Visitors to Rhode Island and residents alike flock to the shore to enjoy the beautiful beaches. I head inland to enjoy places like this. I can’t say where this photo was taken because this is private property and hiking here is a privilege that I don’t want to abuse.

This swampy area is not at all unpleasant. It seems like the kind of place where magical creatures would live.

Here’s one of them, slipping into a refreshing, leaf-lined pool.

On another section of the trail, we had to navigate a fascinating boulder field. These were left when the glaciers retreated. This area is also full of rhododendrons and mountain laurel, which must put on a spectacular show when they’re in bloom.

There was an intriguing cave in the woods. I should have gone over to look inside, but the bull briars are nasty and I didn’t want to get scratched. I wonder if something lives in there or just hangs out there sometimes.

The terrain was hilly in places. I am a sucker for huge, moss-covered boulders.

I also like the big, flat rocks with plants growing out of the mosses.

We came upon one of the largest American beeches I have seen in RI. It was still healthy, and it was all the more special because it was surrounded by a ring of young beech trees, still holding on to last year’s leaves. A tree family lending another touch of magic to this unspoiled landscape.