Clean. Quiet. Nice family park. Brand new tennis courts, brand new basketball courts. 2 baseball…read morefields. A brand new large playground. Older playground structure is also still there. They also have a few "work out" structures. They say 12 & Up - but the kids are always drawn to them. 3 swings- one infant 2 kid sized swings. Nice/tucked away in Hope Village. Somewhat hard to find- there is a small green Sign that says "Hope Park" where you need to turn.

Love taking the dogs for a walk here. Lots of parking and there's typically families at the…read moreplayground. You can't let the dogs onto the field, but you don't need to because there's plenty of space to walk them. There are also tennis courts here there are garbage cans, but no facilities.

It's a little overstated. I wouldn't really call it a park. There's a small pathway to launch a…read morecanoe and an elevated wooden walkway that overlooks the water and is maybe a hundred feet long, that you could probably fish of it. To have some quiet time overlooking the water for a few minutes while your laundry dries at the laundromat across the street, it will fit the bill. But, for much more than that, you're probably going to be disappointed.

This very small park off Manchester Street in West Warwick was a very unexpected find just off New…read moreLondon Turnpike, nestled behind a laundromat. There are three parking spots, plus one handicapped spot. The short trail is wheelchair accessible, however, it is packed dirt over plastic mesh not asphalt. A wheelchair accessible wooden dock is visible from the parking area where you can fish or just enjoy a sunny day on the river. The path follows further along to another fishing area that may not be accessible. There was one picnic table up on the hill overlooking the dock. Not really a park for walking as the path is too short, this is more of a river access for fishing.

Right when I started walking towards the park, I was greeted with action: a mink was chasing a rat…read moreand eventually did have it for lunch. This led me to pay close attention to what other animals were around. I came across a couple birds, one more mink, and a lot of Canada geese, some of which were chilling on a house's lawn. They were fearless and started coming towards me but stopped about 6 feet away. The loop around the body of water is about half a mile so it makes for a perfect casual stroll; a lot of people were walking their dog, talking on the phone, or on a run. Two sides of this park has houses, and it seems like people respect the neighbor's privacy and peace since it was quiet. There's a dock to fish, along with other spots. There's a little library where you can take/drop off books. They have lots of benches along the way and the entire path is paved. There is a parking lot across the park; it seems like it belongs to a school so in the summer it's convenient to park there but it might be a different story during the school year.

The lake and views are beautiful, but unfortunately the people who live here made the overall…read moreexperience very unpleasant. Some residents were rude, unfriendly, and made it feel like newcomers were not welcome. There was also a lack of consideration for others, which made the community feel uncomfortable rather than friendly and inviting. It's a shame because the location and lake are genuinely nice, but the atmosphere created by some of the residents really takes away from it.

This town park has a lot going on…read more Located behind the community/rec center are several baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a skate park, several tennis courts and a couple of playgrounds. All the facilities look well maintained. The town organizes pickleball meet-ups, basketball lessons, summer camp, community events with food trucks and more. Check the webpage for a list of upcoming events. Kid and adult baseball leagues play here as well. Definitely worth a stop by to check out the facilities. A good amount of parking is available near the tennis courts. You can also walk in from the Coventry Greenway bike path. There are two newer playground areas, one larger than the other and a couple a picnic tables are on the property as well.

I did not know the State of Rhode Island has it's very own Desert! Seriously, we have lived here…read morefor over a decade and I am just now finding this out? I have tried to locate exactly who is responsible for this land, checking with both the town West Greenwich town website, and the State of Rhode Island website, neither of which identifies itself as the care taker so I am unable to provide a web address for more information. That said, this place just wowed me. We lived in the actual desert at one time (AZ) and this spot is more like the dunes in SoCal than the high desert of Tucson. It's a bunch of sandy dunes undulating under the blue sky. Surrounded by woodlands, it's hidden from the road. A quick look up on the satellite map shows this is a spot for winter sledding. Sorry I missed that as a kid. First off, there are two locations: one is located on the north side of Division Street nestled between Division and Rt 95. The other is on the south side of Division Street, listed as the West Greenwich Sand Dunes. While exploring this area one bight autumn day, we came across a group of military personnel, practicing their 'jumping out of helicopter' skills. That was a very good time and there were quite a few people who brought their lawn chairs to enjoy the show, camera's in hand. We wandered around as best we could, trying to stay out of the way of the jumpers (they had targets on the ground they were supposed to land near, so this was pretty easy to do) and have returned again and again to explore more of this area and the surrounding Big River Management area woodlands. I'm sure this desert is part of said Big River Mgmt area of which you can easily find hiking information on line. The general area is popular with hikers, walkers, bikers and runners. Seriously, if you are a fan of the desert, are new to RI, or just never knew there was such a thing in this state, you have got to stop by some fine day and take a walk around. It's like being at the beach, minus the water.

This is one of those unsung RI landmarks. Way back when, there was brief talk of the new Patriots…read morestadium being built here. But alas, it's remained just a place to sled in the winter and walk around during the rest of the year. Really, not formal parking, just a handful of spots in a couple of openings. But it's a nice little getaway nonetheless.

