plants or facilities.
- Hunting seasons: USFWS allows hunting on the refuge, including fall archery deer hunting on the Kettle Pond Unit, and asks walkers to wear orange on the trails in season. Parts of the refuge can close for special hunts, so check the refuge page before a fall visit.
Fishing and the Cinder Worm Hatch
Fishing is one of the refuge's activities, and USFWS opens special extended hours in May for fishing the cinder worm hatch. Saltwater fishing in Rhode Island needs a saltwater licence or an accepted equivalent (fishing).
Birding Through the Year
Spring and fall migration are the peak, but USFWS notes something is worth seeing at any time of year. On the Burlingame side of the trail network, DEM lists as many as 80 nesting bird species and wintering bald eagles on Watchaug Pond (Watchaug Pond).
Connecting to Burlingame
The refuge and Burlingame share trails. From the Kettle Pond Unit you can walk to Watchaug Pond and into the state park, where the nearly 8-mile Gormley Trail circles the pond (hiking). Remember that dog rules change at the boundary: the refuge only allows leashed dogs on the Kettle Pond trails, while the Gormley Trail welcomes leashed dogs.
Contact
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, c/o Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown, RI 02813. Phone (401) 364-9124.
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge FAQ
What are the hours of Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge?
The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset. The Kettle Pond Visitor Center is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Are dogs allowed at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge?
Only on a leash on the Kettle Pond Visitor Center trails, and not on the Toupoysett Pond Trail. Elsewhere on the refuge, pets are not permitted. Service animals are allowed.
Can you bike at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge?
No. USFWS says bicycles and rollerblades are not permitted on the refuge.
What is the best short walk at Ninigret refuge?
The half-mile Ocean View Trail from the Kettle Pond Visitor Center ends at a tower with views of Ninigret Pond, the barrier beaches and Block Island.