The Otis Smith Farm and Rowbottom Preserve is a 55-acre preserve comprised of two parcels of land…read morefrom the Cumberland Land Trust. Located on the historic Otis Smith Farm land acquired from Brown University and the Kenneth and Barbara Rowbottom land, this preserve is a wonderful setting for some Rhode Island hiking. There are 4 color-blazed trails at the time of this review: --Yellow & White = Otis Lippitt Trail --Red = Rowbottom Trail --Blue = Rocky Ridge Trail There are technically 3 trailheads to delve into these interconnected trails, both the Otis Smith Trailhead on Scott Road (2 of them) and the Rowbottom Trailhead on Lippitt Ave. I started on Scott Road and found the White trailhead very easily, pulling my car off at the pictured/numbered green sign labelled "Cumberland Land Trust"...a big American flag waving in the wind. I spotted the Yellow trailhead on Scott Road as I was driving away marked with a very small homemade sign and no clear pull off for cars. I suggest driving down the road a bit and catching the White trail, much easier. All in all, the trails cover about 1.7 miles. Not a strenuous hike, but there are some interesting sights and changes in the landscape as you make your way through. Many of the trails follow historic farmer's cart paths and are intersected frequently with stone walls. There are signs of the old farm all over the place... look for the irrigation ditch that flowed from Little Pond to bring water to the fields. The trail markers are mostly well placed. There were a couple of times that I had to backtrack because I was following what looked like a path but in actuality I was straying from the trail. Take it slow and look around to be sure you are headed in the right direction. The White Trail brings you through a darkened area of the forest lush with ferns. It was really neat making my way through this dense green part of the woods (especially since the caterpillars have been feasting on the green overhead all spring/summer this year). The Red Trail brings you through a number of pine needle beds, soft and squishy underfoot. Lastly, the Blue Trail boasts some large rocky outcroppings of greenstone... and one really large, angry, bird going through feather molt who was not happy to have my trekking near his/her nest. Although this is a very beautiful area of Cumberland (and what drops this preserve down a star for me), on the Blue Trail there appears to be a makeshift wooden shelter up against the rocks. I wouldn't mind so much seeing this here but it is clear that teens trek out to party in the middle of the night. Evidence of campfires against the rock, broken glass, and trash were strewn about this area. I also came across some disturbing makeshift weaponry (think... thick sticks with nails and screws driven into one end, brandished like a medieval mace). A Lord of the Flies-type scene fluttered through my mind and I scurried away, finishing the loop and heading back for my car. Overall a decent hike... I simply wouldn't recommend poking around the shelter too much, especially with children in tow.

This is a fun little trail! It's about 0.6 miles if you take the Otis Lippitt trail. It's a nice…read morelittle walk for the dog or family. Bring big spray though!

Cannon mortars and…read moremisery Veteran's Place is a small park like memorial that is right next to the Cumberland Public Library and close to a bunch of cool hiking trials. The park is a pleasant little area that has some paved paths, benches to sit on as well as lot of flowers and old trees. A big old cannon as well as some kind of cool looking mortar thing are hanging around as well as some tributes and memorials to the veterans of all American wars. Veteran's Place is near the oldest war memorial in the country, a very morbid place called Nine Men's Misery. This is a spot where nine colonists were captured and tortured to death by the Narragansett Tribe during the horrible King Phillip Wars. A brutal affair where atrocities were common on both sides. It's a lovely and peaceful place now but a nice reminder and tribute to the men and women in times past when the cost of freedom was anything but free.

Easy to find. Small pakring lot for about 12 cars. I headed straight up to the top of the hill…read more It seems like it is about 10

This is a very popular spot for some easy climbing and hiking...a popular hangout for high…read moreschoolers as well. Lovely view from the top, the climb is steep but not difficult with wooden rails places up the trail to help with the climb. A few picnic areas with benches, streams and woided and rock trails, unmarked but easy to follow.

Nice park with large parking lot, clean restroom facilities. Across the street from the Ice Cream…read moreFactory. Park has plenty of walking trails, picnic takes and a nice pavilion for concerts. Also pickleball courts at the entrance. Convenient location. Can't wait to visit again and take more pictures

