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Borderland encompases 1773 acres of woodlands, fields, ponds
and unique geological formations. The park is truly a “borderland” in
that it lies between gradually rising hills to the north and
much flatter land to the south. The result is a mix of habitats,
supporting a rich variety of wildlife.
There are three major ponds at Borderland and several smaller
bodies of water. Lower Leach is 100 acres in size, created
in 1825 to create water power for an iron works further downstream
on the Poquanticut Brook. It has an average depth of five feet. Pud's
Pond was created by the Ames family in 1906 and named after
Blanche's father. When walking next to the spillway you can
see the white roads inlaid in the dam when it was repaired
in 1926. Upper Leach Pond was created by the Ames family in
1939 for wildlife habitat and recreation.
The glaciated cliffs and outcroppings on the northern side
of the park make the geology of Borderland unusually interesting.
Throughout the park are several easily discernible examples
of glacial “erratics,” granite
boulders that were
torn loose from the bedrock and deposited some distance away.
Another interesting feature is the glacial riverbeds, areas
strewn with a multitude of boulders and stones. These areas
are evidence of the ferocious energy produced by the run-off
from melting glaciers.
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The park has large glacially transported boulders weighing over
a million pounds. more...
A wonderful array of wildflowers can be seen in
July and August. more...
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