Providence - July 3, 2026

Providence skyline

I have led a RICKA Flatwater trip on the Providence River on the July 4th weekend for the past few years. It seems appropriate since one of the first insurrections of the Revolutionary War – the Gaspee Affair – was carried out on the Providence River in 1772. Providence was also the first colony to declare independence on May 4, 1776, and Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution in 1790 after additional protections were added by the Bill of Rights.

The Providence River is formed at the convergence of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck Rivers in downtown Providence. It flows south through Providence for a mile to its convergence with the Seekonk River at Bold Point/India Point. It then opens up into Providence Harbor before continuing south for 8-miles to the narrows between Conimicut Point in Warwick and Nayatt Point in Barrington where it becomes Narraganset Bay.

Leaving the Cove

We had a group of four boats – all kayaks. We put-in at Bold Point and headed out across Providence Harbor towards the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. The tide was high and the wind was light. Rounding Fox Point we passed the tugboats and paddled under the I-way Bridge and through the hurricane barrier into downtown Providence.

Providence was established in 1636 by Puritan theologian Roger Williams who was fleeing religious persecution in Boston. It became a trading center in the 18th century, a manufacturing center in the 19th century, and a financial center in the 20th century. This history can be seen today in the warehouses, mills and office buildings that line the river.

Tug boats at Fox Point

In the heart of Providence the river passes through Waterplace Park. Completed in 1994, Waterplace Park includes pedestrian bridges over the river that connect over a mile of cobblestone-paved walkways known as the Riverwalk. The park is home to the popular summertime Waterfire events.

We continued up the river into the Cove and paddled under Providence Place and up past the Foundry mill complex before turning around. Trip was around 5-miles.

Providence skyline from the Point Street Bridge

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Mercy Woods - July 1, 2026

Checking the map

I met up with Bill and Nancy for another hike very close to my house – Mercy Woods.

The Mercy Woods is a Cumberland Land Trust property that has 5.7-miles of trails including the Mercy Loop (2.3-miles), the Ridge Trail (2.1-miles) and the Stone Wall, Fisher, Fern, Fiske, Deer and Grape connecting trails. A short section of the Ridge Trail north of the Fern connecting trail is also part of the Warner Trail connecting Sharon, MA to Diamond Hill.

Trail through the ferns

We met at 8:00 at the trailhead on Sumner Brown Road and headed to the south on the Mercy Trail. At the southern end, we cut down to the Diamond Hill Reservoir along a section of the Warner Trail before heading back up one of the connecting trails to the Mercy Trail. Overall we did a little over 4-miles.

After the hike we went out for breakfast at Ollie's Dinner. Nice way to start the day.

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Cumberland Land Trust
Mercy Woods Trail Map

Trip Description from Explore Rhode Island

Warner Trail
Warner Trail Guidebook

Mrs. Skipper - June 30, 2026

I had a little time before going to my physical therapy appointment at Kettle Point, so I decided to check out Mrs. Spipper.

Mrs. Skipper is one of five trolls who have recently taken up residence in Rhode Island. The trolls are the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who is known internationally for these beautiful, larger-than-life trolls made from recycled wood and other materials. Currently there are more than 100 Dambo trolls around the world including five in Rhode Island.

Since Erik Rock and Greta Granite took up residence at Ninigret Park in Charlestown in 2024, three additional trolls have decided to call Rhode Island home. Iver Mudslider sits on a small hill in Ryan Park in North Kingstown. Young Boulder sits on the rocks along the shore of Browning Mill Pond in the Arcadia Management Area on the Exeter/Richmond line. Mrs. Skipper sits with her boat on a rocky point on the Providence River near the East Bay Bike Path.

