Rhode Island

Want a great summer hike? Hit these 10 trails recommended by Walking RI’s John Kostrzewa

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2024

Want a great summer hike? Hit these 10 trails recommended by Walking RI’s John Kostrzewa

John Kostrzewa
| Special to The Journal

For such a small state (just 1,200 square miles), Rhode Island has an amazing number of different hikes with a wide range of terrains, wildlife, histories and glacial features.

Here are a few of my favorites that I’ve explored while writing the “Walking Rhode Island” column that are good options for summertime.

Enjoy!

The Falls River tumbles over Stepstone Falls in Exeter, dropping 10 feet over a terrace of flat stones – some natural and some man-made from a quarrying operation – to create a cascade of splashing water. The white spray from the falls sparkles in the summer sunshine.

You can reach the falls by driving down Falls River Road, but it’s more fun to hike upstream on the Ben Utter Trail. You’ll be rewarded with a relaxing rest stop on the smooth, stone landings on the banks of the river.

Hundreds of migratory birds stop at the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown on their flights up and down the East Coast. You can spot and hear a wide variety of colorful songbirds and seabirds in the inland thickets and along the rocky shore while walking on a wide, flat path that rims a crescent-shaped beach. The waves crashing on the rocky coast are a bonus.

If you visit, don’t miss the white board at the end of the trail where visitors list dozens of birds they have identified while walking in the preserve.

Cow Pond in Lincoln, nestled among low, grassy ridges on a hilltop, is a gathering spot for dogs and their owners. On summer afternoons, I’ve seen dogs splashing and cooling off in the water while their owners chat on the banks of the tiny pond.

Dog walkers, and other visitors, can take one of several old cart paths and dirt roads that cross wide-open fields and run gently uphill to the pond.

Chase Farm Conservation Park is not a dog park however, and pets have to be leashed. Any waste must be picked up and disposed of.

Lion’s Head Gorge in Jamestown’s Beavertail State Park is a one-of-a-kind wonder, named for the crashing of waves into a high-walled cleft of rock, which sounds like a lion’s roar.

From a rocky trail that runs around the perimeter of the peninsula, walkers can view sailboats and Brenton Point in Newport across the East Passage and hidden beaches and caves along a path high above the West Passage. There’s also a panoramic view of the ocean from the rocks below an iconic lighthouse at the southern tip of the park.

A short dirt path runs down to the Branch River in North Smithfield and offers a good look at the dams built by John Slater to harness the waterpower and run what was once the largest textile mill in the United States. Another trail leads to the rebuilt Slatersville Mill, with a distinctive, five-story bell tower, that still stands at the end of a network of canals, sluice gates, raceways and bridges.

Further along the trail, you’ll find a white church, a common green, tenant houses and a commercial block of shops that in the 1800s formed the first planned mill village in America. Slatersville became a model for other mill towns and was replicated all along the Blackstone River during the Industrial Revolution.

The wide, flat path that enters the Simmons Mill Pond Management Area in Little Compton is lined with dozens of hand-lettered signs that describe the trees, wildlife, rocks and rich history of the 433-acre preserve. It’s a special place to walk with children and grandchildren.

To extend your hike, choose from many well-marked trails that circle six ponds on the property to see an old grist mill site and a variety of birds, trees and wildlife.

Climb up a long slope to a grassy meadow at the top of Providence’s Neutaconkanut Hill (the highest point in Providence at 296 feet) and you’ll be rewarded with a sweeping view of the downtown.

For centuries, the Narragansets held ceremonies on the hill, which became the northwest boundary of Providence under a 1636 agreement between Roger Williams and tribal leaders.

Other trails from the hilltop cross wetlands, brooks and rocky overlooks. Don’t miss the Camaros graveyard, the remains of Chevy automobiles that were stolen and stripped and are now slowly sinking into the hillside.

Ospreys, once an endangered species in Rhode Island, now nest along rivers, swamps and waterways across the state. One of the best views of the fishhawks is from an earthen dike which forms the Great Swamp in South Kingstown. The ospreys nest high atop telephone poles, and if you are lucky, you can spot one taking flight, soaring high into the clouds and then diving into the swamp to spear a fish with its talons before flying back to the nest to feed its young.

It’s a breathtaking sight.

Rhode Island is dotted with many old family farms that offer easy walks across rolling hills, pastures and fields.

Lawton Farm in Cranston has all that plus a footbridge over Cranberry Brook, which bisects the 54-acre preserve. Visitors can choose from 30-, 60- or 90-minute walks. The longer loop follows the perimeter of the land, lined with stone walls and red maple, black walnut and beech trees, while shorter paths cross meadows, hay fields and lines of hedgerow.

The glaciers that crept down from Canada 15,000 years ago carved out Long Pond in Hopkinton. The trail, high above the southern bank of the pond, crosses a ledge and passes ice-split erratics, giving hikers a great view of the crystal-blue water.

