TREKS & TRAVELS: Charming parks and history lessons in Lincoln, Rhode Island

LINCOLN, R.I. - Folks looking to hold onto that summer feeling just a little bit longer have a perfect spot to try out that’s just a short drive away at Lincoln Woods State Park.

One of Rhode Island’s best kept secrets, the park is situated on 627 acres just over the Massachusetts border. There is no entrance fee and the park has everything for those who enjoy the outdoors.

Olney Pond, the centerpiece of the park, has changing and bathroom facilities, so bring a lunch and hang out on the shores of the pond or sit in the shade of one of the many majestic trees. Keep in mind lifeguards are only on duty from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer season.

If you’re up for something a little more energetic, through the end of September visitors can rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes from the REI boathouse at the pond. Even newbies can sign up for a kayak lesson and get paddling.

There is a boat ramp in the park to launch your own boats, although those with motors must have less than 10 horsepower and are not allowed on weekends or holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Give horseback riding a try at Sunset Stables (sunsetstablesri.com/trail-riding; 401-722-3033) located in the park. Trail rides ($35 per person; $45 for a private ride) are offered seasonally for a fee through September, but lessons and other events are scheduled year round.

Picnic sites and tables, spread throughout the park, can be reserved for $2 a day at the park’s office at 2 Manchester Print Works Road.

Mountain bikers are also welcome on select trails and hikers can wend their way around the 3.5-mile pond loop trail and the park's other paths to enjoy the beauty of the woods, wildlife and water.

Take a leisurely walk around the pond on the park road or through the woods. Depending on your pace, the woodland path can take 90 minutes to 2 hours but the views of the water, the interesting rocks and plants and many little nooks to soak in the views make the extra time worth it.

Winter visitors should be happy to know that Olney Pond is one of just three waterways in Rhode Island tested for ice safeness and, should it be deemed safe, skaters are welcome. Call 401-667-6222 for ice conditions.

The park was named after President Abraham Lincoln and the state acquired it piecemeal, beginning in the fall of 1908 when 71 acres known as Quinsnicket Pond was purchased for $3,000 from the Stephen H. Smith family of Franklin, Mass. By 1918, the park had grown to 458 acres, according the park's website, and now it encompasses 627 acres, including playing fields.

One of its borders, Great Road, is lined with history, making a visit educational as well. In fact, the 3-mile road boasts “300 years of history” and can be walked or driven.

In the 1800s, transportation along the Great Road, one of the earliest roads built in the United States, linked many areas and was a main route in the Blackstone Valley.

Mills came and went along the road due in part to the lackluster power of the Moshassuck River. With the onset of the automobile age, the road was widened and then largely forgotten by travelers when nearby highways took over as the go-to transportation avenues.

Great Road has a remarkable sense of history due in great part to preservation efforts by the community and the state.

Buildings along the route from a bygone era include the Friends Meetinghouse, a hub for the Quaker community in the early 1700s, the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop where William Hannaway ran a successful business until the automobile’s popularity forced him to close in the 1920s, and the Hearthside House that some say Stephen Smith built in 1810 to impress his fiancé who ultimately refused to marry him.

Much of the year the buildings are open on rotating Saturdays from April through November and interpreters offer tours or other activities. There's a blacksmithing demonstration every Saturday at the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop from 9 a.m. to noon, April to November.

For directions, property opening dates and a map showing the location of all nine historic properties located on the Great Road visit https://blackstoneheritagecorridor.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Great-Road-Driving-Tour.pdf.

If you forgot your picnic lunch, locals will steer you to Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery, about 20 minutes away in North Smithfield. Everything the farm sells is made on the premises, including the creamiest ice cream around.

From 3 to 4 p.m. each day, visitors can peek into the barn to watch the cows being milked, and visit with the baby cows out front.

A self-guided audio tour, using your cell phone, shows you around the farm. By typing in the numbers found on various signs around the farm you can learn more about its operations.

If you do decide to sample some of the treats, take a rest at one of the picnic tables and learn some fun information about cows that you probably have never thought about.

Did you know a cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day, has 32 bottom teeth or that it takes more than 21 pounds of whole milk to make 1 pound of butter? If you relax, enjoy an ice cream and read the various signs you would.

Whether you decide to try an ice cream, cookie, bear claws, bread, cinnamon rolls or other sweets, or you want to take home milk that is bottled and pasteurized on site, a stop at Wright’s is a perfect way to end a trip to the area before heading home.

If you go

Lincoln Woods State Park: http://www.riparks.com/Locations/LocationLincolnWoods.html; 401-723-7892

Wright’s Dairy Farm & Bakery: 200 Woonsocket Hill Road, North Smithfield, Rhode Island. www.wrightsdairyfarm.com

Great Road Walking Tour: https://blackstoneheritagecorridor.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Great-Road-Driving-Tour.pdf

Blackstone Heritage Corridor: https://blackstoneheritagecorridor.org/