Roger Williams Park
Park
418 acres9.4 mi of trail
Big Lakes TrailFeinstein Junior Scholar Wetlands TrailJambo Junction
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Providence
9% of Providence’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 28 miles of mapped trail cross Providence, 1.5 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Roger Williams Park (9.4 mi), Neutaconkanut Hill Park (2.6 mi), Blackstone Park (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #17 of 38 in Rhode Island. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,080 acres · of 18.4 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,151 ac
6.0 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
44 mi
16 mi lanes · 13 mi paths
Highest peak
151 ft
Baileys Butts
Lakes & rivers
26
3 beaches · 7 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Providence?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Providence have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Providence is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #17 of 38 in Rhode Island. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Providence’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical RI town 19% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · RI 1.1 · U.S. 0.4APark land6.0 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,151 acres) · RI 21 · U.S. 13CParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · RI 72% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Rhode Island towns of 2,500+ (38)Ahead of 57%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Providence ranks #147 on Outdoors.
Rhode Island towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Providence’s 9% is ahead of 22% of Rhode Island towns, while its trails per square mile lead 73% of them.
Water is 11% of Providence’s area (2 of 21 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
Park acres per resident are where Providence trails most U.S. towns: 6.0 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 195,310 people share 1,151 acres.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to 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 Roger Williams Park, with 9.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Neutaconkanut Hill Park
Park
77 acres2.6 mi of trail
North End (2-way traffic)Blueberry Trail (blue)Pinnacle Trail (orange)Monument Loop (orange)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Blackstone Park
Park
46 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Blackstone Boulevard Park
Park
20 acres1.6 mi of trail
Blackstone Boulevard Walking Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Forys Playground
Park
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mashapaug Pond Park
Park
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 77 parks & preserves
Roger Williams Park418 acres · 9.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNeutaconkanut Hill Park77 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBlackstone Park46 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBlackstone Boulevard Park20 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPrete-Metcalf Field9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWanskuck Park22 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsForys Playground5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Mashapaug Pond Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Joseph Williams Field5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDonigian Memorial Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMurphy Trainor Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAmos Earley Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Fargnoli Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Columbia Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMerino Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFather Lennon Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJoslin Playground2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSackett Street Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Harriet & Sayles Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Hopkins Square1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPaul Grande Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Regent Ave Playground1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Davis Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGano Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPleasant Valley Parkway8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lippitt Memorial Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHopkins Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsArdoene Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Conlan Junior Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
BankNewport City Center1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBiltmore Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsClarence St. Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Waterplace Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarket Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRhode Island State House Grounds15 acres
DirectionsDexter Training Ground14 acres
DirectionsIndia Point Park14 acres
DirectionsObediah Brown Fields11 acres
DirectionsProvidence Innovation District Park6 acres
DirectionsCollier Park6 acres
DirectionsIola French Park5 acres
DirectionsRoger Williams National Monument5 acres
DirectionsMount Pleasant Little League Fields & Playground5 acres
Collyer Park4 acres
DirectionsStation Park4 acres
DirectionsBucklin Park4 acres
DirectionsConstance Witherby Park3 acres
DirectionsRandall Park2 acres
Sessions Street Park2 acres
DirectionsDavey Lopes Park2 acres
DirectionsBilly Taylor Park2 acres
DirectionsRiverwalk2 acres
DirectionsCabral Park2 acres
DirectionsBrown Street Playground2 acres
DirectionsBurnside Park1 acres
DirectionsAscham Street Park1 acres
DirectionsGeneral Street Park1 acres
DirectionsKnight Street Park1 acres
DirectionsPaterson Park1 acres
Esek Hopkins Homestead1 acres
DirectionsViscolosi Park1 acres
Gladys Potter Park1 acres
Franklin Square1 acres
DirectionsProspect Terrace Park1 acres
DirectionsRoger Williams Landing1 acres
