Weetamoo Woods, Tiverton, Rhode Island
Route: Yellow, Green, Red, Orange, and Meadow Trails
Length: 4.92 miles Elevation: 246 ft Time: 3 hrs Rated: easy to moderate
Dogs: yes Kids: yes
Date: 10-11-25
History: Millions of years ago, Rhode Island and its archipelago of islands as we know it, did not exist. The glacier retreat carved its topography into what we call kettle and kame - a mix of valleys or depressions (kettle) and mounds/hills comprised of glacial till (kame), kettles becoming rivers and kames the hills. The area Tiverton resides in is an excellent example of this type of land, with rivers and valleys and hills surrounding it. When sea levels and Earths temperature rose, the archipelago of the Rhode Island coast and its islands were formed. Tiverton was at one point connected to Aquidneck Island.
The warming of the world meant the New England area became more favorable for permanent settlement to the nomadic tribes who had crossed the ice bridge 15,000 years ago. From the large nation of the Algonquins, smaller subtribes grew, forming their own territories and ways of the world. The Wampanoag tribe lived along the eastern shores of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and the Cape Cod Islands, their relationship with the land following its resources seasonally, summers spent along the coast and winters further inland in the dense forests. Of the Wampanoags, the smaller subtribe the Pocasset’s held the area of Tiverton and Little Compton as their village settlement. Though some evidence has been found a scattering of hunting weapons, tools, shell midden, and burial grounds, I have yet to find any articles about official archeological digs in Tiverton.
When Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano landed along the shores of Rhode Island it is theorized he made contact with the coastal Wampanoag villages, although no one knows for sure who it was. Verrazzano was impressed with those he met with and some of his journals expressed admiration of their appearance, countenance, and way of life. His journeys became the beginning of cross Atlantic trading as more and more left Europe to establish themselves as companies of foreign capital. Unfortunately these European ships brough more than goods to trade - disease struck the coastal Wampanoag tribes - thousands of years of isolation had kept them safe from Western diseases and with no immunities or medicine to treat these foreign illnesses the tribes were decimated.
In 1606 King James drafted the Plymouth and Virginia Charter granting the Plymouth Company permission to travel across the ocean and settle in the New World - though spreading Christianity was their “reason”, realistically it was all for money - as no money could be made if these colonies failed. 1620 brought the first wave of Pilgrims to the shores of now Massachusetts, they settled in an abandoned Patuxet village (everyone died of illness the year before - a horrifying fact) and formed a relationship with the indigenous people they came across.
The area Tiverton is in was once a Pocasset village, its sachem Corbitant was more wary of the foreign settlers, hesitant to reciprocate favors with he English unlike the great sachem Osamequin (or Massasoit). Osamequin found their new neighbors to be helpful - the decimation of his people meant their territory was threatened by the more powerful Narragansetts to the west. Lands that had been previously Wampanoag land now belonged to the Narragansetts and they didn’t have the forces to protect much more - sales of land began almost immediately. Corbitant attempted to align with the Narragansetts to retake their land, but the plan was foiled almost immediately and he was forced to sign a peace treaty. Corbitant was father to two daughters - Wootonekanuske (who became the wife of Metacom or King Philip) and Weetamoo - his eldest and namesake of the woods I walked for this hike. His daughters shared reluctance to forge relationships with the English, and Weetamoo grew up under her fathers wing, becoming sunksqua (female sachem) upon his death. She was a warrior and skilled leader - though her life and the lives of almost all of the Wampanoag leaders were lost to King Philips War, their attempts were valiant and important to learn about. It’s just all too much to type here, someday I will find a way to tell her story.
Pre-King Philips War several purchases were made to secure rights to land usage - the Nannaquaket Neck and Punkatest Purchases gave access to the coastline and already fertile farming fields. Post King Philips War, Tiverton was still sparsely settled, mainly along the coast closer to Aquidneck Island, though the Pocasset Purchase meant more settlements and land divisions further inland. Tiverton remained under Massachusetts Colony rule, incorporated officially in 1694. Over the next hundred years Rhode Island and Massachusetts would disagree with land boundaries and settlements, and eventually in 1747 Tiverton became an official Rhode Island town.
The soil in Tiverton wasn’t always ripe for agriculture - it needed to be worked more than other areas, and many of its inhabitants turned to marine industry like whaling to supplement their ventures. Whaling industry was more located out of New Bedford, but several men made their fortunes while they could and many kept homes in Tiverton. During the Revolutionary War Tiverton became a central location for Continental troops and refuge for colonists fleeing British occupation on Aquidneck Island. After the war, Tiverton regrouped with prosperity - building bridges, establishing ferries for trade, and an important aspect of colonial life - the tavern. Taverns served numerous purpose - rest for weary travelers, a meeting place for business, housing for poor and the occasional jail cell. Tiverton is apparently quite proud of its historical taverns. The mid-1800’s brought some of the textile industry to the area, though Tiverton lacked rivers with length like the central Rhode Island towns enjoyed, so industrial venture wasn’t a prime source of economy for them. Still some industrious villages were settled, each with its own purpose, fishing, textiles, farming, and the like. It is a quieter town, the population clustered around the coastline and around certain areas of industry - much of it is conserved and open space. Recent events have brought speculation that developers are looking to build new neighborhoods on land - affordable housing units always scare people and bring out old worries about outsiders taking over. I get it, lowered property values can be irksome (mildly facetious here). One fun fact I learned is there used to be a soccer stadium in Tiverton, home to the Marksmen, established in the 1920’s it was one of the earliest soccer stadiums in the United States - the stadium was eventually torn down, turned into a sort of restaurant and outdoor movie theatre.
