Posted By auntie on July 11, 2014

2.65 miles, cranston, ri

you know how sometimes things can sound like great fun in theory and then in reality turn out to be, well, not so fun? this was one of those times. the pawtuxet river trail, while being fairly well appointed with signs and blazes and everything, was interesting yet creepy. i started out from the parking lot of the famous “rhodes on the pawtuxet” banquet hall. the trail is in places a poison-ivy-lined jungle, with grass growing over my (admittedly modest-height) head. from the “rhodes” parking lot it follows the northern bank of the pawtuxet river to warwick ave., where it winds up behind an abandoned factory, which at first glance appears to be a dead-end, but on closer inspection revealed a small overgrown path around the chain link fence to the street. then, after crossing the river on warwick ave., it becomes something of a scavenger hunt to find the trail head for the trail on the southern bank across the parking lot of shaw’s supermarket. once found, it again becomes a poison-ivy-lined jungle for a long stretch.

i think the idea of a wooded trail in the middle of bustling cranston was what appealed to my sense of adventure, and ironically, the awareness that i was on a wooded trail in the middle of bustling cranston was what was rather unappealing about it in reality. there’s another abandoned factory building at the post road end of the trail, too, with another hunt for the rest of the trail to the road. after escaping from that last factory property, it’s a pleasant enough stroll through the village of pawtuxet, with historic homes, and fancy little bistros and ice cream shops and antique stores to pass the time. for once, the last 3/4-mile of road-walking was the most relaxing part!

the trail

this is what a lot of the trail looked like. that’s mostly poison ivy crowding the sides.

centaurea

i will say for an urban trail, there was remarkably little litter or trash anywhere. and there were some pretty sights, including this elegant little knapweed flower.

the river

and yes, you were walking the banks of an historic river… but still. i was happy to get to the end.

river sign

i have added this trail to the hikefinder, but i can’t say it was one of my favorites.

Categories: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2–5 miles, Cranston RI, RI