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antoniafarzan t1_jatuhfa wrote

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/2016/03/11/big-river-ghost-50-years-ago-land-was-taken-from-351-people-for-reservoir-that-was-never-built-video/32390806007/

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Designer_Dot_1492 t1_jat4o9i wrote

Not sure what was there before but in the 80s and earlier we rode dirt bikes there. Not even sure if it was a quarry or the sand was a by product from some other process and was dumped there. It was a crowded place on Sundays especially with bikes, dune buggies, and 4X4 pickups. Probably a good amount of crashes too. When only a few people would ride on a weekday it was a lot of fun to blast across the dunes.

I think due to some crashes and maybe some bad behavior the state shut it down. I'm sure they could have done something on the weekends to make it safer, like maybe establish some sort of directional flow. Then again didn't the state dump rocks all over the sand at Beach Pond so no one can hang there on the beach? Apparently bad behavior and the state didn't want to have anyone posted at the RI/CT line to handle bad behavior.

I will say one thing as much fun as it was riding on it, that really fine sand could make its way into your airbox, possibly through the airfilter, it could also be tough on wheel bearings.

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RhodySeth t1_jat5g0u wrote

Don't get me started on Beach Pond. I have fond memories of going there as a kid. And as recently as 6-7 years ago I enjoyed parking there for my long runs and taking a dip afterwards. Then they dumped all those rocks and put up the massive fence. Bastards!

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[deleted] t1_jatdvs6 wrote

[deleted]

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Designer_Dot_1492 t1_jathhdd wrote

Route 165 in Exeter at CT state line is beach pond. But thread did start as desert. Two places shut down by our state.

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DrewCrew62 t1_jauaenr wrote

Idk how I’ve never heard of this despite living in the state all my life. Guess it’s a byproduct of living north of providence all my life

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Acrobatic_Ranger_278 t1_javvmij wrote

Lived near there my whole life and never heard anyone call it a desert. We’ve always just called it the sand dunes my whole life.

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Even-Vegetable-1700 t1_jauqkn5 wrote

I believe sand and gravel was taken from there for the construction of Route 95. The area was basically strip mined and thats what was left.

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ToadScoper t1_jb1fk23 wrote

There’s a similar phenomena up in Maine. Long story short it’s a byproduct of quarrying and local geological conditions.

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