Fort Nature Refuge

While my central focus here on my blog is on Rhode Island's Land Trust lands, there are also a number of wonderful hikes to be had in some of the state's other conserved lands. The two largest groups of these are managed by either the Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and it's  a reserve of the latter organization that I'd like to describe today.

The Fort Nature Refuge is in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, just off the Providence Pike north of its intersection with Route 104. A small sign indicates the refuge, and the entrance is via the driveway of an adjacent property owner.  There's fairly ample parking, but if the lot is full, please choose a different hike; this is one of the sites that -- particularly due to the increase in trail use during the pandemic -- is threatened by overuse.

You'll see a large friendly kiosk with all manner of signs and information, and one of particular note: No Dogs. This is the policy at all Audubon preserves in the state; after all, they're operated first and foremost as refuges for birds and wildlife. While some Audubon properties in other states allow leashed dogs, those in Rhode Island don't -- so please respect this policy. They also don't allow mountain bikes, or even trail running (this last prohibition seems a little odd -- but so be it).

Beavers at work

Abiding by these rules will make one welcome in a variety of their remarkable trail systems, and the one at Fort is among the best. The main loop that you'll start on from the parking area is the Blue trail; by itself it makes for a pleasant half-hour walk through stands of mature pine mixed with oak and other hardwoods. There are also two trails that cut through the loop to offer a little variety. However, the real gems of the Fort preserve are its lakes, and to see those you'll want to head off on the yellow trail, which branches away near the far end of the blue loop. Crossing the cut of a power line, yellow takes you down a dirt road and then into a dense pine forest, silenced with thick needles, to a beautiful beaver pond. If you want to see the evidence, chewed stumps abound.

The path crosses on a low bridge near the dam, and there's a lovely viewpoint with a wooden bench where you can take in the prospect. Continuing on, you'll come to the red trail, which like blue forms a loop. Partway along that loop, you'll see a spur trail, also blazed red, which will take you to a secnd pond, where two plastic chairs offer a place for fresh reflections on the beauties of this place. The spur trail ends a little past this point; the blazes vanish and you'll come to a muddy crossing rutted by ATV tracks. Turn back, and see the same sights with a different eye. On returning to the main red loop, take a right, and you'll pass along a ridge which forms a berm between the two lakes, then descend to close your loop. Follow yellow again to blue, and take the rest of the loop trail; all together, these paths offer more than an hour of modest hiking. There are vaster Audubon lands -- one of these days I'll post about Parker Woodland in Coventry -- but none lovelier.

Trails of Blackall and Ballou

One of the lesser-known gems among Land Trust trails is the Blackall Family/Ballou Farm Preserve in Cumberland. It's also one of the newest; the trails have been maintained there by the Cumberland Land Trust just since 2016.

You'll find the trailhead parking in a gap in a stone wall at 8 Old West Wrentham Road. The entry trail, blazed white, will take you to the first of two extensive loop trails, blazed yellow. Take a right: you'll wander through stands of mature forest -- one of the largest I know that's nearly all hardwoods. Crossing a small stream, you'll pass by other stone walls, as well as a mysterious flight of steps that leads nowhere and a tree-platform or two. Take a right when you come to the red-blazed trail and descend along another stone wall before crossing past a small pond onto the other large loop, blazed blue. Here you'll pass by several 'sentinel' trees -- old oaks planted at or near stone walls, which date back to the time when this land was farmed.

Black mud, stones and roots, on creek bed

The farm here, operated by the Ballou family, can trace its origins back to Obadiah Ballou, one of three Ballou brothers who moved to the Cumberland area in the 1820's. In addition to them and the Blackall family, the area was also home to early settlers the Cook family, who arrived in 1632; several of their homes remain and can be seen on Old West Wrentham road (this is an older link from just before the current trail system and improvements were made -- you can get a sense of how much work it took to save and conserve this property).

