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.

A short but enjoyable trail. They have signs up saying there's a detour, but the detour points in…read morethe direction of what appears to be the normal trail. So I don't know. People were walking their dogs on the trail even though there are multiple signs saying they are not allowed. Still an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

Powder Mill Ledges is a small, well-managed wildlife refuge in Smithfield, RI! I came here by…read moreaccident when I made a few wrong turns and accidentally ended up on US-44 instead of RI-146. Then I saw some signs for a wildlife refuge on the side of the highway and decided to make a spontaneous trip! The trails are well-marked. There's a series of stacked loops so you can choose exactly how much distance you want to cover. I did all 3 loops (orange, blue, and yellow) and it was only about 2 miles, taking less than an hour to cover. This is Rhode Island, where the highest point is only 810 feet, so there's barely any elevation on this hike. I think it would be appropriate for almost any age or fitness level. The trails aren't particularly set off from the road so you can see and hear traffic and stores at some points. It's not the best place to come if you want to feel totally away from civilization. That being said, it's definitely not crowded. I came here on a cold, sunny winter weekend and there were only a couple other people on the trail. I'll come here again if I want a quick hike that's a bit quieter than some of the busy spots in RI!

A nice little trail(s) in Smithfield near the police station. Waterfront views and access too…read more Crosses over a street near beginning. Parking on the street and a small parking lot too. Trail was well maintained and is a good walk. Not entirety a nature person, but a good walk/hike is good once and again.

Great hike close to PVD - also a great overlook of the city in the distance! My husband and I hiked…read moreabout 2 miles here. The different trails intersect frequently, which means you can really make a hike however long you'd like. There was a QR code to scan to get the trail map where we started our hike. Everything was well marked and well maintained. There was also a small boardwalk area to keep you out of a swampy area. Parking was a bit confusing. We parked in the Carltons Trail cul de sac which had both "parking for trail" and "no parking" signs on the same pole. We took the risk and parked because the "no parking" sign looked a little less official. The leaves had just come down from the trees, which made the path difficult to navigate at some points; we kept tripping over rocks on the path that you couldn't see. I may reserve this hike more for spring and summer for this reason!

We find this a very enjoyable place for a quiet walk. Although not all man made sounds are masked,…read morethe sounds of crickets and birds and the wind in the tree tops gently serenaded us on our most recent walk through the wood. Easy to find, the gravel car park is a very good size. There is a covered information kiosk off the car park and another three-sided sign board at the trail head, along with a small covered Trail Map box on a post. Signs everywhere tell you this is *not* a dog friendly location. The early part of this trail is one person wide, fairly even ground. It wends it's way along the edge of two meadows. After the second meadow, the path becomes much broader and remains fairly clear of roots and rocks until you reach the old stone fireplace at Carr Pond where the pathway turns into the wood and becomes more difficult to navigate. If you have a sturdy, off-road baby pram or wheelchair, you may be able to travers this early part of the trail with a little assistance. You will need to navigate around the 'no dog' sign in the middle of the path at the trail head and the narrow meadow portion. After that the trail widens and would be easier to traverse in dry conditions. We branched off on to the CP trail into the wood. The trail takes a short, steep climb at the beginning and then levels out. Single wide, the trail is clearly blazed, even under a carpet of autumn foliage. CP trail is the white trail mark and signs for other trails are very well signed. Carr Pond is about half way round on the CP trail, before looping back and returning to the meadow. We 'strolled' the trail, enjoying being in the wood, stopped at the pond a couple of times to enjoy the serenity. You can most definitely walk it faster, but we took about an hour to make the loop. There are no benches to rest on along this trail, or to sit and enjoy the pond views. In the wooded section you need to keep an eye on roots and rocks. There are a couple of short boardwalks over low area near the pond. It was cooler under the trees making me glad I remembered a hat and jacket along with my water. No facilities of any kind are available, so go, before you visit. Definitely an easy trail for those who are sturdy on their feet. Wear appropriate footwear, and enjoy the quiet peace of the wood and pond.

