How did I not know this existed?! Probably because you have to walk through the golf course to get…read moreto it. Way worth the visit on the other side of great blue hill from the highway you walk through the golf course to the pond and a wide trail circles the whole pond. It is a 4 mile loop. The trail was really muddy when we went (November) and we didn't make it all the way around but I look forward to going again, next time we will wear hiking boots instead of sneakers. The walk through the golf course is pretty nice too the paved road for golf carts is lined in gorgeous big old maples.

Been wanting to check out these trails for a while now and today was the day. There was no clear…read moreaddress on yelp directions but it got me there correctly. There's a tiny little spot you can park right before the head of the trail but only enough for a few cars. I guess if you came and it was full you could park down the street. There is a pretty big lot there that usually has quite a few spots open. You'd have to walk a bit to the trail though. Great trail around Ponkapoag pond. My Fit bit says it was a little over 11,000 steps. Most trails are marked good. There are maps posted every so often and most have an arrow that point "you are here". I would suggest to bring a map although at the place where I started from the box holding the Maps was empty so I just took a picture of the one posted. Definitely bring bug spray! This place is loaded with bugs. I was pretty bitten up at the end of my walk. I stayed on the main trail but there were lots of small trails to go off on. I was pretty disappointed to see signage that said no bikes allowed on a lot of them though. That's a real bummer for me and my beloved mountain bike. Saw lots of beautiful birds and butterflies. Luckily I didn't run into any coyotes but just be aware that they are around. 3.5 stars.

Nice park with large parking lot, clean restroom facilities. Across the street from the Ice Cream…read moreFactory. Park has plenty of walking trails, picnic takes and a nice pavilion for concerts. Also pickleball courts at the entrance. Convenient location. Can't wait to visit again and take more pictures

Diamond Hill State Park is 373-acres of fields, woods, pavilions, and steep slopes. A former…read moredownhill ski facility, this area is full of hiking trails, old ski machinery, picnic areas, a pond/stage structure, among many other features. Looking for a place to participate in short hike, a group of friends and I decided to check out what this park had to offer. Finding little information online as well as little direction once we arrived... we decided to just walk around and see what we could find. Locating a clearing in the trees after walking through a wide-open aisle of shaded picnic tables on a bed of pine needles, we trekked over an open field and eventually followed a couple small hiker signs we found. Be prepared to hike STRAIGHT UP the hillside. Making the summit means scrambling up a series of extremely steep hills covered in loose rocks and dirt. I was thinking it felt dangerous on the way up... then I reached the way down and felt even more uneasy with each step down. It was an adventure none-the-less. I enjoyed checking out the abandoned ski lift equipment on the way up and envisioning the history of this park as a ski reservation. Though I've never been skiing myself, I can't imagine dodging the rocks and trees on the way down. As with most aging structures, these are covered in graffiti and surrounded by the remnants of old campfires and broken beer bottles. I wished the summit had a more rewarding view, but feeling the accomplishment of climbing to the top is fulfilling enough I suppose. In trying to learn more about the park, I discovered that Cumberlandfest is held here each year. Entertainment makes use of the staging area complete with pond, the lot I suppose holds the carnival rides, etc. I feel as though this park has a lot of unexplored potential. A nice outdoor space for those nearby; I'm not sure it would be worth a long distance drive for a visit, unfortunately. Also the location of "Haunted Hill" in the fall for a good scare with the family! (http://www.hauntedhill.net/)

One of the prettiest, smoothest, easiest and most accessible bike paths if you live in northeast RI…read moreor nearby MA border towns. The bikeway (approx. 20 miles) runs from Woonsocket, through Cumberland into Lincoln along the Blackstone River through lots of greenery and passing by bridges, dams, old mill buildings and historic sites. Of course, there are plenty of ways to do shorter rides/runs/walks. My riding buddies and I especially enjoy getting on at Albion Street in Cumberland (limited parking though!) and riding towards Ashton Mill (Cumberland) and into Lincoln for either a 10- or 12-mile spin, depending on where we decide to turn back. We also like the stretch from Woonsocket to Albion (about 9 miles back and forth) that starts out by taking us by sunny soccer fields in The River's Edge Recreation area. No matter where you get on, the terrain is mainly flat and it's easy to keep a steady pace.Be on the lookout for turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees in the river as well as occasional deer. And expect plenty of friendly waves and nods from walkers, runners and bikers on your journey. The Lincoln and Woonsocket ends offer ample parking.

The Blackstone River Park put on a historic tour with an NPS guide, so my review is more for that…read morethan for the bike path. There is a parking lot at the Wilber House (open seasonally) and the guide described and showed the site of the original mill off of the river canal and then walked us over the multistate bridge to the Ashton Mill and pointed out the smokestacks of the factory-turned-lofts and the old residence of the factory workers. If possible, you should check park events because it gave some great local history of the site. It sounds like they have some tours on weekdays and weekends. If not on a tour, there are some informational signs but not much to look at and wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to read the signs. The interaction was definitely a great additional to learning about the site.

