It's been a while, but we returned to this pathway with our bikes this time. We have ridden the…read morepath a couple of times now into and past Wakefield. During our latest visit, security was stopping walkers and bikers from entering the commuter rail lot and directed us to road side parking a bit further down the road. A sign there states it is parking for both train and pathway. The pathway is in good condition with benches along the route, a childrens park and picnic tables at one point and artwork here and there. There are many road crossings. Most are very quiet, but a few have a fair bit of traffic so do use caution. There is a lot of summer shade along the path. About 5 miles or so from the trail head are public restrooms and water fountains as you enter town. Shortly after passing this building the trail follows the road briefly. Just cross the road and at the top of the hill you will see where the path picks up again. I'm pretty sure the trail changes names depending where you are upon it, but it makes a (mostly) continuous trail for many miles. Public restrooms and water fountains are also available inside the train station if open for business.

The South County Bike Path, also known as the William C. O'Neill Bike Path, is Rhode Island's…read morefourth-longest bike path, stretching 7.8 miles from Kingston Station in the village of West Kingston in South Kingstown to Mumford Road in Narragansett. The path connects to on-road routes for access to the Narragansett shoreline. We just walked past it in downtown Wakefield, right off Main street. In the summer weekends, many people use it for recreational purposes. My husband and I have been on it many times as we biked this part of the state.

Well-maintained, well-marked trail, it's a fabulously beautiful and peaceful hike in autumn. Full…read moreof diverse trees (maples, oaks, pitch and white pines, hickory) and wildlife (we saw a large eastern black racer sunning itself on the trail - perfectly harmless and more scared of us then us of it!), this 2.5 to 3 mile loop will take you past many stone walls as well as the remains of the old Browning homestead. The trail also thoughtfully provides a few interpretive placards describing natural features along the way as well as tags labeling some of the notable native flora. A very nice appreciative touch! There is a convenient small parking lot at the trail head. Another fine preserve and trail from the exemplary South Kingstown Land Trust.

A hike that won't…read more break your heart The Breakheart Trial is one of the many trails in the the area that ends up (or starts) at Breakheart Pond. This is one of the main trails and despite it's imposing name really isn't very difficult. Sure some hills, rocks, roots and water but certainly nothing that is going to break your heart or any other part of your anatomy. I heard the name actually stated many decades ago when the oxen had to haul the corn and other farm veggies up a huge, rather steep hill and of course struggled to get up it. The hill may be tough if you're hauling a wagon full of rutabaga but for a hiker it's really not much of a challenge. The old names given to places usually have interesting stories behind them. I have heard that Roast Meat Road in Connecticut received it's name because of a rather unfortunately incident in which a wagon of dry hay being dragged by a couple of oxen was hit by lighting. A rather unpleasant scene developed but I imagine the farmers did eat well that night. The actually Breakheart trail is pleasant with lots of water views including, rivers, steams, swamps and of course Breakheart Pond. In the spring it does get very muddy but there certainly are worse places. Of course because of the water, birds and many small animals make this their home. Lots of turtles, frogs and water snakes can be seen basking on rocks if you thread quietly. Unfortunately a vast number of stinging and biting insects are also present during certainly times of the year. Strong Deet is an absolute necessity if you dare venture here in the late spring, The main trail is poorly marked but easy enough to follow. If you want a challenge you can try some of the very small paths that lead off in all directions but you probably will get lost. Some of the paths just lead into old stone cellar foundations and then stop, Others meander into large open fields or into swamps. A reminder that in days gone by this whole area was once productive farm land. The Breakheart Trail is a well used path that is the most fun in the winter. Easy to follow the tracks of various critters in the snow and of course the horrible bugs are gone. It still is pleasant enough all year long if you don't mine sharing the woods with some insects and lots of mud. An ancient and well traveled path that may break an ankle if you're not careful but it certainly won't break your heart.

We found this trail via the AllTrails app and glad that we visited. This trail has some pretty…read moreviews (see pictures attached) around the Breakheart Pond. There is adequate parking at a few points around the trail. The paths are wide but there are quite a bit of rocks and roots so you need to be careful with your footing. Other than the rocks and roots the walk is relatively flat (no hills to climb). We took the trail directly around the pond because we weren't sure how long it was (approximately 2 miles). The trails are marked but this could be improved on to indicate the mileage on each trail. Overall we really enjoyed this hike and its views and will be visiting again.

Always looking for a new spot to take a stroll. This spot is down a long country road lined with…read moretidy homes. The GPS told me I had arrived, but nothing was there. I tried to re-position the pin on Yelp, and hopefully that will fix that situation. Fingers crossed. The trails here are a mix of widths and surfaces. All paths were maintained, even when some of the signage was hard to spot. I took a photo of the map located at the entrance and that helped us a couple of times to stay on trail. Some areas are wide enough to walk two abreast, while other areas have you brushing up against the undergrowth. It's a lovely, quiet area. Some trails are smooth dirt, others lots have of rocks and or roots and a few spots are muddy/low lying. Just be sure to wear appropriate foot wear, keep a close eye on the trail and you'll be fine. The height difference on this trail is minimal and as long as you are a good walker (not a small child for example) I would recommend this spot for it's quiet beauty. There is a large rock sign at the entrance to the parking area, and the parking lot looks to hold about two dozen vehicles give or take. Pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash and please clean up after them, thank you. Enjoy your walk in the woods.