But the most interesting feature is at the west end of the pond where the trail climbs the rocky steps of the “Cathedral,” a natural cleft cut between high rock walls. At the top, hikers can scramble up a giant outcropping, where scenes from the movie “Moonrise Kingdom,” were filmed, for a good look at the length of the pond.

The Walking Rhode Island column runs twice a month in the Providence Sunday Journal. John Kostrzewa, a former assistant managing editor/business at The Journal, welcomes email at johnekostrzewa@gmail.com. His book, “Walking Rhode Island: 40 Hikes for Nature and History Lovers with Pictures, GPS Coordinates and Trail Maps,” is available at local booksellers and at Amazon.com.

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Rhode Island

A Hidden Bristol Gem Is Opening Its Trails for Free

Published

22 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

A Hidden Bristol Gem Is Opening Its Trails for Free

It is one of my all-time favorite places for exploring the outdoors with my kids and this weekend you can go for free.

A Free Day at One of Rhode Island’s Best Nature Spots

On Saturday, April 18, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island (ASRI) is once again hosting their Free Family Fun Day at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol thanks to Bank of America. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. visitors can enjoy the trails, aquarium, and animals of this nearly 10,000 acre natural habitat near Narragansett Bay.

Exclusive to this weekend’s event will be the official opening of a new art exhibit.

New Woodpecker Art Exhibit Debuts This Weekend

Since last fall, work has been underway on the “Wings Unfurled: Downy Woodpeckers Define Their Space” art exhibit with Brown University and RISD. Visitors were even able to help with the painting of giant woodpecker wings that have now been installed along the nature trails.

Family Activities Happening Throughout the Day

Throughout the day, crafts, coloring, and DIY pinecone birdfeeder activities will be happening around the property. You can explore the indoor aquarium, featuring a 33-foot life-size model of a North Atlantic Right Whale. Plus, at the back of the nature trails is a wooden bridge path that will eventually lead you to an overlook of Narragansett Bay, with great views and possibly even an osprey sighting.

Nancy Hall/Townsquare Media

With spring weather here and school vacation week kicking off, Saturday may be the perfect time to adventure outdoors for some free family fun at the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol. It’s definitely on my to-do list this weekend.

Explore Land and Sea at Bristol’s Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium

Need a day of hiking, biking and seeing a 33-foot North Atlantic Right Whale replica? Then you need to head to the Rhode Island Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol.

You can hike through various habitats, enjoy a peaceful pondside picnic and even enjoy an interactive aquarium full of native fish and sea creatures.

Fun for the whole family can be found at this hidden gem of Rhode Island.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Simmons Mill Pond Trail in Little Compton Is the Perfect Excuse to Get Outside

Take a walk through the quiet woods of Little Compton, Rhode Island and hit the reset button on life. Simmons Mill Pond Management Area can be accessed via Colebrook and John Dyer roads.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

See Inside Gorgeous Gardens Hidden Away in Little Compton

For nearly 50 years the grounds of Sakonnet Garden have been growing in what might be the most private garden along the coast.

On certain days, at certain times you can make a reservation to walk among the hundreds of flowers and plants growing in hidden “rooms” on the grounds, or take a sneak peek right now.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

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Rhode Island

URI to award honorary degrees to entrepreneurs Marc Randolph and Dan Harple, and anti-poverty advocate Kate Brewster

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

URI to award honorary degrees to entrepreneurs Marc Randolph and Dan Harple, and anti-poverty advocate Kate Brewster

KINGSTON, R.I.—April 16, 2026—Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of streaming giant Netflix; Daniel L. Harple Jr., chair and CEO of Context Labs; and Katherine Angell Brewster, CEO of the Jonnycake Center for Hope in South Kingstown, will be awarded honorary degrees by the University of Rhode Island next month.

Each honoree will be recognized for their considerable professional and personal achievements during commencement ceremonies, May 15-17, at the Thomas M. Ryan Center on the Kingston Campus. Randolph will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and serve as keynote speaker during commencement ceremonies for URI’s College of Business on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. Harple will receive an honorary Doctor of Science during commencement ceremonies for the College of Engineering on Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m. Brewster will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during ceremonies for URI’s Feinstein College of Education on Sunday, May 17, at 1 p.m.

“Each of this year’s honorary degree recipients has made a profound and lasting impact on the communities they serve,” said URI President Marc Parlange. “Through their groundbreaking work in technology, business, AI, mentorship, and social welfare, they have continually expanded the horizons of what is possible—always guided by a commitment to leave the world and their communities better than they found them. These are the values we strive to cultivate in our students every day, and I am honored to recognize their extraordinary achievements during our commencement celebrations next month.”

“It is a privilege to welcome this year’s honorary degree recipients, who have demonstrated such dedication to their work, their values, and their communities,” said Barbara Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Their impact serves as a powerful example to our students of what they too can achieve, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at this year’s commencement ceremonies.”

