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.

The Steere Hill farm Conservation Area and Phillips Farm is an absolutely gorgeous piece of land…read more It's one of those places that feels like several different hikes all rolled into one. Hundreds of acres of wetlands, wide-open fields, miles of trails, and nesting grounds for birds. The open fields here are definitely the highlight. Complete with historic cemetery, picnic areas, benches to soak in the view and listen to nature. On my last visit the lupine, wide variety of wildflowers, and steady summer breeze made me linger longer than I usually do when I'm trying to pack the miles in. The history is abundant here with old foundations, stone walls, abandoned hay balers and manure spreaders, former orchards, beech tree groves, areas where livestock roamed, and so much more. The trails were incredibly well marked. Their online trail map is precisely marked. Wildlife was abundant and included a possum, frog, birds, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and countless butterflies. Some sections were more popular than others so I had a mix of alone time paired with hiker encounters. I put in about 8.5 miles with very little repeating which is a nice perk when you're looking to increase mileage and have something interesting to look at while doing so. The trails are well maintained and fairly wide. Definitely check this place out!

I'm always on the look for a new trail running spot. This spot is a well maintained, multi faceted,…read moreinterwoven trail system. You can do shorter 2.5 ish miles or extend it to your pleasure. A nice mix of grass and gravel trails. Not too flat, not too hilly. Some spots offer supreme views of this part of the state. It even has a portapotty on the trail! Lace up and head out!

The Ephraim Hunt Ministerial Land is a conservation area maintained by the Rehoboth Land Trust that…read moreoffers several well maintained pathways through the local woodlands. At approximately 64 acres, this land is a quiet, peaceful place to stretch your legs. Tucked away on Pond Street, there is a dirt parking lot that allows several cars to pull in off the road. The land was purchased by the Rehoboth Land Trust when the Congregational Church at the center of town required funds to repair their sanctuary ceiling and steeple. Wanting to maintain the land as undeveloped, this area remains open to the public to soak in the sights and sounds of nature. Hunting is allowed on the property in-season so be sure to take precautions, as appropriate. Swamps, old fields, brooks, and a high knoll mark the land. A map of the area greets you when you pass through the main gate, though I feel like there were more trails than what was pictured. All-in-all, there are only so many ways to go so its hard to get lost. There are some ups and downs and a lovely little boardwalk that helps you traverse some of the wetlands. The trails were very well maintained and easy to traverse - the blue to orange path gives you a nice loop through the land. The furthest end of the loop skirts the Rehoboth Village Cemetery if you want to make a quick detour.

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 :-)

Big River Management Area, is a Big Area! We have been on several of their trails, parking in a…read morevairety of places. It's a diverse area and one of our 'go to' spots for getting into nature. Our past few hikes have been around Carr Pond. We drive down Division Street, to Carr Pond Road, and park street side. There are a couple of parking lots, both before Carr Pond Road, and after. Just depends on how long you want your hike to last, and where you want to walk. There are DEM signs posted on a tree and obvious signs that cars have been parking in this particular spot on Carr Pond Road. The hike around the pond has taken just over 3 miles to well over 4.5 miles. We usually wander through the interconnecting trails as the mood strikes us. It is important, when taking a walk quite this long, that you DO bring a bottle or two of water per person. You will also appreciate bug spray. I have forgotten the bug spray, and although definitely 'do-able', not quite as enjoyable. This particular summer, we have had a lot of rain and mushrooms are everywhere along the trail. A few large puddles have developed along the trail that are full of small toads (I just love these cute little critters). The trails are very well maintained for the most part and it is easy to walk 'around' these low lying areas. A few less travelled paths are a bit over grown, but nothing that isn't easily navigable. The pond itself is large with a variety of areas where you can picnic (bug spray), meditate and just enjoy the serenity of the pond. There are also a number of old building foundations, dams, rock walls and a historical cemetary. We use a phone app to track our hikes as we do tend to wander and it's a good way to see when we are close to our pathway out. After a few visits, you begin to recognize where you are but the first couple of trips can be questionable. The change is altitude is minimal with a couple of paths that have a good 'up grade' (or down grade as the case may be). You do need quality footware here as the paths are a variety of gravelly, rocky, roots and dirt. It change from one type to another on any of the individual paths. The trails are color coded if you want to stick to just one. The path width can also chagee dramatically from four person wide to barely one person wide on any given trail. It's best to be prepared for all possibilities. Most of the path around Carr pond is in shade but if you wander into other areas of the BIg River Management Area, you may be in full sun for most of the walk, so plan to wear a hat, bring sunscreen, have water and maybe a snack. Most of all, Have Fun!

Roomy and extensive trails that will loop you around two bodies of water - Carrs Pond and Tarbox…read morePond - but also many side trails that crisscross and branch off the main ones. If you're new to this preserve - as we were - better download the AllTrails app onto your smartphone as unfortunately, trail blazes are virtually non-existent and there's no map posted at the trailhead. But it is nice making your way to the two lily-covered ponds, though viewing them in the height of summer is tough with all the leaves and undergrowth. We intend to visit again in the fall (when the colors should be spectacular!) and early winter.