About halfway along the blue trail, you'll come to a spur, also blazed white; it follows the path of a stream and eventually climbs up via a soldily-built staircase to the Cumberland Village shopping plaza. If you're considering taking larger groups on the trail, this could be an alternative starting spot, with plenty of parking.  Continuing along the blue loop, you'll return by the red trail once more; take a right at yellow and you'll finish the shorter part of that loop; return to you car via white. It's a good three miles to do both loops, and you won't find a more thoughtfully laid-out trail system anywhere in Rhode Island.

Weetamoo Woods

It's one of the most spectacular Land Trust trail systems in Rhode Island -- it seems to have everything, from amber waves of grain surmounted by grand trees and stone walls (one person commenting on a post of mine was sure those were the ones from The Shawshank Redemption) and woodland trails that just seem to go on and on. It contains all kinds of histories in its cellar holes and old mill sluiceways -- but above all, its name recalls Weetamoo (1635-1676), a Pocasset Wampanoag chief, the sunksqua (female sachem) of the Pocasset people. A powerful leader, she (like Chaucer's "Wife of Bath") had five husbands, and moved several times between the shifting alliances between tribes and colonists. Her last husband was Quinnapin, son of Ninigret and grandson of Canonchet, whom she married with the hope of reinforcing the Wampanoag-Narragansett alliance. Alas, that hope was in vain; the alliance was defeated by the colonists, and it's said that Weetamoo's head was displayed on a pike in Taunton, Massachusetts. 

One would understand if her spirit were restless, or even vengeful. But in these woods that bear her name, the spirit is one of beauty and reconciliation. With fields of unmown hay in the spring, old stones witness to many tales, and a great golden canopy of leaves in the autumn, Weetamoo Woods is a place of welcome. Happily, the Tiverton Land Trust has recently updated its trail maps, and made a good job of making the trail system easier to follow. Hikers can readily enjoy two to three hours of trails, while day-trippers and sometimes wanderers can choose any number of shorter outings.

The great tree

My favored trail starts from the main parking lot, taking an early right turn onto the orange trail, which follows an old cobbled cart-path deep into the forest. You'll eventually come to a quick series of choices -- the blue trail heads off to your left over a rugged way of stone and water, while a bit later the red trail takes a more level way to your left. Either way, connect at the far end with the green trail, which heads off to the east through (in spring) the crowded, heavy breath of mountain laurel. Stay on green until you come to yellow, taking another right and passing by an enormous old oak. You'll soon find yourself on a long and straight cart-path, with options to your left; I recommend staying straight until you reach the abandoned section of Lafayette Road. From there, walk to your left down the road until you see the blazes for the Ridge Trail or the Lafayette Connector. Either will take you to the cemetery trail, which climbs up through fields of gold to ancient trees and a cemetery -- the perfect place for a reflective snack.

The grave of Philip Gray

Returning the way you came, take a right and stick with yellow. You'll eventually find yourself on the "main drag" of the trail system, which follows the original "Eight Rod Road" -- an historic road named for the distance between the stone walls on either side -- back to where you've parked. Near the end, don't forget to visit the horses who graze at the field on your right. You will return sadder -- yet so much wiser --  than when you left. 

Connors Farm

It's one of the most beautiful hikes of any Land Trust properties in Rhode Island -- and also one of its best-kept secrets. Little would one suspect, driving through a neighborhood of upscale suburban homes on large lots, that just around the corner is the gateway to a wonderland? But there it is, accessed from a modest parking lot tucked between the houses. Connors Farm is one of those hybrid properties I've mentioned -- though the central area is managed by the Smithfield Conservation Commission, the further part of the property -- roughly where the yellow trail is located -- is managed by the Smithfield Land Trust.

The edge of the "biscuit"

The first thing you'll see as you hike in from the parking lot is a dramatic heap of massive boulders. It's the leading edge of a glacial deposit that's commonly referred to as a "biscuit" in New England -- it resembles the side of an enormous crumbling cake of stone -- and the one here is the centerpiece of the trail system.

