WEST KINGSTON, R.I. — The state’s swamps aren’t only for ogres, at least at one popular South County hot spot.

Despite their pop-culture reputation as slimy, smelly habitats for all kinds of gross creatures, swamplands are the unsung heroes of the environment, and more plainly, they’re just cool as hell.

Wetlands produce enormous amounts of food to attract an equally enormous amount of species, making them essentially superhighway habitats for a stunning amount of wildlife. Swamps and wetlands sustain everything from fish to plants to birds to insects to mammals. These areas sustain wildlife so well that the Environmental Protection Agency has compared them to rainforests and coral reefs.

And where wildlife goes, so do nature lovers. Longtime residents of the state might be surprised to find out that one of the biggest swamplands in the region is in South Kingstown, nestled between Route 138 to the north and Worden Pond to the south. Aptly named the Great Swamp, it’s been owned and maintained by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management since 1950 as a state management area.

As a management area, the swamp is left mostly undeveloped, and there’s tighter restrictions over what members of the public can do. (DEM has long struggled to eliminate off-road vehicles from its management areas, which are banned.)

As a result, there’s some 2,200 acres of untouched, forested swampland — one of the largest contiguous areas of its kind in the state — primarily cedar and red maple swamp. It makes for beautiful hiking, and there are 6 miles of flat trails between the management area and nearby Worden Pond. Hikers are likely to see a plethora of wildlife, including dozens of possible bird species at any given time of the year, and other mammals such as beavers.

The area’s undeveloped status makes it crucial for climate resilience. Wetlands of all kinds, including swamps, retain runoff during storms, and provide critical protection for communities from erosion and flooding. Wetlands can even sequester small amounts of carbon annually.

Great Swamp is a particular crown jewel for bird-watching in southern Rhode Island. The area’s status as a wetland makes it an increasingly rich stopover for both local species and migrating birds coming from Canada. Throughout the year, birders are liable to catch a glimpse of Canada geese, ospreys, blue warblers, cormorants, and hundreds of other species nesting in or around the area.

The management area attracts more than just birders. In October, DEM opens the swamp for hunters. Twice weekly starting in October and running through the end of December, DEM stocks the Great Swamp and other management areas with pheasants for hunters.

Anyone interested in hiking during the fall and winter should be advised DEM requires the public to wear 200 square inches of orange during the hunting season or be subject to a fine. See DEM’s Fish and Wildlife office website for full details.

This story is part of our “Special Places” series. Read other stories in this series.