Very beautiful hike with a few challenging ledges and ascents but manageable if you take your time…read more(at least for an old fogie like me!). We followed the blue-blazed trail which took us to Green Pond and the Green Pond Falls. The falls were spectacular especially after the previous night's rain, cascading down a rugged ravine. In this early spring, the trail was lush with ferns, mosses, and lichens, looking like something out of a Lord of the Rings movie. The trails are fairly well marked and there are a number of unmarked paths that can be used to make shorter loops.

Super narrow roads-I was scared-lol. I guess if you camp you come here but wouldnt come here just…read moreto take a walk. Lots of dead chipmunks and rat holes-Felt like I was in a horror movie....

Hopeville Pond continues to a tale of two cities. During the week it is occupied for the most part…read moreby people enjoying the park for what is , the outdoors, nature, kids playing and having fun, fishing and canoeing/kayaking. For this it excels. On weekends it is whole different world . It is occupied by a larger crowd of Inconsiderate people. The general ignoring of the quiet hour rules , not cleaning up after themselves in facilities , playing music at volumes that be heard several sites away, and a new one: The constant running of generators from8:00 AM until 10:00 PM. Really unless someone in your party is on a medical device that needs constant power , I can't understand why you need to run your generator all day. An ice chest can keep your food cold at fraction of the cost of the gas required to run a generator all day. While there are no rules against this , common sense and consideration for others should be all the rule needed. The worst part is the generator people put the generator on the other side of the RV from where they sit so the RV blocks some of the noise . On the other hand it is right next to my site I get the noise from it further amplified by what bounces of your RV. None of these are by any means only issues at Hopeville but I notice a lot more of it here The staff this year were all pleasant , friendly and helpful. The facilities during the week were spotless and they did a good job of trying to maintaining decently clean facilities on weekends . Next year I retire so I will never have to come on weekend again and will be to enjoy Hopeville. Hopefully the inconsiderate will keep their attendance to weekends . It is is nice park but weekends it is not relaxing .

I stayed here 3 nights in a tent. Check-in process was smooth but they did not provide much…read moreinformation as far as any amenities or map/layout of the area. The first night was a struggle considering the ground was almost all gravel and because of this, staking my tent was a tedious task. As long as you have good tent stakes and not the typical ones that come with all tents like I did, you should overcome the terrain. The bathrooms on our loop could have been a little better. We used the cleaning products we had on hand to take care of ourselves but my worry is that the bathrooms were not kept to the highest standard. The flies were overwhelming. The bath houses were private and free but the shower did take a second to warm up. Hopeville Pond State Park offered a welcoming atmosphere and if I ever decide to stay here again, I hope that the experience improves.

Great programs for adults and kiddos! Beautiful trails and friendly staff. We've love it here.read more

Great place for kids and hikers. Educational and great summer camp activities. Wonderful preschoolread more

Water rocks and…read more houses The Dr John Champlin Glacier Park is a parcel of land that is owned by the Westerly Land Trust and is open to the public. It's not particularly large, a bit less than 150 acres, but you can stretch out a hike of about 4 or 5 miles if you use all the paths. Nothing strenuous or difficult, all the paths and trails are wide and easy. The Glacier Park is an interesting place if you happen to enjoy geology. As the name implies the area was formed by the glaciers and in fact the entire park is a recessional moraine. Lots of boulders, kettle ponds and other obviously signs of glaciation are present and lots of cool stone walls meander throughout the park. At one time the area held a stone quarry and huge chunks of worked granite can be seen laying around. At the highest point there is an observation platform where you can see a few miles out to the ocean. An impressive and nice view, especially in the winter. One of the biggest problems with hiking here are the houses. The area has been heavily developed recently and houses are visible in the distance during almost the entire hike. They're very nice houses but I would prefer more trees and stones and less signs of humans. Glacier Park isn't a hike for people that like to cover miles and want the solitude of the woods, plenty of other places for that near by. This hike is great for older people, kids or perhaps people with disabilities that keep them from climbing or doing the more difficult hikes. It's also a great place for anyone interested in glaciers or geology. Definitely a place to slow down and look, listen and think.

Nice trails sandwiched in Westerly. Make sure you bring the insect repellentread more

Always looking for a new spot to take a stroll. This spot is down a long country road lined with…read moretidy homes. The GPS told me I had arrived, but nothing was there. I tried to re-position the pin on Yelp, and hopefully that will fix that situation. Fingers crossed. The trails here are a mix of widths and surfaces. All paths were maintained, even when some of the signage was hard to spot. I took a photo of the map located at the entrance and that helped us a couple of times to stay on trail. Some areas are wide enough to walk two abreast, while other areas have you brushing up against the undergrowth. It's a lovely, quiet area. Some trails are smooth dirt, others lots have of rocks and or roots and a few spots are muddy/low lying. Just be sure to wear appropriate foot wear, keep a close eye on the trail and you'll be fine. The height difference on this trail is minimal and as long as you are a good walker (not a small child for example) I would recommend this spot for it's quiet beauty. There is a large rock sign at the entrance to the parking area, and the parking lot looks to hold about two dozen vehicles give or take. Pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash and please clean up after them, thank you. Enjoy your walk in the woods.

A very green…read morehike The Westerly Town Forest is a woody area that contains several miles of hiking trails. All the trails are well marked and there is a accurate map at the start of the hike. Not a large place but if you follow all the different trails you can probably get in five miles of easy hiking. The forest is lovely with lots of old trees, ferns and other plants that are not usually found in this type of heavily forest environment. Everything is so green this time of year with all the different shades merging together to form a beautiful mosaic of color. The hiking is pretty easy and most of the trails wide and easy to follow. A few hills but the terrain is mostly flat and gentle. Lots of huge glacial boulders add some contrast to the ancient forest and stunning greenery. As to be expected the bugs were horrific in the forest. Lots of mosquitoes and other nasty critters out for blood. I suspect this is a much nicer place for a hike in the fall or better yet the winter. Probably a cool place for some cross country skiing after a heavy snow. Definitely not a place for a challenging hike but a lovely woods for older people, children or perhaps individuals that have trouble with lots of steep hills, rocks, ruts, or rugged and slippery footing. A great place for anyone that happens to love the color green.

About a mile in a loop…read more The blue trail is challenging for someone not very agile. (Hopping from large rocks) Took my toddler. In hind sight not the smartest. They also have a less challenging yellow trail. Went in the fall. Very pretty and fun.

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.

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!