This is a beautiful refuge area with a nice easy closed loop trial that is easy to do on a nice…read morebeautiful day. We saw many birds, swans, snails, spiders, etc. Being a weekday in the off-season was easy to park and meander with little other humans around. The parking area only holds about 15-20 cars, so it's limited. The pond is large and tranquil...just a great place to get close to nature.

Definitely lives up to the five star reviews. Beautiful afternoon at Trustom Pond National Wildlife…read moreRefuge. Great trails and bird watching: we saw four osprey, including one with a nestling. Trails are well marked and easy to navigate; parking was easy although there are limited spaces. Plenty of benches to sit and take a break and lots of viewing areas with binoculars. This does not make for a challenging or vigorous hike but is lovely for a nice stroll to enjoy the birds of the area.

Beautiful and scenic trials. Make sure you follow the trail heads or follow your scenery as a…read moremajority of the trails aren't marked. Very well maintained, clean and well preserved.

Certainly a hidden paradise ... the water was so pristine clear it's unbelievable. I loved the…read moresound of the birds and the peaceful vibe of nature , it was so beautiful there we didn't want to leave !! Absolutely in LOVE !!! If you love nature and to be by the water this is the place for you :)

A beautiful park with an even more amazing beach…read more Today I did a beach clean up with the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society leading me through it all. We discussed the importance of keeping our beaches clean and how they find, autopsy, and care for sea creatures, specifically sea turtles! We were given shirts for participating since it was national parks day, and complimentary bagels and coffee were handed out beforehand. It was a beautiful day and the walk and clean up was about 2 hours. A little under 2 miles. Not to brag but I found the most garbage with 5lbs in my pail, not pictured (but I swear it's true!) It's a beautiful place and I look forward to coming back either for more cleanups or to enjoy the view.

After an area winery visit and a quick drive through some local towns, we were ready to stretch our…read morelegs a bit before heading back to the 'burbs, and this hidden gem was a GREAT choice!! BEAUTIFUL trail to the water's edge, just a BIT hilly, but very manageable, and SUPER scenic. I love going to parks like this "off season," you just feel like you're the first person to have ever "discovered" it, and it's really just YOU (and in my case, my brother and S.I.L.) and NATURE at its finest.... We only had time to take the one tail to the water's edge, but even in semi-overcast, chilly late fall weather, it was slightly challenging, scenic, and DEFINITELY worth a detour, if you're in the area (and just MIGHT need to hike off a BIT of local wine and cheeeeeese!!)

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!

There is a good sized dirt parking area here with security lights. A trail map is located at the…read moretrail head and the paths are very clearly blazed. You can see they have been through and cleared winter debris from the trail. The terrain is rocky with plenty of roots and has a slight incline. Nothing too strenuous. An excellent location to get into the woods for a quick day hike.

This is such a hidden gem! I would def recommend making the trek out to enjoy it. We followed a…read moreroute on all trails but took our own way sometimes too making our hike about 6 miles. It wasn't very green yet but we cannot wait to come back in a month. There were some deer tracks, two garter snakes, a frog, and lots pretty birds. Oh and a crab! Our pup did great too. Make sure to check for ticks. We found a few on him!

This is one of those places I wish I could give more than 5 stars to. It's that's beautiful…read more Rodman's Hollow is indeed a hollow, sort of a big hole in the landscape. It's a bit under 50 acres and is crossed with hiking trails. 50 acres might not sound like much but since the trails go up and down and all around you can spend hours exploring this place. The Hollow was formed during the last period of glaciation, about 20,000 years ago and is the only know habitat of a small vole like creature. Don't plan on actually seeing the beast because they are reported to be extremely shy, but I have seen very small trails in the grass that might be made by the voles. Unfortunately besides the voles Rodman's Hollow is also home to an enormous amount of ticks. If you do go hiking make sure you take a bath in tick repellent or you might be taking home more than just fond memories. Rodman's Hollow is a relatively short bike ride from the center of town and only a few miles from Southeast Lighthouse. It's a incredible beautiful part of Block Island that unfortunately few people take the time to visit.

BI has done an outstanding job of preserving their green-space. Unfortunately they've done a…read moremiserable job of providing maps of any kind, most significantly lacking in trail maps. Rodman's Hollow is gorgeous and can keep you meandering for an afternoon. If you're an average hiker, or really anyone in good health, the BI trails will not be too challenging and they're full of gorgeous rewards. If you're not up for a long hike or any moderately challenging inclines, you may find yourself facing more of a hike than you'd hoped for since getting information about trails is the only downside to BI hiking.

Do you find yourself having to go to Foxwoods for some reason? Do you feel like you need to balance…read morethings out/cleanse yourself with nature before and/or after? Then I recommend a jaunt on Lantern Hill! We found a loop trail on AllTrails (blue blazes) which is about 1.5 miles and took 45 minutes. It was a bit rocky in a number of sections, so I recommend hiking shoes with good traction. Elevation got our hearts pumping. Nice hilltop views of a pond and yes, the casino. We also saw 5-10 vultures in a certain area. I wonder if they gamble.

The blue trail was very challenging, Rocky, required solid skillful footing. Beautiful views that…read moreonly got better the closer you got to the top! I was greeted by three hawks at the top! Very clear day you could see for miles!! Loved this hike!

A good spot to hang out and chill alone or accompanied. You can observe nature, bike, jog, walk or…read moreget in the water & do kayak, boating, swim or paddle board if you desire. It's a beautiful park. Check it out.

Beautiful hiking spot with easy to navigate trails and stunning ocean views. We were able to see…read moreFisher's Island, Long Island, and Groton. The port-a-potties were a nice amenity too. It was a little loud due to small airplanes taking off and landing at the nearby airport but it added a layer of intrigue. There are picnic tables and plenty of spots to sit along the water. Next time, I'll bring food and a book.