A very green…read morehike The Westerly Town Forest is a woody area that contains several miles of hiking trails. All the trails are well marked and there is a accurate map at the start of the hike. Not a large place but if you follow all the different trails you can probably get in five miles of easy hiking. The forest is lovely with lots of old trees, ferns and other plants that are not usually found in this type of heavily forest environment. Everything is so green this time of year with all the different shades merging together to form a beautiful mosaic of color. The hiking is pretty easy and most of the trails wide and easy to follow. A few hills but the terrain is mostly flat and gentle. Lots of huge glacial boulders add some contrast to the ancient forest and stunning greenery. As to be expected the bugs were horrific in the forest. Lots of mosquitoes and other nasty critters out for blood. I suspect this is a much nicer place for a hike in the fall or better yet the winter. Probably a cool place for some cross country skiing after a heavy snow. Definitely not a place for a challenging hike but a lovely woods for older people, children or perhaps individuals that have trouble with lots of steep hills, rocks, ruts, or rugged and slippery footing. A great place for anyone that happens to love the color green.

Wide walking path to easily enjoy a stroll. Main walking path does not offer a lot of shade for a…read morehot and sunny day. Just stopped in quick for a little bit of troll hunting and Iver looks great!!

Ryan Park is a good place to go for a walk and it is fun to find the troll. I will note that the…read moretroll is not near the main entrance and athletic fields (closer to another entrance).

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.

Will have to update once the weather warms up a bit, but this was a lovely little surprise find in…read morethe EG area. Immediately greeted by a small pond, which is always a nice feature for a walk through the woods. There are stairs down, and a decent amount to be prepared for that both starting and finishing your trip. There are also some "bridges" over waterfalls with visible openings. Certainly safe, but just a heads up. I took a short stroll around the pond and then up to the left, walking behind the water. There are trail markers which is helpful. A nice quiet spot to enjoy a little time out in nature if you happen to be in the area; oh and parking on site which is always a plus. Can't wait to come back and explore more in the Spring.

There's plenty of parking at the trail head as you start your hike. This is a fun, shorter trail…read moresystem that is well marked. Trails are cleared pretty well which makes it great for people of all abilities or families with smaller kiddos. There's a cool bridge beside a beautiful pond. Beyond that you can go to the right down to the rock structure remains of an old water mill (I believe it was a water mill) To the left off of the bridge, is a nice, clear trail that has some gradual incline. Along that route are parts of a kids story book that engages with passerby.

So if you've ever seen the Wes Anderson movie "Moonrise Kingdom" - and you've hiked this trail to…read moreLong Pond - you'll recognize the scenery around the pond from the top of a massive glacial boulder. Regardless of its Hollywood connections (and my hats off to the camera crew and actors for getting up there!), this is quite the hiking area, though not for the faint-hearted. It does involve a bit of clambering up and down boulders, so be sure to bring a stout set of hiking boots or shoes ... and I'd recommend long pants to deal with the rocks and branches as you're more than likely to be finding yourself scooching down them on your butt at some points. (Yours truly wore only cross-trainers and boy did I regret it: I could not get any traction to summit that huge glacial formation and had to settle vicariously for the distant oohs and ahhs of wonderment from my wife and daughter). We started at the North Road trailhead for the main Narragansett Trail which is marked by yellow blazes but be aware (or beware?) that the turn-off to this spectacular view of the pond - while marked by a big red arrow on a rock - is an unmarked trail, so be sure to take mental pictures of the turns and forks so you don't get lost on the way back. But it sure is worth making this deviation! The main trial can be quite the hike and the opposite direction will take you into Connecticut if you so wish. There is supposed to be another unmarked trail opposite the one going to Long Pond which will take you to Ell Pond, but we weren't able to find the entrance to that trail from the main one - we're guessing probably because it's less traveled and maintained. In addition to Long pond, we were impressed by the large amount of rhododendrons in the forest - we promised ourselves to visit in the spring when they'd be blossoming as that must be a sight to see. This Narragansett Trail area is definitely worth repeat visits! Please note that there are no privys or running water at the trailhead - and parking areas are sparse.

The Long Pond-Ell Pond Nature Area is a spectacular location to stretch your legs and take in some…read morefantastic views of rural Rhode Island. As an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire... it was wonderful to find beauty in one's own backyard. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon that I found myself driving down a dirt road in Hopkinton to the Long Pond trailhead. The drive down North Road (aka Old Rockville Road) itself was even enjoyable. The narrow dirt road meandered through branches, heavy with yellowed leaves until the obvious intersection of a couple of cars with several pull offs. There is room for 2 cars at this trailhead, with a pull off for another 2 just before the small parking area. The trail is well-marked with yellow blazes on the trees. Be mindful of who is participating in this hike... it isn't quite simply a leisurely walk in the woods. There are many rock scrambles, some elevation gain, and quite a bit of maneuvering to go to and fro. As you head down the trail from the parking area I mentioned, you reach a crossroads of sorts. If you turn left you hike a short ways until you reach a very large rock formation. At the top is wonderful outlook onto Long Pond. It is a great place to lunch. If you turn right you head toward views of Ell Pond (I didn't go this way on my trip). If you head "straight" which is actually kind of towards the right as well you descend into a forested valley and towards other adventures in the area. The hike to this crossroads is quite manageable and a quick trip. The beauty of this area is that you can make your hike as long or as short as you'd like. It is not a loop so you can decide to turn back at any point and be quite aware of how far and long it will take you. Great in any season I am sure... Fall was perfect. Wish I had gone when there was a bit more foliage to look at but stunning none-the-less. Quiet, serene, a joy to visit. I will most certainly visit this area again and traverse more of its trails. Be sure to wear your blaze orange during hunting season, September to February generally. I'm not sure how much hunting is allowed in this area but I'd rather be safe than sorry!