George B. Parker Woodland

I’m going to give this trail 4 stars, but I really think it’s best for people with a good amount of hiking experience. The reviews that call Parker «an easy hike» are misleading, imo. There are a lot of tree roots and rocks to trip over, also a lot of slippery hills to climb up and down. I did the Coventry Loop and OMG, there were times when I thought I’d die. You really have to have a lot of stamina – not to mention the right footgear. I also didn’t find the trails as free of debris or as well-​marked as reviewers did in the past.
The old farmhouse foundation was interesting, as were the cairns. And babbling brooks are always nice. But other than that, I found the scenery rather dreary. There was no wildlife to speak of either. But it was still early April, so maybe that’s why.

Beautiful hiking spot! The trails were clear and well marked.

Did this hike today, was a nice moderate hike… not a leisurely stroll but not strenuous either. We parked in lot #1 — took the orange trail and then did the coventry blue loop. It was about 3 miles and took about 2 hours to complete. Quite a bit of up and down and some spots were a little hard to follow because of all of the leaves and branch debris from superstorm Sandy. Definitely a great way to spend a couple of hours.

What a gem. Parker’s got it all — diverse scenery, historical landmarks, hills and valleys, easily navigable, proximity to Providence.
And lots of rocks. Giant glacial rocks, small piles of rocks, inexplicably arranged large piles of rocks, rocks in a centuries-​old farmhouse foundation, beautiful mossy rocks, rocks for sitting, rocks for tripping.
We parked at Lot #1 and took the short Orange trail to the Coventry Blue loop. I don’t know if it’s like that MC Escher engraving where the guys seem to only be walking in a circle *up* stairs the whole way or what, but taking a left at the Blue trail and following clockwise felt like we were going downhill a lot more than going up. Three miles was just enough for a pleasing challenge but not exhausting.
I imagine the stillness of a windless, gloomy, early spring day had something to do with it, but I find this hike to be particularly spooky, in a cool way. Not just all those rocks and snarly old and fallen trees, but most of the time you are far enough from roads that when you pause it is Completely. Silent. Maybe a bird or the faint trickle of the brook in the distance, but sometimes nothing at all.
There were no maps at the kiosk but a sign that says you can download from the Audubon RI site. Here it is:

Yowza, blue loop kicked our butts but no dogs allowed? C’mon. Boring scenery too besides a few bridges and a couple big rocks. It’s a whole lot of stamina and not enough entertainment. I prefer places with a little more character.
We used the main entrance by the house because the side entrance was closed. I wouldn’t recommend it because I think starting in the middle would be a better time. We never did see that cellar everyone talks about.

This is one of my favorite places to go for an easy hike in the area. I say easy, but take in mind I am an experienced hiker and in pretty good shape. There is a lot to see and the trails are wonderfully marked and easy to navigate. The Audubon Society runs this amazing park, so there is little chance of you getting shot (even sans blaze orange clothing during hunting season) and there are signs giving information about some of the more interesting land marks. One such landmark is the foundation of a farm dating back to the 1700s (or was it 1800s. I’m not very good at remembering dates).
There are a couple of different routes that you can take to navigate the woodland. I generally choose to do the three mile route if I don’t have all day to wander around, or the seven mile route if I do. There are a few decent sized hills, so wear appropriate shoes and take plenty of water. Also, if you are out of shape, prepare for putting in a little work to complete the hike.
For those Rhode Islanders (or visitors from the surrounding states) looking for a good hike, but who don’t want to travel up to the mountains, this a lovely place to go. I’m pretty sure that they are open year round, so once we get a little snow I am hoping to go snow-​shoeing there. It really is a beautiful area, and there is nothing like a nice jaunt through the woods to clear one’s mind.

Beautiful. Big rocks. Little rocks. Not an easy path at times. We took the blue dot trail from the first parking area. 3 something miles. The yellow trail connects to the other 3 miles of blue trail, which we have not taken yet.
There were some midges which dove in to eyes and noses. Good tree cover. Check for ticks when u get done as the trail is pretty narrow at times. I only had one problem where there was a huge rock the path appeared to split at. Deadfall on the left side obscured the continuing path. I did like that there were tons of blue dots to guide us.
At times it is a good steep climb, tree roots to catch your toes, and a rocky path to turn your ankle. Be careful.

This is a beautiful place to go for a nice walk. I found a trail map online which is a must to get the most out of this place, there were no trail maps available at the site either time I was there. There is some real hiking to be had here– uneven, rocky terrain and hills– but there are some easy parts, too. The place is extensive enough that you could come here a couple of times and see different areas each time. There are beautiful streams and impressive landscape left behind by the glaciers that melted thousands of years ago. The trails are well-​marked and easy to follow. There is a lot more to see here than just a path in the woods– it is a special place.

Hills
walls
stones
and mysterious
things
The George B. Parker Woodland is a tract of land owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. That means no hunting is allowed on the land so you can hike without wearing orange and without worrying about being nailed by an errant shotgun blast.
The primary trial is a 7 to 8 mile loop that goes through fields, forest and up and down hills. Constantly undulating without any exceptionally difficult climbs. A few slippery places in the snow and ice but nothing dangerous or intimidating. Lots of different types of oak and hickory trees are everywhere and if you look closely you can even make out a few small, pathetic looking chestnut trees. The chestnuts were virtually eliminated throughout out the area by a devastating fungal disease many decades ago.
This use to be farm land so stone walls are everywhere and foundations of old farm houses are apparent even in the snow. The stone walls are a bit odd because some go off for miles and others are just segments that stop suddenly. An old road also runs through the property and is still visible due to the once heavy use. This whole area once experienced heavy use and in addition to the farms and many buildings a charcoal processing site and saw mill were once here. Nothing remains of the sites but if you observe carefully you can see a few earthen mounds where they use to be. The whole area was once bustling with people and activity but for some reason was abandoned about 100 or so years ago.
Some of the most interesting and mysterious objects along the trail are the stone cairns. Round or triangular stacks of stones about 4 to 6 feet high, there are about 100 of them placed in small groups in seemly random spots. Various explanations to explain them range from improbable ideas like the Vikings or Phoenicians left them here to the more likely conjecture that farmers were tired of making stone walls so they just stacked up intruding stones into the cairns. No one really knows and there is no one left to ask.
One of the nicest and most interesting short hikes in Rhode Island. A great place all year round but exceptionally pleasant in the winter. A place where you can enjoy nature and see a lot of cool rocks.