Vin Gormley Trail, Charlestown, R.I.

Vin Gormley was a member of the trails committee of the Appalachian Mountain Club-Narragansett Chapter who worked hundreds of hours, often alone, to brush and blaze trails in the Arcadia Management Area and at Burlingame State Park.

In the 1980's Vin Gormley began maintaining an 8 1/2 mile trail around Watchaug Pond, known then as the Yellow Trail. It was built in the 1960's by the Youth Conservation Corps for the Department of Environmental Management. In the summer 1991 issue of "Watershed", Vinny was quoted as saying "If I live to be a 100 I won't have that trail the way it should be."

That summer he used diseased pine trees that had to be cut, loaded 12 foot sections into his trailer and hauled them to spots near the low areas. After stripping each log of it's bark, he built bog bridges. He built a lot of bog bridges.

In September 1991, by an act of the State of Rhode Island legislature, the trail's name was changed to the John Vincent Gormley Trail. Each September the AMC trails committee schedules maintenance on the Gormley Trail in Vinny's memory. Vinny also brushed and blazed the trails of Arcadia on an almost daily basis well into his mid-80's.                                      

 -Vin Gormley Trailhead Sign-

This covered bridge was donated by the Flower Show and flown to this location over Perry Healy Brook

After 3.0 miles from where we left the car on Buckeye Brook rd, we entered Burlingame State Park and stopped for lunch. 

Spamwich!

Here? No Here!

Well, here together!

                  

                     Passing through the Kimball Wildlife Sanctuary.

Scotty checks the ice on Watchaug Pond.

Scott's first trail use of his Job Lot gators! I'm jealous.

Scotty spotted this track! Scouting is paying off.

There are many of these small bridge/brook crossings

Most of the trail is flat with little elevation gain.

Lycopodium clavatum (Princess Pine)  it is endangered in many areas.

Epic rock face!

At mile 8, the trail dumped us a short distance down the road from our car. This was the first time we encountered road walking on a hike, about two miles at one section and this short .10 to the car.

 To view a GPS track & map of our hike: Click Here