A Rocky Summer Hike at Connors Farm in Rhode Island

Sometimes the best hikes are the ones where you don't make it to the end

🥾 Happy Hike: Connors Farm Conservation Area

📍 Location: 24 Connors Farm Dr., Smithfield, RI

🌿 Managed By: Smithfield Land Trust

🅿️ Parking: Street parking only

🥾 Trail Length: Approximately 2.9-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 Rocky Summer Adventure at Connors Farm

Connors Farm is easy to miss — and that's part of the adventure. Tucked into a quiet Smithfield neighborhood with no large parking lot or obvious entrance, you find a spot along the road, cross the street and walk past the large sign into a wide-open space that looks nothing like the start of a hike. But keep going — this unassuming trail is about to get a whole lot rockier than finding it was.

On a hot summer day, a small vernal pool appears on the left, and almost immediately you find yourself wondering if there might be frogs hiding in there. You peer in and wait, hoping to catch a glimpse of one, but as usual when you're searching for frogs, your child's patience can't quite stand the wait, so you reluctantly move on, following their excitement toward whatever comes next.

Finally, you come to what you can now call a hiking trail, but before you can get very far, something straight ahead catches your attention. A massive rock formation sits right in plain sight, and it is hard not to stop and stare at it for a moment, wondering, Can we climb that?

What you don't know yet is that this hike is going to be full of rocks.

As you head out along the marked trail, your first indication comes in the form of a chipmunk standing on one of them. He quickly scatters away, and as you move deeper into the woods, you begin to hear the unmistakable sound of a cicada buzzing somewhere nearby. Before long, its noise begins working in tandem with the sound of a lawn mower in the neighborhood, creating a very familiar summer soundtrack as you make your way through the woods.

The cicada isn't the only bug on the trail, though, and as you move farther in, the rocks become more and more abundant. You have to watch your step as you make your way over and around them while also constantly swatting bugs away from your face. There is plenty to look at, but between the rocks, the bugs, the heat and the thick woods, it eventually becomes too overwhelming for your child, and turning around becomes inevitable.

On the way back, the trail seems to reveal a little more of itself. The air feels damp, the woods are darker, and moss and mushrooms thrive along the trail beneath the trees. You slow down for a moment, taking in the strange little world growing around you, before the wide-open space from the beginning of the hike comes back into view.

And there, on your right, is the little vernal pool.

Could there really be a frog hiding in there?

You stop for one last look, but your child is already at the car waiting. The frog search will have to wait for another day.

You didn't make it through the entire trail, but that's one of the things to love about exploring with kids. Sometimes the adventure isn't about finishing the hike, but about the discoveries and questions along the way. Maybe you'll come back in the fall, when the bugs are gone and the woods have changed, but for now, this unexpected, rocky adventure is enough to at least make you want to return.

Because at Connors Farm, there are plenty of rocks to remember — and return to.

📸 Zoom In: A Happy Homeschool Challenge

Turn this hike into a rock hunt! Photograph three rocks that catch your eye, then look closely at their color, shape and texture. When you get home, choose one to research. What kind of rock is it, where might it have come from, and why are there so many rocks along this trail?

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.

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