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.

Great area just to get out and spot some birds and listen to song throughout the walk! Only…read moredownside, which is also great crowd control, is smaller parking lot for visiting. Otter Point Trails is a fine gravel/sand trail great for wheeled visitors as it is fairly level, no ruts or rocks to be able to utilize the full trail and farm pond viewing. Handicap parking right at trail head as well. Farm Field Loop and Osprey Point Trails have ruts and rocks, but very mild and easy for family walk for those with kids. Throughout the walk bird song is present, plenty of chipmunks, squirrels and even rabbits during a sunny afternoon walk today. Restroom by parking lot, but no running water just hand sanitizer for use. No pets, no bikes or jogging here. It is a peaceful walk outside of loud chatty people, so please be respectful as you enjoy the refuge! Great for short out and back if you have been missing hearing the birds!

This is a beautiful refuge area with a nice easy closed loop trial that is easy to do on a nice…read morebeautiful day. We saw many birds, swans, snails, spiders, etc. Being a weekday in the off-season was easy to park and meander with little other humans around. The parking area only holds about 15-20 cars, so it's limited. The pond is large and tranquil...just a great place to get close to nature.

It's a relatively short set of trail loops but so meticulously maintained and planned that it's a…read moresheer joy to stroll along and admire the foliage, water features, and historical remnants. The trails meander among the environs of a former cotton mill and you'll come across the mill's foundation itself, the overseer's house, the spring house, and what tickled my fancy most, a cold cellar built into a ridge. (Seen from the street side, you'll never know that there was a man-made structure within it!) The springs and pond are simply captivating - a great place to visit in any season. The trailhead is in the midst of a quiet residential neighborhood - I hope they enjoy this gem daily and aren't jaded by it. Charming!

I was hiking in the area and came upon Biscuit City Preserve. At approximately 3/4 of a mile, I…read moremade a quick detour into its trails and I am so glad I did. The Preserve has a fishing pond, park benches, wood bridges, natural spring, historic ruins, and a variety of plants and animals. So much packed into its 11-acres of land. The pond itself is handicap accessible as it has crushed stone along its borders. Fishing at this site appears to be restricted to children under age 14. Ruins from a historic mill are a stone's throw from the pond. The foundation from the mill has beautifully constructed rock wall faces on a couple sides still. There is a water wheel pit and cellar holes in the area also. The water that powered the mill's activities still flows (first a gristmill, then cotton, then carriage and wagon manufacturing, back to gristmill, and lastly housing before a flood the fire fully destroyed it in the 1880s-1890s). Though there is a natural spring source on the property, it is protected by a spring house which is locked and boarded up. The trails are easy to follow and are well-maintained. A beautiful location acquired by the South Kingstown Land Trust.

A swamp that's great…read more for a lot of things Great Swamp Management Area isn't really all swamp. A part of it certainly is but much of the 3,400 acres is woodland, fields, rocks and water. Lots of different terrains with lots of different plants and animals. I usually avoid hiking in places with the words swamp, tick, death or leech in them but Great Swamp is indeed great. Although it isn't all swamp the emphasis is definitely on water. The Chickasheen, Usqupaug, Chipuxet, and Pawcatcuk rivers all run through here and the 2 miles of the northern edge of pristine Worden Pond is included within it's boundaries. This of course makes it pretty buggy during the warm months but it also makes the area a great place for some quiet water canoeing, yaking, fishing or perhaps wind surfing on the pond. Besides the water sports Great Swamp is also a cool place for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and especially cross country skiing. Not a lot of extreme terrain, mostly gently sloping ups and downs and lots of great views of streams, brooks and ponds. Plenty of trees and rocks to crash into if you're bike riding and of course tons of mud in the wet season. In the spring huge groups of birds gather around the water and if you're lucky you might see deer, otters, turtles and even some water snakes. The area is also famous or perhaps infamous for it's history. In 1675 Josiah Winslow and his Pequot and Mohegan allies pretty much wiped out the Narragansett Tribe in a devastating battle that cost both sides much pain and blood. The ironic part was that Winslow attacked the Narragansett Tribe so they wouldn't form an alliance with King Phillip during the Pequot Wars. Of course after being attacked by the English the surviving Narragansetts were so mad they did just that. Great strategy. Great Swamp is great all year long but I enjoy it most during the quietude of the snow months. Peaceful, serene and ethereal. You have to wear fluorescent orange during hunting season to keep from getting your head blow off but most of the hunters here seem very courteous, reasonable and willing to share with others. Great Swamp is indeed a great swamp but with the emphasis on the great. A swamp that's great for a lot of things

This place is stunning. I recommend following the trail that leads to the old hanger. It's a great…read moreplace to rest, have lunch, and do some reading on the side of Worden Pond. From there, you can take the trails over to the dike and marsh area. Bring binoculars and lots of spare time. You'll want to linger a while :) Be sure to wear blaze orange in the fall/winter due to hunting season!

This Sculpture park is a unique and hidden gem located on Green Hill Beach rd on the border of…read moreSouth Kingstown and Charlestown. There are 23 sculptures nestled amongst the trees and trails. Bring bug spray during peak season. Even though the walk is short, there is quite a bit of vegetation and amazing art on display. My favorite was the HUGE bull as you first walk in. This thing is massive and a fun way to enter the park. More info: The South Kingstown Land Trust Sculpture Trail is a short .4 mile walk that mingles nature with art. Enter the trail at the midpoint and notice the large map indicating the location of each sculpture. Walkers may turn right or left to explore the 3 acres of easy trails and diverse sculptures. Look for dream catchers and crystals, poetry boxes and a giant red cow. The Sculpture Trail is a great place for a slow walk through the woods or a visit with children who will love to find each sculpture. Be sure to stop at the final sculptures and turn around, as the property and trails come very close to private property.

