Gosh it's been a long time since we hiked these trails and long overdue. But it's just as…read morebeautiful and tranquil as ever! We followed a little different path this time, doing part of the blue loop but then cutting across it on the Woods Road which seems to be a less traveled trail. We also passed by the enigmatic stone cairns, stacked for who knows what reason (my hypothesis is that it was the start of a wall that Mexico didn't pay for ...). We plan to return cuz there's a whole other loop trail (red blazed) that we want to explore.

Drove by this a couple times in the winter, and now that's its warmed up decided to check it out. A…read morenice little getaway, you have multiple paths to choose from upon initially entering. Both paths were slightly overgrown a little bit into them, otherwise though it was a great time.

Continues to be a beautiful nature preserve with well-marked trails. We focused on the Hammit Hill…read moretrail (yellow blaze) and it was a nice hike, coming across some massive glacial boulders, and "summitting" the hill (marked by a crop of boulders and a view into a ravine). Wonderful way to spend a sunny and cool autumn day!

We find this a very enjoyable place for a quiet walk. Although not all man made sounds are masked,…read morethe sounds of crickets and birds and the wind in the tree tops gently serenaded us on our most recent walk through the wood. Easy to find, the gravel car park is a very good size. There is a covered information kiosk off the car park and another three-sided sign board at the trail head, along with a small covered Trail Map box on a post. Signs everywhere tell you this is *not* a dog friendly location. The early part of this trail is one person wide, fairly even ground. It wends it's way along the edge of two meadows. After the second meadow, the path becomes much broader and remains fairly clear of roots and rocks until you reach the old stone fireplace at Carr Pond where the pathway turns into the wood and becomes more difficult to navigate. If you have a sturdy, off-road baby pram or wheelchair, you may be able to travers this early part of the trail with a little assistance. You will need to navigate around the 'no dog' sign in the middle of the path at the trail head and the narrow meadow portion. After that the trail widens and would be easier to traverse in dry conditions. We branched off on to the CP trail into the wood. The trail takes a short, steep climb at the beginning and then levels out. Single wide, the trail is clearly blazed, even under a carpet of autumn foliage. CP trail is the white trail mark and signs for other trails are very well signed. Carr Pond is about half way round on the CP trail, before looping back and returning to the meadow. We 'strolled' the trail, enjoying being in the wood, stopped at the pond a couple of times to enjoy the serenity. You can most definitely walk it faster, but we took about an hour to make the loop. There are no benches to rest on along this trail, or to sit and enjoy the pond views. In the wooded section you need to keep an eye on roots and rocks. There are a couple of short boardwalks over low area near the pond. It was cooler under the trees making me glad I remembered a hat and jacket along with my water. No facilities of any kind are available, so go, before you visit. Definitely an easy trail for those who are sturdy on their feet. Wear appropriate footwear, and enjoy the quiet peace of the wood and pond.

Connor's Farm Conservation Area is by far, one of my favorite places for hiking in Rhode Island…read more Described as a hidden gem within the state, the main trailhead for this area is nestled in a nice neighborhood in Smithfield. If you are looking for a little bit of elevation, this is your place. I traipsed around here for approximately 2 miles and enjoyed every moment of it. Ponds, birdhouses, brooks, glacial rock formations, caves, overlooks, beech groves, a wild cranberry bog, stone bridges and so much more. The trails are marked by color - red, green, blue, and yellow. It is very easy to stay on trail here as everything is very well marked and their are signs at most intersections identifying where you are on the map. It is the one hike I've taken lately where the maps at the trailhead were actually stocked! This land was once part of the Connors family farm (surprise!). The trail system was built by the Boy Scouts in the 90s. My favorite view was from the top of the boulder field. Do expect some strenuous sections but its worth it! Beautiful in the spring/summer!

Nice place for a quiet, peaceful lunch and meditation, or hike. Not very long or strenuous. Limited…read moreparking.

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!

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.

