First Day Hike at Wolf Hill

You must be a member of the Rhode Island Hiking Club and be on the Attending List to participate in this event.

Event Rating: Level 2+ (Moderate)
Distance: ~5 Miles
Time Duration: ~2.5 Hours
Blaze Orange: Required

Before signing up for this event, please read and understand the entire Write-Up and the Liability Waiver. By signing up for this event you agree to the terms of the write-up and the waiver. Please sign-up only if you are sure that you can attend.

COVID-19 Instructions: Do not attend a hike if you or a person with whom you have been in close contact have tested positive for COVID-19 or has been experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

Description:
We will hike about 5 miles on the Wolf Hill Trails. The first part of the hike is steep, but then eases up into gently rolling terrain. Much of the trail system has a good number of rocks and roots. As always, bring water (mandatory) and snacks for the hike. We will be hiking at a moderate pace, not an easy pace.

From ExploreRI:
Wolf Hill is a long, rocky, north-south ridge running through the middle of the town of Smithfield, west of I-295 and east of the southern part of Woonasquatucket Reservoir (Stump Pond). All the trails are gently rolling, with the exception of a southern portion of Mary Mowry Trail which is very steep and rocky. Many of the trails are old farm roads from the time this was Mowry Farm. Most of the property is a mature oak and maple forest, with a few stands of pine and hemlock. The undergrowth contains many huckleberry and lowbush blueberry bushes. Several vernal pools are visible from the trails. In 2000 this property was acquired by the Smithfield Land Trust and in the ensuing years abutting land was acquired so that the protected area is now 300 acres.

In the center of the property is a memorial to three airmen who perished when their plane crashed on this site in August 1943.
Plane crash details: https://www.smithfieldri.gov/our-town/town-history/wolf-hill-plane-crash

Bisecting the property is a right-of-way for National Grid's high voltage power lines. This right-of-way has created a low bush habitat for wildlife and here deer, wild turkeys, songbirds, and hawks can often be seen. At the southern end of the property is Mercer Outlook which offers views of the Providence skyline and beyond. Along the Ken Weber Trail the side of the rock ledge that makes up Wolf Hill is clearly visible.

Directions to our hike:

From the east/(Providence, RI): Take Route 44 west then turn right onto Route 5 north by the Apple Valley Mall. Bear right when Route 5 and Route 116 merge. Continue for 1.4 miles and turn right onto Waterview Drive. (just after the police station). Park along Waterview Drive on the same side as the trailhead. That is on the opposite side of the road from the police station.

Liability Waiver: As a condition of your voluntary participation in this activity, you acknowledge and agree to the following: this activity involves inherent risks that can cause property damage, injury, illness, disability, and/or death to participants and/or others; you assume all risk associated with this activity; you are responsible for having the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, clothing, and equipment to safely participate in this activity; you know and will follow the Hiker Responsibility Code described at www.hikesafe.com; the leader(s) of this activity are volunteers; and you for yourself, your heirs, executors, and administrators release, hold harmless, and indemnify the leader(s) and all members of this group from all claims for property damage, injury, illness, disability, and/or death - including those caused by negligence and/or other reasons. The RIHC will not be held responsible for any COVID-19 issues including but not limited to the transmission of the disease, the cost of medical treatment, and/or death.

Safety First!