Marc Randolph, co-founder and former CEO of streaming giant Netflix, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and serve as keynote speaker during commencement ceremonies for URI’s College of Business on Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m. (Photo courtesy: Marc Randolph)

Marc Randolph

Randolph is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has built a reputation as a serial entrepreneur, founding or co-founding more than half a dozen successful startups. He has also mentored countless early-stage entrepreneurs and invested in a wide range of successful technology ventures.

Most recently, Randolph co-founded Looker Data Sciences, which was acquired by Google in 2019 for $2.6 billion. He currently serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming; the Truckee Donner Land Trust; and Cheeze Technologies.

Randolph is the author of the international bestselling memoir “That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea.” He is the entrepreneur-in-residence at High Point University, an entrepreneurship leadership fellow at MIT, and a featured investor on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Elevator Pitch” web series.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in geology from Hamilton College.

Daniel L. Harple Jr.

A technology entrepreneur and CEO for more than 30 years, Daniel L. Harple Jr. is considered an internet pioneer who has founded and built technologies, companies, and products used by billions of internet users. He has founded, grown, and merged companies with Netscape Communications, Oracle, and Sina, among others, driving at-scale global innovation and impacting users the world over. These innovations established foundational standards for internet collaboration, media streaming, and VoIP, used daily by billions across platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and YouTube.

Harple is chair and CEO of Context Labs BV, a company he founded based on his MIT research. The company delivers AI‑driven, auditable intelligence for industrial data, carbon management, and compliance. It provides AI-ready data infrastructure for global energy markets, creating context for the world’s most challenging persistent problems.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, the Red Herring Watch Award, the Upside Hot Startup Award, the University of Rhode Island’s Alumni Excellence Award for Contributions to Science and Technology, and the NEA (New Enterprise Associates) President’s Award.

Harple holds an advanced degree from MIT and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and psychology from the University of Rhode Island.

Katherine Angell Brewster

Brewster has served as CEO of South Kingstown’s Jonnycake Center for Hope for more than a decade, leading the organization through a period of significant growth to become a cornerstone of support for residents facing economic hardship and providing food, financial assistance, housing and youth programming to more than 2,000 individuals.

During her tenure, Brewster has led the organization’s expansion into new initiatives, including the development of affordable housing and the creation of the Jonnycake Youth Center. Her career has spanned direct service and public policy, giving her a deep understanding of the systemic challenges facing families and the practical solutions that help communities thrive.

Prior to the Jonnycake Center, Brewster was executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Rhode Island’s leading anti-poverty research and advocacy organization. She has also served on the boards of several prominent organizations, including the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Thundermist Health Center.

In 2022, she was honored with the Murray Family Prize in recognition of her commitment to improving the lives of Rhode Islanders in need. Brewster holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Social Work from Rhode Island College.

To learn more or to view a full schedule of ceremonies over URI’s Spring 2026 Commencement Weekend, visit: uri.edu/commencement/.

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Rhode Island

Two Rhode Island men charged, arraigned, after concealed 1.8 pounds of cocaine, gun, cash, seized

Published

2 days ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Two Rhode Island men charged, arraigned, after concealed 1.8 pounds of cocaine, gun, cash, seized

Coventry, R.I. – According to police, over the past several months, detectives with the Coventry Police Department’s Special Operations Unit initiated a narcotics investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in and around the Town of Coventry. Through extensive surveillance and investigative efforts, detectives identified 33-year-old Richard Martin Jr., of Beach Street, Coventry, R.I., as the primary target of the investigation.

During the course of the investigation, multiple associates were identified, along with additional residences, located within the City of Warwick, frequently utilized by Martin Jr. and his associates.

On April 6th, detectives from the Coventry Police Department, in conjunction with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, executed multiple court-authorized search warrants in an effort to dismantle the organization.

During the course of a search warrant in Coventry, detectives, along with K9 Nixo, located approximately 1.8 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed within a sophisticated vehicle hide. Additionally, a 9mm handgun, a large sum of cash, along with packaging and weighing materials consistent with drug trafficking, were recovered from the residence.

As a result of the investigation, Martin Jr. has been charged with two counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Use of a Firearm While Committing a Crime of Violence, and Controlled Substance Conspiracy.

Additionally, 40-year-old Jason Tallo, of Warwick, R.I., an alleged narcotics trafficking accomplice of Martin Jr., was taken into custody in the Town of Coventry and was subsequently charged with Controlled Substance Conspiracy.

Martin Jr. and Tallo were transported to Kent County District Court, where they were arraigned on their respective charges before a 3rd District Court judge. Martin Jr. was subsequently ordered to be held without bail, while Tallo had his bail set at $25,000 with surety.

This investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are expected

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