Welcome to RINature.com!

RINature.com is your guide to nature activities in Rhode Island. You'll find information about state parks and beaches, wildlife refuges and nature preserves. Whether you're a hiker, a birdwatcher or just looking for a quiet place to take a stroll, we can help you find the perfect place to enjoy the Rhode Island outdoors.

Our feature attraction is our map of nature locations in Rhode Island. You can use this map to quickly find great places to enjoy the outdoors near you. You can also use the category tree to the right to find places by town, county or type.

Please rate locations you've visited, and post comments about any you find noteworthy. We all want to hear what you think!

Here are some handy links to entry categories:

Popular Types
State parks
Audubon wildlife refuges
National Wildlife Refuges

Locations in...
Southern Rhode Island
Northern Rhode Island
Newport/Jamestown

Locations for...
Hiking
Wildlife observation
Learning

Locations by entry date
Most recent entries
Archives by month

We want your input!
To submit information about a location, book, product or activity you'd like to see listed on RINature.com, please use our contact form.

Also, please create an account! Doing so will make it easier to post comments and (in the future) to enter information about new locations.
Categories : General

RINature Locations Map

 
The map below shows all of the locations entered on RINature.com.

ON THE MAP YOU CAN:

• hover over a marker to see the name of the location
• click on a marker to see more information about that location
• double-click on the map to zoom in or right-click to zoom out
• click-and-drag to move around to different locations on the map


 
Categories : General

Silver Spring Fishing Area

Categories : Fishing, North Kingstown, State Owned

Stump Pond Fishing Area

Categories : Fishing, Smithfield, State Owned

Mercer Lookout

Official Description (from location's homepage)
Quiet woodland trails, second growth forest, a chimney and fireplace remaining from a Boy Scout cabin, blueberry bushes and a panoramic view of the Providence skyline.
Note: (from a visitor) "in it's current condition, the road to the parking area can only be accessed with a 4 wheel drive vehicle with plenty of clearance underneath. The dirt road has several heavily eroded spots where the rocks stick out a good 1 to 2 feet out of the ground. Anyone with a normal passenger car would have to stop after about 50 feet and back out again". July 14, 2004

Useful Links: Home Page | Trail Map
Categories : Hiking, Smithfield, Town Owned

Hannah Robinson Observation Tower

Rhode Island's shortest - and very likely highest - nature walk. The tower that makes Tower Hill what it is provided a fantastic view of the area and is well worth the three-minute stair climb to the top.
Categories : North Kingstown, Scenic, State Owned

Shady Lea Grove

Shady Lea Grove is a small picnic area on the side of Route 4, right at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 1. Not huge and not quiet, given the proximity to the highway, but a good place to sit and eat a sandwich.
Categories : Fishing, North Kingstown, Picnicking

Cascade Brook Conservation Area

Another secluded gem owned by the town of Smithfield. Cascade Brook is nestled just off Route 44 and features a nice circular path around the 27-acre property. The path crosses the area's namesake brook fairly early on and later, at one edge of the area, borders an apple orchard. The entire area is nicely wooded but also very open and airy.

The path is very rocky and hilly, though not necessarily difficult; our 4 year old had no problem with it, though younger children might. All in all a great place for a relaxing but not boring hike.

Useful Links: Home Page | Trail Map
Categories : Hiking, Smithfield, Town Owned

Durfee Hill Management Area

We took a pleasant hike through part of Durfee Hill in early March. The (unpaved) road we walked on was easy to follow, even with a bit of snow on the ground. It's not necessarily the easiest walk, but the area is certainly quiet and peaceful. The only interesting thing we saw was a man-made waterfall, though apparently there's a good place to go rock climbing somewhere inside Durfee as well. All in all a good place to go for a hike in the woods.

According to the maps I've seen (here and here) there are apparently four or five separate areas that comprise Durfee Hill. We were clearly in the largest section; I look forward to exploring the others.

Useful Links: Trail Map
Categories : Fishing, Glocester, Hiking, Rock Climbing, State Owned, Walking

Cumberland Monastery

Former home of a Cistercian monastery, the grounds now surrounding the Cumberland Public Library provide abundant opportunity for outdoor fun. The numerous dirt trails are fairly flat and well-packed, enough so that you can easily push a child in a stroller. The grounds contain both woodlands and fields as well as a stream and a few ponds, and even during our pre-spring walk we saw numerous birds and ducks. Some of the trees are even marked with their types, so walks can be both fun and educational.

In front of the library there is also a large and well-equipped playground that even includes a small outdoor theatre. After our most pleasant walk we unleashed the kids into the playground and enjoyed watching them play while we relaxed.

The monastery was a true delight, even on a cool mid-March day. I look forward to exploring it when the trees are green and the air is warn.

Useful Links: Home Page
Categories : Cumberland, Hiking, Playground, Town Owned