Walking and Hiking

The Sawmill is a public park on the north end of New Bedford aside the Acushnet River where a lumberyard once stood, . Visitors are welcome to walk the easy trails (some are wheelchair accessible), go fishing, paddle , or look for birds and wildlife. The Hawes Family Learning Center has exhibits about the natural history of the river. Expect to see dragonflies, ospreys, and ducks. Nature creates a fishway in the spring: a series of pools and boulders that fish navigate as they migrate upstream. There is a ramp for small boats. In winter, people may snowshoe here. Property map. Map.
Hours: Open dawn to dusk with a parking lot and on-street parking. Free admission. Dogs allowed on leash.

Nature trails are the focal point of this site, which includes a trail for the visually impaired. Exhibits and programs are scheduled here daily.

Explore the natural treasures at Myles Standish State Forest, including cranberry bogs and the ecologically fragile kettle ponds, and pitch pine and scrub oak forest areas. Discover 13 miles of walking paths, or sign up for a summer interpretive program for a guided walk through the site. - Trail Map (PDF)

Wooded bridle paths and hiking trails. - Trail Map (PDF) - Recommended Spring '22 Hikes (PDF)

50 miles of unpaved hiking trails lead travelers through the forests of southeastern Massachusetts. Be sure to look for Profile Rock, a natural spectacle which is said to resemble Chief Massasoit. Part of this forest belongs to the Wampanoag Nation. - Trail Map (PDF)

The main trail is about one mile long; it will lead you to a rocky beach with sea creatures and harbor seals.

Visitors can enjoy walking trails and exhibits at this nature preserve, set on 55 acres.

Formerly known as Island View Farm, Slocum's River Reserve includes mature woodlands, agricultural fields, and pastures that slope down to the western bank of the Slocum's River. Two miles of easy trails cross the Reservation and protect more than 3,000 feet of frontage along the river. Adjoining private farmland and pastures produce corn, alfalfa, and horticultural nursery stock and are used to graze livestock.

Deriving its name from rights granted in the late 1700’s to the Town of Scituate to harvest salt hay "two miles along the river and half a mile inland on each side," Two Mile Farm preserves one of the region's most scenic and dramatic river views. Trails pass through a white pine woodland, tracking the toppled remains of old stone walls and former farm cart paths. Each trail slopes down to the marsh's edge to a view of the grassy banks of the North River, a designated National Natural Landmark, and the Stetson Meadows beyond.

This 196-acre refuge is easily accessible from Providence, and features fields, woods and a large nature center. From I-95 take the Broadway exit, Exit 6. in East Providence. Bear left at the bottom of the ramp, onto Warren Avenue. Turn left at the first set of lights, onto Rte. 114 North. Travel approximately 2 miles and then turn right onto Rte. 152 North. Continue on Rte. 152 across a reservoir and into Seekonk. After you pass the middle school on the left, turn right onto Brown Avenue. Caratunk is 7/10 of a mile on the right.