This park is still a solid play for its location and offering, but with more perspective, it's more…read moreconvenient than special. A short drive or long walk from here yields other offerings that typically impress more.

I'm not from Providence so I rate things here based as an out-of-towner. I have a toddler and while…read morein town the family wanted to explore local playgrounds in the nice area around Brown University. Brassil Park is a cute neighborhood playground but certainly not a destination playground like Lippitts Memorial Park or Dexter Field. It needs some landscape pretty badly and the ginkgo trees in the fall smell to high heaven. The stink from these trees' fruit stayed in my nostrils for quite a while after leaving.

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.

This small town park offers two very short trails that lead to the shores of the Narrow River. To…read moreget here you need to get off Tower Hill Road and within yards of the main road, the road become unpaved and rocky....Not the best place to head to if you have a low vehicle or if you go after heavy showers. There is a road that leads to a small parking area, again, the road is primitive. Some people park at the bend in the road at Walmsley Lane and follow the road eastward to the park. The road itself is a public right of way, but there are several private parcels and residences nearby. There is a small boat access on upper Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River. The floating pier at the bottom of Walmsley Lane is good for launching canoes and kayaks. There is a small, dirt-road ramp that is okay for rowboats and small power boats, but may be muddy after heavy rain. Great birding, fishing, and access to secluded beaches and lower Narragansett Bay.

This is beautiful well kept park off the busy roads. The windmill is beautiful and it's a great…read morearea for picture taking . I walked my dog there today and it was very peaceful. There's a lovely gazebo located at the beginning of the park you can hang out and have lunch. There are benches along the path to chill on. The landscaping is always maintained beautifully . I met with a woman I went to high school with which was pretty nice while walking around the park. Your dog should be leashed at all times. There is bags to clean up after your pup. I noticed one trash can at the beginning of the path so just take note. Very peaceful. Beautiful for photography ! Enjoy!!

A park with a…read morewindmill Wind turbines are popping up all over Rhode Island. A nice and efficient way of taking advantage of the constant wind coming off of Narragansett Bay. Even though the technology has greatly improved over the years and centuries, the idea is hardly new. Wind power has been used in New England for a long time and was frequently used to power the old grist mills. A few of the old windmills managed to survive and Paradise Park has one of the finest examples still around. The mill was built back in 1810 and was used to grind corn and is a great example of a smock mill that has numerous sloped sides. It originally had four vanes but was increased to eight over the years to improve efficiency. The mill stood a bit further north in Portsmouth but was restored and moved to Paradise Park in 1990. The mill is open one day a year in Sept but can be seen all year long in the park. The rest of Paradise Park is pleasant, with a few short hiking trails and benches and places to sit and relax. Some concerts are held here in the summer and the historical society is right next door. There are a lot of parks in Rhode Island and quite a few windmills but this is the only windmill in a park that I know of. A lovely place to see a part of the past that is quickly becoming the vision of the future.

Small trail behind the high school. Good for beginers and a quick stroll, but can get old fast for…read moreexperienced people. Have spotted a couple deer, but otherwise not really any wildlife. Beginning runs right next to Rt4 so its also not very quiet. Plenty of trail markers and a couple hills, you could do worse for a quick stroll.

Follow cleared trails through sunny and shaded areas. Located through parking lot of school…read more Limited people using trails. Good for walking or biking, taking your canine for a stroll.

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.

A well-marked set of trails and loops that convey you through various types of terrain: oak…read morewoodland, eskers, vernal ponds, boulder fields, grasslands, white pine, and old stone walls. Portions of the preserve are sobering however: the oak forest is pretty much dead, devastated by past years' severe drought and invasive insect infestations. Although awful to see, it is also "awe-full" in that there is a somber beauty and grandeur in seeing vast swathes of these once-mighty trees bare-leafed and gaunt. While haunting, the trails do take you through vibrant (and apparently healthy) white pine woods, fields, and large vernal pools. The preserve has also thoughtfully provided some information signs, pointing out areas of environmental concern as well as important native tree varieties. There's plenty of parking available at the Old Mill Road trailhead as well as a convenient composting bathroom.

A whole lot of…read morerocks The Francis Carter Memorial Preserve is an eleven hundred acre track of land that has several very well marked trails running through it. Nice to see trails so well marked and with maps actually at places along the trails. Makes it virtually impossible to get lost and you know the exact distance of any individual trail. Many of the trails are short, only a bit more than a mile, but they all interconnect so you can get several hours of hiking in the beautiful woods. There are lots of cool rocks in New England but this place is just infested with rocks of every size and description, as well as numerous stone walls running through the woods. The hiking isn't difficult with just a few minor hills, but it does require some care to keep stepping over all the rocks. The Francis Carter Preserve is very popular with hikers but also with mountain bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, and in the winter cross country skis and snow shoes. A very nicely maintained and extremely well marked series of trails with all kinds of interesting flora, geographic features and of course lots and lots of wonderful rocks.

Literally so much but such an amazing site to see. This spot is right off the side of the road, and…read moreprobably only has enough spots for 3 cars tops and I'm not lying. You park and there's a bench you can sit and look at the water. There's not many places to walk around but could make for some nice pictures. Above this though is a trail, a walking or bike trail for sure check that out, I've never been on it but I always hear people going over this park. This is a quiet place to just meditate really briefly and then leave, or listen to birds and go about your day. You'll probably miss it, they don't have big signs. But I would check it out if I were you.