Jane’s Walk is a global weekend festival of walking conversations the first weekend of May every year, inspired by urban activist Jane Jacobs. Here in Rhode Island we currently have programs in Providence and Aquidneck Island. Is your city or town next?
The RI Land Trust offers a fantastic listing of both weekly and monthly organized group nature walks across the state. Several Rhode Island land trusts and other organizations regularly schedule walks that they lead. You can join a group for one of these walks or become a member of a group that regularly goes out walking.
Land Trust Days is a statewide, annual 2-month celebration in the fall of the many special places in Rhode Island protected by land trusts. Land trusts across the state host activities to share the special places they are protecting for everyone, young and old to enjoy. These events include guided walks, community festivals, full moon walks, farm tours and a whole lot more.
Walktober is AARP Rhode Island’s annual, month-long celebration of active communities. This dynamic initiative invites people of all ages and abilities to participate in free community events, guided walks, and interactive walkability audits, promoting health, connection, and safer, more accessible neighborhoods for everyone to enjoy year after year.
Walk with a Doc offers free walking programs in communities around the world led by local doctors, healthcare providers, or medical students with an aim to make health and happiness accessible to everyone. These ongoing events allow participants to safely walk (or roll), learn about current health topics, and meet new people.
Rhode Island Families in Nature was created by and for families who want to spend more time outdoors, explore RI’s natural places, and reconnect with and reap the many benefits of nature. They offer an easily searchable database of family-friendly hikes and offer helpful tips and tools to make your exploration a success.
RI Walks enables you and your kids to:
And best of all, RI Walks has adventure guides that you can print and take with you on the trail to make walks more fun.
Walks are monthly, led by Melissa of 15 Minute Field Trips, and take place Saturdays from 2–3:30 PM. Each walk features a hands-on activity, exploration, and a chance to observe wildlife up close.
image courtesy of Grow Smart RI
Learn how to assess and report on the safety and walkability of a street, intersection or neighborhood — and inspire needed change
The Rhode Island Land Trust Council’s Trail Finder is a must for your walking toolkit. This database allows you to sort hikes by location, levels of difficulty, and more (such as trails you can bring your dog on, or that are wheelchair accessible etc.). You can even rate the various trails and post photos of your walks!
Our favorite book for hiking in Rhode Island is Ken Weber’s, Weekend Walks in Rhode Island: 40 Trails for Hiking, Birding and Nature Viewing.
For years Ken Weber has been educating visitors and natives to the historic and natural wonders of the Ocean State. The 40 walks and gentle hikes in this new guide reveal the best terrain the state has to offer, both urban and rural. The walks range from 1.5 to 9 miles in length, from gentle strolls to more challenging day hikes. Each chapter includes directions to the trailhead, a detailed map, a complete description of the route, and natural and historic highlights you’ll see along the way.
In this Main Street RI Roundtable and follow-up blog post, we journey through the many ways we can design our streets to enhance walkability.
