Rhode Island National Parks! We’ve got four incredible national park sites for you to see on your next visit to The Ocean State.
I’ve been to so many of these amazing places since retiring from teaching in 2018. Did I mention that I taught history? I spent a lifetime teaching about the history behind these momentous sites. Then I got to see them firsthand. And now I’m sharing the stories of these incredible places with you. It doesn’t get any better than that!
To be clear, this list includes national park sites (as in sites managed by the National Park Service) as opposed to full-fledged national parks.
We’re going to give you four reasons why you’ll want to make Rhode Island your next vacation destination.
Why Should You Trust Us When It Comes To Rhode Island National Parks?
You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.
As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.
We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.
Rhode Island National Parks
Table Of Contents For Rhode Island National Parks
- Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
- Roger Williams National Memorial
- Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
- Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
#1. Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
When I was in the classroom my biggest regret was not being able to actually explore the places that I spend a lifetime talking about. Now, however, I can get into the car and venture forth to those wonderful places where history and nature intersect. The Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is a case in point.
The Blackstone River powered America’s entry into the Age of Industry. The success of Samuel Slater’s cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket, RI touched off a chain reaction that changed how people worked and where they lived, and continues to reverberate across the nation to this day.
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is often described as the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The birth of this mill helped spread water powered mills all across New England, bringing with it new homes, schools, churches, immigrants, and communities.
Things To See & Do At Blackstone
Visitors to Blackstone River Valley can explore its vast history, enjoy walking tours, paddle along the river, or bike along the Blackstone River Bikeway stretching 48 miles from Worcester, MA to India Point Park in Providence, RI and connecting with East Bay Bikepath.
One of the great things about visiting the Blackstone River Valley is you can just go off and explore the area on your own, at your own pace. Sometimes the best way to really get the feel for the park is to just take a walk through one of the villages and see how they all tie together around the mill and the river.
I recommend the following points of interest:
- Hopedale Self-Guided Tour: Hopedale began as a commune and grew into the home of the largest loom manufacturer in America.
- Whitinsville Walking Tour: The Whitin Machine Works made machines for textile mills across the Blackstone Valley and around the world.
- Slatersville Walking Tour: Slatersville is the first planned mill village in America, and the blueprint for the other villages of the Blackstone Valley. (Source: NPS)
#2. Visit The Historic Roger Williams National Memorial
The history of this state owes much to Roger Williams. He was a Puritan Minister, theologian and author who founded the Providence Plantations which became the colony (and later state) of Rhode Island.
Visitors to the Roger Williams National Memorial will see how this site commemorates the life of this founder of Rhode Island and a champion of the ideal of religious freedom.
I recommend beginning your adventure at the Visitor Center where you will discover the many contributions Roger Williams made to the cause of religious freedom through fascinating exhibits and an orientation film.
This historic site is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original settlement of Providence, Rhode Island, established by minister Roger Williams in 1636.
From the visitors center, you can explore nearby city of Providence. Highlights include the Benefit Street Mile of history, featuring the John Brown House pictured above, Waterplace Park and the rest of “Downcity” Providence.
National Parks In Rhode Island
#3. Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
One of the highlights of any trip to Rhode Island is seeing the oldest synagogue in America.
Touro Synagogue, a building of exquisite beauty and design, steeped in history and ideals, and one of the most historically significant Jewish buildings in America, was designated a National Historic Site in 1946. Dedicated in 1763, it still serves an active congregation and each year greets over 30,000 visitors who come to see the magnificent interior and hear its remarkable story.
Guided tours of the Touro Synagogue last approximately 30 minutes. During your tour, you will learn more about the history of the Synagogue, from its founding during colonial times up to the present day. In addition, the Loeb Visitors Center, adjacent to the Synagogue, contains additional exhibits about the history of the Synagogue and its role in helping to form the foundations of the ideal of Freedom of Religion enjoyed in the United States today. (Source: NPS)
#4. Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
We have arrived at the last of the Rhode Island National Parks on our list!
George Washington’s ultimate success against the British was made possible through an alliance with France.
On July 11, 1780, 55-year-old General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau arrived with an army of 450 officers and 5,300 men in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island.
This marked the beginning of a most successful military cooperation that culminated 15 months later in the victory at Yorktown and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and his troops.
From New Hampshire to Virginia, the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail connects major metropolitan areas, state and national parks, historic and scenic trails, and countless other historic sites.
The rout is a 680-mile series of roads used in 1781 by the Continental Army under the command of George Washington and the forces under the command of Admiral Rochambeau during their 14-week march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia.
Map Of Rhode Island National Parks
List Of Rhode Island National Parks
- Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
- Roger Williams National Memorial
- Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
- Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail
Meet The Parks Brothers
We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then sign up below!
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