Diamond Hill State Park is 373-acres of fields, woods, pavilions, and steep slopes. A former…read moredownhill ski facility, this area is full of hiking trails, old ski machinery, picnic areas, a pond/stage structure, among many other features. Looking for a place to participate in short hike, a group of friends and I decided to check out what this park had to offer. Finding little information online as well as little direction once we arrived... we decided to just walk around and see what we could find. Locating a clearing in the trees after walking through a wide-open aisle of shaded picnic tables on a bed of pine needles, we trekked over an open field and eventually followed a couple small hiker signs we found. Be prepared to hike STRAIGHT UP the hillside. Making the summit means scrambling up a series of extremely steep hills covered in loose rocks and dirt. I was thinking it felt dangerous on the way up... then I reached the way down and felt even more uneasy with each step down. It was an adventure none-the-less. I enjoyed checking out the abandoned ski lift equipment on the way up and envisioning the history of this park as a ski reservation. Though I've never been skiing myself, I can't imagine dodging the rocks and trees on the way down. As with most aging structures, these are covered in graffiti and surrounded by the remnants of old campfires and broken beer bottles. I wished the summit had a more rewarding view, but feeling the accomplishment of climbing to the top is fulfilling enough I suppose. In trying to learn more about the park, I discovered that Cumberlandfest is held here each year. Entertainment makes use of the staging area complete with pond, the lot I suppose holds the carnival rides, etc. I feel as though this park has a lot of unexplored potential. A nice outdoor space for those nearby; I'm not sure it would be worth a long distance drive for a visit, unfortunately. Also the location of "Haunted Hill" in the fall for a good scare with the family! (http://www.hauntedhill.net/)

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.

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 Blackstone River Park put on a historic tour with an NPS guide, so my review is more for that…read morethan for the bike path. There is a parking lot at the Wilber House (open seasonally) and the guide described and showed the site of the original mill off of the river canal and then walked us over the multistate bridge to the Ashton Mill and pointed out the smokestacks of the factory-turned-lofts and the old residence of the factory workers. If possible, you should check park events because it gave some great local history of the site. It sounds like they have some tours on weekdays and weekends. If not on a tour, there are some informational signs but not much to look at and wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to read the signs. The interaction was definitely a great additional to learning about the site.

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!

This place is so cool! I actually had no idea that it was even here and I've lived in Rhode Island…read moremy entire life. I stumbled upon it when I was househunting and it was a house for sale right next-door. I would have loved to of bought it just for this location! There are a few trails through here and they are marked so well there's no possible way you can get lost. Leads you out to a big lake. It's really neat because they're used to be a rail road that went through here and you can still see some of the stuff left behind.

Lime Rock Nature Preserve was the perfect set of trails to stretch my legs and get back into the…read moreswing of things following a recent knee surgery. The trails here are extremely well maintained, cleared of most leaves and debris (and wonderful for my recovering lower extremity). There are two trails to visit in the Preserve, Yellow and Blue, that are visibly marked with their corresponding colored blaze. Additionally, there are a number of small green and white arrow-ed signs that point the way so it would be very difficult to get lost here. There were a number of picturesque sights along my hike through the area... most notably among them, the Manton Reservoir. The Yellow Trail opens right up to a ravine with a drop off to each side with views of both the reservoir and river that runs off from it. The entirety of the trail was lined with the pretty purple Hepatica flowers that thrive in the limestone-rich soil within the preserve. (For the medical professionals out there: Hepatica is named from its leaves, which like the liver [hepatic, get it?] have 3 lobes... cool huh?) A very easy, leisurely, short hike for those who might want to enjoy the outdoors but not commit to an extensive walk in the woods. Dogs are seemingly allowed in the area as long as they are leashed. Great for children! If you are into geocaching, there are a couple in the area not far from the marked trails. The trail head is well marked with space for 3-4 cars to comfortably pull off of the road. BRING YOUR BUG SPRAY

WATCH YOUR SURROUNDINGS HERE!…read more I used to come here a lot a few years back and absolutely loved walking here. However today, I cannot say the same. The weirdest thing happened to me this morning on my walk. I was walking here with my dog and as soon as we got out of the car and only a few steps in, this women came out of no where and asked if she could walk with us. I will say, she did open with "I know this is a really weird thing to ask." In my head, I was like yeah it is, but what's the harm, we're in a nice area. I made sure to keep my distance, as I was still nervous/creeped out by the situation. The conversation started out fine, "oh your dogs cute, what's her name, what breed is she." However as we walked a little further, she started asking more personal questions, "where are you from, how old are you, etc" This is when I knew, something was just off. So when my dog stopped and she kept walking a little further, I turned around and ran to my car. The vibes were just not right and in my gut I knew there was something off about the whole situation. I could be completely wrong and maybe she was just looking for a friendly walk with someone. However, the personal questions or saying "I don't know this area very well can you show me the path to walk." That line alone was very off putting because there is a clear open path to follow here. I even told her this but she continued to walk with us even when I knew she could tell I was feeling uncomfortable. So PLEASE be aware of your surroundings and make sure you are safe. It's a nice area, however you just never know. She was probably in her early thirties, tall, African American - I don't recall her name. You just never know what could happen, things might seem perfectly fine, but always have your guard up like I did! Sorry for the long message, but I just want to make people aware of what happened so it doesn't happen to you!!

I hiked this for the first time this year and found trail markings missing and ended up on a road…read moretaking me far away from the trail. BE VERY COGNAZANT OF THE TRAIL I found myself on another trail with excellent marking, but leading me further away. The trailhead at Birchwald refers to only 2 markings - red and green. Within a mile those are gone.