This is a beautiful park! I love how many options there are for playground climbing equipment. The…read morestage is really cool as well. It's particularly beautiful in the fall!

This is a really good local playground. Everything is cared for and well maintained. Highly…read morerecommended!

We recently stayed at Myles Standish State Forest on site J26 in the Barretts Pond loop, and…read moreunfortunately, it wasn't quite what we expected. The site itself is situated at the top of a steep hill, which is not ideal if you have a car that sits low to the ground, our vehicle bottomed out trying to park, making it basically unusable for us in that spot. To make matters worse, the path to the site doubles as an access point to another campsite. So even if you could manage to park there, chances are high that your neighbors will end up parking in that same pathway, making it extremely difficult--if not impossible--for you to get to your site conveniently. It definitely felt like the layout of this area wasn't thought through for ease of access. The bathrooms in this loop left a lot to be desired. During our stay, they were extremely dirty and, at one point, there were a few hours without water or electricity. That said, there were a few positives. The small swimming pond in this section of the campground was actually quite charming. It's private to those staying at the loop, which makes it feel peaceful and far less crowded compared to other parts of the forest that have public access. It was nice to be able to relax there without the usual campground chaos. Overall, the serenity of the area was nice, but the site setup, parking issues, and bathroom conditions really took away from the experience. If you're considering this loop, especially site J26, I'd recommend looking into alternative spots within the forest that might be easier to access and are better maintained. I've been coming here for years and have had many experiences both good and bad. Check-in can take awhile, and lines can get long which is brutal in the heat, then your met with some people at the counters with attitudes that leave more to be desired. I'm sure there are better places to camp, but it is a staple.

Wonderful place for dry camping. Sites do not have electric but generators are allowed. There are…read morewater spigots every few sites and accessible bathrooms with warm showers. The camping sites are deep in the forest, in fact it's bout 5 miles from the entrance to camping sites. Roads are paved and my own problem is having to constantly contend with bicyclists. (Read up on MA state law regarding bicyclists -- they have more right of way than I thought they did!) Be cautious of Masac. I saw the signs and didn't know what it was until I stumbled across the building one day. Yes, there is a prison facility in these woods!! Maybe that's why they have state park rangers at each camping "gate", and I fully appreciate that!

At over 70 acres, this wildlife refuge is situated on a parcel of land that comprises Barrington's…read morehistoric Nockum Hill. A beautiful outdoor space any time of the year; there are a number of trails to peruse this mix of coastal wetland filled with marshes, fields, forest, and farmland. There is a small parking area on George Street just as the road starts to curve. A small sign marks the entrance to the first trailhead. Named for a Barrington native and prominent naturalist, the trails here meander through the various landscape. A couple off-shoots give you access to areas like a small boardwalk area that extends into the upper marshlands. Several of the fields have birdhouses erected that attract all kinds of species. I believe I caught a couple views of some bluebirds during my time here. And geese. So many geese. Another trail delivers you to the sandy shores of the Hundred Acre Cove. Really beautiful in January when I visited, all iced over. This beach is a nesting area for the diamondback terrapin. There is a park bench on this shoreline to soak in the views. Of note, there is a seemingly out of place pistol range on site for the Barrington Police which is very well-marked for safety. All-in-all, a pleasant place to get outside.

Ponds beavers but…read moreno forts Everyone calls it Fort Nature but it's real name is The Florence Sutherland Fort & Richard Knight Fort Nature Refuge. The Fort family used this land as a farm for most of this century and then donated it to the Audubon Society in 1997. The family actually stop cultivating the land a while back and instead used the area as they own private wildlife refuge. They also decided to plant a lot of trees that were cut down in the past to make room for the farming. If you look closely you can see that many of the trees are in strange, rather man made pattern. This is an artifact of the mass plantings that the family did to reforest the land. The whole refuge is only about 235 acres but since it meanders around quite a bit you can squeeze several hours of cool hiking in here. Nothing strenuous, hilly or difficult, except perhaps the mud you will have to muck through in the spring. The parking lot gets very gunky in the wet weather so care has to be taken where you park. The Fort family dug three ponds for their farming and now the ponds serve as habitats for a plethora of critters. In the summer you can see, turtles, snakes, frogs, and a whole variety of aquatic birds enjoying the tepid waters. If you look carefully you can see plenty of evidence of beavers. Lodges and cut trees are everywhere. Every though the area does has many cool side trails that deserve attention, the hike seems over before you even get warmed up. Fort Refuge isn't a place to really cover miles, it becomes interesting when you slow down, stop on occasion and take a good look at all the cool things around you.

Fort Nature Refuse is a nice, casual hike, easy for all ages. The trails are well marked and the…read morearea is generally very quiet and peaceful. The trail wasn't difficult and offered some nice views and the occasional animal running by. Overall it's a good trail for a pleasant walk in the afternoon. It's not very challenging more enjoyable. Well maintained and clean. Plenty of trail markers.

Trails are awesome and well maintained. I enjoy coming here when I come visit my family.read more