Another place were the trails was a little too muddy for me to fully explore them. But what I did…read moredo, offered a quiet relaxing exploration with some waterfront views. Parking is right of the road, so be careful getting in/out.

Osamequin Wildlife Sanctuary is a possible destination if you're looking for some trails to walk…read moreon. Unfortunately, if you visit you'll find that most of the trails there are quite short, and in need of maintenance. Tip: There are a lot of ticks here, so if you visit make sure you check yourself and your furry children before you depart On the plus side, this place is fairly close to downtown Barrington, and there are some nice views from here of the 100 Acre Cove :-)

This new parking area was installed about the same time as the new bridge on Sandy Bottom Rd. A…read moregravel parking area includes two handicapped parking spots and a trash bin. The path from parking into the wood has been washed out by rain and not easily traversed at this time, but doable for the sure footed. Once at the edge of the wood a boardwalk takes you over a wetland area. Turn at the intersection to a viewing platform over looking the pond. The boardwalk feeds out to pathways covered in mulch. These paths are not blazed in this area and criss-cross one another at a variety of angles. Some paths follow the edge of the pond and lead to a yellow blazed trail. One bench off the yellow trail over looks the pond. This trail connects with the Coventry Greenway. The area includes fields and glades. Plenty of dragonflies and other critters abound. It makes a nice walk on a sunny day providing plenty of dappled shade. Trails include roots and other small obstacles in places - depending on which trail you take. There are signs stating you must clean up after your furry companions. I saw two animal waste bags sitting on the edge of the trail. That is only half of the assignment! Those bags are intended to be tossed into the trash bin in the parking lot. Please don't leave your dog waste on the trail. Leave only foot prints. Your fellow hikers thank you.

Food was good. Diner style menu. Service is good. Welcoming. Prices reasonable. We get breakfast…read morethere on weekends.

Bucolic farmland and walking trails, the site is graced by some beautiful buildings which also…read morehouse the South Kingstown Land Trust offices as well as spaces for meetings and gatherings. During our visit, we were attracted to one of the buildings where a delightful choral group was singing "Sacred Harp" (aka "shape notes") style. After listening to a few songs, we progressed to the trail itself, which borders along a working farm. If you're a birder, you'll like this place as many bird-watchers gather here; if you're like us and just like to stroll a classic New England farm with stone walls, noble trees, and cultivated fields, this is a beautiful place to enjoy the views and the crisp autumn air. An easy walk and very peaceful.

Another well-maintained and beautiful woodland trail by the South County Land Trust. Thewlis Woods…read moretrail is a leisurely 3/4 mile loop and you quickly settle down into a peaceful tranquility. A great place to see stately spruce groves, beech tree stands, and some American chestnuts. The trailhead entrance is a little hard to find, being on the side of a residential street, marked by an unobtrusive sign - there is no parking dedicated to the preserve so you'll have to park on the side of the street (and please be polite to the residents living there). The trail does pass by close to some of the residents' backyards but no worries - we didn't encounter many folks. Very nice.

A well-marked set of trails and loops that convey you through various types of terrain: oak…read morewoodland, eskers, vernal ponds, boulder fields, grasslands, white pine, and old stone walls. Portions of the preserve are sobering however: the oak forest is pretty much dead, devastated by past years' severe drought and invasive insect infestations. Although awful to see, it is also "awe-full" in that there is a somber beauty and grandeur in seeing vast swathes of these once-mighty trees bare-leafed and gaunt. While haunting, the trails do take you through vibrant (and apparently healthy) white pine woods, fields, and large vernal pools. The preserve has also thoughtfully provided some information signs, pointing out areas of environmental concern as well as important native tree varieties. There's plenty of parking available at the Old Mill Road trailhead as well as a convenient composting bathroom.

