For mothers and…read morechildren Storer Park is a little Newport park located right on the waterfront. Not a large park but one with very large views. You can see the huge Newport Bridge looming in the distance as well as Goat Island and several lighthouses. The park was donated by the very wealthy Storer family with the stipulation that it was to be used by mothers and children. Today it is of course used even by people that aren't mothers or children but perhaps in Newport's skanky and blusterous past it was important to have a park where the sailors, tarts, drunks, strumpets, bums, lightskirts, hooligans, floozies, ruffians, dipsomaniacs, pirates and bacchanalian carousers weren't allowed. Not a lot of room for hiking but you can walk through the park and continue south along the water front or north along Washington Street and the great historic houses. The park itself is frequently used by fisherman and people sitting on the benches eating lunch. It does have a basketball court but it you want to use it you better bring a broom because the seagulls love to use the court to drop and break open shells. Just a little park but a nice place to hang out for a while and take in the views of the sailboats, birds, lighthouses and a very picturesque bridge. I've never seen a floozy, ne'er-do-well or pirate here but fortunately you no longer have to be a mother or child to use the park.

although a nice spot -- i wouldnt call this a good spot to nothing more than take photos--it at the…read morebegining of the Goat Island causeway and a popular spot for locals to fish..and play basketball,right across from the Newport Ship Yard

Once a series of abandoned lots, Peace and Plenty Park now includes a playground with natural play…read moreelements like berms and logs, picnic tables, a little library, and a lot of neighborhood heart. A community garden also stands across the street from the playground. The Peace and Plenty is an all-ages park with events and activities for local kids, families and adults in the Elmwood area. I have been there many times, since it's a block away from the Rhode Island Free Clinic where I volunteer. So I have taken breaks and strolls around this park. It nice to see the children using the playground and people working in the community garden. Nice and peaceful, it's great for kids that have a place to play safely.

Dunlap Wheeler Park was on a list mentioning some of the best places to see daffodils in full bloom…read morein Rhode Island! I decided to take a quick trip last weekend and there was a road race taking place, so parking was limited. There's a handful of boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants in this area, so you can easily make this a day trip. This park is about 10 minutes away from downtown Newport!

Really cute daffodil field planted here in the spring! I came for the flowers and got a lot more…read moregoose poop than flowers cute park benches throughout to sit on and enjoy the flowers. Right on the eater with a public beach to peruse upon. Parking in the summer season is tight when the restaurants around here are booming but parking in the spring time is not so bad. There were also a few cool trees to climb!

Potter Wood is a nice, open space for the public to enjoy in Kingston, RI. The 65-acres of meadow…read moreand woodland that comprises this area was donated to the Kingston Improvement Association back in 1933 by Mary Lemoine Potter. This group works to maintain the land to this day! The main parking area is located on South Road with a second smaller entrance on Biscuit City Road. With approximately 1.4 miles of trail to traverse, this is a decent locale to get out and stretch your legs. The land is mostly flat which is great for a leisurely walk, snowshoeing, and trail running. The trails are well maintained but could be blazed a bit better. There are many paths that seemingly shoot off into nowhere and the signs for some of the named trails are small or oddly placed. Either way, its not a huge place so it'd be difficult to get completely lost. There are benches placed throughout in case you need to give your feet a break. In addition to the trails there are several other amenities this space has to offer including a baseball field, basketball court, picnic areas, benches, and a skating pond complete with skating shed. The pond was a beautiful thing to behold this spring. A good option if you are looking to stretch your legs in nature... no matter the season!