My preferred hike here begins by taking the red trail to the right. You'll cross a creek on a small quaint bridge, climb up and down a ridge, and pass along a low, marshy lake. Not long after this, you'll see the blue trail on your right -- take it -- and make a note when you come to a very sharp turn left. There is an unblazed trail that continues straight at this point -- you can take it if you like -- it crosses the creek on a very robust bridge and passes through the Caroline Judson Land Trust property. There's no outlet -- please be sure to observe private property markers -- but it's a pleasant there-and-back spur.

Cliffs off the blue trail

Continuing on blue, you're in for a steep climb up the side of the "biscuit"; the trail briefly splits in two there. I recommend the right-hand branch, which passes along the cliff-side past several overhangs that might almost be called caves. Arriving at the top, you'll hit the yellow trail; take a right and continue along the top of things, dipping briefly for another stream crossing. Near here, you'll see an access path to the Burlingame Rd. entrance; continue on as you re-cross the creek on the route of an old carriage track. You'll soon come to another choice: a yellow-blazed connector to your right continues back to red, or you can finish the yellow loop and return by blue the way you came. 

A whimsical blaze

I prefer the former option; when you reach red again there's a picnic table with scenic views in non-leafy seasons. From there, continue right on red, descending from the biscuit steeply past some cliffs on your left that often attract rock climbers, You'll cross the creek one last time and then arrive back where you started.

For a variation -- one of my favorites -- you can park in the small lot off Mann School Rd,; the trail there will take you to red just at foot of the cliffs. From there, you can take red either way, and follow any of the above routes as you like.

The Monastery

Once a Monastery, Now a Library

Truly a preserve with a history, the trails at the Cumberland Monastery property will take you back in time to the seventeenth century, the early twentieth century, and the more recent past, all in the course of an hour or two. The site was originally that of a Trappist Abbey founded in 1902; its surviving buildings are now occupied by the Cumberland Public Library. The monks departed in 1950, after a massive fire destroyed the guest house and gutted the main church; their community continues now at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. The grounds of the Abbey, where once the Trappists walked and labored -- it included a working farm, an orchard, and a stone quarry -- is now in the care of the Cumberland Conservation Commission. Many Rhode Island towns have such commissions alongside their Land Trusts, and in some cases there are jointly-managed preserves.

The trails at the Monastery are a bit of a jumble, with some preserving the blazes of earlier trail systems, but after your first visit or two, you'll readily find your way. The paths near the monastery site itself are wide, smooth, gravelled ones, while those further afield offer a variety of more challenging wooded and rocky terrain. My recommended hike will take you over both sorts, with enough options along the way that you can easily vary your route on future visits. Start at the back of the parking area, near the Senior Center; a wide trail heads at an angle off to your right, with red blazes. In one spot, you'll see an older marker with the number 9 and a pointing arrow; this identifies your path as the Nine Men's Misery trail.

Nine Men's Misery Memorial

What is "Nine Men's Misery"? you may well ask. This site dates back to 1679, when a large band of Narragansetts fought a pitched battle with soldiers from Plymouth Colony and their Wampanoag allies. The colonists were defeated, with nine survivors taken prisoner by the victors; according to period accounts they were tortured and killed. Their bodies, discovered by their fellow colonists, were buried on the site and a large memorial cairn erected. This edifice was disturbed on several occasions, such that in 1928 the Trappists, who saw themselves as custodians of the memorial, reinforced it, creating a concrete vault with a plaque that can be seen there to this day. As you walk the red trail, look for a short spur up a hill to your right; this leads directly to the monument. Returning to the red trail, continue until you come to an intersection with the yellow-blazed Cart Path Trail. The right hand fork returns to a parking lot on the road; take the left instead, and be on the lookout for a side-trail to the right blazed with white circles.

The Monks' Quarry

This is the Orchard Trail, which takes you to the crown of the hill, where the monks had an apple orchard. Little remans of it now, though the grape vines in the area suggest that perhaps the monks cultivated them as well. The trail doubles back briefly to yellow, then curves away to the right; a small spur will take you to an enormous modern water tank nearby. Continuing, you'll head back downhill and join the pink-blazed Homestead Trail. Take a right, and you'll merge with the green-blazed Monks' Quarry Trail; soon after you'll intersect the blue-blazed Whipple Trail where you'll take a second right. You'll follow the perimeter of the property (marked by a chain-link fence), after a leftward turn you'll skirt the edge of an enormous stone quarry. Climbing again, look for the green-blazed White Pine trail on your left, which which take you through a fragrant grove of these trees. 

