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.

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 :-)

So don't let my 3-star rating put you off too much from visiting this place! If you're here for…read morethe Woodland Trail, you might be dismayed by having first to traverse a working farm with its attendant equipment, out-buildings, fencing, and compost piles (which is why I gave the overall experience 3-stars rather than 4) - but once you get into the trail proper, it's quite beautiful and peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that we had a thrilling encounter with a coywolf sunning itself on a large boulder! There was no danger to us - the coywolf was no doubt more wary of us than us of it (and was aware of us long before we saw it), but once it knew we spotted it, it leisurely got up and sauntered off without a backward glance. The Woodland Trail is fairly well-marked, has elegant beech trees scattered throughout, a babbling brook, and the loop can be completed in about 30-40 minutes at a moderate pace. A hidden gem in East Greenwich and my hat's off to the East Greenwich Land Trust for preserving both these woodlands and the working farm.

A historic farmland where you can walk around for a 1.5 miles through pastures and woods. Pat's…read morePastured main farm is located here and you'll see their pigs, chickens, and ducks hanging out and grazing. From the parking lot/trailhead, we meandered past the farm and into the woods. The trail markings are easy to spot and the trails were clear and super easy to walk. No huge hills. Relatively flat. Good for little kids, probably not too great for strollers, though. Bring your dog as long as your pet is on a leash. We saw two other couples -- and, unfortunately two garter snakes as well -- and it was great to be out in the woods and fields by ourselves. Quiet and peaceful.

Great set of well-maintained trails (blue blaze Duval trail, red blaze Polly's Rock Loop, yellow…read moreblaze Lynn's Loop), varying from about a half-mile to 2 miles length depending on the trail, and very walkable (the only drawback being that the Duval Trail is not a loop, so you'd have to retrace your steps). But the scenery is wonderful, the foliage, trees (oaks and spruces), and lots of rhododendrons and mountain laurel. Along the Duval trail, there's an overlook in which you can gaze through the trees to the open ocean and allegedly, see Block Island on a clear day (best to do this in winter when the leaves have dropped). The Duval Trails are another terrific holding of the outstanding South Kingstown Land Trust - what a great job this organization has done! The trails are adjacent to a historic Quaker cemetery and a fascinating place in itself to visit - I saw a headstone of a person born in 1799! Well worth visiting and exploring another aspect of Rhode Island's natural beauty. Do be aware that hunting can take place on the premises and so appropriate fluorescent orange vests or hats must be worn during hunting season.

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.

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.

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.

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.