If you happen to be in the area, don't miss this gem of a little park. The lovely park can be found…read morein Westerly, RI, adjacent to their beautiful library. We visited this park three times while in the area, and would be delighted to return any time. We enjoyed Koi Restaurant takeout (Koi is excellent) on two occasions, dining on benches across from their perennial garden and fish pond with fountain. Wilcox Park is beautifully landscaped with mature trees, a meadow, a beautiful fish pond with a fountain in the center, and a perennial garden that was still in bloom. It's adjacent to town, with many entrances to the park, and also next to the beautiful Westerly Library building (which also has a memorial on the side). We didn't go into the library, but the building itself is architecturally impressive. We strolled around the park several times, which is not very large, but offers a lovely walk path, which seems to be very popular with joggers, strollers, walkers, etc. If I lived in town, I'd visit this park frequently!

Really nice spot to take a short walk and stretch the legs while in Westerly. I love how it's also…read morean arboretum and all the trees are marked with plaques denoting their common and scientific names. There are also a number of interpretive signs that convey some of the history and current uses of the buildings. There are a number of war monuments and some cool sculptures. We especially enjoyed the sculpture "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown. Love that the park was founded by a woman, Harriet Wilcox. Opposite the park, there is a nice mural with her image and apparently a quote by her "The People Shall Have Their Park". Respect. The park is open dawn to 9pm. Street parking.

Great park. -…read morenew(ish) equipment (only complaint so far is the swing chain wrapping peeling off, and the bucket seat is missing the safety belt) - variety of things to do that work out different parts of body (ex. rolling log, horizontal slide, rock-climbing incline) - multiple slides at different heights and styles (straight, bumpy, swirl) - additional (original) gated area for younger children - multiple ball courts (tennis, volleyball, basketball?) - benches and pagoda - water fountain - trash cans Overall, the grounds are clean and well kept. An enjoyable place to be.

Such a great little park. I go there all the time with my 3 year old. Here's a few things you…read moremight like about Rotary Park too: 1. There's not one but 2 playgrounds (one for toddlers & another for the older kids) 2. Beautiful tennis & volleyball courts 3. A great walking trail 4. There are nice spots to sit & relax while watching the planes take off from the Westerly airport 5. Ample parking 6. Bathroom facilities 7. The town is expanding & making Rotary Park even better soon

Wow wow wow! This…read morehas been a bucket list find for some years now to finally find the Dambo trolls!! We stumbled upon Eric and Greta. Both were within a short walking distance and is best to park at either the senior center or the main parking lot (troll parking lot marker upon field entry) Ninigret park is HUGE! I saw a tennis courts, basketball courts, a playscape, walking trails and a nice pond among the trolls They also had a Dels lemonade truck in the parking lot and this was perfect for a hot summers day

We came to see the giant trolls and get some steps in before spending the day at the beach. I think…read moremost people see the trolls and leave, but we actually followed the whole trail, which we had to duck down and weave through weeds and overgrowth through a lot of it since it's clearly not maintained. It was cool to see. Good pit stop to get some exercise. The bathroom they had was a camp-style latrine type where it was a big hole and no sink. Was fine for me to pee but my city friend didn't like it. Gets the job done when you have to pee and it's a step up above a portopotty.

This 134-acre parcel of land is a great place to go for a hike, no matter the weather! I visited…read morein the wintertime and had the opportunity to trek around the multiple trails in this location in the snow. There are a couple spaces set aside to park at this trailhead located in a somewhat residential area. Hikers are almost immediately rewarded with a high vantage point overlooking Winnapaug Pond, Misquamicut Beach, and the Block Island Sound. There is a healthy mix of ups and downs, flat terrain, rock walls, and so much more. Maintained by the Westerly Land Trust, there are more than 2 miles of marked pathways. Benches, ponds, birdhouses, and poetry are part of the sights along your route. Former farmland, this protected land is quite picaresque. Check it out!

One of my favorite places to go and walk my dog. The trails are well maintained. I usually do the…read moreouter loop, which is about 2.25 miles.

Can't stand the blanket-to-blanket state beaches with a 1/2 mile walk to the restrooms and stepping…read moreon trash the whole way? You have to try this little private family beach just a mile down from Misquamicut State Beach. Great atmosphere and restroom/changin/shower facilities and always enough space, even on the busiest of beach days. The parking lot is limited, so once it is full, you are out of luck. But if you are an early bird, it is so worth it!

One of my favorite beaches in the world!! Grew up each summer going down to this beach since I was…read morefive! Love the family atmosphere and jetting rocks you can go out on to see the ocean. Great waves, lifeguard on duty.

