Explore the best rated trails in Charlestown, RI. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Stillwater Scenic Walkway and Niantic Bay Boardwalk. With more than 32 trails covering 223 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Bring a hat for windy days . Beautiful walk . Access to McCook park is up the hill if you want a longer walk.
Beautiful for a bike ride in the fall. The trail is well kept, the views are beautiful and is moderately trafficked. I started at the Manchester trailhead and just kept going straight, passing parking lots in Vernon and Bolton. Didn’t notice much options for restrooms or pit stops for food so plan accordingly.
This trail is not to be missed. I rode approximately 21 miles from Cumberland to Woonsocket. There is a parking lot on John Street at the site of the old Lonsdale drive-in. The trail is breathtakingly beautiful and well maintained. You are lulled into a calm feeling listening to the river. The surroundings rustic. It’s a mix of old and new from the railroad tracks to industrial buildings to modern buildings. There are minimal hills/inclines. My only negative is that the signage needs improvement. industribuilding
Great 14 mile round trip bike ride from the train station. Beautiful scenery with bridges, water and lines with trees. Train station has a nice bathroom and cool inside - historic, has a water fountain and a bathroom.
We spent two days on the trail doing an out and back loop each day as we only had one car. I used a mountain bike; my wife had a Townie Go, with electric assist (both 2" wide tires). The first day we started at East Hampton, road 18 miles north and turned around. Great ride. The surface was cinders, maintained and smooth. There are no bathroom or water facilities. You really feel out in the woods and away from civilization - we saw no sandwich store or stops of any kind. But, a Super day in any case. Don't miss the covered bridge which is at the end of a down hill road adjacent to the trail (about 1.5 miles)
We stayed at the Daniel Rust B&B (cottage) which is well worth it. Very nice garden like yard. Room was clean, bright and good sized. Owners were very friendly. Unbelievable breakfast - better than home. Bikes were very safe kept outside our cottage.
Good food nearby - we went to the Hill top restaurant which was reasonable and offered good choices. It faces west for a very nice sunset.
Next day we started in Lebanon and parked near Kingsley road. Note the route from here has been changed. As you near the Willimantic river you cross a pedestrian bridge. At the end of the bridge the trail splits with the Hop river trail going left and the airline going right. No more dramatic drop off at the river or the remains of a bridge you can't cross.
Taking the Airline trail follow the river till you come to a rail yard. Go straight ahead riding on public streets behind old buildings. Follow Bike Trail signs and painted bike signs on the road (River road I think) till you get to the FROG bridge on Jackson St. Make a left, following the bike trail signs into a parking lot (referred to in the itinerary for day 2 parking) on the right side just past the bridge. Ride along the path away from the Frog bridge, the airline trail picks up at the far end of this parking area (it may be called a Green way on signs - not Airline. For a few miles the path is paved asphalt but then changes back to cinder.
We rode the next part of this trail for about 10 miles till we got to a road crossing with Parker Road. From here the trail became very narrow - single track and was very rough. Basically a combination of dirt with natural stones. It seemed unimproved - no sign of cinders or any serious trail work. We rode this for a mile or so then decided to turn around. Perhaps this was only a short section of nasty trail because the itinerary makes no mention of it.
This was a fun trail with the exception of the last section. The surrounding country side is beautiful and easy to navigate with your car. Food is plentiful and there are lots of antique stores and other neat things to see. This could be a really good ride during the fall foliage season. I'll be back.
From EBBP over mostly dedicated path or protected bike lanes:
Over Washington Bridge thru India Pt Park;
Under I-195 along S. Water St. crossing Wickendon St. onto bike path along Providence River;
Cross Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial (pedestrian) Bridge over river then head west uphill along Ship, Chestnut then Clifford Streets;
Clifford St over I-95 bridge, dogleg right/left onto Friendship St downhill left onto Broad;
Along Broad then right onto Peace St (next to St. Joseph's Med Ctr);
Peace turns into Waverly. Waverly left onto Cranston St.;
Cranston St. (unprotected) under Rte10 then left onto Depot St.;
Arrived!
Brutal…started at the trailhead in Douglas State Forest en route to the finish in Franklin…combo of compacted gravel, sand, asphalt, and river stone….
This trail is listed at 22 miles but my gps had it at 23.9 due to not taking into account the unconnected parts where you need to navigate main roads and streets(Millville 0.6 miles not on the map and Blackstone 1.0 miles not on the map). Start to finish back to start a 48 mile day.
Absolutely NO gain on this trail…you will be peddling for 99% of the ride due to little elevation changes…many erupted stones, fallen trees, and ‘porpoising’ swells along the track…oh and mud…
And there are only 3 locations to egress off if you have any problems along the way(Millville on rte 146a / downtown Blackstone / Bellingham near the Ri border near downtown Woonsocket)…other than that your in no man’s land…
Good point is that the paved greenway in Uxbridge is new and in excellent condition with great views and bridge trusses to cross…however there are trail sections with plenty of gnarly - one bike width only - narrow points to navigate(ie. Bellingham)
My son and I completed this end to end recently. You need plenty of patience as the directions and published maps are a joke…there are 2 areas that are “under construction” and say do not enter - feel free to ignore those…as this part of the trail is rideable but just awaiting a coat of asphalt on top of compacts clay/sand…to bypass would add another 5 miles to the voyage.
The best riders would be hard pressed to finish this coast to coast under 4hrs…you can make up time on the greenway but you will be constantly peddling on this beast of a trail if you wish to complete it…looking for a challenge and punishment this delivers…hydrate and stretch!
(1) The continuous asphalt path south from Woonsocket to Central Falls is outstanding except for "missing" signage at Ashton Mills for southbound riders. You must turn right, but without any sign, quite a few cyclists on this trail for the first time, including me, continued straight on the path and wandered around the apartment parking lot and streets until we either looked back and saw bicycles riding from the left, or a kind soul told us to cross the river. There is a sign telling northbound riders crossing the river to turn left. (2) After the separate bikeway ends on the streets of Central Falls, turn signs are missing in both directions. I gave up trying to continue to Pawtucket at the Wyatt Detention Facility, though I am told the "trail" continues past it. There need to be signs at every turn where there is more than one option. It's especially confusing that there are brand new, well-marked bike lanes in Central Falls if you fail to turn left when you were supposed to but didn't know it. However, these lanes stop abruptly, leaving you downtown, blocks away from the trail.
This is my favorite bike path for scenic water views! It’s a long trail, paved, and flat. I suggest parking in between Barrington and East Providence, not at India Park. The ride from India park south for the first few miles is challenging. Bring cash to buy an iced Lemon drink at Dels.
Began at Railroad Ave/Mill Rd, Dudley lot, headed north, dirt track, but mainly smooth. At W. Dudley Rd, no signage, so go left on the road 100 feet to a great weir waterfall with bridge on a curve, at end of bridge is the larger parking lot and boat launch, on Quinebaug river, which is behind an old, but still used warehouse/factory, and it's absolutely lovely there. However, the trail there becomes a narrow track, so my hybrid bike wasn't really up to it, but bringing the dog back once for a walk was fantastic. A rural back roads route to reach the Mill Rd parking is possible, too, through Oxford and Nichols College on Healy Rd, which is lovely also.
Hands down one of the better rail trails. Smooth packed white limestone trail. Trail was in great shape. I’d say 95% of the trail is shaded-great on a hot summer day. I only found one place to get water and snacks. It was near Andover as the trail crossed a road you could see the highway very close by and a gas station and Dunkin’ Donuts right there only 200 yards off the trail. Overall a great, smooth and very pretty ride!
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