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Arcadia Management Area
Northeast
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Topographical Map:

Northwest
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Southeast
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Southwest
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Topographical Map:

Location and Access
Arcadia Wildlife Management Area is located in the towns of West
Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton and Richmond. State Route 165 divides the
management area into a north and south section. The main access point
to the north section is located just east of the bridge at Wood River
along Midway Trail, where there is a gravel parking area. Access to
the south section can be gained along Old Nooseneck Road, K-G Ranch
Road or Summit Road. Numerous gated trails and other gravel roads
exist throughout the management area which permit foot traffic or
other non-motorized vehicles only. The management area is found on the
Hope Valley and Voluntown U.S.G.S. Topographic quad sheets.
Habitat
Arcadia covers a total land area of 13,817 acres and is the largest of
the State Management Areas. The area is dominated by forest cover
(11,576 acres) in mixed species deciduous forest (64%) and evergreen
(36%), principally white pine. Fresh water wetlands include swamps,
shrub wetlands, marshes, and open water bodies cover 1678 acres. Major
bodies of water within the area include Breakheart Pond, Beach Pond,
and Browning Mill Pond. The Wood River, one of the finest trout
streams in the state and Rhode Island's best example of a scenic and
wild river, flows through the management area. Primary tributaries to
the Wood River include the Falls River, Flat River, Parris Brook and
Roaring Brook, all found within the management area. The state
actively manages 1.1% of the land acreage (156 acres) in agricultural
fields to create food plots and plantings for wildlife.
Wildlife
Arcadia Wildlife Management Area contains resident wildlife of a broad
diversity of groups, including several game animals and fish and
numerous non-game species. Typical game mammals found there include
cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hare, grey squirrel, white-tailed deer
and furbearers such as fox, raccoon, and mink. Typical game birds
include ruffed grouse, wild turkey, ring-necked pheasant and bobwhite.
Both pheasants and bobwhite are stocked by the state during the
hunting season. Diverse habitat types present within the area attract
a wide variety of non-game species providing opportunity for wildlife
observation of songbirds and raptors, reptiles and amphibians. Wood
River and tributaries provide fine fishing for trout, with portions of
the area designated "catch and release". Warm and cold water fish are
found in the areas ponds, including trout, bass, and pickerel. Frosty
Hollow Pond is stocked with trout and is managed for youth (under
fourteen) fishing only.
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