Our favorite salt water launch site. Plenty of parking spaces and the dock is nice, clean, and…read moresecure. Plenty of cleats to tie on. Deep ocean is just a few minutes away with no - no wake zones. The drive to the launch has an interesting castle to look at. The owner has dozens of statues, gargoyles, and perfectly trimmed topiaries. Lots of people kayak from here. Some bring their dogs for a stroll. I've done some fishing and crabbing here. But honestly there are sooooo many mosquitoes and horse flies here and they're relentless! We mostly just use this place to launch our boat- away from the vicious bugs!!

A great place to…read morestart Barn Island in Stonington is one of the best places to launch a boat in Eastern Ct. It has a huge parking lot but since it is so popular it frequently fills up so people park on the side on the road. No one seems to mind but it does make for a long walk back to your vehicle. The ramp is steep but the water usually deep so it's easy for even a relatively large boat to get under way. Once you are in the water you have several great options. If you are in a kayak you can go north up the Wequetequock river, or south out to Stonington, Long Island Sound, Sandy Pt. or Napatree Point. This whole area was absolutely hammered by the 1938 hurricane and a beach in the area used to be called Kitchen Beach because appliances ripped from cottages were found buried in the sand for decades after the hurricane. Fortunately no hurricanes have hit in a while and the area around Barn Island is called Little Narragansett Bay and is usually quite calm. If you want more excitement in your yaking you can paddle out to Napatree Pt and old Fort Mansfield where rocks, old fishing piers and heavy wind and waves can conspire to give you a near death experience if you desire. Pretty good surfing out by Napatree also. For something less exciting you can go over to Watch Hill and get ice cream and some good seafood or just land on a isolated beach on Sandy Point Island. This was actually a part of Napatree but the hurricane literally tore the spit of land away and is now a rolling island. If you go east you can explore the very cool town of Stonington. Barn Island is a great place to launch no matter what your intentions are or abilities are. Just make sure you get there early during the summer weekends or you just might be in for a long walk to get back to your vehicle.

So if you've ever seen the Wes Anderson movie "Moonrise Kingdom" - and you've hiked this trail to…read moreLong Pond - you'll recognize the scenery around the pond from the top of a massive glacial boulder. Regardless of its Hollywood connections (and my hats off to the camera crew and actors for getting up there!), this is quite the hiking area, though not for the faint-hearted. It does involve a bit of clambering up and down boulders, so be sure to bring a stout set of hiking boots or shoes ... and I'd recommend long pants to deal with the rocks and branches as you're more than likely to be finding yourself scooching down them on your butt at some points. (Yours truly wore only cross-trainers and boy did I regret it: I could not get any traction to summit that huge glacial formation and had to settle vicariously for the distant oohs and ahhs of wonderment from my wife and daughter). We started at the North Road trailhead for the main Narragansett Trail which is marked by yellow blazes but be aware (or beware?) that the turn-off to this spectacular view of the pond - while marked by a big red arrow on a rock - is an unmarked trail, so be sure to take mental pictures of the turns and forks so you don't get lost on the way back. But it sure is worth making this deviation! The main trial can be quite the hike and the opposite direction will take you into Connecticut if you so wish. There is supposed to be another unmarked trail opposite the one going to Long Pond which will take you to Ell Pond, but we weren't able to find the entrance to that trail from the main one - we're guessing probably because it's less traveled and maintained. In addition to Long pond, we were impressed by the large amount of rhododendrons in the forest - we promised ourselves to visit in the spring when they'd be blossoming as that must be a sight to see. This Narragansett Trail area is definitely worth repeat visits! Please note that there are no privys or running water at the trailhead - and parking areas are sparse.

The Long Pond-Ell Pond Nature Area is a spectacular location to stretch your legs and take in some…read morefantastic views of rural Rhode Island. As an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire... it was wonderful to find beauty in one's own backyard. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon that I found myself driving down a dirt road in Hopkinton to the Long Pond trailhead. The drive down North Road (aka Old Rockville Road) itself was even enjoyable. The narrow dirt road meandered through branches, heavy with yellowed leaves until the obvious intersection of a couple of cars with several pull offs. There is room for 2 cars at this trailhead, with a pull off for another 2 just before the small parking area. The trail is well-marked with yellow blazes on the trees. Be mindful of who is participating in this hike... it isn't quite simply a leisurely walk in the woods. There are many rock scrambles, some elevation gain, and quite a bit of maneuvering to go to and fro. As you head down the trail from the parking area I mentioned, you reach a crossroads of sorts. If you turn left you hike a short ways until you reach a very large rock formation. At the top is wonderful outlook onto Long Pond. It is a great place to lunch. If you turn right you head toward views of Ell Pond (I didn't go this way on my trip). If you head "straight" which is actually kind of towards the right as well you descend into a forested valley and towards other adventures in the area. The hike to this crossroads is quite manageable and a quick trip. The beauty of this area is that you can make your hike as long or as short as you'd like. It is not a loop so you can decide to turn back at any point and be quite aware of how far and long it will take you. Great in any season I am sure... Fall was perfect. Wish I had gone when there was a bit more foliage to look at but stunning none-the-less. Quiet, serene, a joy to visit. I will most certainly visit this area again and traverse more of its trails. Be sure to wear your blaze orange during hunting season, September to February generally. I'm not sure how much hunting is allowed in this area but I'd rather be safe than sorry!

