Rhode Trip! Leaf-peeping in rural Rhode Island
Welcome to Rhode Trip! In this series, I’m sharing my weekend adventures within the bounds of my home state of Rhode Island. Exploring the Ocean State’s hiking trails, bike routes, rivers, beaches, culture and history has shown me that I don’t have to travel far to make epic memories. I hope this series inspires you to discover the beauty of your own backyard.
In September 2020, my husband and I booked a spontaneous long weekend of leaf-peeping in the Adirondack Mountains of New York — one of the only Northeastern states that hadn’t yet banned Rhode Islanders from visiting without quarantining first.
Not 24 hours after booking a hotel stay, we got the notification — New York was cracking down on out-of-state travel. We needed to cancel our reservation and stay home.
For the third year in a row, our plans to take a classic Northern New England fall foliage vacation had been stymied. In 2018, too many other priorities crowded out a possible trip up north, including a yoga retreat on Martha’s Vineyard, a flurry of loved ones passing through Rhode Island and a friend’s invitation to hang out in New York. In 2019, Ian’s work trip to Scotland coincided with peak leaf season. In 2020, Rhode Island’s persistently high coronavirus case count was what kept us from crossing state borders.
I’ll admit it, I wallowed…for about three minutes. And then I realized: Forests cover 60% of Rhode Island. There are plenty of leaves to peep here!
One crisp sunny Saturday in October, I woke up early and did a bit of location scouting online. I mapped out what I thought would be the perfect driving route around the rural, heavily wooded western half of the state, and voila, we were off.
First stop: Ponaganset Falls
A stunningly beautiful drive north on Route 102 carried us to Ponaganset Falls in Scituate. The falls are manmade and flow into Scituate Reservoir, the largest source of fresh water in the state.
We drove right up to the falls and parked by the side of the road, only to discover…there were no falls. Rhode Island was, unfortunately, in the midst of its most intense period of drought in history. But what the site lacked in water flow, it easily made up for in color.
I spotted an old service road off to the side of the falls, and Ian and I followed it all the way to the other side of a large reservoir. It has to have been one of the most stunning fall walks I’ve ever done. Pops of red and orange dotted the shore of the reservoir, bright yellows framed the road and leaves of all colors were strewn on the pavement, still wet from recent rain.
Next up: Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge
I thought Vermont and New Hampshire had a monopoly on adorable, historical covered bridges, but I was wrong! I came across this scenic spot in Foster — the site of many an autumnal photoshoot — on a New England Instagram feed and immediately formulated plans to see it in person.
Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge is the only authentic covered bridge in Rhode Island, but don’t mistake “authentic” for “old” — technically, it’s less historical than I am! Apparently, a wooden covered bridge was first built at this site in the early 19th century, but it was destroyed a century later. In 1986, the town of Foster proposed building an exact replica of the bridge to celebrate Rhode Island’s 350th anniversary. Local volunteers banded together to construct it and finished in 1992. Unfortunately, just four months later, vandals burned it to the ground — and the volunteers had to start all over again!
Luckily, no foul play has damaged the current bridge, which was finished in 1995. And thank goodness for that!
The bridge boasts some charming touches, including an original copy of the schedule of tolls and some cute lattice windows.
Third stop: Jerimoth Hill
The Ocean State is famously flat as a pancake, so it should come as no surprise to learn that its highest point is just 812 feet above sea level…and practically in Connecticut.
Jerimoth Hill, as a destination, doesn’t have much to recommend it. The trail takes all of five minutes to “hike.” There’s no interesting view at the “top.” And its scenery pales in comparison to those at the numerous state parks and nature reserves within spitting distance.
So why visit Jerimoth Hill at all? For bragging rights, I suppose. Check out the logbook at the top of the hill and you’ll discover that most of those who walk here are “peak baggers” who are determined to summit the highest point in every state.
It’s considerably easier to summit Jerimoth Hill than, say, Mount Elbert in Colorado, but that wasn’t always the case. The top of the hill sits on land that was once owned by Brown University and is to this day entirely surrounded by private property. Not long ago, people who were determined to summit knew they might risk the ire of one particular landowner who was known for flashing his rifle and yelling invective at passersby. At that time, the only legal way to visit was to be enrolled in an astronomy class at Brown, as faculty were known to take their students here to stargaze, and they were granted the right of way to do so.
Finally, in 2007, the infamous angry landowner sold his property, and the new owners agreed to let visitors through in the daytime. Then in 2011, the state bought the peak from Brown, making the land publicly accessible.
If you’re planning a leaf-peeping trip to Rhode Island, feel free to skip this stop. It was good for a laugh but otherwise not worth the extra few minutes of driving!
Last destination: George Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge
The Audubon Society is one of the largest private landholders in Rhode Island with more than 10,000 acres to its name. Most of that land is publicly accessible. George Parker Woodland is one of 13 Audubon-owned wildlife refuges in the state, and like the others, it’s peaceful, quiet and beautiful — especially in the fall.
This wasn’t a planned stop for us, but we craved a bit more time in the warm sun, so we pulled over when we saw the Audubon Society sign and started walking. I’m glad we did — the trails we followed led us through an open field that shone golden in the afternoon sun, a long boardwalk constructed atop marshes and streams, and a field of mysterious cairns. An interpretive sign told us the origin of the cairns are still a mystery — some believe they date back to the Neolithic period, though it’s more likely they were constructed as wayfinders by the Narragansett Native American tribe or as property demarcations by white settlers.
If you’re looking for more wildlife refuges to visit for fall color, I’d recommend checking out Long Pond Woods, easily the best hiking area in the state; Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge in nearby Coventry; and the severely under-visited Kimball Wildlife Refuge in Charlestown.
So there you have it — one woman’s successful attempt to combat cabin fever by becoming a leaf-peeping tourist in her own state!
Have you visited Rhode Island in the fall? What are your top autumnal destinations?