When you emerge back onto Whipple, take a left, and then return via the Monk's Quarry trail, this time keeping right so as not to repeat your earlier hike; you'll pass along the top of a stone dam and then come around the bend at the top of the Monks' Quarry. Here you'll see where the Trappists quarried their stone; a few half-finished pieces lie in a jumble, many of them heavily coated with moss -- it's a perfect place for a contemplative snack.

From there continue down until you intersect the yellow-blazed Old Road Trail; take a right (or, if you like, go out into the field an take the second right for a sunnier stroll). Either way, when you come to the main path, pass between the two lakes and you'll find yourself back where you started. If you fancy a further walk, keep to the right and stay on the broad gravel path; this is the Beauregard Loop, which circles the main buildings and eventually comes round once more to where you've parked. As a variation, on your next visit, park at the small lot at Lynch Park on Route 114. Here, you can take the yellow-blazed Cart Path from its beginning, passing under power lines and through broad fields; this connects with the Nine Men's Misery Trail and any of the above hikes. On your return, take the orange-blazed Lynch trail for a more wooded alternative route to your car.

Wolf Hill

The view from Mercer Lookout

Wolf Hill Forest Preserve is one of the most popular hiking areas in Rhode Island, and the reasons aren't hard to see -- an extensive, well-blazed and well-maintained trail system, hikes ranging from easy strolls to rugged cliffs, and some of the most dramatic scenery in the state. The view from Mercer Lookout, where one can see the Providence skyline on the horizon, is one of the gems of the Land Trust system. The fact that it's easily accessible from Providence and other more populated areas is also a factor; on a perfect summer or fall day it's often hard to find parking on Waterview Drive -- but whatever you do, please don't enter the condominium complex at the end of the road -- that's private parking only for residents and guests. There's additional parking in a lot next to the Leo Bouchard Conservation Center, as well as -- as signs advise -- over on Mountaindale Road, where a gravel drive takes you up to a wooded lot with easy access to the trails.

The Magic Door

There are dozens of different routes one could choose -- but to show some of the diversity of what's available, I offer two suggested routes. The first is easy enough that the whole family can enjoy it, presuming that the kids have a modest amount of hiking experience, while the second offers greater distance and more challenging terrain; both include a stop at Mercer Lookout.

Route One: Start at the parking lot of Leo Bouchard -- you can tell your kids that the keyhole cut in the hedge is a magic doorway to a fantastical kingdom -- and it will be true. You'll have a brief climb at the beginning, then descend into deep forest. Your first intersection, on the left, is the "Farm House Loop" -- you can add it to your hike for a little more length -- but I recommend just proceeding directly to the Mary Mowry Trail, blazed green. There's a reason that the longest trail in the system is named after her; the land on which you stand was donated by her to the town, and is the centerpiece of the preserve (the Smithfield Police Department nearby is also on land she donated). Head to your right, and you'll soon come to the trailhead for the WWII Memorial Trail (yellow) on your left. After a modest climb to the ridge, you'll descend and cross over the power lines.

WWII Memorial

When you reach the other side, ignore the arrow and just proceed along the edge of the power-line cut. You'll soon come to a second entrance into the woods, just at the site of the WWII memorial -- this is where, on August 5th 1943, a training flight crashed, killing three servicemen; you'll see a memorial and a large boulder on which visitors have left smaller stones in tribute. Here you'll pick up the yellow trail again, following it to your right; when you come to a crossing of a smaller power line, go straight across and follow the white blazes -- they will take you to Mercer Lookout, with its fabulous view. On your return, follow white back, and then return via the yellow trail, to green, taking a right onto Mary Mowry, and your next left onto Leo Bouchard -- pass back through the "magic door" and you'll be on your way home.

