Hiking Weetamoo Woods in Tiverton, RI: A Trail Guide
From off-leash trails and peaceful streams to old stone walls and the remnants of historic mill sites, there’s so much to explore and love about hiking the loop at Weetamoo Woods!
Tucked away in Tiverton, Rhode Island, this 650-acre forested preserve offers the perfect mix of natural beauty and local history—plus it’s one of the few places where dogs can roam freely as long as they are under voice control.
Wide woodland trails, rich colonial history, and a dog-friendly off-leash policy make Weetamoo Woods a top hiking destination for pups and their people in Rhode Island.
In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know (including turn-by-turn trail directions!) to see the best scenes and sites in this historic Rhode Island hike.
Living next door in Connecticut and hiking for decades, I am always on the hunt for the best hikes in New England and new trails to try.
While this trail doesn’t lead to sweeping views, for someone like me, simply seeing my dogs happy made the off-leash access reason enough to visit. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by how peaceful and scenic the hike was, and I’d love to return in the fall!
So let’s get to it – everything you need to know hiking this 3+ mile loop in Weetamoo Woods! ⬇️⬇️
🥾WEETAMOO WOODS LOOP OVERVIEW🌲
- Miles: 3.34 mile loop
- Elevation Gain: 157 feet
- Level: Easy
- Find the trailhead: From the Tiverton Library, turn right on Roosevelt Drive and after 360 feet, turn right on Bulgarmarsh Road (RI-177). After 0.2 miles, turn right onto Crandall Road (RI-81) and after 1.4 miles, turn right onto King Road. After 1.2 miles, continue on Lake Road and the parking lot will be on the left after 0.8 miles.
- Highlights: Off leash, meadow views, multiple streams, historic ruins
- Land Manager: Tiverton Open Space Commission, 343 Highland Rd, Tiverton, RI 02878. (401)625-6700. tiverton.ri.gov
Weetamoo Woods Hike Description
Just 30 minutes southeast of Providence and west of Newport, Weetamoo Woods offers over 650 acres of beautiful, varied terrain—featuring oak forests, open meadows, and peaceful wetlands.
It’s a fantastic place to explore with your dog, especially since it’s one of the few approved off-leash hiking spots in the area. With more than 7 miles of well-maintained trails and several brooks along the way, it’s easy for dogs to stay hydrated as they roam.
The area is named after Weetamoo (c. 1635–1676), a respected female sachem of the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe.
As you walk through the woods, you’ll find traces of the land’s rich history and evidence of its past as farmland during the Colonial Era.
Most trails follow wide cart paths bordered by old stone walls and scattered with remnants like cellar holes and stone foundations.
You’ll walk across multiple slab bridges across Borden Brook, where you’ll also find the site of a historic 1800s sawmill.
Managed by the town of Tiverton, the trail system is clearly marked and easy to follow. With little elevation gain, it’s a great option for dogs (and people) of all ages. On our way out, we passed a couple walking two older dogs off-leash. They told us they visit almost every day—and their dogs were 16 and 17 years old!
To start your hike, from the parking area you’ll pick up the red trail. After half a mile, you’ll stay on the red trail to begin the loop counterclockwise. After about a mile, you’ll turn left on the yellow trail, and then close out the loop on the orange trail.
🧭 TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS 🗺️
The yellow waypoints on the AllTrails map correspond to the numbered directions below!
- Find the trailhead and start the hike.
- At 0.53 miles, begin the loop portion of the hike, bearing right to pick up the red trail.
- At 0.83 miles, continue to stay straight on the red trail, crossing over the bridge and old saw mill.
- At 0.9 miles, bear left to stay on the red trail.
- At 1.1 miles, bear left to pick up the yellow trail.
- At 1.15 miles, bear left to continue on the yellow trail. (You will see two different trails on the left, both marked in yellow, you can take either one since they meet after a couple hundred feet.)
- At 1.72 miles, turn left onto the orange trail at the trailhead kiosk after passing by the barn on your right.
- At 2.15 miles, continue straight on the orange trail.
- At 2.5 miles, continue on the orange trail as it curves to the right.
- At 2.85 miles, arrive back at start of loop, turn right on red which you will follow all to the way back to the parking lot the same way you came in.
Photos of Weetamoo Woods Hike
🥾Trail Photos:
💦Borden Brook Photos: (which you’ll cross a couple times!)
Historic stonewalls and sawmill photos:
That’s it, friends!
I hope you enjoyed this post all about hiking in Weetamoo Woods. Comment below with any questions or let me know if you try and enjoy this trail!
If you’re looking for other dog-friendly hikes in Rhode Island, check out my posts below!
That looks like a great place for dogs! I love the history you mentioned. Are there any good places to grab food nearby that are dog friendly?
Wow, great question!! I need to add that to the post. there is a really good cafe just minutes away in Bristol called Folklore Provisions!! Not sure if they allow dogs inside but they have tables outside and a 5.0 rating on Google!! I’ll have to add it to the post 🙂