This town park has a lot going on…read more Located behind the community/rec center are several baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a skate park, several tennis courts and a couple of playgrounds. All the facilities look well maintained. The town organizes pickleball meet-ups, basketball lessons, summer camp, community events with food trucks and more. Check the webpage for a list of upcoming events. Kid and adult baseball leagues play here as well. Definitely worth a stop by to check out the facilities. A good amount of parking is available near the tennis courts. You can also walk in from the Coventry Greenway bike path. There are two newer playground areas, one larger than the other and a couple a picnic tables are on the property as well.

This is one of those unsung RI landmarks. Way back when, there was brief talk of the new Patriots…read morestadium being built here. But alas, it's remained just a place to sled in the winter and walk around during the rest of the year. Really, not formal parking, just a handful of spots in a couple of openings. But it's a nice little getaway nonetheless.

I did not know the State of Rhode Island has it's very own Desert! Seriously, we have lived here…read morefor over a decade and I am just now finding this out? I have tried to locate exactly who is responsible for this land, checking with both the town West Greenwich town website, and the State of Rhode Island website, neither of which identifies itself as the care taker so I am unable to provide a web address for more information. That said, this place just wowed me. We lived in the actual desert at one time (AZ) and this spot is more like the dunes in SoCal than the high desert of Tucson. It's a bunch of sandy dunes undulating under the blue sky. Surrounded by woodlands, it's hidden from the road. A quick look up on the satellite map shows this is a spot for winter sledding. Sorry I missed that as a kid. First off, there are two locations: one is located on the north side of Division Street nestled between Division and Rt 95. The other is on the south side of Division Street, listed as the West Greenwich Sand Dunes. While exploring this area one bight autumn day, we came across a group of military personnel, practicing their 'jumping out of helicopter' skills. That was a very good time and there were quite a few people who brought their lawn chairs to enjoy the show, camera's in hand. We wandered around as best we could, trying to stay out of the way of the jumpers (they had targets on the ground they were supposed to land near, so this was pretty easy to do) and have returned again and again to explore more of this area and the surrounding Big River Management area woodlands. I'm sure this desert is part of said Big River Mgmt area of which you can easily find hiking information on line. The general area is popular with hikers, walkers, bikers and runners. Seriously, if you are a fan of the desert, are new to RI, or just never knew there was such a thing in this state, you have got to stop by some fine day and take a walk around. It's like being at the beach, minus the water.

We parked at the W.W. Greenway lot on Jr Street and started walking to the east. A sign along the…read moretrail indicates the River walk is 'that way', so we turned left at the crosswalk on Hay Street and followed the road to McCarthy Field. There, on the right side of the field, is the entrance to the Senator Donald E. Roch River Walk. The upper area next to the field is flat, paved and lined with shrubs and on this spring day, crocus. Walk under a wooden arch and the path turns to scree and takes a deep dive down. Chose your steps carefully here. Once at the bottom of this hill, the path becomes mulch covered. It has rained recently and there are tire tracks on the trail leaving behind deep ruts filled with water. The first half of this lower level of the pathway was very uneven, strewn with plant debris and looks like it has recently had fresh mulch added here and there. It definitely looks like the trail is a work in progress. The hillside has been 'cleared' of underbrush leaving downed trees and plant debris. Some of the cleared material has been used to create landscaping breaks/retaining areas with the assistance of landscaping fabric. The path appears to have been leveled out and raised to keep it above water level. It's a nice wide trail and with a bit of leveling would make a very enjoyable pathway. Where the path first meets the river, there is a bench to sit and enjoy the view. Another bench is located toward the second half of the trail near a stone structure that may (or may not) have been a mill on the river. At one point there is a 'government building' and the path appears to end there in a heap of mulch, but on the right is a small pathway between trees going toward the river. Once over this short rise, the path opens up again. This section is more 'natural', no mulch. The entire trail runs parallel to the river. Further along the trail you come to a police training facility. Here the path splits. To the right it continues to follow the river for a short distance before heading up a steep incline where it ends. The left branch runs close to the building and is covered in a similar scree material as the beginning. These two paths come out within feet of each other on the opposite side of the field. IMO, this trail is not accessible to strollers or wheelchairs of any type. The beginning and end are too steep, the mulched area uneven and the later section unpaved with roots in places. Even though the mulched pathway was wet in many places, and I almost tripped a couple of times on debris, I actually enjoyed this walk. The sound of the river is very nice and the trees along the river provide shade and plenty of habitat for wild life. It's a short walk and made a very nice change of pace from the bike path nearby. A nice natural get-away in an urban environment.

Soccer baseball and a…read more river River Point Park is one of those park that looks a bit rough around the edges. Hard to explain exactly why but even though they are trees and everything is pretty clean this is one of those parks that just isn't very attractive. I suspect that are the right time of day or year the park is very well used. Some very well maintained soccer and baseball fields are scattered about as well as basketball courts, a small skateboard park and a gazebo picnic area. Certainly lots to do and it even though not many people were around when I went, It looks like this park is a place that people utilize. There even is a riverwalk on the side of the park with a nice entrance and memorial. The walk does indeed go down to a river but seems very rough and overgrown. The river itself isn't exactly breath taking and I suspect many of the large mills and factories in the area spent many years dumping all kinds of nasty stuff in the water. I'm not sure how far or where the riverwalk goes because it got to infested with thorns and prickers and tall grass. Kind of gives the impression that it isn't somewhere I would want to be a night. This is one of those strange parks that doesn't grab your eye and don't expect something beautiful or aesthetically pleasing. This is a very practical, useful and fun park that is much cooler than it first looks.

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.

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.

Great park/playground on the western/richy side of East Greenwich. Athletic fields and plenty of…read moreparking. Can't go wrong.

It's a little overstated. I wouldn't really call it a park. There's a small pathway to launch a…read morecanoe and an elevated wooden walkway that overlooks the water and is maybe a hundred feet long, that you could probably fish of it. To have some quiet time overlooking the water for a few minutes while your laundry dries at the laundromat across the street, it will fit the bill. But, for much more than that, you're probably going to be disappointed.

This very small park off Manchester Street in West Warwick was a very unexpected find just off New…read moreLondon Turnpike, nestled behind a laundromat. There are three parking spots, plus one handicapped spot. The short trail is wheelchair accessible, however, it is packed dirt over plastic mesh not asphalt. A wheelchair accessible wooden dock is visible from the parking area where you can fish or just enjoy a sunny day on the river. The path follows further along to another fishing area that may not be accessible. There was one picnic table up on the hill overlooking the dock. Not really a park for walking as the path is too short, this is more of a river access for fishing.