The Cliffs of Mowry

Route Two: This starts the same as route one, only when you get to the junction with the WWII memorial trail, stay on Mary Mowry (green). Stick with the green blazes again when the Ken Weber trail branches off (red). You'll descend for a while, then come face-to-face with a very steep climb over and around boulders up the hill. For a moment, it's as if you found yourself in the White Mountains -- but, after a brief traverse and a second climb, you'll find yourself once again on an easy trail. When you reach the "T" intersection with Ken Weber, take a right on red (so to speak) and follow it to the cut for the smaller power line. You'll see red and blue blazes (as the trail from the Mountaindale Rd. parking lot joins you), but keep going left down the cut until you see yellow. Follow those blazes -- this is an extension of the WWII trail -- until they take a right into the woods (you'll be quite near the interstate at this point). Follow that trail through the woods to another junction with blue; take a right on blue and you'll soon be at Mercer Lookout. From there, continue on blue to the right of the lookout; you'll pass a lovely vernal pool on your left and then return to the cut for the smaller power line. You're now on your return journey -- you can choose white, or yellow, or red to head back through the woods and across the main power line. On the other side, follow red to the right (or stay on yellow if you've chosen yellow); take a right on Mary Mowry when you reach it, then a left on Leo Bouchard.

Sprague Farm

No other Land Trust property in the state has quite the scope and variety of Sprague Farm. In addition to a very well-designed central network of trails, there's a boundary loop trail which connects to blazed sections of local rough roads, as well as several possible side-excursions to neighboring Glocester Land Trust properties. You could easily spend the better part of a day there and never hike the same trail twice!

I have two hikes that I particularly enjoy -- one is an interior loop that makes use of nearly all the shorter trails, while the other closely follows the perimeter and includes a long spur to Elbow Rock.

Both begin at the trailhead on Pine Orchard Road. For the first, start down the main Sprague Trail but take your first right onto Jenk's trail. This crosses a small meadow and then enters deep forest; mountain laurel abounds in this area. You'll soon intersect with Jedediah's Trail; take a left, and continue on, crossing over the Sprague trail and going along a small stone dam. You'll soon come to an old cart path blazed as the "Cemetery Trail" -- take it to your right and you'll soon be at the lovely Sprague Family Cemetery. It must once have had a broad view of the many Sprague family farms; now, surrounded by forest, it seems almost a magical place. 

Venture -- respectfully -- within and say hello to Jedediah himself, as well as Lydia, Adah, and Colonel Anthony Sprague, all of whom have trails here named after them. Jedediah has a particular distinction, in that the tavern he ran -- now operated as the Tavern on Main in Chepachet -- became in 1842 a staging ground for state milita during the infamous "Dorr War'! A stop at the tavern to drink to his health is highly recommended, but for now, look for the start of Lydia's Trail (yellow blazes) just around the far corner of the cemetery. This will take you back, via the last segment of Jedediah's trail, to the main Sprague Trail. Take a left, but be on the lookout for Colonel Anthony's trail on your right in a half-mile or so. Go down it, stopping to wonder at the stonework of an old culvert, but keep an eye to your left for your next trail to John's Ridge. This short spur takes you up over a lovely ridge; on the far side is a rock that invites one to sit and have snack. Look then for Adah's trail, which will take you back to Colonel Anthony. At the end of Anthony, take a left onto the Haystack Hill trail, following it past the ruins of the old Smith Sprague homestead to the junction with the Sprague trail; a left here will steer your footsteps back to the start.

