The George B Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge trail system has a lot to offer, with moderately challenging climbs across rocky and rooty terrain. The property is well maintained with clearly marked trail markers. And depending on the time of the year, there are some areas that are swampy, but the keepers of the property have installed bridge to make the area more easily passable.

The group started the hike at the Parking Lot 1 trailhead and followed the orange trail to the blue trail. We have done this hike several times. To mix it up, this time we took a left along the blue trail. We picked up the yellow trail and came across a small bridge that oversees a waterfall along the Pine Swamp Brook. The group stopped to admire the sounds and sights of the waterfall before continuing on to the red trail and following it counterclockwise.

As we continued on the red trail, we came upon an area where the Vaughn Farm once stood 250 years ago. There is a placard to read about the Vaughn’s and you can see stone foundations peek through the earth, revealing where houses once stood. Dirt roads, now overgrown, once echoed with footsteps. A root cellar, a time capsule of survival, awaits your exploration. And also, the remains of a well, a testament to resilience and community. As we walked, we considered the lives lived there, their struggles, dreams, and quiet moments. We imagined what it was

The red trail eventually comes back around to the yellow trail and back to blue. Along the blue trail, we came across some mysterious stone cairns. These enigmatic structures dot the trail. Their origins remain a puzzle—no one can quite trace where they came from or why they stand sentinel. Perhaps they mark ancient boundaries or burial grounds, or maybe they serve as secret meeting spots for forest creatures.

So, my fellow adventurer, when you step onto that trail, you’re not just hiking, you’re time-traveling. 

Additional Info on George B Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge:
RI Hiking
Walking RI: Who built stone cairns at Coventry’s Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge?