The Blackstone River Bikeway is a beautiful way to explore the Blackstone Valley, whether by bike…read moreor on foot and offers something for everyone to enjoy. We have done it both ways, mostly by bike. It is a beautiful green space that goes along rivers and small waterfalls, just lovely. With over 24 miles already constructed, the vision is for it to extend 48 miles from downtown Worcester, MA, to India Point Park in Providence, RI. From there, it connects with the existing East Bay Bike Path and continues to Bristol, RI, for additional 14.5 miles. When completed, the Blackstone River Bikeway will serve as an alternate mode of transportation for commuters as well as the region's premier recreational resource, connecting New England's second and third largest cities.

One of the prettiest, smoothest, easiest and most accessible bike paths if you live in northeast RI…read moreor nearby MA border towns. The bikeway (approx. 20 miles) runs from Woonsocket, through Cumberland into Lincoln along the Blackstone River through lots of greenery and passing by bridges, dams, old mill buildings and historic sites. Of course, there are plenty of ways to do shorter rides/runs/walks. My riding buddies and I especially enjoy getting on at Albion Street in Cumberland (limited parking though!) and riding towards Ashton Mill (Cumberland) and into Lincoln for either a 10- or 12-mile spin, depending on where we decide to turn back. We also like the stretch from Woonsocket to Albion (about 9 miles back and forth) that starts out by taking us by sunny soccer fields in The River's Edge Recreation area. No matter where you get on, the terrain is mainly flat and it's easy to keep a steady pace.Be on the lookout for turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees in the river as well as occasional deer. And expect plenty of friendly waves and nods from walkers, runners and bikers on your journey. The Lincoln and Woonsocket ends offer ample parking.

The whole place is amazing, especially the "castle". The trails are very well maintained, and VERY…read morewell marked. And the lake is beautiful. The best part is how amazing it is for dogs! Highly recommend!!

Borderland is a wonderful place. I usually only stay on the main trail for walking and running…read more Plenty of grass areas to play catch or picnic, plus benches and picnic tables throughout. Relaxing, quiet, and so many nice spots to enjoy the ponds, waterfall, spring noises of frogs, and foliage in the fall. I ride my bike or run or walk through regularly and enjoy it. I have also taken the kids to some of the mansion tours and the presentations about nature in the park building. Enjoyed those too.

The trails were a little too muddy and overgrown for me to fully explore them, but what I did do…read moreoffered some views and a quiet escape. Even had a couple deer dart in front of me on the trail.

Veterans Memorial Park is a picturesque, hidden gem, surprisingly located... in the middle of…read moreBarrington (funny for such a seemingly secluded locale). You can access the park via a dirt road, just off of West Street, next to the YMCA. Park at the YMCA or drive down the dirt road a bit to park inside. It is an easy jump skip from the East Bay Bike Path as well for those using a bipedal method of transportation. The trails are not extensive, only about 2.5 miles in total if you traverse all of the loops, but the views of Brickyard Pond are worth it. The 84-acre body of water sits on 230 acres of land, named for its history as a site of the brick-making industry in the area up until the 1940's. Due to hazardous structures in the water, swimming is not allowed. Fishing is allowed only certain times of the year since the pond is home to some herring spawning grounds. There is a boat launch as well as several points of access to the water for kayaking. Two trails, the Red and Green, make their way along the shore of the pond and into the forested acreage of the park. Summersweet plants flower everywhere along the trails, filling the air with their pleasant aroma. For the most part I stayed on trail but there were a number of unmarked routes leading who-knows-where. I explored some of these but didn't stray too far. The trails were well-marked with their colored blazes and arrow signs but with so many trails breaking off from the main loops, it was easy to get turned around. Well-kept, there were several bridges and walkways built into the path to skip over lazy moving streams and marshy areas. From their maps, it appears that several more trails looping around the pond are in the works, connecting the park to the bike patch directly. It will be wonderful once development is complete. Near the boat launch is a peaceful clearing with tables and park benches. A great place for a picnic or to simply kick back and soak up the outdoors. A nice find in downtown Barrington. As a side note: there was a surprising amount of litter in the parking lot inside the grounds... the trails were clean but some of the areas with grills and benches were visited by litter bugs and party animals. Trash, broken glass... dropped it down to 4-stars for me despite my enjoyable experience in the rest of the park.

Fulton pond is still one of the best parks and ponds in the area…read more There is regular and handicapped parking in the private lot. Benches are provided. There is a new fishing dock. Lunch tables are available near the fountains by the stream. Duck do visit the pond. However, there has been an increase in geese in recent years. Signs are posted stating not to feed the birds. There is plenty of grass for a blanket or picnic. A special treat is the yearly rubber duck race for young children. Still a local pleasure, we will return.

Such a nice place to picnic and watch the sun set. A few…read morepicnic tables and benches are available.

