583 Third Beach Rd, Middletown, RI | Tuckerman Avenue, Middletown, RI ~ Various short trails
Although these are two different hikes, I am grouping them together because they are right around the corner from each other, and the Purgatory Chasm is a very small walk from the parking lot, and therefore doesn’t really count as a hike.
Norman Bird Sanctuary
The Norman Bird Sanctuary is a nature preserve with a welcome center and buildings for educational workshops and approximately 7 miles worth of trails. There is a small fee for adults to hike here.
The trails are very well groomed and consist of grassy field, forest floor, dirt paths, board walks, and rocks — puddingstones to be exact!
Puddingstones are a type of conglomerate rock that are found in this area. They look like concrete with various rounded stones for the aggregate. Other puddingstones can have varying colored rocks embedded in them, but these are mostly gray with gray.
We followed the trails to hanging rock and back. The view of the ocean from hanging rock is pretty, you do see the ocean, but you are also looking over roadways. I can say that this is a easy hike as I did it in my loose Birkenstocks (thanks Mike!), but I would recommend sneakers or boots as a safer bet.
Ironically enough we didn’t see a ton of birds at the bird sanctuary, but we did see a frog and a turtle. I would come back here to finish the trails.
Purgatory Chasm
Purgatory Chasm (not to be confused with the one in MA), is a neat little spot. The dirt path leads directly to a look out point that looks directly over the ocean and the chasm. Hanging Rock is also visible across the way. To get cross the chasm, take the little lover’s bridge. From here there is a path that leads to a closer look of the chasm. I chose to climb the rock to get to the next lookout, Mike and C took a safer path.
I don’t know the boy in blue, but I appreciated his lack of fear as he explored the lookout. His grandfather called out to look out for the poison ivy, but not the edge, so I took the time to warn him about getting to close and we discussed how cool the puddinstones are. We had both just learned about them today.
As you can see, this path is Birkenstock and Croc approved!
Adventurers included: Jes, Mike & C