The North-South trail in RI

[Hawkwind61]

I'm wondering: Is it do-able as a 'thru-hike'?

I just picked up the guide book and I'm wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the trail.

How well it's marked and maintained and such.

Thank you!

~Hawk

[The Solemates]

I'm wondering: Is it do-able as a 'thru-hike'?

I just picked up the guide book and I'm wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the trail.

How well it's marked and maintained and such.

Thank you!

~Hawk

the little bit i have been on was well marked and well maintained...it was gravel bedding but we only 'hiked' for a few miles in town

[srestrepo]

might wanna try tinker i think i read somewhere that he'd done it and he was very helpful when i had a question about something that i can't remember now either

[Hawkwind61]

Thank you for taking the time to get back to me Solemates. From what I'm seeing so far in the guidebook it doesn't seem to be a very difficult trail.

But I am running into trouble finding updated information about it online like you can for so many of the other trails in my area. (MM-trail, Robert Frost, Midstate etc.)

[Hawkwind61]

might wanna try tinker i think i read somewhere that he'd done it and he was very helpful when i had a question about something that i can't remember now either

Cool. Thanks.

[Chatter]

Tinker and I hiked the N/S Trail in April. We did the trek in basically 4 days, starting from the beach and hiking up to MA. Convenient out-of-the-way places to camp.

Not a difficult trail at all; The trail goes through gentle terrain and remote country roads. The boulder fields in Southern RI near Rt. 3 are a hoot. Markers are generally OK, and the book is spot-on as far as making your way through. The Trail is a great way to see little Rhody.

In fact, just last week Tinker and I talked about hiking it again this Spring.

PM me with any questions; Tinker may also add his 2 cents worth (as is his nature!).

[Mags]

The trail goes right by my buddy's house....

I always thought a Columbus Day weekend hike of the NST would be nice.

[Roland]

I'm wondering: Is it do-able as a 'thru-hike'?

I just picked up the guide book and I'm wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the trail.

How well it's marked and maintained and such.

Thank you!

~Hawk

Yes, the N-S Trail can be thru-hiked, although with so many road crossings, it can easily be hiked as day trips. Unlike the AT, you won't find shelters conveniently spaced along the trail. I don't recall seeing many designated campsites either, but there are numerous opportunities to stealth camp. Additionally, there are a few campgrounds within close proximity to the trail.

The trail is very well marked and maintained. If you bought the guidebook, you won't have any problems navigating. With a maximum elevation of 800 feet, the trail is never steep. You could push a stroller over much of the trail, it's that easy. In fact, more than 20 miles of the trail is a road walk (some paved, some gravel). But even the road walking is pleasant, meandering through old farmlands, etc. There is very little traffic to worry about.

Have a great walk. You will be pleasantly surprised by this little trail.

[Hawkwind61]

Thank you all for the great feedback. I hammock and so does my hiking partner, so no real need for shelter/camping sites.

I love boulder bouncing, the boulder fields sound great!

We spend a lot of time on the MM-Trail and the Robert Frost Trail and looking foward time on the Midstate Trail this year as well and I got the brain storm to check into starting in RI.

Water re-supply wasn't an issue then I take it?

[Chatter]

Thank you all for the great feedback. I hammock and so does my hiking partner, so no real need for shelter/camping sites.

I love boulder bouncing, the boulder fields sound great!

We spend a lot of time on the MM-Trail and the Robert Frost Trail and looking foward time on the Midstate Trail this year as well and I got the brain storm to check into starting in RI.

Water re-supply wasn't an issue then I take it?

Yeah, Tinker and I used our hammocks on the N/S Trail; you'll have no problem finding trees :-)

And FYI, water sources seem to "spring" up everywhere along the trail.

Have fun bouncing along through that boulder field!

[Hawkwind61]

Excellent! Thank you Chatter! I will!

[Lumberjack2003]

I'm wondering: Is it do-able as a 'thru-hike'?

I just picked up the guide book and I'm wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the trail.

How well it's marked and maintained and such.

Thank you!

~Hawk

Hawk,

What's the name of the guide book?

Lumberjack2003

[Roland]

For those interested in the NST of RI, here are a few resources

Greenways Alliance of RI

Almost Official Maps

NST Guidebook

[Hawkwind61]

Hawk,

What's the name of the guide book?

It's the one that Roland linked to below.
The North South Trail: A Guide For Traveling Across Rhode Island


Lumberjack2003

For those interested in the NST of RI, here are a few resources

Greenways Alliance of RI

Almost Official Maps

NST Guidebook

I had found the maps link Roland, but had not found the Greenways link. Thank you!

[Hawkwind61]

Oops...cannot edit. I answered in your quote Lumberjack.

[Lumberjack2003]

Thanks guys. I recently moved to lower Mass and will add this to my To Do List.

[Hawkwind61]

You are welcome Lumberjack.

[Snowleopard]

The NS trail reaches the Mass. Midstate Trail, which is a nice trail (Crow Hill, Mt. Wachusett, Mt. Watatic); you can see my house from a couple places on the midstate trail. The Midstate hooks up to the Wapack trail which goes on the Pack Monadnock in NH.
The Worcester AMC chapter section hikes the midstate trail every year.

[Hawkwind61]

When I started researching the Midstate Trail I discovered the trails all connected. Hence my desire to start in RI and head north. I want to do this (the trails) with my hiking buddy, we've been hiking together quite a while now...so we'll work around her schedule as I'm self-employed.

We are hoping to head out on the AT together in a couple years. So any time we get on the trails beyond day hikes we consider preparation and training.

[Frosty]

The NS trail reaches the Mass. Midstate Trail, which is a nice trail (Crow Hill, Mt. Wachusett, Mt. Watatic); you can see my house from a couple places on the midstate trail. The Midstate hooks up to the Wapack trail which goes on the Pack Monadnock in NH..

When you get to North Pack Monadnock, you can slide west a few miles and hike the Monadnok-Sunapee Greenway from Monadnock to (you guessed it) Sunapee. That is a real nice trail.