This park is still a solid play for its location and offering, but with more perspective, it's more…read moreconvenient than special. A short drive or long walk from here yields other offerings that typically impress more.

I'm not from Providence so I rate things here based as an out-of-towner. I have a toddler and while…read morein town the family wanted to explore local playgrounds in the nice area around Brown University. Brassil Park is a cute neighborhood playground but certainly not a destination playground like Lippitts Memorial Park or Dexter Field. It needs some landscape pretty badly and the ginkgo trees in the fall smell to high heaven. The stink from these trees' fruit stayed in my nostrils for quite a while after leaving.

This cute little square in the Fox Point section of Providence is known to many locals and…read moreresidents as a nice little place to relax while walking in the area. Fenner Square's name commemorates Rhode Island's 4th Governor Arthur Fenner and his son, Rhode Island Governor and Senator James Fenner. Initially known as "What Cheer Farm," the Fenner estate extended from Hope Street and Power Street to the Seekonk River in the early 17th century. Close to the park was a horse stable and the workers there would walk the horses around the triangular plot of land, which was then known as "Heater Park" (Preservation RI). Fenner Square had fallen into disrepair a few years ago...then about 5 years ago, a group of neighbors wanted to bring the surrounding community together and transformed it into the picturesque gathering place that it is today. They started weeding and pruning, creating space for the roses. They added a brick path and with help from the city's tree planting program, created shade for sitting. With a bucket brigade from a nearby house, the neighbors creatively figured out a way to water the plants without a formal water source. Since then, painted stones and thank you letters have cropped up at the park. It is an unexpected encounter for the ordinary passersby. Couples will sit on the benches and occasionally the neighbors will host community gatherings throughout the summer. A scenic plaza at the intersection of Governor and Williams streets, now Fenner Square is the perfect spot for a pleasant stroll or outdoor picnic. We have enjoyed many lazy afternoons here.

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/)

This is a sweet little park in Federal Hill. We decided to stop because we wanted a little rest…read moreafter a morning of walking up to Federal Hill from downtown. There are a lot of shady places to sit and a lot of nice things to look at. The park itself isn't very large and there isn't much "to do" but you can read the plaques and see where the church used to be. There's a good amount of seating though so we liked using it as a respite from walking. There is a super cute garden in the back that seems a little attached to someone's house, but it is in the parking lot so you can walk right up to it.

Recently, during a historical tour, we stopped at St John's Park to learn more about this part of…read moreFederal Hill. This parcel had originally been a church, and was turned into a park in the 1960s. According to legend, Lovecraft based "The Haunter of the Dark" on this original, but now gone St John's Baptist Church. The park holds many different neighborhood vendor events throughout the year, so people can reserve it for weddings, festivals, celebrations, etc.... During the night, uplighting was added to the trees to enhance the plaza nighttime ambiance and visibility. There is a Verrazzano marker here which came from the downtown Memorial Park,

Corliss Park is situated in the Wanskuck neighborhood of Providence, in the city's north side, near…read morethe campuses of both Providence College and RI School for the Deaf. The park was named for George Corliss who invented the Corliss steam invention in the 1850s. A steam engine factory once stood a few blocks away where Home Depot currently resides. In addition to the 0.3 mile walking path, Corliss Park contains a playground, ball fields, handball court, tennis courts, basketball courts, new outdoor fitness equipment, and a community garden. I have been here a few times walking on the easy wooded path, relaxing in the area. Very shady in the summer time. The RIPTA 50 bus stops one block away from the park near the corner of Douglas Avenue and Corina Street.

Great little park/trail by the waterfront. Small parking lot in the beginning and even a small…read moreplayground by the parking lot. There is a small trail to the water where there is a seawall/rock wall you can also walk on. I'm a bit clumsy so I didn't walk the entire wall in either direction, but the site offers some nice views and a nice breeze off the water. It also seems to be a hot spot for people to be fishing and/or clamming(?) as there where multiple people there with buckets and fishing poles as well.

This park is so clean spacious and relaxing. You can do things from taking casual walks to picnics…read moreof family. A must come to place if you ever around.

At the corner of Branch Avenue and Charles Street, Hopkins Square was a neighborhood square that…read morehas more recently become a park. Many call it St Ann's Park, many call it Hopkins Square. It's about an acre in area. The square is named after Esek Hopkins (the only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War) and functioned as the Hopkins family burial ground for many years before the city moved it to the North Burial Grounds. The square also includes a prominent statue of Esek Hopkins. Like many statues throughout the city, it is made from stone cast at the former Gorham factory, a sprawling 37-acre industrial plant once located in Elmwood. It's nice to stroll around and combine a relaxing green setting with some US history.

Sea breeze in the late afternoon was much needed relief from the sun bearing down…read more Parking lot is tiny. Has a beach that is very spacious and offers play set for children. Best advice I followed - use the grounds facility instead of portable toilets.

Music and mounds…read more Burr's Hill Park is a seven and a half acre park that sits right across from the town beach. A very pleasant place with nice views of the water but this park also holds a bit of a mystery. The park has baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a bandshell where a summer concert series is held. Other events and gatherings are also frequently conducted at the park. It's also right next to the East Bay Bike Path so it's a convenient place to use the bathrooms or get some water while biking by. One of the things that first struck me when viewing the park are the strange mounds that rise up on the perimeter of the park. If you look closely it becomes obvious that these are not natural but created by people a long time ago. These enigmatic mounds are actually the remains of a Revolutionary Fort that was built here centuries ago and long forgotten. No signs or historical plaques are around to mark the site but it's still pretty cool. I couldn't find any signs of recent archaeological activity nor any reference to any digs that have been conducted in the park so who knows what treasures lurk below the surface. Burr's Hill is a nice place that serves many of the recreational and artistic needs of the people of Warren. Interesting to realize that several centuries ago the value and function of the park served a far more martial and less pleasant purpose.