Finding the five Rhode Island trolls is a scavenger hunt that takes you across several scenic locations. You can use Dambo’s official Trollmap for real-time tracking, or follow these directions:

• Erik Rock and Greta Granite are located in Ninigret Park in Charlestown. Park at the lot near the Frosty Drew Observatory at 5 Park Lane. Erik Rock sits a short walk from the parking lot near the entrance to the Little Ninigret Pond path. Greta Granite is deeper in the woods, about a 0.5-mile hike from Erik. Follow the wooded trail marked with clues like strings of shells hanging overhead.
• Iver Mudslider is located in Ryan Park in North Kingstown. Park at the Oak Hill Road Trailhead off Route 1 for a 0.7-mile walk.
• Young Boulder is located in the Arcadia Management Area on the Exeter/Richmond line. Enter from Arcadia Road off Route 165 and park at the lot near the intersection with Bates Schoolhouse Road.
• Mrs. Skipper is located off the East Bay Bike near Kettle Point in East Providence. Park behind the University Orthopedics building at 1 Kettle Point Avenue.

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Palmer River - June 30, 2026

Paddling through the salt marsh

I sent an email to Danny to see if he would be interested in paddling tandem at paddle club. Instead, he suggested that we do a morning trip on the Palmer River in his new Mad River Tahoe 16. Since I have never paddled the Palmer River, I was happy to join.

The upper reaches of the Palmer River has two branches that arise in Rehoboth – the East Branch that arises in Little Cedar Swamp, and the West Branch that arises in a small unnamed pond near the intersection of Tremont Street and Agricultural Avenue. Both flow south before converging near Danforth Street to form the main branch. It then flows south about 11-miles through Swansea and between Barrington and Warren before converging with the Barrington River to form the Warren River.

Dickie's Clam Shack on Route 6

I grew up about a quarter mile from the Palmer River where is crosses Wilmarth Bridge Road. The plot of land purchased by my grandfather in 1923 actually bordered the Palmer River down by what is now Trim Street. As a kid, I would often swim in the river at Danforth Street, at the swimming hole off Wilmarth Bridge Road and at the Boy Scout Camp off Pond Street.

In its upper reaches, the river is narrow and its tannin-stained waters twist and turn through woodlands with lots of strainers - not the best for paddling. Below the Shad Factory Dam the river is tidal flowing through a huge marshland before opening up into a large tidal estuary as it enters into Rhode Island.

Looking downstream past Tom's Island

I had never paddled on the Palmer River, although the trip was frequently run by RICKA. We met at the boat launch on Providence Street and ran the shuttle down to Belvedere Avenue in Barrington. We launched at around 9:30 with the tide still coming in. There is about a 3-hour delay for the tide to turn this far upstream. We paddled into a huge wetland lined with phragmites. It was a good thing that Danny knew where we were going because it would be really easy to get lost.

We continued under I-195, Route 6 and the Old Providence Road past Barneyville. At this point the river opens up into a huge tidal estuary. This section was made famous in a 19th century landscape by Edward Mitchell Bannister. We were paddling into a strong headwind as we continued south into Rhode Island. We checked out secret Danny’s campsite near Tom’s Island before crossing the river over to the take out at the end of Belvedere Avenue.

Not the best picture, but Danny and me at the take-out

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Pawcatuck River Overnight/Bastille Day Campout - June 27-28, 2026

Heading out from Bradford

I was up early yesterday to finish packing for the Pawcatuck River Overnight/Bastille Day Campout at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites on the Pawcatuck River.

Back in the old days, RICKA held an annual summer camping trip – the Bastille Day Campout. Bastille Day is a national holiday in France that celebrates the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Why Bastille Day was chosen as a theme for a RICKA camping trip has been lost to history. The connection to summer is obvious, and maybe it was a simple as that.

Camp is set up

The event was originally held on Dutch Island. When the DEM prohibited camping on Dutch Island in 1991, it moved to the Burlingame Canoe Campsites on the Pawcatuck. It was celebrated with an assortment of French and French-Canadian delicacies – mostly wine and beer.

