Lincoln Woods State Park

Lincoln Woods State Park is a public recreation area covering 627 acres (254 ha) around Olney Pond four miles (6.4 km) northwest of Pawtucket in the town of Lincoln, Rhode Island.[3] The state park is known for its giant glacial boulders and the stony nature of its terrain which prevented most of the parkland from being used as farmland or for other development.

Lincoln Woods State Park
Olney Pond
Map showing the location of Lincoln Woods State Park
Map showing the location of Lincoln Woods State Park
Location in Rhode Island
LocationLincoln, Rhode Island, United States
Coordinates41°53′28″N 71°25′55″W[1]
Area627 acres (254 ha)[2]
Elevation197 ft (60 m)[1]
Established1908
Named forAbraham Lincoln
AdministratorRhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Parks & Recreation
WebsiteLincoln Woods State Park

History

Named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, the park traces its origins to the state's purchase of Quinsnicket Pond and 71 additional acres in 1908. It had its official founding on the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, February 12, 1909.[2] Until the 1940s, the park was popularly known as Quinsnicket, a faux Indian name commonly said to mean something like The Domain of Many Rocks. Quinsnicket was actually a name invented by white settlers, and the original Indian name for the area was Caucaunjaivatchuck.[4]

Activities and amenities

The park offers a freshwater beach, extensive picnicking facilities, trails for equestrians, mountain bikers, snowmobilers, and hikers, boating, ice skating, and fishing areas and game fields. Canoe rentals, kayak rentals and kayaking lessons are offered by a concessionaire.[3] The park is also known for bouldering, a type of rock climbing that does not utilize ropes or harnesses.[5]

The park was a favorite haunt of the author H. P. Lovecraft, who spent summer days walking in the park and writing long letters recording vivid accounts of the park's landscape and ambiance.[6] In 2011, part of the film Moonrise Kingdom was filmed at the park.[7]

References
  1. "Olney Pond". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Lincoln Woods State Park History". State of Rhode Island Division of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  3. "Lincoln Woods State Park". State of Rhode Island Division of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  4. Thomas Williams Bicknell. The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (Volume 5). ISBN 1152956353.
  5. "Lincoln Woods". Mountain Project. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  6. "Quinsnicket Park by H. P. Lovecraft". Hearthside House Museum. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  7. "Upcoming filming locations for 'Moonrise Kingdom' in Rhode Island". OLV. May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
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