This is a beautiful park! I love how many options there are for playground climbing equipment. The…read morestage is really cool as well. It's particularly beautiful in the fall!

This is a really good local playground. Everything is cared for and well maintained. Highly…read morerecommended!

Nice spot to stretch the legs in the Lincoln area. I come here for some short walks before or after…read moreyoga. It's basically a park with some beautiful trees, paths and large stretches of grass. Easy, free parking but watch for pot holes. Many people bring their dogs here to play on the grass. Beware of coyotes.

How have I not been here before?! It's so open! Rolling hills! A small pond! It's gorgeous and nice…read moreto see mostly nice dogs for my pup to say hello to!! There are some outhouses (yes, they were open at least today) trails are nearly impossible to get lost on! Trash cans for your dog waste! Lots of parking! ... sure there is the odd jerk who's dog is unmannered, but they were leas common than the local dog park! We will be back!

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.

With the weather warming up, I've been excited to get back out on some Rhode Island trails. This…read moreone was a great spot to soak in the seasonal shift, explore a bit of the state's historical landscape, and breathe some fresh air. The preserve has multiple entrances to its many trails. I parked at the one next to the Dollar Tree on Mendon Road--convenient, though not exactly the most picturesque start to a hike. There's something a little mysterious about slipping into the woods from a shopping plaza; a bit awkward, sure, but I still appreciate these green spaces being preserved, even when they're nestled between businesses. The trail system here is extensive and very well-blazed. I started in the 52-acre Ballou parcel, taking the white trail to the blue loop, which connects to both the red and yellow trails in the 132-acre Blackall parcel. Rock walls crisscross the landscape--remnants of pastures, woodlots, and even apple orchards, according to posted info. The yellow trail is said to follow an old horse ring. Stone piles dot the land, likely cleared by farmers long ago. The trails themselves are impressively maintained, with cleared blowdowns and small boardwalks to help with wetter areas. There are some gentle ups and downs that get your legs moving, and on my early spring visit, the greenery was just starting to come alive. Jack-in-the-pulpits were popping up everywhere, along with skunk cabbage, violets, ferns, blue azures, and wood flowers. I also spotted a small snake sunning itself mid-trail and plenty of squirrels. The area is known for Cumberlandite, so that might be a fun thing to explore further on a return trip. While it's easy to get immersed in parts of the hike, you are reminded now and then that this preserve is surrounded by development. Private homes, old equipment, a large tank structure, and the sound of nearby traffic occasionally pull you out of the nature experience. I also noticed some trash here and there, which I tried to pack out. Two utility corridors--one for electrical lines and one for a gas line--cut across the trail system as well. Not deal-breakers, but worth mentioning. I crossed paths with several other hikers, which is somewhat rare for me on Rhode Island trails. Most had dogs on leashes, and it was nice to see others enjoying the area. I covered about four miles with minimal overlap (just the out-and-back parts that connect the loops). In a state where many trails are short, I really appreciate ones that offer some distance. If you haven't been, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out--especially if you're looking for a longer, peaceful hike with a touch of history. I'll be back for sure, maybe with a magnet to go hunting for that Cumberlandite.

In an effort to 'get out of the house', stay 'socially distanced' and get some exercise, we ended…read moreup driving to Attleboro, MA looking for a new place to walk. We found a street sign near the Attleboro Community Garden with information on walking areas and a parking lot, so we pulled in, perused the sign and headed up Mechanic Street to see what there was to be seen. In just a few blocks, we were at Highland Park. It looks like this was once a public golf course, and a view of satellite maps shows it certainly must have been. Now it seems to be pretty popular with the local neighbors for walking, running and taking the dog out for some play time. It was summer during our visit and there were paths 'mowed' for walking, which we (mostly) followed. The terrain is a field so not always flat and even and there are a few hills. In the south west corner of the property are a number of wood carvings in the likenesses of cartoon characters. Definitely did not expect that but what a fun surprise! There is a small pond, possibly part of the old golf course with some lilies. Very pretty. It was a quick walk around the park. We crossed paths with only a few people and there was plenty of space to keep your distance. It's definitely a nice little neighborhood park and a nice surprise on our adventure.

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.

