It's been a while, but we returned to this pathway with our bikes this time. We have ridden the path 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. read more

William C. O'Neill Bike Path - No bike parking in commuter rail lot - park after the over pass just past lot entrance. - Parks Near Me - West Kingston, Rhode Island

The South County Bike Path, also known as the William C. O'Neill Bike Path, is Rhode Island's fourth-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. read more

See all

A bike trip with some unexpected sights. I've done this bike path many times and have seen some unusual things and critters. Deer, geese, ducks, turtles sunning themselves, frogs hopping across the path, snakes slithering across the path and various strange looking humans. But yesterday I saw something exceptionally odd; a goat dancing on a grave stone. It was getting dark and I could see something in the distance. Something that wasn't quite right. As we peddled closer all five in our group slowed down and just stared. It was one of those things where your mind just wasn't quite comprehending what your eyes were seeing. It was indeed a goat prancing around on top of a grave stone. As we just stared with mouths open, a bunch of other goats appeared, then one lone black sheep and a woman in a long skirt and hood. Hmmmmm. The woman explained that she bought her goats into the ancient cemetery to graze and that they get very frisky at dusk. Some did indeed appear to be dancing as they jumped up to get the leaves on the trees and others were just having a good time butting each other and jumping around. Fortunately I had my camera or I would soon be known as the biggest liar in Rhode Island. I love strange and unusual sights. The bizarre and unexpected. But goats prancing in a cemetery and on gravestones is going to be a hard one to beat. A bike trip with some unexpected sights read more

See all

Though the trail itself is ok, there are elements of crowd that bike and frequent this path that made us never want to visit here again as a family, from a bicycling safety, child safety, and family safety stance. Last time we went as a family, we were safely bicycling along just past that univ. of rhode island side where there is an outlying farm and we encountered several people who either did not give proper way to others or just sped along carelessly, but the terrifying part that jolted us into never wanting to visit again was: A guy, probably in his late 60's, grey beard, and wearing a Stedman's Bike Shop t-shirt came speeding along, probably 25mph, on his road bike and heading towards us and some walkers (though we were in the right lane), and he came head on, suddenly squealing his brakes in our faces and yelled at our child and my spouse, "What are you doin!!! What the hell are you doin'!!!" Making us feel like our slow riding and safe riding got in the way of his clear path to the rushing high of speed, speed, speed, the guy grunted through us and other walkers and shockingly, simply sprinted off. All we could think was just nasty and that the guy either runs the bike shop or is a shop team rider or who knows what and what a gross shop-rider sham of a partnership risking others' safety and peace of mind. So we proceed on a bit and then head back with a gross feeling about the whole family bicycling experience here. I take a couple of weeks weeks off and then decide to visit the path again just with our child this time. We bicycle along up before that wakefield center and encounter two guys drunk and spewing violent cussing language out of their mouths. Had to call the police this time because we were afraid the guys would get violent on us as they occupied a part of the pathway directly in front of us. No thanks rhode island, for bicycling safety, family safety, and child safety. Children are impressionable and they, more than adults, retain indelible memories of such horrors, lifelong. read more

Love the bike path! Only real draw back is the Motorized occasional infringement. The natural beauty and access is great for what ever out door activity you choose. One day I hope to see stop stenciled on the pavement. The stop signs for hard pedaling enthusiasts are not easy to see. Once in a while they cross the street no looking no stopping always in great gear and on expensive bikes. Starting at the Train Station and walking toward the beach you pass through the most beautiful woods with vernal ponds and rivers before climbing up a slight hill towards town. The path is truly a treasure. read more

William C. O'Neill Bike Path - Nice night for a walk. - Parks Near Me - West Kingston, Rhode Island

After reading other reviews, I can see why some bicyclists don't have high opinions of this path, but it's an awesome path for walkers and joggers ... for dog walkers, not so much, but I'll elaborate on that later. Back in 2009-2010, I lived in Wakefield, not far from this bike path. Usually, I started at the end located at the Kingston train station, which is beautiful in its own right. Although the parking lot at the station is large, it is frequently difficult to find an open spot. The path goes through some beautiful scenery, including woods, a swamp and fields, as well as passing homes and businesses. Parts of the path are covered in tree canopies. Road crossings were never a huge hindrance to me as a walker or jogger. Also, this path is clean and well-kept, and has never been crowded, at least when I've gone. When I lived nearby years ago, I used to jog on this path, listening to my iPod, and pushing myself to run farther and faster. The scenery was also very conducive to meditation and reflection. It had been about eight years since I've been on the path, so last Sunday, I suggested to my wife that we take our dog for a walk here. Although it was cool and cloudy, the parking lot at the train station was nearly full, but fortunately, we found a spot. My wife enjoyed looking at the wildflowers along the path, and I saw hardly any trash along the path. The vast majority of people on the path during our visit rode bicycles. There were a few joggers or walkers, and even fewer dog walkers. I often take my dog on the bike path in Coventry, which provides both dog waste bags, and trash containers at parking lots along the path. This path, however, provides neither poop bags nor trash receptacles, which was why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5. So, word to the wise, if you want to walk your dog here, bring your own bags, and be prepared to carry your dog's waste the whole walk. Apparently this is too much for some dog owners, because on our walk back to the station, I saw several piles of dog poop along the path (oddly, the other side of the path on our trip out was very clean). While there are public bathrooms at the Amtrak train station (which has been restored to maintain its historical character), there are no Porta-Johns in the middle part of the path. This might not be an issue for bicyclists or joggers, but it could limit the distance covered for walkers, unless one is willing to duck into the woods .... Basically, this is a beautiful, mostly clean, path with few amenities. read more

