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Small State, Big
Fun
Surprise: Rhode Island isn't just boats and beaches. Mark
Brodeur introduces readers to the thriving outdoors scene in the
state's diverse interior.
As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I am no longer surprised by the little
that people know of the country’s smallest state, especially when its
comes to outdoor activities. Rhode Island offers more than 400 miles of
coastline within a half-hour drive no matter where you are within the
state – after all, it is the Ocean State!
But there is more to Rhode Island than beaches, boating, surfing and
fishing. Too many overlook the state’s other unique, outdoor experiences
that mostly residents enjoy, like the more than 100 miles of bike paths
and trails that are maintained with great care by the state’s Department
of Transportation and Department of Environmental Management.
Perhaps the two most popular paths are the
Blackstone River
Bikeway and the
East Bay Bike Path,
both of which are paved and almost exclusively off-road. Each present
distinctly different landscapes and scenery, but they have one major
similarity: they follow the water. And this makes for a great
combination of cycling and kayaking.
Just over 10 miles in length, the Blackstone River Bikeway follows its
namesake through the dense woodlands and marshes of Cumberland and
Lincoln. The landscape is extremely peaceful as you travel over wetlands
and bridges and pass dams and old textile mills – remnants of the area’s
industrial history. All you hear is the flow of the river heading
southward, the chirping of insects and the call of migratory birds.
The terrain is relatively flat minus a few steep inclines and the
asphalt offers a smooth ride with plenty of room (10’ wide) to maneuver.
There are painted mile markers and the pavement is striped to prompt
cyclists, rollerbladers and pedestrians to keep to a side.
I
recommend riding the path’s northern half first as a warm-up. There are
two ideal places to park. The
Blackstone River Visitors Center is directly accessible
from Route 295 heading north. There’s plenty of parking, an information
center, restrooms and even a coffee shop. The other parking area is less
than a quarter mile to the south, accessible from Route 116 in Lincoln.
Both lots access the path at roughly its midpoint. Riding north from
either and doubling back is about nine miles.
The path’s southern half offers another 5.5 miles and was extended this
April to include a 14-foot-wide, 540-foot-long boardwalk that traverses
the Lonsdale Marsh – a wetland that is home to Eastern screech owls, a
variety of ducks, migratory heron, swans and ospreys. From the southern
end of the boardwalk, cyclists can ride another mile on-road to the
Valley Falls Heritage Park – the end of the path. The route is clearly
marked with fresh paving and bike route signage.
Another way to explore the path’s southern half is by kayak or canoe.
The Blackstone drops an average of 10 feet per mile, steeper than even
the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. It was known as “America’s
Hardest Working River” because its powerful current once fueled
America’s Industrial Revolution. Today, the first successful cotton mill
in the New World (Slater
Mill) is a national historic landmark, which still stands
at the mouth of the river in Pawtucket, R.I.
There are two routes recommended by the
Blackstone Valley Paddle Club – one for beginners, the
other for intermediates. The intermediate route is a six-mile loop (two
hours roundtrip) starting from the Route 116 parking area. You can
put-in near the bikeway bridge behind the
Wilbur Kelly House Museum, which tells of the River’s
history and the making of the Blackstone Canal that runs parallel.
Heading downstream, the Blackstone is a smooth ride with quickwater of
class one and two. The River is wide and there are few obstructions.
After three miles, paddlers will need to portage out (on the right) to
avoid the Pratt Dam and put-in at the Canal to head back to the Kelly
House Museum. The Canal trip is all flatwater.
The Pratt Dam also marks the start of the beginners’ route. Paddlers can
portage over the Dam and put-in downstream to start a four-mile
roundtrip (one to two hours), a route that will take you through the
Londale Marsh and the boardwalk. The journey is mostly flatwater and
ends at the Valley Falls Dam where you can take out. There is a parking
lot there and it’s a few hundred feet from the Valley Falls Heritage
Park.
By contrast, the 14.5-mile East Bay Bike Path offers a more diverse
experience. From its northern end heading south, the first few miles
offer a demanding terrain of steep hills broken up by plateaus with
stunning views overlooking Narragansett Bay, New England’s largest
estuary, and Providence, the capital city. The path then quickly drops
to sea level and travels over several causeways as it follows the Bay’s
shoreline. The rest of the path is relatively flat as it continues
through a mix of residential areas, fresh and saltwater marshes and
coves.
Roughly 2.5 miles from its end, cyclists pass an entrance to the
Audubon Society of
Rhode Island Environmental Education Center.
The Center’s experts offer guided nature walks of the 28-acre McIntosh
Wildlife Refuge, which intersects with the bike path. Further south, the
path intersects with
Colt State Park, the “jewel” of Rhode Island’s state park
system. It’s a great parking area for the bike path and it offers nearly
500-acres of fields for picnicking, strong winds for kite flying and a
panoramic view of the Bay. There’s a town beach there, too.
Like the Blackstone, the East Bay Bike Path provides a great opportunity
to explore via kayak. This time, however, it’s sea kayaking. The path
follows alongside some of the most pristine waters (and unique wildlife)
on the East Coast – Narragansett Bay, with its more than 30 islands,
Mount Hope Bay, the Sakonnet River and the Taunton River.
Visit
http://www.visitrhodeisland.com
to learn more about the bike path routes, parking, rentals, kayaking
opportunities and other info.
Mark Brodeur is resident of Bristol, Rhode Island,
and is the director of the Rhode Island Tourism Division.
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