A Dreamy Forest Hike at Mowry Conservation Area

Sometimes a hike can make you forget you're walking through the woods and make you feel like you've wandered into another world

🥾 Happy Hike: Mowry Conservation Area

📍 Location: Smithfield, RI

🌿 Managed By: Smithfield Land Trust

🅿️ Parking: Limited street parking only

🥾 Trail Length: Approximately 1-mile loop

⭐ Difficulty: Moderate

🗺️ Trail Marked: Yes

🛞 Stroller Friendly: No

🕒 Trail Hours: Open daily, sunrise to sunset

🏢 Headquarters Hours: Not applicable

🚻 Restrooms: Not available

🐕 Dogs: Allowed on leash

🎒 Bring: Water • Bug Spray • Sunscreen • Comfortable Walking Shoes • Camera or Nature Journal (optional)

A Dreamy Forest Adventure at Mowry Conservation Area

Look up at the tall trees surrounding you, their leaves filtering the light as it breaks through the treetops. This is the forest.

You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and as the scent of pine enters your senses, you begin to hear something pleasing to the ears. You open your eyes, trying to find where the sound is emanating from. With each step, the sound becomes louder and yet somehow gentler at the same time, until you finally reach the source.

What can only be described as a dreamy, dark, babbling brook.

The sound is so relaxing that you find yourself wondering, Could I buy something to recreate this at home?

You stay awhile, almost mesmerized by the forest calling you in, and as you look around, you notice something moving above the brook that intrigues you to move in closer.

A rock formation stretches across the water, creating a dark, almost hidden space above the brook, giving the whole scene an ominous feeling. As the water moves below, its reflection dances across the rocks above it, creating what looks like a scene from a film playing across the forest walls.

You stand there for a moment watching the moving reflections and think to yourself, The name of this film must be forest bathing.

But eventually, it is time to move on from the serene space.

You cross the bridge and begin heading uphill to tackle the yellow trail, which happens to reveal even more rock mysteries for your eyes — and your feet — to uncover.

Some of the rocks along the trail are easy to miss, tucked into the forest floor beneath the leaves. But every so often, sunlight breaks through the trees and catches one just right, making its surface glisten as though it were wet. For a moment, the rock almost looks like a treasure hidden among the leaves. And once you notice one, you find yourself looking ahead, wondering where the next one might appear.

The brook that first caught your attention stays with you in a way, even as the trail begins to climb away from it's babbling speech. The light that danced across the rocks above the water finds its way through the trees, catching on the few rocks scattered along the forest floor and making them glisten like tiny diamonds.

What might seem like an ordinary walk through the woods becomes something a little different when you start paying attention to the details — the smell of pine, the sound of the water, the rocks beneath your feet and the way the light moves through the trees and on the rocks.

And maybe that's what makes this hike feel a little dreamy.

You aren't just walking through a forest. You're noticing all the little ways light brings the forest to life.

📸 Zoom In: A Happy Homeschool Challenge

Turn this hike into a light hunt! Photograph three interesting ways light interacts with the forest — glistening on a rock, reflecting off the water, or filtering through the trees. Then choose your favorite photograph and reflect on how that moment made you feel. Did the light make the forest feel peaceful, magical, mysterious, or something else?

About the Author 

M.J. Mercure is the founder and editor of Happy Homeschool RI, a publication connecting Rhode Island homeschooling families with local events, educational opportunities, and hands-on learning adventures. Subscribe to Happy Homeschool RI for weekly field trip ideas, local events, and homeschool resources delivered straight to your inbox.

Have an event or opportunity to share? Email happyhomeschoolmedia@gmail.com