The Preserve conserves one of the last remaining pieces of unfragmented habitat and shoreline along the Royal River in Yarmouth. This section of the river supports beavers, otters, deer and a variety of bird species and distinct flora, creating a surprisingly remote experience for paddling in the summer and skating, snowshoeing and skiing in the winter. The preserve’s shoreline is roughly one mile upriver from the East Elm Street boat launch.
New trails are designed for wheelchairs, baby carriages, and comfortable walking. The Carriage Trail begins from the parking lot and extends along the powerline corridor to the Royal River. It has been graded to have minimal slopes. The first third-mile of trail is surfaced with hard packed gravel and is a minimum of 4 feet wide, with 5-foot wide passing areas at least every 200 feet.
At a quarter-mile from the parking lot, there’s a railroad crossing which, although inactive, still has rails in place. The gaps between the rails are filled, to aid with mobility.
The gravel-surfaced portion of trail terminates at a wide bridge, which doubles as a viewing platform for an inactive beaver bog. Additional gravel work in summer 2023 will extend the accessibility of the Carriage Trail to the Royal River. Currently this segment of trail is cleared for hiking with an irregular surface of natural soils.
Side trails are narrow and have very uneven trail treads. The side trails contain several wetland boardwalks, some of which have a small (less than 8 inch) step up on either end.
Riverfront Woods Preserve is owned and managed by the Town of Yarmouth. For more information, please contact:
Yarmouth Community ServicesTrailhead parking is at the end of Riverfront Drive, which is a new street off East Elm Street near North Road in Yarmouth.
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