A whole lot of…read morerocks The Francis Carter Memorial Preserve is an eleven hundred acre track of land that has several very well marked trails running through it. Nice to see trails so well marked and with maps actually at places along the trails. Makes it virtually impossible to get lost and you know the exact distance of any individual trail. Many of the trails are short, only a bit more than a mile, but they all interconnect so you can get several hours of hiking in the beautiful woods. There are lots of cool rocks in New England but this place is just infested with rocks of every size and description, as well as numerous stone walls running through the woods. The hiking isn't difficult with just a few minor hills, but it does require some care to keep stepping over all the rocks. The Francis Carter Preserve is very popular with hikers but also with mountain bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, and in the winter cross country skis and snow shoes. A very nicely maintained and extremely well marked series of trails with all kinds of interesting flora, geographic features and of course lots and lots of wonderful rocks.

The trails were a little too muddy and overgrown for me to fully explore them, but what I did do…read moreoffered some views and a quiet escape. Even had a couple deer dart in front of me on the trail.

Veterans Memorial Park is a picturesque, hidden gem, surprisingly located... in the middle of…read moreBarrington (funny for such a seemingly secluded locale). You can access the park via a dirt road, just off of West Street, next to the YMCA. Park at the YMCA or drive down the dirt road a bit to park inside. It is an easy jump skip from the East Bay Bike Path as well for those using a bipedal method of transportation. The trails are not extensive, only about 2.5 miles in total if you traverse all of the loops, but the views of Brickyard Pond are worth it. The 84-acre body of water sits on 230 acres of land, named for its history as a site of the brick-making industry in the area up until the 1940's. Due to hazardous structures in the water, swimming is not allowed. Fishing is allowed only certain times of the year since the pond is home to some herring spawning grounds. There is a boat launch as well as several points of access to the water for kayaking. Two trails, the Red and Green, make their way along the shore of the pond and into the forested acreage of the park. Summersweet plants flower everywhere along the trails, filling the air with their pleasant aroma. For the most part I stayed on trail but there were a number of unmarked routes leading who-knows-where. I explored some of these but didn't stray too far. The trails were well-marked with their colored blazes and arrow signs but with so many trails breaking off from the main loops, it was easy to get turned around. Well-kept, there were several bridges and walkways built into the path to skip over lazy moving streams and marshy areas. From their maps, it appears that several more trails looping around the pond are in the works, connecting the park to the bike patch directly. It will be wonderful once development is complete. Near the boat launch is a peaceful clearing with tables and park benches. A great place for a picnic or to simply kick back and soak up the outdoors. A nice find in downtown Barrington. As a side note: there was a surprising amount of litter in the parking lot inside the grounds... the trails were clean but some of the areas with grills and benches were visited by litter bugs and party animals. Trash, broken glass... dropped it down to 4-stars for me despite my enjoyable experience in the rest of the park.

Small trail behind the high school. Good for beginers and a quick stroll, but can get old fast for…read moreexperienced people. Have spotted a couple deer, but otherwise not really any wildlife. Beginning runs right next to Rt4 so its also not very quiet. Plenty of trail markers and a couple hills, you could do worse for a quick stroll.

Follow cleared trails through sunny and shaded areas. Located through parking lot of school…read more Limited people using trails. Good for walking or biking, taking your canine for a stroll.

At first blush, I wasn't too impressed by this small preserve but as we got deeper into the trail,…read moreI soon changed my mind. Most of the beginning of the trail was a little eerie as we passed through a section rife with dead oaks - made you really wonder what happened (an insect invasion? Fungal? Climate?). But we soon came to some areas that were simply wonderful: groves of rhododendrons and mountain laurels, arching over the path and forming green tunnels; varied pines and spruces (including an area of adorable "Charlie Brown" type Christmas tree-sized ones); and best of all, absolutely huge American Holly trees, rivaling the neighboring oaks in canopy size and height. We never knew that hollies could get that big! Amazing. The paths are well marked and easy to hike - about a mile or so as a loop. A side loop will take you by the banks of Alewife Brook, a calm and tranquil waterway. Not too many people seem to visit but it's well worth a visit just to see those big rhododendrons and hollies!