This is one of my favorite hikes to do with little kids. It has a great loop with a second longer…read moreloop if you want it. I love the pond that it surrounds and we always see signs of beaver activity by it. There's an old fireplace on the hike that is my kids go to spot to stop for a snack. The only downside to this hike is in the winter if it snows and you'd like to snow shoe. It's NOT well marked when there is snow on the ground. The trail markers for one trail are white which make it very difficult to follow after a fresh snow fall. A friend of mine and I did it years ago and ended up having to turn around. If there is snow on the tree trunks it made it impossible to follow the white trail markers. The yellow trail is the longer loop and we never made it that far to find those markers. That's my only complaint!

This is a great Great little park with a nice trail which circumvents the 13-acre pond, called Peck…read morePond. About 1/3rd of the trail has rocky footing with many roots to dodge, the rest of the trail is very easy. The pond has a sandy beach for swimming and can get busy during the summer, which is why I tend to go here in the spring and fall. There are plenty of picnic tables, a couple of pavilions, and fishing is allowed in the pond. There are additional trails including cross country ski trails throughout the property. There is also the occasional bench on the trail, offering beautiful views of the pond. It's not a huge park, but it's a nice park, and quiet off season.

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!

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.

The Otis Smith Farm and Rowbottom Preserve is a 55-acre preserve comprised of two parcels of land…read morefrom the Cumberland Land Trust. Located on the historic Otis Smith Farm land acquired from Brown University and the Kenneth and Barbara Rowbottom land, this preserve is a wonderful setting for some Rhode Island hiking. There are 4 color-blazed trails at the time of this review: --Yellow & White = Otis Lippitt Trail --Red = Rowbottom Trail --Blue = Rocky Ridge Trail There are technically 3 trailheads to delve into these interconnected trails, both the Otis Smith Trailhead on Scott Road (2 of them) and the Rowbottom Trailhead on Lippitt Ave. I started on Scott Road and found the White trailhead very easily, pulling my car off at the pictured/numbered green sign labelled "Cumberland Land Trust"...a big American flag waving in the wind. I spotted the Yellow trailhead on Scott Road as I was driving away marked with a very small homemade sign and no clear pull off for cars. I suggest driving down the road a bit and catching the White trail, much easier. All in all, the trails cover about 1.7 miles. Not a strenuous hike, but there are some interesting sights and changes in the landscape as you make your way through. Many of the trails follow historic farmer's cart paths and are intersected frequently with stone walls. There are signs of the old farm all over the place... look for the irrigation ditch that flowed from Little Pond to bring water to the fields. The trail markers are mostly well placed. There were a couple of times that I had to backtrack because I was following what looked like a path but in actuality I was straying from the trail. Take it slow and look around to be sure you are headed in the right direction. The White Trail brings you through a darkened area of the forest lush with ferns. It was really neat making my way through this dense green part of the woods (especially since the caterpillars have been feasting on the green overhead all spring/summer this year). The Red Trail brings you through a number of pine needle beds, soft and squishy underfoot. Lastly, the Blue Trail boasts some large rocky outcroppings of greenstone... and one really large, angry, bird going through feather molt who was not happy to have my trekking near his/her nest. Although this is a very beautiful area of Cumberland (and what drops this preserve down a star for me), on the Blue Trail there appears to be a makeshift wooden shelter up against the rocks. I wouldn't mind so much seeing this here but it is clear that teens trek out to party in the middle of the night. Evidence of campfires against the rock, broken glass, and trash were strewn about this area. I also came across some disturbing makeshift weaponry (think... thick sticks with nails and screws driven into one end, brandished like a medieval mace). A Lord of the Flies-type scene fluttered through my mind and I scurried away, finishing the loop and heading back for my car. Overall a decent hike... I simply wouldn't recommend poking around the shelter too much, especially with children in tow.

This is a fun little trail! It's about 0.6 miles if you take the Otis Lippitt trail. It's a nice…read morelittle walk for the dog or family. Bring big spray though!