Tiverton today is still a beautiful town, with a grand mix of coastline and forested paths, it is a place that begs to be visited and appreciated, I wish I had more reasons to go there. I hope you’ve found inspiration to explore your own towns history, there is a lot to be learned.
The hike: Weetamoo Woods and its adjacent property Pardon Gray Preserve are part of Tiverton’s commitment to open space and historical preservation. Weetamoo Woods is named for the great Wampanoag sachem Weetamoo, a warrior in her own right who’s legacy lives on here. Her life story is one of leadership and bravery on behalf of her people, tragically losing her life to drowning in a river attempting to escape the Colonial militia.
I have never really been over to this corner of the world - so when I “picked” the trail I didn’t realize I’d be starting at Pardon Gray Preserve and adding an extra two miles to the hike. In my mind, I was starting at Weetamoo and skipping Pardon Gray - this is what happens when I don’t check the trailhead location.
As I was driving into the property I see it abuts private property with some sharp warning that trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Apparently its also drone patrolled which is wild to me, I had heard of some salacious activity (womp womp) within the woods so I’m curious to know if that was the tipping point to install those signs.
The trail begins by traversing up a small cart path, flanked on either side with rambling stone walls, a sign of things to come. To my right is an unnamed ridge, with more stone walls and a heavy scattering of boulders a top it. There is a spooky tree with arm like trunks in the middle of it all - striking and bold - a story begging to be told; I feel an instant connection to it all. The trees here are old growth - as old as they can be after most were clear cut in the late 1600’s. I then find myself in a thickly forested area, the path is nearly single track as I walk through birch and elm trees. There is a granite slab leading up an incline that I don’t explore but it makes for a cool picture. The path is rocky and rooty here and the trees continue to be sooooo expressive - I really feel like there are old souls here somewhere. This section is still technically the Pardon Grey Preserve, but as I skirt the boundary lines it leads into Weetamoo Woods at the intersection of the Yellow and Green Trails.
This next section is flanked on either side by laurels, it must be so beautiful in June and then there is a bog bridge/catwalk/whatever we want to call that leading over some muddy spots and I am in heaven. I round the corner and the trail moves south and intersects with the Red Trail. In this spot - I had a “saw this, wrote that” moment. A cellar hole - semi collapsed and covered in leaves, a tree making its roots known, but there all the same. The first sentence came to my mind and I snapped the picture and then the rest came sort of tumbling out afterwards. The sun was shining through the trees and I tried to imagine what the land would have looked like cleared and filled with life in the colonial times. I did some quick searches on Google and apparently this tract of land had once belonged to a freed African slave by the name of Sippo Cook and he and his wife raised nine children here. I had no idea before I walked by there. Some stories really do beg to be told.
The Red Trail opens up and cuts across the ever present gas line (that or a power line) and it’s a gentle walk through another section of beautiful trees and lost souls on now the Orange Trail. I cross the gas line tract again and follow the Meadow Trail which features a lovely lush green landscape and then I’m back on the Yellow Trail again. This trail is where the other entrance is for the woods - where I should have been, but alas, my car is still a couple miles away. I met a nice gentlemen riding a bike with his feisty little dog named Rocket (a jack terrier mix) and we chatted about how much dogs love to run with bikes and Rocket gave me a few friendly dog smooches. I follow the Yellow Trail and continue to be delighted by the rambling stone walls and gorgeous trees - I know I keep talking about them - but I really loved them all. I’m back at the intersection of the Yellow and Green Trail, carrying on to the Yellow Trail in Pardon Grey Preserve. The big, beautiful, spooky tree on the ridgeline is still there - where would it have gone? I don’t know, I wondered if I had imagined it - but there it was - more of a story found me, I haven’t written it yet, but I hope to when these essays are all finished. After the spooky tree, it’s a tricky decline over some rocky spots back to my car. I was exhausted physically, but mentally, was invigorated by the connection I felt here. It had been awhile since I walked in a space and found magic and wonder and stories finding their way to my heart; this is why I do what I do really.
I would absolutely take a drive to visit here again - it was well worth the physical effort. It is a trail system that you can really make as long or as short as you want to - it is more popular in the area, so there was a handful of people there despite the early morning time I went. A great hike for kids, even better hike for dogs - I highly recommend it.
Thanks for being here with me,
Robyn ✨
*I visit these places with deep acknowledgement that there was a time in history that this land was free and inhabited by the Indigenous people of Rhode Island. Every hike and story, I hope to include pieces of their legacy - I cannot go back in time - but I am fully aware of the privilege I have to walk in these regions as I am today.