Lake Massapoag is, in a word, lovely. A freshwater lake that is beautiful all the way around and…read morehas north and south side public beaches/boat launches/fishing areas. Peppered between are beautiful, peaceful houses. Come on a Saturday afternoon and you'll see a team of sailboats out. Mornings, afternoons, and evenings are nothing short of delightful at Lake Massapoag. We caught 8 fish in one morning of fishing on the north side (bass and sunfish) and only one during an evening of fishing on the south side. Whatever the case, it's a beautiful place to spend some time.

Lake Massapoag is a wonderful natural feature in Sharon Massachusetts. A 353 acre body of water…read morewith boating, swimming and fishing. The size-able parking area and bandstand serve as a great location for Independence Day festivities for the community with an old time carnival atmosphere which continues for hours leading up to the fireworks. In past times there was a railroad not far that brought Boston's movers and shakers to the lake for summer recreation. Some of the buildings from that time remain, at least partially, such as the present day senior center. Lake Massapoag is the headwater of Canoe River as well as Massapoag Brook. The Canoe River leads to Taunton River and eventually to Narragansett Bay. Massapoag Brook flows to the Neponset River which empties into Dorchester Bay. One of the more interesting wildlife facts about Lake Massapoag is that there is a species of eel which migrates up the Atlantic coast and all the way to Lake Massapoag, moving overland nocturnally during rainy nights.

One of the most beautiful parks in Rhode Island. I love to visit at dawn or early in the morning…read morewhen you pretty much have the entire park to yourself and the deer. Be ready to take plenty of photos. It's a photographers dream in every season, any time of day.

One of my favorite parks ever, truly a beautiful, happy place for me. Here's everything I love…read moreabout it: 1. Easy access to/from Boston, I've never run into bad traffic the way the Cape is perpetually backlogged. Also a convenient location where, if you're coming from the north, you drive through the cute downtown stretch of Bristol by the water filled with cafes and shops. 2. Free entry and parking. I love the state parks in Massachusetts but I don't love the ever-increasing cost of accessing a green space, especially if you're coming from out-of-state. 3. There's so much to do - walk the paved path along the water, bike, check out the small beach, picnic, etc. My favorite spot to park is by the playground/skateboard area and then do a loop around. There's also a forested hiking trail if you want to wander around a forest without any serious elevation gain. 4. The whole place is spotless and lovingly maintained. If you're swinging through Providence and want your fill of nature, definitely recommend this park.

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!

I first found out about this path when my boss took me here after work one day. He likes to go on…read morewalks to delay returning home when his psychotic girlfriend (according to him) or her psychotic 10yr old daughter (also, according to him) are too much to handle. Sometimes his goal is to wait for them to fall asleep, then go home. I duck out before it gets to that point. The Upper Charles River Trail will eventually be 24 miles long and through Milford, Ashland, Sherborn, Holliston, and Hopkinton. It's on an old CSX right of way. I believe the Milford section is the only section complete so far, roughly ~5 miles. I don't jog that long anyway, especially with the sunset getting earlier. I usually park at Fino Field and go the trail until it intersects Route 85 by the Sports Authority, then turn back. Round trip is ~4.5 miles GPSed. The trail is paved and has mile markers in 1/4 mile increments. Traffic is pretty light when I'm there; dusk, weekdays. I see more walkers and less bikers. There are unimproved trails through the woods that you can stumble into and I'm still exploring where they all go. Also, I believe what they call "Vietnam" has an entrance on the north end of the trail across US495. NEMBA actually owns it. (http://www.nemba.org/Articles/VietnamFAQs.html) I'd like to try Vietnam out, but reading reviews saying that there are "6 foot drops out of nowhere" kind of scares me.

Update: I frequent this trail weekly and try to go a few times a week and go in the mornings when I…read moredo. Since August there's been this young couple I want to say in their early twenties with a dog and they have extremely loud music that plays vulgar songs. I don't mean to be a stick in the mud but there are young children and elderly on this trail and they don't need to hear songs about "suck a f****** d***" and other terrible expletives that shouldn't be played at an OBNOXIOUS LEVEL. Not only this but I guess it's you can smoke on this trail even though people are there to exercise so it's pretty rude!! BUT THEY'RE SMOKING WEED! Again I understand weed is recreational now so it's fine and I don't care if people smoke but they were smoking a huge blunt as a mother and a kid and her infant in a stroller passed them and I felt awful as she gave me an odd look and I was behind them. Why do that? There are plenty of areas to go off and hide and smoke do you really have to do it and pass it to each other in front of everyone's children when they're trying to get exercise? It's so rude! Also pick up your dogs shit! I think there should be more police on foot on this trail since were right by the police station or something because I am avoiding this trail until next year they are ALWAYS there. I sat by the lake for almost 2 hours in hopes they would be gone but nope. There they were passing the trail again. Do they live in the woods?? What the hell. The guy always has a backpack and they wear sunglasses. A cute little trail that's pretty clean. Usually pleasant people on this trail for the most part consisting of moms with their kids and the like.