The most beautiful, relaxing walk I've had in quite some time. A perfect trail spot for pets, very…read morepet friendly. The homeowner of the house facing the parking lot was very kind while working in his front yard, the whole area was a great experience.

I had a pretty decent experience at this park, but the weather was a factor in perhaps a lower…read morereview than it could be. This park is located off of a residential neighborhood in Groton, close to the coast and with hiking and cycling trails. One of the issues with this park is that none of the trails are really blazed, so although there's a trail map, there are a lot of deer paths and twisty trails that make navigation difficult. Rain makes this a little more tricky. We were there to see the Canopy Rock, which is a historical landmark, the site of a religious revival. Sadly, the rock is covered in graffiti, which was really disappointing. I plan on coming back to give this park another chance, because what we saw was interesting, but the rain really forced us to cut our visit short.

Stonington Point is one of those rare places that reminds you just how lucky we are to live in New…read moreEngland. Approaching it by boat is hands‑down the best way to experience it--the harbor opens up into a postcard‑perfect view, with calm water, historic homes, and that unmistakable coastal charm that feels both timeless and effortless. The natural beauty here is stunning. On a clear day, the water glows, the sky stretches wide, and the shoreline looks like something out of a painting. Whether you're cruising in, dropping anchor nearby, or just drifting past, it's the kind of spot that instantly slows you down and makes you appreciate where you are. There's a peacefulness to Stonington Point that's hard to describe until you've seen it from the water. It's serene, scenic, and uniquely New England in all the best ways. For locals, it's a reminder of how spoiled we truly are. For visitors, it's a must‑see glimpse into the coastal beauty we get to enjoy every day. A 5‑star destination for anyone who loves the ocean, the shoreline, and those perfect quiet moments that make this corner of the world so special. Enjoy

This little peninsula juts out into the ocean: If you look to your left (SSE) you may be able to…read moresee the tip of Watch Hill, RI (or due east, all the way right, Sandy Point Island, CT) and if you look kind of straight out (SSW), slightly right, you'll see the tip of Fisher Island, NY. Big, open, lovely views of the water. It is often windy here. Basically, Stonington Point is a sandy lot where you can park your car. There is a sea wall around the point to prevent further erosion (light house used to be closer to this location), a flag pole with memorial and a cute little beach area with stone jetties on either side to the west side of the point. This is where we park when visiting the Stonington Light house which is just past the beach on the right hand side (walking north). Water Street is the only access to Stonington Point, and although a two-way thoroughfare, cars are allowed to park along the curb, making it one-car wide in many places. Be prepared to 'pull over' temporarily where possible to allow cars to pass. There is not too much traffic this far away from the main town areas but enough to use caution. If you are a walker, Cannon Square is a five minute walk north (0.3miles). There you will find two cannons and memorials to the soldiers who defended Stonington from the British in 1814. This area is mostly homes, no little shops or cafes and the sidewalks are not shaded. Enjoy!

I'm going to be honest...we went for the hand. I heard there…read morewas a place in CT that had a mummified hand of a Saint and we made plans to go! We aren't a religious family but we do like history and that's not something you see everyday! There were four of us and we made a day of it as some UrbEx kids version. The drive to Mystic for us is about an hour and a half. Weather was perfect! You have to go thru Mystic, then Mason's Island then over a skinny bridge to get to Ender's. It's very well kept and run by the Catholic Church as a recovery program and retreat. But you can visit as a day trip. Lots of flower gardens, statues of Mary, a scenic view of the ocean. The Seaside Chapel is literally next to the water; we were wondering how it can be so close and not flood. The hand is in a glass case inside of the church that they use for Mass. It tells St.Edmund's story and has some trinkets in a case under the hand. I THINK they were from other Saints, like a special belonging. There are several picnic tables around the little island and we had come prepared. We brought out our food, sat seaside, and enjoyed a delightful lunch with the kids. It wasn't crowded and no one was loud, which was a nice change. I didn't take a lot of pics out of respect but here are a few. I would recommend it if you're interested in doing a little exploring.

A little disappointed. It's not bad by any means but it was very underwhelming. I will say I'm not…read morereligious by any means, so those that are may feel different, but for me it was a 'meh' experience. Maybe I built it up in my head too much, as I had never even heard of it until a video came up on my fb feed. That said, getting there is a little tricky. There is a guard/checkpoint you have to pass through. The first time I didn't know that and wasn't expecting it and turned around. Today I when I came the checkpoint was unmanned. Apparently if you tell them you're going to enders they'll let you through, but I've heard of people getting turned away.