For a longer and more challenging hike, begin again with Jenk's Trail, but this time take a right when you get to Jedediah. A short stroll will take you near the road to where the Haystack Hill trail begins along an old cart track. Be warned: if you're hiking in the wet season, a large segment of this trail is underwater; you'll need solid, waterproof boots. Eventually, the trail climbs up out of swampy ground; you'll pass the Colonel Anthony trailhead on your left, but keep going; do the same thing when the Sprague Trail comes along. You'll find yourself, on this segment of Haystack Hill, passing across another stone culvert through mixed forest. At the first big X-shaped intersection, take a right onto Elbow Rock Road. This is still used by vehicles at times - it even shows up as a road in Google Maps! -- and again, in wet season, you'll have muddy puddles to skirt. About 3/4 of a mile, you'll see multiple tracks on your left leading up to Elbow Rock, a great grand glacial boulder with ample spots for a snack or lunch. If you're curious, you can go past there to Sprague Hill Road; a right turn there will bring you to the most recent of the abandoned homesteads, that of Chad Sprague -- a few buildings still stand.

Turn back, and once you reach the intersection with the Haystack Hill trail, you can continue -- on your right you'll see the ruins of Joe Sweet's farm, with a formation of stone pillars I like to call farmhenge -- someone has placed old rusty tools and implements atop each pillar. Continue down Elbow Rock until you see a road go off to the left near a marker stone; this is Joe Sweet Road. Go down it, following the rough road until you reach the paved version, where you'll see a parking lot for the William Klutz Woodland. About 3/4 of a mile along the paved road, you'll see a sign for the Burton Woodland to your right (you can venture down a cart-path about 1/3 mile in and back; there are no blazed trails). Just past this, on your left, you'll come upon an entrance to the Cemetery Trail; take this to Jedediah, Jededah to Sprague, and once more you'll be back at the start, weary but happy.

Don't forget to raise a glass to Jedediah -- and, since it's hunting season, don't forget to wear orange!

What the blazes?

Without them, we'd be lost in the woods. Their presence, part guide, part sentinel, steers our feet through forest paths, alerting us to their twists, their turns, their intersections, their beginnings and endings. And yet, from trail to trail and Trust to Trust, there seems a bewildering array of them, with each town and each trail-blazer taking a different approach. That said, in most cases they serve the purpose -- and, if one learns to read some of their peculiar conventions, they can often tell you a lot more than what trail you're on.

The simplest blaze is a painted rectangle, roughly three times the height of its width. It's the most common type, and in addition to its use on Land Trust trails, you'll find it in conservation areas and preserves in the state that are managed by the Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy; indeed you'll find them used on trails throughout North America and many other parts of the world.

These blazes also have a further language -- a sort of semaphore -- that tells you what to expect ahead. Two blazes side by side signify the end -- or the beginning -- of a trail. If the blaze on the right is higher, that means the trail is about to turn to the right; if the one on the left is higher, to the left. A third configuration, with a blaze over to the side of two blazes, is sometimes used to indicate another trail coming from the side where the additional blaze is located. This simple language is just as effective as the painted arrow that's sometimes used at such turns.

Trailite Marker

There are, however alternatives, some of which are a bit more intuitive in their direction. My personal favorite are the plastic trail markers made by Voss Signs, which feature an arrow in the midst of a diamond -- you can see one on the tree above in addition to its painted blaze. The great advantage of these is that you can turn the arrow in any direction -- slight right or left, or horizontal -- this gives you more information than any traditional blaze. The Voss markers are used by the Cumberland Land Trust at Mercy Woods and Blackall Family Preserve. Another arrow-based marker with similar capabilities is made on small metal discs by Trailite; these have the advantage that they're reflective, though their small size means that sometimes one misses seeing them.

One final issue comes up in trail systems where more than one trail follows the same route for part of the way.  There are a number of solution to this; in many cases, such as out on the "Outback Trail" at George Washington Management Area, the blazes are "stacked" one atop the other. A more elegant solution appears at the Olivia's Forest preserve of the Smithfield Land Trust -- here, when the white and red trails follow the same route, the colors are superimposed, giving a look somewhat like an archery target.

Whatever trail you hike, the main thing is to check the map, and scope out in advance what trail or trails you plan to hike, Then, as you walk them, you'll soon learn the local conventions, and be able to read the signs easily.

Steere Hill

The two major preserves administered by the Glocester Land Trust -- Steere Hill and Sprague Farm -- offer some of the most varied and extensive hikes of any in the state. Both were originally the site of large, conjoined family farms, and both feature old stone walls, cemeteries, and cellar holes amidst vast tracts of hardwood and pine forest.

