Cocumcussoc Park
Managed by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
415 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in North Kingstown
24% of North Kingstown’s land is conserved: 6,598 acres
61 miles of mapped trail cross North Kingstown, 1.4 per square mile of land. 1,239 acres are parks and preserves, 44 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Cocumcussoc Park (2.5 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #11 of 38 in Rhode Island. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
6,598 acres · of 43.2 sq mi of land
Trails
61 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,239 ac
44 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
68%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.0 mi
3.7 mi paths
Highest peak
246 ft
Congdon Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
22 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is North Kingstown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Kingstown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Kingstown is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #11 of 38 in Rhode Island. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of North Kingstown’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical RI town 19% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (61 mi) · RI 1.1 · U.S. 0.4APark land44 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,239 acres) · RI 21 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home68% of residents within a half mile of a park · RI 72% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Rhode Island towns of 2,500+ (38)Ahead of 73%
Rhode Island towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so North Kingstown’s 24% is ahead of 70% of Rhode Island towns, while its trails per square mile lead 65% of them.
Water is 26% of North Kingstown’s area (15 of 58 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 18%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Cocumcussoc Park, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bush Hill
Nature preserve
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Cocumcussoc Park415 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
DirectionsBush Hill7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
North Kingstown Town Beach3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Signal Rock Park8 acres
DirectionsCompass Rose Beach4 acres
DirectionsFeurer Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,598 conserved acres
24% of North Kingstown’s land. Water is left out: North Kingstown has 43.2 square miles of land and 15.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages North Kingstown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,738 ac
State natural resources900 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits786 ac
State conservation668 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)427 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land373 ac
Joint140 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 2,604 acConservation Easement · 2,392 acAgricultural Easement · 1,014 acLocal Conservation Area · 523 acState Park · 432 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,672 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 212 of 287 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocumcussoc State Park | State natural resources | 415 | Open |
| Casey Farm Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 307 | Open |
| Gilbert Stuart Road State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 206 | Unknown |
| Calf Pasture Beach Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 184 | Restricted |
| Quidnessett Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 180 | Unknown |
| Shermantown Road Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 155 | Unknown |
| Carpenter Lane Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 151 | Unknown |
| Stook Hill State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 111 | Unknown |
| Hidden Mere Lane Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 102 | Unknown |
| 395 Hamilton Allenton Road Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 98 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
64 places to go in North Kingstown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in North Kingstown
Plus 19 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in North Kingstown
North Kingstown Town Beach playgroundIn North Kingstown Town Beach
DirectionsSouth County Montessori School Playground
DirectionsPlus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in North Kingstown
Kayla Jean Ricci Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in North Kingstown
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in North Kingstown
The Falls
DirectionsPeaks in North Kingstown
Congdon Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsHammond Hill240 ft elevation
DirectionsHuckleberry Hill223 ft elevation
DirectionsBarber Heights220 ft elevation
DirectionsPork Hill151 ft elevation
DirectionsRidge Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsStook Hill128 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Mount112 ft elevation · In Signal Rock Park
Directions3 more peaks
Hornbeam Chapel95 ft elevation
DirectionsCocumcussoc56 ft elevation
DirectionsShady Lea49 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in North Kingstown
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in North Kingstown
1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.8 mi
Stoney Brook Loop Trail1.3 mi
Julia's Trail0.9 mi
Pettaquamscutt Trail0.6 mi
Stony Lane Walking Path0.2 mi
North Kingstown beach walking path0.2 mi
Pettaquamscutt Connector Trail0.2 mi
Stoney Brook Connector Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Annaquatucket ReservoirreservoirBelleville PondlakeBissel CoveCarr PondreservoirDavol PondpondDuck CoveFrys PondpondIshmael LakeJenkins PondpondKettle Hole PondpondLake SybilpondMill PondreservoirPond in the WoodspondPotowomut PondpondRodman Mill PondreservoirSaw Mill PondpondSecret LakelakeSilver Spring LakeWertz and Viall PondreservoirChipuxet RiverHunt RiverMattatuxet River
Biking & sports
4.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.7 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
51Tennis
37Pickleball
35Basketball
8Soccer
6Baseball
6Softball
4Tracks
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →29 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
St. Paul's ChurchBuilding · listed 1972
About itPalmer-Northrup HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld Narragansett ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itSilas Casey FarmDistrict · listed 1973
About itWickford Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About itGeorge Douglas HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itCamp EndicottDistrict · listed 1978
About itLafayette VillageDistrict · listed 1978
About itSix Principle Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1978
About itAllen-Madison HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itHamilton Mill Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About it17 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in North Kingstown: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 40 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 75 | 81 | 80 | 74 | 63 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (3.2 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.9 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in North Kingstown →
Next door
North Kingstown and its neighbors
North Kingstown has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Exeter112 miNorth Kingstown61 miSouth Kingstown50 miPortsmouth34 miWarwick25 miNarragansett13 miJamestown11 miEast Greenwich10 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Kingstown | 24% | 1.4 | 44 | 68% | A |
| Warwick | 9% | 0.7 | 13 | 62% | B+ |
| East Greenwich | 9% | 0.6 | 21 | 88% | A− |
| Jamestown | 32% | 1.2 | 72 | 69% | A |
| Exeter | 35% | 1.9 | 26 | 19% | A− |
| Portsmouth | 35% | 1.5 | 16 | 64% | A |
| South Kingstown | 32% | 0.9 | 76 | 92% | A+ |
| Narragansett | 19% | 1.0 | 40 | 91% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Kingstown
Where can I hike in North Kingstown?
The longest trail networks: Cocumcussoc Park, 2.5 miles; Bush Hill, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Kingstown is conserved land?
24% of its land, against a typical 19% for a Rhode Island town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on North Kingstown’s trails?
Cocumcussoc Park and Bush Hill don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in North Kingstown?
4.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.7 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near North Kingstown?
13,588 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Kingstown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,240 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does North Kingstown have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 of 38 in Rhode Island. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from North Kingstown neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →