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/)

well, there's literally a dog park RIGHT ACROSS the STREET from this park, due to it being a…read moreneighbourhood park; your complaint is informational and just dumb/waste of energy . I assume you just feel entitled to everything in life great park, great for exercise and skipping some time

Newly renovated park now open to the public. Pickleball, Bocci, walking training and even cornhole…read morecourts. New restroom with water filling stations and an adjacent dog park. Nice job by Taunton Park and Rec in recreating new used for this park

In an effort to 'get out of the house', stay 'socially distanced' and get some exercise, we ended…read moreup driving to Attleboro, MA looking for a new place to walk. We found a street sign near the Attleboro Community Garden with information on walking areas and a parking lot, so we pulled in, perused the sign and headed up Mechanic Street to see what there was to be seen. In just a few blocks, we were at Highland Park. It looks like this was once a public golf course, and a view of satellite maps shows it certainly must have been. Now it seems to be pretty popular with the local neighbors for walking, running and taking the dog out for some play time. It was summer during our visit and there were paths 'mowed' for walking, which we (mostly) followed. The terrain is a field so not always flat and even and there are a few hills. In the south west corner of the property are a number of wood carvings in the likenesses of cartoon characters. Definitely did not expect that but what a fun surprise! There is a small pond, possibly part of the old golf course with some lilies. Very pretty. It was a quick walk around the park. We crossed paths with only a few people and there was plenty of space to keep your distance. It's definitely a nice little neighborhood park and a nice surprise on our adventure.

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.

History on your own backyard! Remains of farms, homesteads and amazing trails are awaiting you…read more Don't miss this easy trail area with miles of area to take in. Parking area provided and trails are well marked

Foundations cemeteries…read more and history Sprague Farm is a roughly one thousand acre hiking area that served for generations as a farm and agricultural center. It is now owned by the town of Glocester and has been allowed to revert back to it's natural state. Even though the trees and plants are all grown back many signs of it's agrarian past are still present. Lots of stone walls and cool old foundations, many of them massive are still around and give a hint of what the area was like hundreds of years ago. Some huge trees are growing from the edifices, giving quiet testimony that the places have been abandoned for a long, long time. I'm not sure if any organized archaeological digs have ever been done but the sheer number of foundations and rusty old metal thingies just hanging around suggests that this would be a fascinating place for some digging and research. The area is also a haven for wildlife. Numerous deer, foxes, fishers, and a large number of birds including cool hawks and owls can be seen by the careful and quiet observer. Even the huge pilated woodpecker has been reported seen in these woods. Recently nests of the black-throated blue warbler, long thought to be extinct have been found. The hiking itself is quit easy with no difficult or dangerous climbs or cliffs. Just a nice pleasant place to quietly walk, look and explore, with interesting things around every corner or hill. Just poking around all the old foundations will consume several hours. A cool old Sprague family cemetery is also located way out in the middle of the woods. It served the family for generations. The area supplied generations of farmers a great place to grow their food and to live and prosper. Once the people left the trees, plants and critters have once again taken over the land with a vengeance.

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!

With the weather warming up, I've been excited to get back out on some Rhode Island trails. This…read moreone was a great spot to soak in the seasonal shift, explore a bit of the state's historical landscape, and breathe some fresh air. The preserve has multiple entrances to its many trails. I parked at the one next to the Dollar Tree on Mendon Road--convenient, though not exactly the most picturesque start to a hike. There's something a little mysterious about slipping into the woods from a shopping plaza; a bit awkward, sure, but I still appreciate these green spaces being preserved, even when they're nestled between businesses. The trail system here is extensive and very well-blazed. I started in the 52-acre Ballou parcel, taking the white trail to the blue loop, which connects to both the red and yellow trails in the 132-acre Blackall parcel. Rock walls crisscross the landscape--remnants of pastures, woodlots, and even apple orchards, according to posted info. The yellow trail is said to follow an old horse ring. Stone piles dot the land, likely cleared by farmers long ago. The trails themselves are impressively maintained, with cleared blowdowns and small boardwalks to help with wetter areas. There are some gentle ups and downs that get your legs moving, and on my early spring visit, the greenery was just starting to come alive. Jack-in-the-pulpits were popping up everywhere, along with skunk cabbage, violets, ferns, blue azures, and wood flowers. I also spotted a small snake sunning itself mid-trail and plenty of squirrels. The area is known for Cumberlandite, so that might be a fun thing to explore further on a return trip. While it's easy to get immersed in parts of the hike, you are reminded now and then that this preserve is surrounded by development. Private homes, old equipment, a large tank structure, and the sound of nearby traffic occasionally pull you out of the nature experience. I also noticed some trash here and there, which I tried to pack out. Two utility corridors--one for electrical lines and one for a gas line--cut across the trail system as well. Not deal-breakers, but worth mentioning. I crossed paths with several other hikers, which is somewhat rare for me on Rhode Island trails. Most had dogs on leashes, and it was nice to see others enjoying the area. I covered about four miles with minimal overlap (just the out-and-back parts that connect the loops). In a state where many trails are short, I really appreciate ones that offer some distance. If you haven't been, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out--especially if you're looking for a longer, peaceful hike with a touch of history. I'll be back for sure, maybe with a magnet to go hunting for that Cumberlandite.