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

For a century and a half, Rocky Point was known for its amusement park, which closed in 1995. Now a popular state park, Rocky Point Park is a pleasant place for beach strolls or for wading in tidal pools or exploring its hiking and biking paths. Leashed dogs are allowed. Set on 124 acres on a pointed outcrop in the upper part of Narragansett Bay, the park offers views of Conimicut Lighthouse and wide, open fields for recreation. There are plenty of benches to enjoy the bay views, and you’ll want to check out one of the “Peace Through Understanding” arches from the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, N.Y., relocated to the park.There’s a picturesque public fishing pier.

The outdoors really is great in Warwick, 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.

Set on 472 acres along the scenic shore of Greenwich Cove and Greenwich Bay, the Goddard Memorial State Park is one of the state’s most popular parks. And it’s easy to see why, starting with the inviting, sandy saltwater beach, ideal for swimming, sun-bathing, fishing and paddling. There’s a seasonal lifeguard and bathhouses. The park also has a boat ramp, 11 game fields, 18 miles of bridle trails and a nine-hole, park-36 public golf course. (Call for a tee time, since there are no walk-in times.) The renovated pavilion offers occasional concert and equestrian shows. And, with 355 picnic tables and pleasant views (sunsets are superior), the park is the perfect location for a picnic lunch or dinner. - Park Map (PDF)

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.