I'm going to start with Steere, though, as it's the closest to Providence and the easiest in access -- and, at the moment, since hunting is allowed at Sprague Farm, the one at which you don't need to worry too much about wearing orange.

Steere Hill was originally four different adjoining properties, each acquired separately by the land trust -- Phillips Farm, Steere Hill Nature Preserve, Heritage Park, and the LePlat Woodland.  A wonderful array of trails can take you to every corner of the preserve, which currently encompasses 448 acres -- you'll see young pine forests, mixed forests of hardwoods and pine, fields still mowed for hay, and fields and orchards gone wild.

My recommended hike starts at the parking area on Route 44. The main central artery of the trail system, the Steere Hill Trail, begins here, blazed with red rectangles, and follows an old cart road. There are smaller trails that shoot off to the left (where one can follow the edge of Phillips Farm and see some abandoned farm machinery), but I prefer the trails to the right. The first, the Stone Dam Trail, takes you (as advertised) across a lovely old stone dam. You'll shortly intersect with the Ridge Trail (purple dots), which takes you over and around a series of stone-topped ridges for a good aerobic workout. When you see the Beech Trail (orange dots) to your right, take that; it winds through more rocky ledges and a stand of beech trees on its way to linking up with the white-blazed Heritage Steere Trail. Take a right there -- this is the connecting trail to the Heritage Park area -- heading northwest. Pass by the Andrews Trail (called the Woodworth Trail on the map) -- you'll take it later. You'll come next to the Outer Loop Trail, blazed with red dots, which true to its name makes a large loop through more mature forest; scattered here and there, exercise stations await those in search of such activity. A lovely wooden bridge near the Chestnut Oak Road entrance marks the beginning of your return. As you see the trail to the parking area, keep left; you'll be on the return loop, passing an all-seasons Xmas tree on your left. Soon after, you''ll close the loop and start your return hike.

The mighty Tree atop Steere Hill

When you get back to the Heritage Steere trail, retrace your steps until you get to the Andrews Trail (orange rectangles) on your right, and then follow it. You'll pass through dense mixed forest, seeing the stone foundation of a large barn, and ascend into an open meadow. Stay to the right as you approach the hilltop -- this area was originally an orchard, and part of the Steere Farm (a branch of the family still runs an orchard nearby -- don't forget to stop off and buy some apples there after your hike). You'll come to a left turn back onto the Steere Hill trail, which passes through a vast hilltop meadow, at the center of which the shade of a lone tree, with a bench conveniently beneath it, beckons. An old cemetery is nearby, though the only stones standing are the posts which once held its rails. Across the path, a couple of picnic tables provide another spot for a rest or snack.

Return by the Steere Hill trail; by the time you get back to you car you'll have had nearly two hours of hiking, and be ready for some apples and cider!

Mercy Woods

A blaze along the Yellow Trail

I'm going to start with one of my favorite hikes in the state -- Mercy Woods -- which is administered by the Cumberland Land Trust. But first, a word about Land Trusts in Rhode Island generally -- each township has its own, though there is a shared goal of conservation of the land. The trusts have the ability to acquire land from private owners, as well as the responsibility to ensure that the land is preserved and conserved. You can learn more about how this works at the website for the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, which I'd recommend as the best place to learn about how this process works.

Mercy Woods takes its name from the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic order devoted to caring for "people who are poor, sick, or undereducated." The Order's establishment in Cumberland, Rhode Island lay in the midst of more than 200 mostly wooded acres, including a high ridge overlooking the Diamond Hill Reservoir.  In 2018, in fulfillment of a longstanding wish of the community, 229 acres were transferred to the Cumberland Land Trust. At the same time, the town, with help from outside grants, was able to lay out a fine system of trails that circles and criss-crosses this newly-conserved land -- and it's one of the most beautiful trail systems in Rhode Island. The distinctive plastic blazes with their directional arrows are well-placed, making the trails easy to follow; as an additional bonus, part of the system intersects with the Warner Trail, a 30-mile trail that goes from the nearby Diamond Hill preserve all the way to Canton, Massachusetts.

