Are you looking to get out, get some fresh air, and find a scenic overlook with both nature and city views? If you answered ‘yes,’ then head to Wolf Hill Forest Preserve in Smithfield for a nice long hike that will lead to a hidden overlook.
Wolf Hill Forest Preserve is located in the town of Smithfield in Northern Rhode Island. The best way to get to the trails is on Waterview Drive off of Pleasant View Avenue by the Smithfield Police Station.
Debbi Raymond/AllTrails A small parking lot can be found at the Conservation Center on Waterview Drive, but if there’s no available parking there, you can park on the street.
To get to the World War II Memorial Loop Trail, you’ll make a slightly steep ascent up through the beginning part of the Mary Mowry Trail which is marked green. Follow the green trail, which levels out just after the ascent, until it intersects with the yellow World War II Memorial Trail.
Travis White/AllTrails
This trail is a 4.4-mile loop which features historic markers, a quarry, a waterfall, rocky areas, a gorgeous forest, and eventually leads to a scenic overlook. Although parts of the trail are relatively flat, you will have an overall elevation gain of 410 feet.
Jennifer Wendell Kosek/AllTrails
Along the The World War II Memorial Trail, you’ll see a few historical sites. One is a marker for the Airmen Memorial which was dedicated to a military bomber aircraft that had crashed on Wolf Hill. Three servicemen lost their lives in the crash.
Billy Melgar/AllTrails
There is also a rock quarry with a waterfall and remnants of an abandoned Boy Scout Camp from the 1940s located in the same spot as the overlook you’ll eventually reach along this trail.
Amy Skwira/AllTrails
Traveling along the yellow trail, you’ll eventually cross where the transmission lines are set and continue on your journey through the woods on the other side. Once you come to the blue Mercer Trail, you’ll veer off for about 0.14 miles where you’ll find Mercer Lookout.
Justin Keating/AllTrails
The view from this overlook is seemingly endless. From beyond the treetops, you will notice the Providence skyline in the distance.
Hilary Twombly/AllTrails
And on the clearest of days, not only will you be able to see the city skyline, but part of Narragansett Bay and even the Mount Hope Bridge in Bristol!
Michelle Mach/AllTrails
Debbi Raymond/AllTrails
A small parking lot can be found at the Conservation Center on Waterview Drive, but if there’s no available parking there, you can park on the street.
Travis White/AllTrails
Jennifer Wendell Kosek/AllTrails
Billy Melgar/AllTrails
Amy Skwira/AllTrails
Justin Keating/AllTrails
Hilary Twombly/AllTrails
Michelle Mach/AllTrails
Have you hiked the trails at Wolf Hill Forest Preserve in Smithfield? If so, what was your favorite part? For World War II Loop trail information, visit the webpage on AllTrails.
For another trail with a hidden overlook, read our coverage on the Long Pond Woods Trail in Hopkinton.
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Address: Wolf Hill Forest Preserve, Smithfield, RI 02917, USA