Powder Mill Ledges is a small, well-managed wildlife refuge in Smithfield, RI! I came here by…read moreaccident when I made a few wrong turns and accidentally ended up on US-44 instead of RI-146. Then I saw some signs for a wildlife refuge on the side of the highway and decided to make a spontaneous trip! The trails are well-marked. There's a series of stacked loops so you can choose exactly how much distance you want to cover. I did all 3 loops (orange, blue, and yellow) and it was only about 2 miles, taking less than an hour to cover. This is Rhode Island, where the highest point is only 810 feet, so there's barely any elevation on this hike. I think it would be appropriate for almost any age or fitness level. The trails aren't particularly set off from the road so you can see and hear traffic and stores at some points. It's not the best place to come if you want to feel totally away from civilization. That being said, it's definitely not crowded. I came here on a cold, sunny winter weekend and there were only a couple other people on the trail. I'll come here again if I want a quick hike that's a bit quieter than some of the busy spots in RI!

A short but enjoyable trail. They have signs up saying there's a detour, but the detour points in…read morethe direction of what appears to be the normal trail. So I don't know. People were walking their dogs on the trail even though there are multiple signs saying they are not allowed. Still an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

Wide, flat, easy trail that is great for families. I was here recently searching for glass apples…read moreas part of the "Apple Trails" event that Smithfield hosts every October. I didn't find any apples, but I still enjoyed my walk on this trail. Fall is a really good time to be here, because the foliage colors are beautiful, and with fewer leaves on the trees, you can see more of the water views. The trail is not long (only about a mile in each direction), and there is parking at either end. At the midpoint of the trail, there are benches overlooking the water (Stillwater Reservoir, I think?) that make for a nice spot to sit, relax, and maybe enjoy a snack before continuing on.

If you're looking for short, level, easy path, you'll find it here. That said, in the summer, views…read moreare somewhat limited due to vegetation, and it's just 1.1 miles long, so out and back is a short 2.2 mile trek. At .8 miles (from the lot where we parked), there are two benches which offer a view of the river. There is also a lot at the other end of the trail, so the benches would be at .3 miles respectively. On the plus side, the trail is quiet and we only saw a few people. On the negative side, it's very short, it's not a loop, there are limited views in the summer, and it's not especially interesting. I wouldn't go out of my way to walk here, but if it's convenient to your locale, or your limited on time, this might be your spot!

Such a beautiful trail. I stumbled upon this one day when I was in the area and wanted to explore…read more It was very busy that day, I love when people get out into nature. Nice sized parking lot that is on rocks for sure. They used to have tons of bird houses but they're gone now- not sure why. But it's very cool under the trees a nice breeze, and so many areas where you can overlook water. Be cautious though, every trail I've ever done has different color marked trails for some odd reason this has 2 trails and they're both marked yellow which can cause for serious confusion. I didn't like this at all because if we weren't paying attention we could've ended up not following the path we entered. I'm not a use my phone type of person for a trail map, I simply want to enjoy my time use the tree cues and go about my walk. It's very clean, you run into all types of people here, families, fur babies, I even ran into a lady who had goats one time it was pretty cool. There is also from what I'm told a swan that practically owns this water, I was told it's been there for years. Very beautiful swan might I say. There's 2 water overlooks one is to the right when you pretty much first walk in, go to the right of the path, they have a bench to overlook but this is more like just a bunch of Lilly pads still pretty. But if you go much longer and stay pretty much to your right you will end up by the water and a big rock you can sit on, just be careful not to fall in. They also if you keep going ( it's hard to explain which "path" to take because as I said they're both yellow, who did this and why), but there is a buddy bridge which is so cute to honor pets who have passed. All in all I liked the trail just pay attention to what you're doing. I been twice and never went all the way, as the two yellow trails are confusing and I'm not that adventurous to get lost. Happy hiking!

Food was good. Diner style menu. Service is good. Welcoming. Prices reasonable. We get breakfast…read morethere on weekends.