So where to begin? The ideal starting point is a small parking lot on Sumner Brown Road just off Rhode Island Route 121. From there, you'll see a large grassy field; across the street is stone plaza which was originally a religious shrine. Start from the kiosk at the parking lot, where you'll be able to get a trail map, and head out on the Yellow Trail. The trail system is fairly straghtforward -- Yellow makes an unbroken inner loop around the property, while blue makes a larger arc around the eastern side. At variety of points, red-blazed trails, like spokes of a wheel, connect the inner yellow loop to blue. There is also a short purple trail -- white blaze markers with purple arrows -- known as the Grape Trail, which crosses over the hilltop and passes through grape arbors gone wild as well as open fields.

My recommended route continues along the Yellow trail, through forests of pine and oak, and crossing a small field near the hilltop. Shortly after this, take the Blue trail to the right; it follows stone walls and then ascends steeply to a ridge-top, from which in the leafless months there's a good view of the Diamond Hill Reservoir. As you descend the other side, you'll come to a cart-path where the blue blazes send you to the left; I prefer to go to the right where, after a gradual descent, you'll take the left-hand  fork in the road. 

The Warner Trail near Diamond Hill Reservoir

Look there for the small white discs that are the blazes of the Warner Trail -- these will guide you over a series of rocky ridges overlooking the reservoir, after which the trail winds around the hillside and re-joins the Blue trail. Continue on Blue, crossing Sumner Brown road, to where it rejoins the yellow trail near a large stone cairn; take yellow to the right and you'll soon find yourself back at the stone plaza across the street from the parking lot where you started. The great thing about this trail system is its variety -- you can take as much as you want of yellow or blue, and then cut over to the other loop via any of the red trails. The last of these red blazes (taking the recommended route) branches off from yellow through some lovely rocky forest to a small turnout off route 121; you can walk along this to return to the edge of the large field where you began.

From farms to woods

If you were to have ascended in a hot air balloon over Rhode Island -- a perfectly possible feat in, say, 1830 or so -- the sight that would have greeted your eyes, aside from the city of Providence and some other coastal settlements, would have been almost an unbroken vista of farm fields and settled lands. Stone walls -- in a rocky state whose landscape was once one of the ice age's glacial moraines -- took the place of hedgerows, but otherwise the view might have been much like one of England's fertile fields at the height of its agricultural development. Dotted here and there on the major rivers, one would have seen mills like Samuel Slater's, but though their economic impact was huge, their footprint on the land was yet quite small.

A similar ascent today would produce quite a different view. Well over half of the state --59% -- is now forested, and farmland only makes up 4.1% of its acreage. What happened? Part of the story is that small farms, for the most part, declined in profitability over the 19th century, with those who tilled the soil better advised to move west and plant far more acreage than what was available in America's smallest state. Improved transportation -- canals, railways, and better roads -- made staple goods such as vegetables and grains steadily cheaper when grown in great quantities, however distant. Piece-work and crafts that had once been profitable on a small scale -- blacksmithing, shoemaking, weaving -- soon were supplanted by factories and mills that could churn out the same products with vast economies of scale.  And so, acre by acre, house by house, rural Rhode Island shifted from plow and pasture to scrub, and eventually, forest.

The process was gradual, and many farmers held out to the very end. The succeeding scrub only slowly yielded to trees -- such that most of the state's forests are relatively young -- their trees less than a century in age. Those forests -- 60-80 years is the average -- have spread over previous tillage and pasture, gradually re-writing the signature of the land. A typical rural forest today is crossed by one or more old stone walls, with the odd cellar hole or barn foundation testifying to the agrarian past. The state's relatively acidic soil is a special friend to oak and pine, with Eastern white pine, black oak, scarlet oak, and white oak being the most common species.

And it's this landscape -- shadowed by the history of settlement and cultivation, but now shaded by forests of growing scope and maturity -- that the Land Trust trails of Rhode Island traverse.