Block Island: Trails, Nature and History

Block Island combines extensive hiking trails and wildlife viewing with places that tell the island’s history. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you’d like to explore on foot, watch birds, cycle, or discover historical collections. The options vary by activity, subject, and season. Getting to the island and getting around once there are also part of realistically planning your stay.

Trails, Nature and Seasons

More than 28 miles of hiking trails on Block Island are open to the public free of charge. They offer access to the island’s nature, heritage, and wildlife. At the Lewis-Dickens Farm Wildlife Refuge, easy hikes lead through coastal meadows. These meadows offer a specific landscape to explore alongside the broader network of hiking trails.

Fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, environmental education, and photography are possible year-round at the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge. At the Lewis-Dickens Farm Wildlife Refuge, you can observe birds of prey and migratory birds in the fall. The distinction is helpful when choosing when to visit: activities at the National Wildlife Refuge are available year-round, while the birdwatching mentioned at Lewis-Dickens is specifically tied to the fall.

History and Notable Places

If you’re interested in Block Island’s history, the Block Island Historical Society Museum is at Bridgegate Square, at the intersection of Old Town Road and Ocean Avenue. Its extensive collection of significant artifacts relating to the island’s history includes Manissean stone tools and points, early New England maritime and agricultural exhibits, colonial memorabilia, and enlarged historical photographs from the Victorian era.

Southeast Lighthouse offers a different historical and scenic perspective: built in 1875, it stands on the Mohegan Bluffs, 200 feet above the water. The grounds are accessible. As access conditions may change, please check the latest information before your visit.

Cycling, Getting There and Getting Around

For cycling, the Block Island Bicycle Tour follows a 7.5-mile loop with nine stops at notable sights in the southern part of the island. Compared with hiking, the options are more than 28 miles of hiking trails versus a single 7.5-mile bike loop with nine stops. This gives you a way to compare two different ways of getting around Block Island.

Getting to Block Island requires a boat trip or a flight. Passenger ferries operate in summer from Newport and Montauk, and year-round from Point Judith. Schedules may change, so check the service for your travel dates before you go. There is no public transportation or rideshare service on the island. When planning a hotel stay, consider two separate questions: how to get to the island and how to get around once there.

Discover more destinations: Narragansett, Bonnet Shores, North Kingstown, Point Judith, Westerly, South Kingstown, Charlestown

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