I would love this bike path if it went all the way to the water. As it is, it is a pretty treacherous ride from the end of the bike path to the beach, one that I definitely would not recommend without a helmet or with any kids. I really like where this bike path begins - the train station provides apple parking and is easy to find. There are some really cute town centers you pass through that have some food and shopping places and if you take the hazardous ride to the beach there is a whole plaza at Narragansett pier. It is definitely a short ride. I used it more as a way to get to the beach without having to find a place to park than a real bike ride. read more

Much improved with the new phase of the path from Wakefield to the Narragansett Elementary School so as to avoid the rotary! Some truly beautiful spots along the way -- I use it almost daily as a fitness trail, and it's a great way to get to Rte 1 for coastal bike trips. Only four stars because there's no light at the Elementary School so that bikes can cross the (very busy) Kingston Road at the end of the path... With the final phase (whenever that happens) this should be fixed. Love the boardwalk over the swamp (near Ministerial Rd). Great trail for nature-watching. read more

My lady and I walked the entire bike path, originating from the Amtrak station. Total round trip was about 14 miles. This is a beautiful bike path with lots of avid cyclists, walkers, and runners, all of whom are gregarious and kind. There are no weirdos on the path and wildlife abounds; spotted various fungi and birds. There is ample tree cover to protect against the mid day sun, however, there are sections which require you to walk on roads that have full exposure. Spotted one water fountain on the course adjacent to a bathroom, as well as a grocery store that is slightly to the left of the same area. Lastly, there is a cool underpass that has some really opulent graffiti. There was a graffiti artist present touching up some work. Is this legal? Anyhow, Enjoy your day out! read more

A very scenic path with a few faults. As others have said, once you have a good momentum going, you tend to have to stop at a crossing. It's unfortunate for such a beautiful path. So many crossings. There are bathrooms at the Amtrak station and again not far from the Narraganset end (if you go closer to the beach). It is a short ride from the end of the path to the beach on the Narraganset end, but you need to at least be somewhat comfortable with riding on the road. Just be prepared for a little bit of an uphill ride on the return ride to S. Kingston. I had a good day riding the path but with the uphill, road crossings, and headwind, it made for a little bit of a tough ride. Not the worst path in RI, but I would say that some of the negatives outweighed the beauty of the path. It was one of the more scenic paths I've been on in the state. read more

If you are new to bicycling like I am, this trail is probably not where you should start. It has quite a few uphill grades that for the inexperienced or beginner cyclist may be tough to pedal. Also, they are doing some construction at one section of the trail where they recommend you dismount from the bike to navigate through. Like some of the other comments, there are quite a bit of crossings where you have to assess the traffic before getting to the other side. In some of the other trails I've done, the motorists will yield to the bikers, but the signs at the crossings make it clear that the bikers need to yield to oncoming traffic. Not sure why this was voted a good trail - I actually prefer the East Bay Bike Path to this one. One upside is that at the end of the trail (starting in West Kingstown), you are at the beach! read more

A great path in beautiful surroundings! We have only walked it so far, as it is just now getting nice enough to take out the bikes and the rack. There are quite a few stops, but for walking it's not a big hindrance at all. The path is clean and winds through such a beautiful area of the state. One of the tunnels is exquisitely tagged, I know some people see this as deformation, but if you stop to really look at the art and think that it was done with spray paint you can truly appreciate it. The colors used are awesome and just about all of it is respectful. The path is well paved and smooth and clearly marked. Plus it goes right through Wakefield near Brickley's! read more

Whether you are looking to go for a stroll, a bike ride, or a jog, this south county bike path is the perfect spot. There are countless hidden gems along the way, and I am continuing to discover new treasures each time I venture out in nature. There are wooden trails to explore, openings of salt water ponds and a big beaver dam, openings to downtown Wakefield (my plug for walking distance to Brickley's Ice Cream, you just can't get better than this), and not to mention the path goes all the way to Narragansett pier. There are at least two playgrounds along the path, easily accessible. People are very friendly along the way. The whole bike path feels safe and kempt. Overall, a refreshing, nature-filled path that provides a pleasant commute to various locations, businesses, and activities. read more

Took this path today with my husband and 4 y.o. daughter, and couldn't have been more pleased. We started at the Kingston Train Station and ended in Narragansett....and then returned. Almost 18 miles total. There were very few other pedestrians or bikes, and while yes...there were times it cut through little towns and busy roads, it was actually a nice way to stop and explore. We paused to have ice cream at Brickley's Ice Cream Shop in Wakefield, and had lunch in Narragansett. There were a few inclines, but if you have gears it shouldn't be an issue. (And trust me, I HATE hills.) We even stopped off at a great little kids consignment store right off the path. For reference, there are a few small stretches where you're sharing the road with cars, but we didn't experience many other cars and certainly never felt unsafe. (We're from NYC and are used to biking in the city though.) Overall, we found this really relaxing and easy. Our daughter loved it, and we thought the swamp was super pretty. read more