George Washington Management Area Hiking Guide
George Washington Management Area covers 3,489 acres in Glocester, in the northwestern corner of Rhode Island. It is the most remote-feeling public land in the state, sitting near the Connecticut border in a part of Rhode Island that most people from Providence would struggle to locate on a map. The RI DEM has managed the area since 1933, assembling it from former farmland and timber parcels during the Depression-era era of public land acquisition. The result is a forest that feels genuinely removed from the suburban context of most Rhode Island outdoor destinations.
The management area is best known for the Walkabout Trail, an 8-mile loop with an origin story that earns a second read: during World War II, Australian Navy sailors stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in North Kingstown drove up to the northern Rhode Island woods for weekend recreation. They named the trail after the Australian tradition of a long walk through the bush. The name has been in use since the 1940s, and it is still on every RI DEM map and signpost today. The trail itself lives up to the story: it is the best long loop trail in Rhode Island.
What to Expect
The landscape at George Washington Management Area is northern Rhode Island hill country at its most characteristic: granite ledge outcrops rising above mixed hardwood and pine forest, cold streams cutting through the lowlands, and a Bowdish Reservoir large enough to serve as a genuine recreation destination on its own. The terrain on the Walkabout Trail is more varied than most of what Rhode Island offers, with enough granite ledge climbing, stream crossings, and ridge traverses to feel like a real hike rather than a forest road walk.
The forest type shifts across the management area. Dry ridges and ledge tops support mixed oak and pitch pine. Lowland drainages transition to red maple swamp and hemlock stands. The Bowdish Reservoir shoreline hosts a strip of mixed hardwood and shrubby vegetation that is good bird habitat through the migration seasons. The reservoir itself covers about 65 acres and receives stocking from the RI DEM for bass and trout fishing.
Wildlife reflects the northern Rhode Island habitat: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, coyote, and bobcat are all present in the management area. The reservoir and its inlet streams attract wading birds: great blue herons are common, and wood ducks nest in the wooded shoreline sections. The management area is open to hunting during applicable seasons, which means blaze orange is advisable for non-hunters during deer season from October through December.
The Walkabout Trail is structured with three blazed variants that allow shorter hikes within the larger route. The full 8-mile loop is marked in blue. Orange blazes mark a shorter middle loop of approximately 5 miles. Red blazes define the shortest inner loop of about 2 miles. All three loops share trailheads and substantial sections of trail, so a visitor who starts the full blue loop and finds the terrain more demanding than expected can cut to the orange or red route without backtracking. The signage at junctions is clear, and the RI DEM provides a PDF trail map with the blaze system explained.
Best Trails
Walkabout Trail
8.0 mi, Loop, Moderate
The full Walkabout Trail is the best loop hike in Rhode Island by a reasonable margin. The route circles the core of the management area, crossing multiple streams, climbing granite ledge sections with open views, and passing through the full range of forest types from dry oak-pine upland to hemlock ravine. The terrain is more demanding than the elevation numbers suggest because the footing on the granite ledge sections requires attention, and the stream crossings are not always bridged. In spring, some crossings require stepping carefully on slippery rocks.
The trail is well-blazed and junction-signed throughout. Carry the RI DEM trail map for reference at junctions where the blue, orange, and red routes diverge. The moderate rating is appropriate for the full blue loop; the red inner loop of 2 miles is effectively easy. Most visitors who walk the full 8-mile route report it taking 3.5 to 5 hours depending on pace, stops, and conditions underfoot.
Bowdish Reservoir Loop
3.0 mi, Loop, Easy
The reservoir loop follows the shoreline of Bowdish Reservoir through mixed hardwood forest, with the water visible through the trees for most of the route and open at the swimming area on the east shore. The terrain is largely flat with occasional gentle rises. This is a good option for visitors who want a mellow walk that keeps the water in view, or for combining a morning hike with an afternoon swim. The fishing access along the reservoir shore makes this the preferred route for anglers scouting the water before setting up.
Pulaski Recreation Area Trail
2.5 mi, Loop, Easy
The Pulaski trail connects the George Washington area to the adjacent Pulaski Memorial State Park through hardwood forest on mostly level ground. The terrain is the gentlest in the management area and makes a good option for families or visitors who want an easy warm-weather walk near the reservoir. The connecting route can be combined with the Bowdish Reservoir Loop for a longer 5-mile outing covering the most accessible terrain in the management area.
When to Visit
Spring (May and June) brings the forest back to life and offers the best birding of the year. The Walkabout Trail has its most dramatic character in May when the trees are leafing out, stream levels are high from snowmelt, and the granite ledges are vivid green with moss and lichen. Insects arrive by late May; bring repellent for any extended walk near the reservoir or stream crossings.
Summer (July through August) is camping and swimming season. The developed Bowdish Campground sees steady use from July Fourth through Labor Day; reservations through the RI DEM system are recommended for weekend stays as of 2026. The Walkabout Trail's hemlock sections stay noticeably cooler than the surrounding hardwood uplands in the heat of the day. Weekday visits avoid the worst of the summer weekend parking congestion at the reservoir day-use area.
Fall (September through October) is the best time for the Walkabout Trail. Insects drop off after Labor Day, the air cools, and the mixed hardwood forest turns through October with the oaks and maples providing genuine fall color. The management area is far less visited in fall than in summer, and the Walkabout Trail provides a level of solitude unusual for a southern New England public land this close to a major metro area.
Hunting season runs October through late December and into winter for small game and waterfowl. Hikers should wear blaze orange during deer season, approximately November through mid-December in Rhode Island. Check current hunting dates at the RI DEM website.
Getting There and Logistics
The main entrance to George Washington Management Area is on Route 44 in Chepachet, Rhode Island, approximately 25 miles northwest of Providence. The Bowdish Reservoir day-use area and Walkabout Trail parking are accessible from the Route 44 entrance. Bowdish Campground is located within the management area, accessible from the same entrance road.
From Providence: take Route 44 west directly to the park entrance. Approximately 25 miles, 35 minutes. From Woonsocket: Route 102 south to Route 44 west covers 20 miles in 30 minutes.
There is no entrance fee for the management area itself as of 2026. The Bowdish Reservoir swimming area charges a day-use fee during summer; verify current rates at the RI DEM website. Bowdish Campground developed sites require reservations and fees through the RI DEM system; primitive backcountry camping in designated sites requires registration with the DEM. No transit service reaches the management area; a car is required.
Planning Tips
- The Walkabout Trail's three blazed variants mean you are never more than a mile or two from a shorter exit route. Carrying the RI DEM trail map makes it easy to shift from the full blue loop to the orange or red loop if the terrain or weather changes your plans.
- Cell service is unreliable to absent through most of the Walkabout Trail. Download the trail map before leaving, or pick up a printed copy at the DEM headquarters in Providence.
- The America the Beautiful Pass does not apply at George Washington Management Area, since it is state-managed. The swimming area day-use fee is separate from the campground fee.
- For Rhode Island's largest management area, Arcadia Management Area covers 14,000 acres in southern Rhode Island with the Wood River corridor and Stepstone Falls.
- Hunting pressure in fall and winter is real in this management area. Check the RI DEM hunting schedule before visiting from October through January and wear blaze orange on the trails during deer season.
- Read checking conditions before you go before visiting in fire season (summer and early fall) or after a major storm. The RI DEM posts current alerts affecting the management area.
The Walkabout Trail's combination of genuine terrain, interesting history, and backcountry camping access makes George Washington Management Area the best public land investment of a day in northern Rhode Island. Practice Leave No Trace principles throughout, particularly at stream crossings and campsite areas where overuse impacts are visible.