Mountain Biking at Woody Hill in Rhode Island

Photo out over front handlebars of bike on narrow rock slab trail in Woody Hill trail network in Rhode Island

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After spending several months in the little New England state of Rhode Island, I’ve grown pretty fond of the mountain biking here. Sure, there may not be the big elevation gains and losses that you get in more mountainous states, but what the trail crews and communities have put together here is pretty impressive.

One of my favorite mountain bike networks in Rhode Island is Woody Hill. Located in the southwestern corner of the state, this 723-acre plot of land is crisscrossed with flowy mountain biking trails sprinkled with fun natural and man-made features.

In this blog post, I cover everything you need to know about exploring the mountain bike trails in Woody Hill. So grab your bike and head to Rhode Island!

How to get there

Woody Hill is located in the southwest corner of Rhode Island near Westerly on the Connecticut border. It’s about a 50-minute drive from Providence, Rhode Island.

Where to park

The main parking area for mountain bikers is off Bradford road at the Westerly Youth Lacrosse Fields. If it’s your first time visiting, I recommend parking here. There is a large dirt lot, but no facilities.

There’s another smaller parking area off Woody Hill Road. This parking area provides quick access to trails via DEM Cart Road, but you miss a fun downhill back to your car.

What to expect

The mountain biking at Woody Hill is actually quite unique and diverse. There’s a little bit of something for everyone. Here are a few things to expect:

Narrow wooden boardwalk through Rhode Island woods at Woody Hill mountain bike trail network
  • Rock wall crossings: there are a number of rock wall crossing throughout the trail network. They are meant to be ridden over, but some are more rider-friendly than others.
  • “East coast slickrock”: There are actually some really cool patches of rock slab riding throughout Woody Hill. Some are part of the trail while others are ‘bonus features’.
  • Natural & manmade features: Woody Hill is not just a network of trail that has been repurposed from hiking trails. There are drops, skinnies, ramps, rock rollers, and other features. Some are high-consequence. Always scope before you send.
  • Gunshots: Unfortunately, Woody Hill is located adjacent to a firing range, so you’ll probably hear gunshots.
  • Hikers: Woody Hill is a multi-use trail system, so expect to see hikers on the trail. Please be kind and courteous and practice good trail etiquette.

A note about ticks

Rhode Island is notorious for its ticks, especially during the summer months. It’s a good idea to wear high socks, spray bug spray around your ankles, and take a shower immediately after riding.

Watch my friend Jason Ride Little Sister – the hardest trail at Woody Hill

Trails to Hit & Trails to Skip

These are the main trails in the Woody Hill Trail Network. The ones I didn’t include are mainly link trails to get you to/from the ‘highlight’ trails.

  • Driving Miss Hazy (Green)
  • Naughty Nurse (Green)
  • Hansel & Gretel (Blue)
  • Alter Ego (Blue)
  • Yo Mama (Blue)
  • Hobbit Juice (Blue)
  • Leaning Chimney (Blue)
  • Captain’s Daughter (Black)
  • Peeptoad (Black)
  • Pour Judgement (Black)
  • Hop Boogie (Black)
  • The Other One (Black)
  • Little Sister (Double black)
  • Fallon Trail Loop (Blue)
  • Smashing Pumpkins (Black)
Becky about to ride bike off 4-foot rock drop at Woody Hill trail network in Rhode Island
An optional rock drop on Hobbit Juice

3 Route Recommendations

There are about 33 miles of trail in the Woody Hill network, so there’s definitely enough riding to keep you busy for a few days.

Below I’ve highlighted my top three ride recommendations in Woody Hill with some options to customize them depending on what you’re looking for.

Woody Hill Mountain Biking Map

Woody Hill Route recommendation

1. Sunday Cruise Novice Loop

This is a great loop for newer riders or families. It hits the four ‘easiest’ (and flowiest!) trails at Woody Hill: Naughty Nurse, Alter Ego, Hansel & Gretel, and Driving Miss Hazy.