We went looking for a spot to walk on a sunny Spring day. Our first thought was the John H. Chafee…read morePreserve about 7 miles north on Boston Neck Rd., but as we approached their parking lot, cars were parked all up and down the road. *Way* too crowded for us. We have passed this location several times without stopping. About 5 miles south of Casey Farm this US Fish & Wildlife Refuge is bordered by Boston Neck Rd, Old Boston Neck Rd, Bedford Cir., and the river. There is a small parking lot at the entrance of Bridge Point Dr. Walk up Bridge Point Drive, which has been closed to traffic and at the end, follow the grassy path to find a series of fields. We visited in early Spring and there was a layer of last years grass laying over the fields. Some areas require you to 'pay attention' to your footing, but for the most part we had not trouble traversing the fields. It had also rained heavily two days prior making some low spots a bit damp. Luckily I wore my boots. This is such an open area it just made me think of picnics and kite flying. There were a few 'presents' left behind by pups, so do watch for that, and if you bring your pup, please take the gifts out with you. Please. There is a path that leads down toward the river from one of the more easterly fields. It has a number of prickers along the way. Although it looks like someone tried to clear the path, it's tough to navigate and we didn't follow it the entire way. For a short walk, head straight through the first field and make a loop along Boston Neck road back to the parking lot. There was a lot of traffic the day we visited and decided to head back into the fields and explore some more. We did find a few more fields and made wide loops among them. Eventually we came out on a side street which we followed back to the Boston Neck Road. We turned back into the first big field you enter on your trek in, walked back through and took Bridge Point Drive back to the car. All together we walked a couple of miles. You could walk more, or less, depending on how much exercise you are looking for. Not sure if the fields are mowed in the summer. Maps show this Refuge includes land on both sides of the river. I'm not aware of where/if there is an entrance to that area. This was a really nice space for a walk on a cool, sunny day. In the height of summer, there is very little shade here so may not be the best option. It was very sparely populated, which was great for us, and if you stay away from Boston Neck Road, it's quite quiet.

For those who like Bocce ball, this is the place to go near downtown Providence and/or Federal…read moreHill. Long before Italian restaurants and Showtime's Brotherhood, Providence's Federal Hill was, of course, just a hill. Native Americans referred to that hill as "Nocabulabet." And it is on that hill that people play bocce every every week. Bocce Games begin at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, usually.....at Nocabulabet Park at 69 Spruce Street, at the corner of Dean Street, one block north of Atwells Avenue on historic Federal Hill. Today, you might see some homeless people lingering around the area, but if you are lucky enough to be strolling around the park during any of the bocce tournaments, you will love the enthusiasm and the energy of these participants. For those who are not into Bocce, there are benches to sit and green spaces to sit down or picnic.

This is a very small park (more like a greenspace) at the corner of Spruce Street and Dean Street,…read moreright next to the Rt. 10 off-ramp for Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill. Not the most bucolic location...but it is a quaint little space, with a few park benches, often peopled by some of the more colorful visitors to the Hill. Most noteable, though, are the bocce courts. And they even have lights for night games! The word is (or so my history prof at RIC told me) that the name comes from an Indian phrase meaning "the hill above the river." Cool place to hang out, have a cold beverage, and watch the old Italian guys play and argue over a bocce game.

The Battery is a hidden gem! There are some small nature trails and lots of history. I love going…read morethere to look out at the water. I do wish the grass was kept shorter in the summer, but I understand that it's a lot to maintain!

Lots of history…read more A 22 acre Park owned by the town of Jamestown. It's not hard to find, just take the first right after Mackerel Cove. There is a little parking area at the end of Battery Lane. Not a large area so it's not much for hiking but the scenery is fantastic by the water with nice views of the west passage of Narragansett Bay The site itself was once an old Revolutionary War fort but all that remains are earthen lumps in the ground. The town recently put up plaques explaining the history and what certain lumps once were. I believe the site was also used in both World Wars to watch for German subs trying to enter the bay. Not the largest or most interesting park on Jamestown but a pleasant place for a quick hike that few visitors to Conanicut ever see.

This park be so much more! Super tiny but has historical reads mounted. Located near a school and…read moreTesla center. Another path is great for bird watchers/photographers. I read it's an ongoing project for the city to keep clean especially the pond due to city "run off" (Conservation Law Foundation and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management). I hope it can be a bike trail and walk trail for the city. It needs it.