Big River Management Area, is a Big Area! We have been on several of their trails, parking in a…read morevairety of places. It's a diverse area and one of our 'go to' spots for getting into nature. Our past few hikes have been around Carr Pond. We drive down Division Street, to Carr Pond Road, and park street side. There are a couple of parking lots, both before Carr Pond Road, and after. Just depends on how long you want your hike to last, and where you want to walk. There are DEM signs posted on a tree and obvious signs that cars have been parking in this particular spot on Carr Pond Road. The hike around the pond has taken just over 3 miles to well over 4.5 miles. We usually wander through the interconnecting trails as the mood strikes us. It is important, when taking a walk quite this long, that you DO bring a bottle or two of water per person. You will also appreciate bug spray. I have forgotten the bug spray, and although definitely 'do-able', not quite as enjoyable. This particular summer, we have had a lot of rain and mushrooms are everywhere along the trail. A few large puddles have developed along the trail that are full of small toads (I just love these cute little critters). The trails are very well maintained for the most part and it is easy to walk 'around' these low lying areas. A few less travelled paths are a bit over grown, but nothing that isn't easily navigable. The pond itself is large with a variety of areas where you can picnic (bug spray), meditate and just enjoy the serenity of the pond. There are also a number of old building foundations, dams, rock walls and a historical cemetary. We use a phone app to track our hikes as we do tend to wander and it's a good way to see when we are close to our pathway out. After a few visits, you begin to recognize where you are but the first couple of trips can be questionable. The change is altitude is minimal with a couple of paths that have a good 'up grade' (or down grade as the case may be). You do need quality footware here as the paths are a variety of gravelly, rocky, roots and dirt. It change from one type to another on any of the individual paths. The trails are color coded if you want to stick to just one. The path width can also chagee dramatically from four person wide to barely one person wide on any given trail. It's best to be prepared for all possibilities. Most of the path around Carr pond is in shade but if you wander into other areas of the BIg River Management Area, you may be in full sun for most of the walk, so plan to wear a hat, bring sunscreen, have water and maybe a snack. Most of all, Have Fun!

Roomy and extensive trails that will loop you around two bodies of water - Carrs Pond and Tarbox…read morePond - but also many side trails that crisscross and branch off the main ones. If you're new to this preserve - as we were - better download the AllTrails app onto your smartphone as unfortunately, trail blazes are virtually non-existent and there's no map posted at the trailhead. But it is nice making your way to the two lily-covered ponds, though viewing them in the height of summer is tough with all the leaves and undergrowth. We intend to visit again in the fall (when the colors should be spectacular!) and early winter.

The West Warwick Greenway is part of the RI Rail Trail/Trestle Trail, the Washington Secondary Bike…read morePath and the East Coast Greenway. All at the same time. Parking to enter the trail at this location is behind Horgan Elementary School, near the public tennis courts and skate park. There is also a red caboose to the east of the parking lot that you can explore. A homage to the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad that once ran along this pathway. Walking or riding to the south and west, the trail leads toward the Coventry Greenway which is often tree covered, passes a couple of ponds, crosses bridges, runs near two historic homes you can tour, at least two cemeteries and a conservation area. This trail ends about six miles before the CT State line in Coventry, RI. Heading to the north and east, leads to downtown West Warwick and offers a more urban excursion. The path often follows the road in this area, crosses some busy streets and is a nice way to access downtown businesses and government offices. Ultimately the north/east direction will lead you into Cranston and further on into downtown Providence. The entire pathway is paved making it an excellent outing for wheelchairs (motorized or otherwise), strollers, walkers, bikes and pedestrians alike. Walk on the left, ride on the right. If you bring your pup, keep it on a leash and take home any 'gifts' they make. There are normally no facilities along the route, but from time to time you will find a port-a-john in a parking area or stop in one of the businesses to buy an ice cream or pop and use their restroom. There are benches placed along the route at uneven intervals and from time to time you'll see old train tracks, a platform, switches and telegraph poles still visible next to the trail. The trails are well maintained with fence repair work and rain mitigation ongoing. The pathways are not cleared of snow and ice and may be closed if the weather has been inclement.

Yep, it's a big-arse dam. No where to park. I think this is one of those parks you're just supposed…read moreto drive by.

A whole lot of…read morewater Gainer Memorial Dam is a big dam. That's pretty obvious to even the most casual observer. It's 3,000 feet long, 110 feet high, and holds back almost 40 billion gallons of water. The reservoir behind the damn contains over 60% of the state's water supply. It the dam decided to break, the ground would be flooded for over twenty miles in all directions. Yep, it's a big dam that has impressive views of the reservoir and woods around it. There's some hiking trails around the reservoir but many are unmarked and go off into all directions. Still a fun place to get lost, although in the snowy weather finding a place to park is really hard because most of the parking areas aren't plowed. When the dam was completed in 1925 it was considered an engineering marvel. It has been inspected many times over the years and although modern construction methods weren't used when it was built, it is said to be able to withstand a direct hit by an earthquake up to magnitude 5.0. I guess the towns around the massive old dam just have to hope a magnitude 5.1 doesn't hit the area.

Great park/playground on the western/richy side of East Greenwich. Athletic fields and plenty of…read moreparking. Can't go wrong.