  • Route difficulty: Beginner
  • Route type: Loop
  • E-bikes? Yes
  • Mileage: 9.9 miles
  • Elevation gain/loss: 507 ft
  • Map/GPS: TrailForks

Route directions: Moorehouse Road Parking (limited parking here, there’s better parking at the Woody Hill Road Parking) > Waheenta Blue > PBR > DEM Cart Road > Naughty Nurse > Alter Ego > Hobbit Juice > Flying Jenny > North Main > Hansel & Gretel > Driving Miss Hazy > Waheetna Link > Orange Dot > Blue Dot > White Dot

Route notes: Navigation can be tricky. I highly recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone.

Do more: Add a short lap on Leaning Chimney before Hansel and Gretel (ride Leaning Chimney east to west).

Female mountain biker riding bike down steep woody ramp off a rock at Woody Hill trail system in Rhode Island
An optional rock to ramp roller on Alter Ego

Woody Hill Route recommendation

2. Woody Hill Fund Ride – Blue

This loop adds a few more miles and a bit more tech compared to the route above, but it’s still suitable for intermediate riders.

  • Route difficulty: Intermediate
  • Route type: Loop
  • E-bikes? Yes
  • Mileage: 14.1 miles
  • Elevation gain/loss: 918 ft
  • Map/GPS: TrailForks

Route directions: Lacrosse Fields Parking > XC Up > Woody Connector > Through the Pines > Hop Boogie > Derivative > Yo Mama > North Main Street > Captains Daughter > Never Tomorrow > Main Street > Naughty Nurse > Alter Ego > DEM Cart Road > (Skp the Fallon Loop, it’s not very good) > Blue Dot > Orange Dot > Waheetna Link > Driving Miss Hazy > Hansel & Gretel > XC Down

Route notes: Skip the Fallon Trail loop section unless you want to bushwack

Do more: See Red Trail option below

Do less: There are lots of ways to finish this ride early if you run out of juice. Just skip one of the many shorter loops.

Wooden drop on trail at Woody Hill mountain biking system in Rhode Island
Some optional features on Hop Boogie

Woody Hill Route recommendation

3. Woody Hill Fund Ride – Red

This loop is almost exactly the same as the Blue loop above, except it includes Little Sister and Pour Judgement (my favorite trail). Little Sister is the hardest trail in Woody Hill and it’s three miles long without any option to bail.

  • Route difficulty: Advanced
  • Route type: Loop
  • E-bikes? Yes
  • Mileage: 18.9 miles
  • Elevation gain/loss: 1,382 ft
  • Map/GPS: TrailForks

Route directions: Lacrosse Fields Parking > XC Up > Woody Connector > Through the Pines > Hop Boogie > Derivative > Yo Mama > Little Sister > Flying Jenny > Pour Judgement > Main Street > Captains Daughter > Never Tomorrow > Main Street > Naughty Nurse > Alter Ego > DEM Cart Road > (Skp the Fallon Loop, it’s not very good) > Blue Dot > Orange Dot > Waheetna Link > Driving Miss Hazy > Hansel & Gretel > XC Down

Route notes: Skip the Fallon Trail loop section unless you want to bushwack

Do less: If you want to hit Little Sister, but don’t want to do the full 18+-mile loop, I recommend skipping the Driving Miss Hazy/Hansel & Gretel Loops. Instead, route back to The Other One, which parallels Hop Boogie.

Mountain biker riding bike down narrow rock ridge at Woody Hill mountain bike trail network in Rhode Island
My friend Jason riding down a narrow spine on Pour Judgement – it’s scarier than it looks!

Final Thoughts

I really enjoy the riding in Woody Hill. It has a good mix of flowy singletrack, technical terrain, and optional natural and manmade features. If you find yourself in Rhode Island with your mountain bike, definitely check it out!

If you need some buddies to ride with, the Rhode Island Mountain Biking Facebook page is very active and there are a lot of group rides posted.

Happy trails!

RELATED POSTS

Looking for some more Rhode Island two-wheeled adventures? Check out these related blog posts:

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