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The Story of the Yawgoog Trails

Notice to the General Public and Driving Directions

Hikers who are not officially camping at Yawgoog ("non-campers") are welcome to hike on marked trails in the undeveloped western and northern areas of the Reservation during daylight hours. These areas include the Green Trail, as well as limited portions of Yawgoog's Yellow, Red, Blue/Freeman, and White (Pickerel Cove area and Hidden Lake loop only) trails. The unrestricted areas include portions, on private property, of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Narragansett and Tippecansett trails.

Non-campers are not allowed in the developed eastern and southern areas of the Reservation (including the entire Orange Trail), except on Sundays (Visitor's Days) while summer camp is in session -- usually starting the Sunday before the Fourth of July and ending the Sunday before Labor Day weekend. Otherwise, prior permission to enter the restricted areas must be obtained from the Reservation (contact information is included in Appendix D).

Non-campers are prohibited from swimming, boating, fishing, camping, geocaching, letterboxing and using fires. Littering and hunting are prohibited completely. Hikers are strongly encouraged to bring insect repellent and plenty of drinking water, as pond/stream water requires proper treatment before consumption. People who have allergic reactions to insect stings must carry their antidotes with them.

Driving is only allowed on Camp Yawgoog Road (a dirt road) under posted speed. Very limited parking on Camp Yawgoog Road is available for non-campers only at:

• The juncture of the White and Yellow trails near Hidden Lake, and
• The Rhode Island/Connecticut border, at the beginning of Yawgoog's Blue Trail.

Additional parking is available in designated areas on Visitor's Days after 10:00 am.

Yawgoog's Red and Yellow trails overlap part of the AMC Narragansett Trail in Rhode Island. Yawgoog's Blue/Freeman Trail overlaps part of the AMC Narragansett Trail in Connecticut. Yawgoog's Blue/Freeman Trail also overlaps a section of the AMC Tippecansett Trail in Rhode Island, marked in yellow. AMC trails are marked in yellow in Rhode Island and in blue in Connecticut. Hikers should be aware that portions of the overlapping sections of the trails are marked in two colors.

Yawgoog Scout Reservation is posted private property, owned by the Rhode Island Boy Scouts (RIBS) and operated by Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America^® (BSA^®). Non-campers enter Yawgoog Scout Reservation at their own risk.

This edition of The Story of the Yawgoog Trails is not an official publication of Narragansett Council, BSA^®. This document is independently published by the author, David R. Brierley.

Driving Directions to Yawgoog Scout Reservation

From Interstate 95 in Rhode Island: Take Exit 3B and travel west on Route 138. After about 0.6 mile (1 kilometer), veer left where Routes 138 and 3 merge (Main Street). Proceed southwest 0.9 mile (1.4 kilometers) until Route 138 turns right, leaving Route 3 at a fire station. Travel northwest on Route 138 (Spring Street) 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) until the Yawgoog Scout Reservation sign is seen on the left at Camp Yawgoog Road. The T. Dawson Brown Gateway will be reached after travelling 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) southwest on Camp Yawgoog Road.

From Routes 49, 138 and 165 in Connecticut: From Voluntown center, proceed east on the merged Routes 138 and 165 (Beach Pond Road) until they diverge. Bear right on Route 138 (Rockville Road) and proceed southeast for 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers) to the state border. Continue on Route 138 (Spring Street in Rhode Island) for another 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) until the Yawgoog Scout Reservation sign is seen on the right at Camp Yawgoog Road. The T. Dawson Brown Gateway will be reached after travelling 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) southwest on Camp Yawgoog Road.

To reach the Yellow and White Trails, avoid the gate and turn right (north), proceeding 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) on the dirt road; the road bends to the left (west) near the Sandy Beach dining hall. The White Trail will be seen following a roped off road to Hidden Lake on the right (north); the White Trail also leads south from the other side of Camp Yawgoog Road toward Pickerel Cove. The Yellow Trail, which overlaps the AMC Narragansett Trail, also heads south from the same side of the road. The Blue Trail (which overlaps the AMC Narragansett and Tippecansett Trails) can be reached by travelling west to the Rhode Island-Connecticut border, which is 0.2 mile (0.3 kilometer) further on Camp Yawgoog Road.