Away from the Crowds in Rhode Island

Block Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to all kinds of creatures. There are over 70 songbird species filling the air with song as well as rare beetles. The remote beaches are good for exploring and relaxing. On the island you can picnic and go fishing. Take part in informative and educational guide-led wildlife walks. The island is connected to the mainland by ferry.

Portsmouth offers the Green Animals Topiary. In this topiary garden you’ll find more than 80 sculptures shaped like animals as well as geometric forms and other oddities.

A historic Victorian house sits on the property.

In the distance, you can see Narragansett Bay.

You can make this a day trip from Newport.

At the southern tip of Connecticut Island you’ll find Jamestown’s Beavertail Lighthouse. At this point you can get some impressive coastal views. The historic lighthouse dates back to the 1850s.

Visitors enjoy hiking the short trails, searching tidal pools for marine life, and sitting on the rocks as waves come crashing against the cliffs. (pictured above)

You’ll also find a small maritime museum that offers shipwreck stories and lighthouse history.

Located in Little Compton is the Goosewing Beach Preserve, which is part of a coastal conservation area.

The raised boardwalk leads to the beach and protects nesting areas for rare birds like piping plovers and least terns.

The nearby environmental center has touch tanks and information on local wildlife.

Located on Block Island, the Mohegan Bluffs are amazing clay cliffs rising above the Atlantic. Visitors walk down more than 100 wooden steps to reach the base. It is dramatic with the sound of crashing waves.

Enjoy the Southeast Lighthouse.

To feel a part of it all, visitors like to stay near Old Harbor.

Ninigret Park in Charlestown was once a naval airfield and is now a public space. There are trails, open fields, and some of the best stargazing spots in Rhode Island. You can go hiking or biking. Enjoy the Troll Trail and troll. The Ninigret Park Troll Trail in Rhode Island features giant wooden trolls created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.

Visitors enjoy the Frosty Drew Observatory with public telescopes to view the stars.

The park also borders a salt pond with ocean breezes and is ideal for nature walks and picnics.

In Middletown, you’ll find the Norman Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary covers a mix of habitats from woodlands to open fields.

Get awesome coastal views high above Second Beach.

The Hanging Rock Trail will take you up to a rocky outcrop with awesome ocean views and wildflowers along the trail.

The Paradise Farmhouse sits at the center of the sanctuary and hosts exhibits and programs all through the year.

In the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Prospect Terrace offers the best views of the city. The beautiful park is open 24/7.

A granite statue of Roger Williams overlooks downtown from atop College Hill. This hilltop once served as a beacon point for colonial settlements and later held Revolutionary War fortifications.

At the southern end of Little Compton is Sakonnet Point, a peninsula with a small fishing harbor, some beaches, and impressive ocean views.

Visit Lloyd’s Beach and enjoy the ocean breezes.

The Sakonnet Lighthouse stands offshore surrounded by rocky edges.

North Kingstown is home to Smith’s Castle. This is a house museum sitting by Narragansett Bay. Guides offer tours.

On the grounds you’ll find heritage gardens and walking paths. There are interpretive signs.

Sprague Farms in Western Gloucester offers hikers one of the most peaceful trail systems in the state. Active farmland blends in with forest paths and meadows. The trails are well-marked and used for both hiking and horseback riding.

Relax by Sprague Pond and enjoy the surrounding nature, or do some fishing.

Westerly offers the Umbrella Factory, which neither makes nor sells umbrellas. It is a small farm in use since 1760. Today the old barn houses many different treasures. Among the things you can buy here are locally grown organic foodstuffs, baskets, ornaments, and hand-crafted items.