Providence/Warwick has great parks for outdoor activities year-round

The outdoors really is great in Warwick, RI, where state and local parks provide trails, beaches, picnic areas, ballfields, playgrounds – even horseback-riding and golf courses. The horses and golf are at Goddard Memorial State Park. A sandy beach and lighthouse view can be found at Conimicut Point; there’s a handicapped-accessible fishing dock at Gorton Pond. Swim off a freshwater beach at Little Pond; go fishing at Sand Pond. Hikers love Rocky Point Park, and there are paved bike paths at Warwick City Park, which also has a saltwater beach and playground. Launch your boat at Warwick Pond or your kayak or canoe at Conimicut Point. Leashed dogs are welcome at many parks. Many park beaches have bathhouses; some have seasonal lifeguards.

On the end of a peninsula surrounded by two quiet bay coves, Warwick City Park provides a rich variety of outdoor activities for local residents and visitors. At the 126-acre park, you can go wading and swimming off Buttonwoods Beach, where the waves are small and the views impressive. There’s also a bathhouse. You can hike, bike or jog along three miles of paved paths through woods and along the coast. You can enjoy lunch at a sheltered picnic area. And, you can let your dogs romp in fenced-in parks for large and small pooches. The park also features three baseball fields, a basketball court, a field hockey area, kiddie play area – even a stone circle for meditation and contemplation.