DirectionsMajor Park1 acres
Point Street Park1 acres
DirectionsCathedral Square1 acres
DirectionsCranston St. Totlot1 acres
DirectionsRidge Street Park1 acres
DirectionsJoseph P. Hassett, Sr. Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsTom Twitchell Greenway1 acres
St. John's Park1 acres
DirectionsJacqueline Clements Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,080 conserved acres
9% of Providence’s land. Water is left out: Providence has 18.4 square miles of land and 2.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Providence’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city489 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land455 ac
State natural resources54 ac
Joint23 ac
State conservation18 ac
National Park Service16 ac
Other state land16 ac
Conservation Easement · 521 acLocal Park · 384 acLocal Recreation Area · 143 acState Park · 31 acRecreation or Education Easement · 15 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 502 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 45 of 128 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triggs Memorial Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 143 | Open |
| Neutaconkanut Park Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Wanskuck Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Whipples Pond Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| State House grounds State Park | Other state land | 16 | Open |
| State Pier 1 State Park | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
| Hopkins Jr High School Area Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Davis Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| India Point Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Obediah Brown Fields Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
125 places to go in Providence
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Providence
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Providence
Selim-Rogers Recreation Center PoolIn Father Lennon Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Providence
Brandon's BeachIn Burnside Park
DirectionsFitness Area - RingsIn Brown Street Playground
DirectionsHasbro Boundless PlaygroundIn Roger Williams Park
DirectionsHumboldt PlaygroundIn Gladys Potter Park
DirectionsNeutaconkanut playgroundIn Neutaconkanut Hill Park
DirectionsPrete-Metcalf Field PlaygroundIn Prete-Metcalf Field
DirectionsPrete-Metcalf Field PlaygroundIn Prete-Metcalf Field
Directions95 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Providence
Waterfalls in Providence
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Providence
Huxley Overlook
DirectionsProspect Terrace ViewpointIn Prospect Terrace Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Providence
Baileys Butts151 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pleasant151 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Providence
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Providence
Brown University Student Garden
DirectionsPlus 7 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 named trails and 26 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.6 mi
Blackstone Boulevard Walking Path1.6 mi
Big Lakes Trail1.2 mi
Blueberry Trail (blue)0.4 mi
North End (2-way traffic)0.3 mi
Pinnacle Trail (orange)0.2 mi
Monument Loop (orange)0.2 mi
The Shortcut (green)0.2 mi
Hickory Trail (red)0.1 mi
Feinstein Junior Scholar Wetlands Trail0.1 mi
Monument loop (orange)0.1 mi
4 more trails
Pinnacle trail (orange)
0.1 miSki slope
0.1 miJasmine Path
0.1 miMichael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Billy Taylor Water ParkBlackstone PondCanada PondCunliff LakeDeep Spring LakeEdgewood LakeElm LakeGeneral Street Water ParkGeneva PondreservoirGeorge West Water ParkJapanese GardenMashapaug PondpondPleasure LakePolo LakeRock PondRoosevelt LakeSackett Street Water ParkWanskuck PondreservoirWhipples PondreservoirWillow LakeYork PondZoo Lake and WetlandsMoshassuck RiverProvidence RiverSeekonk RiverWoonasquatucket River
Biking & sports
44 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
13 mi
off-road bike paths
15 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
63Tennis
44Baseball
36Basketball
15Soccer
7Football
4Softball
3Skate park
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →166 places on the National Register, 12 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 69 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
154 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Providence: 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 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 47 | 58 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (3.3 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Providence →
Next door
Providence and its neighbors
Providence has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 9% | 1.5 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| East Providence | 4% | 1.2 | 5 | 80% | B |
| Johnston | 6% | 1.1 | 6 | 35% | B− |
| Cranston | 7% | 0.6 | 12 | 83% | B+ |
| North Providence | 4% | 0.2 | 3 | 83% | B− |
| Pawtucket | 9% | 0.7 | 6 | 98% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Providence
Where can I hike in Providence?
The longest trail networks: Roger Williams Park, 9.4 miles; Neutaconkanut Hill Park, 2.6 miles; Blackstone Park, 2.2 miles; Blackstone Boulevard Park, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Providence is conserved land?
9% 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 Providence’s trails?
Roger Williams Park and Neutaconkanut Hill Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Providence?
44 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of painted or protected lanes, 13 of off-road paths and 15 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Providence?
15,425 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Providence or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,151 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Providence have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #17 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 Providence 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 →