A truly different experience from the exemplary SKLT, the Sculpture Trail is whimsical and charming…read morewhile taking full advantage of the natural beauty inherent. Kudos to those who made this possible and the artists who contributed their work! If visiting in the fall, the brilliant foliage colors and drifting leaves complement the artworks nicely. My only quibble is that I wish there were informational tags attached to the sculptures so that you knew what the piece was called and the artist (apparently, there's supposed to be an informational placard at the trail entrance, but this was missing at the time of our visit; the SKLT trail map brochure, however, does list the pieces' name/artist, but we didn't have one on us). Upon entrance to the trail, you are greeted by a massive bull made from, of course, a barbeque grill ("Sir Loin Barbeque Bull" by Sean Harrington) - and from there, you're off to follow the meandering trails to discovery. There's also a Fairy Village for visitors to build their own fairy houses, so would also be a fun place for the kids.

This came up as a trail for me when I was searching, and it is, but as the name indicates is more…read moreof a fishing point than a trail. The trail runs right along the water, offering multiple side paths that take you directly to the shore. Some great views, and although the terrain isn't hilly, it's not straight and has just enough incline to make it challenging without it actually being challenging, if that makes sense.

It's a beautiful spot along the West Bay in Southern R.I., great walking paths and beautiful views…read moreof the bay. Keep in mind the parking lot is very limited in # of spaces and although the walking paths are wide and generally well kept, it's not a great situation for those with mobility issues. Keep in mind it's not a good beach/swimming venue, but more explore the rocks and tide pools. Seems very popular with fisherman.

Right next to the Veterans Memorial Cemetery is the Queen's River Nature Preserve. This beautiful…read moreset of trails will take you to the Queen's River - reputedly the cleanest river in Rhode island - and what a tranquil trek that is! In addition to the marked trails, there are some unmarked ones (but no worries, they are well-maintained and will take you back to the mapped ones) that are well worth exploring - the best one imo is one that follows the meandering river bank and will eventually hook you up with one of the marked paths, thus making a nice loop back to the trailhead. (One drawback of the "official" trails is that they don't really make a loop so you will end up traversing former ground that you covered.) There is space for several cars to park at the trailhead; an alternative is to park along the edge of the Veterans Cemetery nearest to the Preserve, slip between the bordering fence, and there you are, a mere hop-skip-and-jump from the trailhead!

Trout laurel and…read moreXmas The Queen's River Nature Preserve is an almost 200 acre swatch of land that is centered around the Queen's River. This is considered one of the most pristine and cleanest river in the state and loaded with brook trout and all kinds of other types of critters. The trails meander through lots of woods, open fields and wet lands and has plenty of cool old trees as well as large areas of mountain laurel. The river is a whole lot smaller than I thought it would be but it is lovely and very, very cean and is one of those rivers that never warms up. Still freezing cold even in the summer. Queen's River isn't particularly well marked and you'll probably get lost but that's all right because you'll come out to a road of field that will guide you. There is lots of wild life including a wide variety of birds as well as lots and lots of deer. Just beware that bow hunting is allowed from Sept 15th through Jan 31 and at least 200 square inches of bright florescent orange is not only required by law but also good idea so you won't get shot in the arse by some over anxious bow hunter. Queen's River is a lovely and very, very clean place for a easy hike through a varied environment and some spirited soul even put up Xmas decorations on some of the blue spruce trees. Not many hills or difficult terrain but a great place to take your time and look, listen and smell what the river and woods has to offer.

There are so many sections to this park that I haven't even been able to explore them all - it's…read morelike a new adventure every time you come here. It's a great place to bring a dog or have a picnic, both of which I did on my recent visit. We were here to see the trolls, which are such an impressive attraction - you must go visit them if you haven't already! Sometimes the areas around them do get overly crowded, though, and if you're taking photos you'll have to wait a bit for it to clear and be your turn, but still - they represent such a feat and such creativity that I'm in awe every time I see them! One section behind one of the trolls was absolutely filled with mosquitoes, and my legs got all bit up - head's up. I'd bring bug spray with me next time if I go in the summer since I'm not sure where exactly the bugs started. I appreciate that the different zones of the park are easily labeled with giant signs from the road/parking lot. The paved sidewalks are also easy for those who easily trip, or, in my case, have a handicapped dog that needs a flat surface to walk on. I'll have to check out the salt pond and swimming hole area next time I'm here as I had no idea until recently that they were even offered here! Huge parking lots with lots of parking, too - an RI gem.

Continuing our search for Rhode Island's trolls brought us to Ninigret Park which is the home of 2…read moreDambo Trolls! The park is very large with plenty of open fields for sports, basketball courts, tennis courts, bathrooms and even an observatory! There is more than ample parking and good signage to lead to Erik Rock and Greta Granite (the trolls) as well as other art installations and even an observatory! We had fun exploring while there, it's a beautiful park, and very well maintained. Erik was easy to find, but Greta though there was signage was a bit more difficult to get to because of fallen trees and low branches. I think they really need to make a more open path so everyone is able to get to these amazing creations