This park is AMAZING! There's so much to do, see, and explore here…read more Some of the highlights include: the historic Daggett House, the watercolor society, and Loof carousel. There's a dog park, covered pavilion and various picnic sites that can be rented, plus tennis and pickle ball courts. There's also frisbee golf, multiple baseball fields, a walking path along the 10 mile river, plus a playground. There are many places to take photos; Marconi garden with gazebo, a picturesque pond with bandstand, and an English garden (called friendship garden), plus countless places with lush grasses and trees. In the summer they offer family entertainment with various performers and music. They also offer a summer camp for kids as well as various exercise and dance classes for adults. All this information can be found on their website. The hidden gem of this park is its winter wonderland celebration where the community comes together to decorate 650+ Christmas trees along with displays and lights, it's absolutely magical. The park is clean and well maintained and is constantly undergoing updates and improvements. The one down side is there's only 1 small basketball court even though there is space to expand this area.

The Slater Park Looff Carousel is a historic carousel that was completed in 1895. It was built by…read moreDanish immigrant Charles I. D. Looff. He was born as Carl Jürgen Detlef Looff in Bad Bramstedt, Holstein (now Germany) in 1852. After immigrating to the United States in 1870 at the age of 18, Looff settled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and found work as a carver for a furniture factory. He began a hobby of taking home leftover wood scraps from the factory and carving them into carousel animals. He created his first carousel in 1876 and it became Coney Island's first carousel and amusement ride. Looff soon opened his own carousel factory in Brooklyn and continued to build more of the rides. In 1886, Looff was commissioned to build a carousel for Crescent Park (known as "the Coney Island of the East") in Rhode Island. In 1895, he moved his family there and established a new headquarters. He built a second, larger and more elaborate carousel for the amusement park. He also built an adjoining workshop and showroom for prospective buyers. Looff relocated to California in 1910 so he could build carousels for amusement parks on the West Coast. He passed away in 1918 after building close to 50 carousels. Looff is regarded as one of the most important and influential carousel builders of all time. The Slater Park Carousel was originally built for a carnival called Lee Funland in upstate New York. It was moved to Slater Park in 1910 where it still stands today. It is one of only six historic carousels in the United States which still resides in its original building. The carousel is a "stander" or stationary carousel. This means that the animal figures are designed to stand on the platform with at least three legs on the ground and they don't move up and down. This contrasts with "jumper" figures which usually move up and down and have all four legs elevated as if in mid-gallop. The Slater Park Carousel is the oldest Looff-stander carousel in the world. The platform features 44 horses, a camel, a giraffe, a lion, three dogs, and two chariots. Today the carousel is open from April through October. It operates on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm - 5pm (daily in July and August). Rides cost $1. My family and I recently visited the Slater Park Looff Carousel. My wife and I have been carousel enthusiasts since we visited the New England Carousel Museum a few years ago. We were spending the day in the Greater Providence Area and decided to visit the Crescent Park Looff Carousel in Riverside (which is absolutely beautiful!) We learned that Charles Looff built another carousel in 1895 that was located nearby at Slater Park, so we made a drive there afterwards. We were a little disappointed that the Slater Park Carousel's horses don't move up and down and that there isn't a brass ring device like the one featured on the Crescent Park Carousel. That being said, the Slater Park Carousel is still exceptional. All of the horses and menagerie animal figures have been beautifully carved and painted. We also noticed that this carousel moves quite fast (about 9 mph). In fact, the speed has been slowed down over the years and used to be as high as 14 mph. Overall, we had a fun experience at the Slater Park Looff Carousel and would recommend carousel enthusiasts to visit it as well as the nearby Crescent Park Looff Carousel.

Rivers and…read morefoundations The Attilo Valati Nature Park is a small park that was donated by the Valati family in 1989. I'm not sure exactly how large it is because the boundaries aren't clearly marked but it can't be more than a couple of acres. The park does have a small stream running through it and some enigmatic foundations and ruins scattered about. There were actually quite a few remains of various things but they were difficult to see because of all the leaves and debris. I couldn't find out much about the park or what was there before the park but I suspect it was some old mill that used the river as a power source to power a water wheel that is long gone. This part of MA had lots of mills in the 19th century. And interesting if small place to explore and relax. It would be nice if more information about the history of the land was available.