Glocester / Burrillville
Glocester
Glocester is a rural community, yet lies only 10 miles from downtown Providence. In 1731, the town of Glocester was set apart and organized from Providence. For over two hundred years, life in Glocester has revolved around the village of Chepachet. The town offers many other delights, including the wilds of the George Washington Management Area and the village of Harmony.
Self-guided tour for Glocester, RI: Chepachet Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Chepachet Village
Chepachet began as a turnpike village in the late 1700s. Here was a place where stagecoach passengers could stop and rest and farmers could trade their produce for fancy goods at one of the stores in town, such as the Brown and Hopkins Country Store, regarded to be the longest continually running general store in America.
Read more about Chepachet Village: www.visitrhodeisland.com
George Washington Management Area
This is a 3,000-acre state-managed area for swimming, camping and hiking that is connected to the 100-acre Casimir Pulaski Memorial Park on the Burrillville-Glocester border. It is located on Rt. 44, 2 miles east of the Connecticut state line. Permits are issued by the park ranger on a first come, first served basis.
Read more about George Washington Management Area:
Job Armstrong Store
The largest of the 13 original dry goods stores in Chepachet, Job Armstrong Store is now home to the Glocester Heritage Society. It is now the Headquarters of the Glocester Heritage Society, and includes a visitor center. Exhibits and artisan demonstrations are on display.
Read more about the Job Armstrong Store: www.visitrhodeisland.com
Burrillville
In many respects, Burrillville serves as a scale model of the Blackstone River Valley as a whole. A chain of over a dozen small mill villages run along the Clear and Branch Rivers, while the surrounding regions contain acres of beautiful farm fields and forests.
Self-guided tour of Burrillville, RI: Harrisville Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)
Black Hut Management Area
Come experience Black Hut’s hiking trails, wildlife viewing, bird watching trails, and hunting within its 1,548 acres of wonderful forest, wetlands and agricultural land. Make sure to wear orange from October through the end of February (because that’s hunting season).
Read more about Black Hut Management Area:
Buck Hill Management Area
Buck Hill is 1,777 acres, primarily forest land with some wetland area and agricultural land. The Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains a wildlife marsh, which serves to attract waterfowl, furbearers such as muskrat, and other wetland dependent birds. Make sure to wear orange from October through the end of February (because that’s hunting season).
Read more about Buck Hill Management Area:
Harrisville
This lovely mill village was rebuilt in the 1930s by owner A.T. Levy into his image of an ideal New England town. See the results today in what is now the town center of Burrillville.
Read more about Harrisville: Harrisville Walking Tour Brochure (PDF)