Reviving this RICKA tradition seemed like a worthy challenge, so for the past few years we have been organizing a summer overnight trip at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. This year, we met at the Bradford Landing at 12:30 p.m. to load up our boats. The group included Bill, JD, Chuck, Cindy, Roberta, Jose, Danny, Tim, Terrie, Jay and me. It would be the first camping trip with my new Mad River Explorer - it paddled great and carried a ton of gear.

Sausages for dinner

The forecast called for a slight chance of showers in the afternoon, but otherwise warm. When we arrived at Burlingame we found that the site in the woods was occupied, but the field was empty. We unloaded our gear and set up camp in the field. There were a few sprinkles of rain as we sat around enjoying appetizers. We started the dinner fire, then cooled off taking turns on the rope swing as the fire burned down to coals for cooking.

As always, the food was plentiful. We had hummus with flat bread and fruit salad as appetizers; Cesar salad, lasagna, salmon mac and cheese, sausage and peppers and hot dogs and Italian bread for dinner; and apple crisp, carrot cake and chocolate macaroons for desert. After dinner, we settled in around the campfire for a night of tall-tales and war-stories. I finally turned in at around 10:00 p.m. Our neighbors were hooting and hollering until around 1:00 a.m.

Bill and me in the Explorer 17

Before I knew it, morning light was streaming through my tent. I got up around 6:00 a.m. to start the fire and get the coffee perking. Terrie was already up, and Danny was up shortly after. I fired up my Dutch oven to make a batch of cinnamon rolls and Terrie grilled some brown bread. For breakfast we had egg-in-a-hole, home fries, bacon and cantalope. No one ever goes hungry on these trips. We didn't even try to be quiet. Hopefully were were loud enough to wake up our hung-over neighbors - just to return the favor.

After breakfast we packed-up for the trip back to Bradford. I was on the road by 11:00 a.m. and I was home by 12:00 p.m. We will definitely put the Bastille Day Campout on the RICKA calendar again next year.

The crew at the take-out at Bradford

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Diamond Hill Managment Area - June 24, 2026

Diamond Hill Management Area

Today’s hike couldn’t have been much closer to my house. We hiked at the Diamond Hill Management Area in Cumberland.

Diamond Hill is a 400-foot outcropping of white quartz located in Cumberland on the border with Wrentham and Plainville. In the 1930's the Civilian Conservation Corps acquired land on both sides of Diamond Hill Road and established the Diamond Hill Reservation. Eventually, the land was transferred to the State of Rhode Island. The Town of Cumberland now owns Diamond Hill Park on the east side of Diamond Hill Road. The state still owns the Diamond Hill Management Area on the west side of Diamond Hill Road. 

Navigating the trails

The Diamond Hill Management Area includes about 400-acres bounded by Burnt Swamp Road to the north, West Wrentham Road to the west, Nate Whipple Highway to the south and Diamond Hill Road to the east. It is a wooded area with rolling hills and granite boulders that has a maze of hiking and mountain biking trails.

Our intention was to follow the Scout Trail - about a 5-mile loop. Bill and Al had the map downloaded on their phones, but it was tough even with the map and we were often off on side trails. There was a lot of discussion about how to get back to the cars, but teamwork and a good sense of direction got us through. Nice hike and a lot of fun.

The Scout Trail - not sure how much of this we actually followed

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Diamond Hill Scout Trail from AllTrails

Diamond Hill Park from RI Blueways

Diamond Hill Park Trial Map (Town of Cumberland)

Rice City Pond with the BVPC - June 23, 2026

It had ben raining for two days, but it stopped in time for my Blackstone Valley Paddle Club trip at Rice City Pond. We put-in at the Tri-River Medical Center and paddled under the Stone Arch Bridge and up an old section of the Blackstone Canal. Then we paddled across Rice City Pond and up the Blackstone River before shallow water forced us to turn around and head back. I forgot my camera, but fortunately Mike brought his.

The crew at the put-in

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