Rhode Island – William C. O’Neill Bike Path

October 9, 2020

We arrived in Rhode Island this afternoon. Ocean State Harley has graciously allowed us to spend the night at their store in Exeter. The store is actually closed due to Covid so it’s very quiet here. There is a beautiful pavilion with picnic tables and we were told we could use the electricity and porta potties. Oh yes, and the rocking chairs on the porch!

Our home for the night at Ocean State Harley.

Ocean State Harley – reopening April 2021.

It was early when we arrived so we decided to go biking. Gee, what a great idea! We parked in West Kingston near the Amtrak station to bike the William C. O’Neill Bike Path.

West Kingston Station – Amtrak’s Northeast line between Boston and Washington D.C.

Bike path previously known as South County Bike Path.

This was a nice asphalt rail- trail, very smooth with enough uphill and downhill to get a good work out. We rode to the trail’s end in Narragansett Pier.

Trees trimmed to make it appear as though the bike path was going through a tunnel.

There were many other bikers as well as walkers, and runners. The bike path is near the University of Rhode Island so we took a spur off the bike path and road through the pretty campus.

Never seen this before. There were a couple road crossings where crossing guards stopped traffic for us.

More of the brook and swamp. The blue skies and afternoon sun made for a beautiful scene.

Former switch tower in Kingston, Rhode Island.

This rail-trail was originally an 8-mile railroad built by a wealthy 19th-century textile mill owner. He used the railroad to get coal to his plant or products to market. He later added accommodations to carry vacationers to beach resorts.