A very cool very old place…read more with two names. Pardon Gray Preserve is frequently called Weetamoo Woods but they are actually two different places that just happen to be right next to each other. Weetamoo Woods is owned by town of Tiverton and Pardon Gray is owned by the Tiverton Land Trust and together they make up almost 700 acres and since you can go from one to the other without even knowing it doesn't matter what you call the area. The name Weetamoo is from a female sachem that was the leader of the Pocasset tribe and probably married to King Philip's brother. Way back in 1675 King Philip's War devastated the area and many streets and parks are named after him or his original name Metacomet. Pardon Gray was in the Revolutionary War and is buried in a clump of trees in a small family plot. The entire area is dripping with history and the paths and trails are ancient and probably have been used for centuries. The hiking isn't particular difficult but has some nice climbs and varied terrain. One steep climb to a rocky summit even gives a distant view of the ocean. Tons of massive stone walls and huge boulders are everywhere and lots of old foundations and cellar holes reflect the history of the area. It does get swampy and buggy in the spring because of all the water but that also attracts lots of cool wildlife. One particularly nice thing about these woods is the silence. In the winter few people walk these trails and once deep inside you are far enough away from the few roads that you can no longer hear any traffic. No planes seem to fly over the area so you hear absolutely nothing but running water or rustling of the trees. A great place to get away from modern civilization and experience history, quiet and nature.

Definitely a top favorite walk in the state! Even in the winter when the trees are bare, there is…read moreso much beauty in the delicate fallen birch leaves underfoot, quiet trickle of streams, and resilient, diverse mosses and lichens. I hadn't been here in a few years and was so psyched to see maps available, pointing out the special points of natural and historical interest. The addition of the colored metal arrow blazes are a major improvement for helping walkers navigate their way around the network of trails. The scramble up massive glacier rocks to the outlook behind the old mill ruins and arch bridge is not to be missed. People love to bring their dogs here! A little RI paradise for dogs... and people. Just beyond Tiverton's 4 Corners so delicious options for picnics or post-hike ice cream.

Such a beautiful trail. I stumbled upon this one day when I was in the area and wanted to explore…read more It was very busy that day, I love when people get out into nature. Nice sized parking lot that is on rocks for sure. They used to have tons of bird houses but they're gone now- not sure why. But it's very cool under the trees a nice breeze, and so many areas where you can overlook water. Be cautious though, every trail I've ever done has different color marked trails for some odd reason this has 2 trails and they're both marked yellow which can cause for serious confusion. I didn't like this at all because if we weren't paying attention we could've ended up not following the path we entered. I'm not a use my phone type of person for a trail map, I simply want to enjoy my time use the tree cues and go about my walk. It's very clean, you run into all types of people here, families, fur babies, I even ran into a lady who had goats one time it was pretty cool. There is also from what I'm told a swan that practically owns this water, I was told it's been there for years. Very beautiful swan might I say. There's 2 water overlooks one is to the right when you pretty much first walk in, go to the right of the path, they have a bench to overlook but this is more like just a bunch of Lilly pads still pretty. But if you go much longer and stay pretty much to your right you will end up by the water and a big rock you can sit on, just be careful not to fall in. They also if you keep going ( it's hard to explain which "path" to take because as I said they're both yellow, who did this and why), but there is a buddy bridge which is so cute to honor pets who have passed. All in all I liked the trail just pay attention to what you're doing. I been twice and never went all the way, as the two yellow trails are confusing and I'm not that adventurous to get lost. Happy hiking!

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

I took a walk around the Turner Reservoir Loop Trail in East Providence (about 3.25 miles) and had…read moresuch a good time out there. The trail's easy and mostly well-kept, with a mix of wooded paths, quiet road sections, and lovely stretches along the water. There was a nice breeze coming off the reservoir, and despite a few muddy spots, it was an easy, peaceful loop to take in the sights. Wildlife was out in full force--robins everywhere, a swan, Canadian geese with goslings, a couple of mallards, double-crested cormorants, a great blue heron, two eastern cottontails, a sunbathing turtle, and one very unfortunate (and very deceased) muskrat right on the trail. It's always a bit of everything in nature. The flowers were equally impressive. I came across the biggest patch of pink lady's slippers I've ever seen--easily over 100 in bloom. The Allegheny blackberry brambles and Blue Bugleweed were flowering too, so there was color everywhere. Really felt like spring was showing off. One thing to note: a few parts of the trail get close to residential areas and cross some busier roads, which slightly breaks the immersion, but the bulk of it feels tucked away in nature. Definitely a trail I'd recommend if you're looking for an easy, rewarding loop with lots of wildlife and wildflowers to take in. A great way to spend an afternoon.

This is basically an extension of Hunt's Mill, which is across the street. Parking in front, use…read morethe right side your first time visiting. Lots of birds including Blue Herring. The water is beautiful around sunset. Not many bugs and a nice place to get exercise.