3 Easy Hikes Close to Providence

I'm enjoying my last few days of vacation before heading back to work. I took four weeks off this Spring: one before our wedding and three after. Being back in Lil Rhody this week made me a little depressed and the dog a lot depressed. He'd been spoiled at my parents' house in Vermont while we honeymooned. Coming home is hard for him because there aren't other dogs to play with and he has to be leashed while we're in the city. SO we set out on three hikes this past week to put some pep in his step. 

1. Neutaconkanut 

If you can pronounce that, more power to ya. This little gem is, I guess, still within the city limits of Providence but more specifically in Olneyville. Dubbed "the last wild place in Providence" it has several different trail options that run in the woods, along a hillside. There are ball fields, a town pool, and a skate park at the foot of the hills. It is a nice park, in the sense that I was like "Wow, this is nice. How did I NOT know this existed?!" Climb to the top of the hill, stand on some rocks, and you get a killer view of Providence. The top is flat and open enough to be perfect for a picnic. Edison was perfectly content off lease while we hiked. Plenty of parking spaces next to the baseball fields. Click here for more info. 

2. The Monastery

This well known spot is in Cumberland, RI and we've been here many times before. This last time was different though. T and I took Edison, let him off leash, and picked some trails that lead us farther out, overlooking the sand pits. We walked for probably an hour before really getting our wires crossed. I had to get home to change before an afternoon shift at my part-time job and we couldn't find our way back. The maps you can pull up online are not exactly easy to figure out...if you're me...which I am. BUT the hike itself was good, a little hilly up towards those sand pits but mostly flat-ish, worn, slightly rocky trails. The dog loves the tall grass that he can run through, ensuring that he gets checked for ticks that evening. Parking is easy here as well as it is also a playground and public library and senior center. Click here for more info.

3. Lime Rock Preserve

This was a good find for our little family. It is under 1.5 miles all the way around, is beautiful, and just rolling enough so that you feel like you're hiking. The map is very easy to understand. The only bummer is parking. Cars have to pull off the road where the trail head is. There is a sign that marks the entrance to the preserve but realistically only room for a couple of cars to the rest are left to just edge as far off of the road as possible. This would be fine except that while we were there another patron told us they do ticket cars on the side of the road here. Click here for more info.

And that is the short list of places we hiked this week. All close to PVD, all dog friendly.