Norman Bird Sanctuary

I have lived in RI for most of my life. I did not know about the Sanctuary until this summer. What a retreat! Nestled into space between 2^nd and 3^rd Beach in Newport /​Middletown, the Sanctuary is land that was donated by a family and preserved. There are marked hiking paths that take you out to above the beaches, through the ponds in the area and through the quiet of nature. It is hard to believe how close you are to civilization when the sounds fade and you are surrounded by rustling leaves and birds chirping.
The hikes and trails are beginner to low-​level intermediate. There are a few spots to climb rock formations — but nothing that needs ropes.
The Sanctuary provides educational programming, bird watching, film events, and even a dinner under the stars event. You can become a member and visit as often as you like, or pay a $ 6 entry fee per visit. There is a Welcome Center and trail maps. The trails are well marked.
There’s few farm animals (chickens and bees) — lovely gardens that are maintained by volunteers — and plenty of pollinating birds and insects to enjoy. A retreat in the midst of Middletown.
We saw lots of folks hiking and a few running too. A great way to enjoy being outdoors. I would love to visit in fall.

I have been a member here my entire life… from kids camps, to Harvest fairs, to now relaxing walks. It is an unbelievable privilege to have something such as this on the island. It has the most picturesque scenes of Easton’s Beach on Hanging Rock, and also lots of small ponds and sites along the way. The guides inside are extremely knowledgeable and can answer any questions about the plant or animal life. The walks are easy and perfect for some fresh air.
I highly recommend it for visitors that are interested in hiking, scenery, and the local wildlife. Also, if you are here in October, the Harvest Fair is a must!

I’m really sorry, but such this beautiful property with such a beautiful mission has zero business hosting a harvest fair. Almost criminal pricing on everything. I heard parents all around telling their kids they couldn’t afford the pony rides or the face painting or anything. Totally sad and made me reconsider joining, which we had every intention of doing. Lame.

Gorgeous! Awesome hike by the way. Be wary, mosquito attack in the summer!!!
It’s worth it to hike towards the rock! So do it! Take a break and have a snack on top of the rock. Enjoy the view.
Worthy place to check out in Middletown!

If you are looking for the best view of second beach and Saint George’s School this is the place to go. From Hanging Rock there is a powerful view of the ocean, the Middletown Water Reserve, Saint George’s and roads flowing towards Sachuest Point and Portsmouth.
The paths here are very clean and clear expect the way up to Hanging Rock may be a little more difficult for some.
There is a pond area depending which way you enter at the beginning of your walk, this may also be a good resting spot when coming back to your car and having to enter populated areas again.
The Sanctuary has a gift shop/​sign in area. Here you can find a schedule with all of the fun events they do, especially cool stuff for children.
Bring your camera & some sneakers or boots that can handle getting wet and climbing.

Norman Bird Sanctuary may be hard, but to make it easy, past First Beach and Second Beach. Turn left towards Hanging Rock (which will look like a large rock outcrop jutting out close to the road). Just down the road is the entrance to Norman Bird Sanctuary.
It is private grounds, so make sure you go inside the little cabin-​like structure to pay to access the grounds and sign the check-​in sheet, in the event you should get lost out/​stuck in the woods. Make sure to plot a route from the map that is provided to you, because it is 300+ acres of land with over 7 miles of hiking.
Most of the grounds is easy to moderate hiking with not too many challenging areas. You may find yourself scrambling some rocks by Hanging Rock and near the lake. Definitely make an effort to go all the way to the end of Hanging Rock, where you just above the road and can’t go any further. It can be a arduous trek for the little ones but the views are well worth it. Beyond that, the hiking is casual with some photography for those nature lovers. You may spot some birds and other creatures, but for the most part, it’s a nice stroll through the woods. If you have enough time to just relax, you can bring some food and drinks for a picnic, though just make sure to clean up after yourselves. On some parts of the path you will walk over wooden structure-​like bridges that the kids might like because they are slightly bouncy.
Norman Bird Sanctuary is a great place to get away from it all. Just make sure to pack that phone away and take it all in. If you’re looking to do more than just plain hiking, you may find it somewhat boring, but for those casual hikers, it’s a great place to visit. And most of it is kid friendly!

Well kept, easy shaded hiking trails just outside of Newport. Worth it, especially on a warm day.
Surprisingly, this is a little Unilocaled-​about spot. This is a fantastic spot for a Sunday stroll, especially for a family with young kiddos. You only come to walk — still no running, biking or pets — but you really enjoy it. The most popular hike is just 2 miles RT.
Yo Yogi, bring a pic-​a-​nic! If you want to rough it a bit, you can easy on some (jagged) rocks overlooking the ocean. There’s also plenty of picnic tables at the start near the gift shop. Very nominal admission fee ($ 6 adults, $ 5 members, kids free) to support continued educational programs.

A very cool place
especially
in the snow
The Norman Bird Sanctuary has 300 acres of a wide variety of terrain. Ponds, streams, woods, fields, and lots of boulders and rocky ledges. Even some impressive views of the ocean and salt marshes.
It was establish by Mable Norman Cerio in 1949 as a place where birds and other critters could live out there lives without being bothered by humans. Of course no hunting is allowed here and people are encourage to walk softly. No biking, jogging, collecting or general screwing around and making noise is tolerated. Just a cool place to see, feel, smell and experience nature.
In the winter the hiking can be tough because of the heavy snow but but the peace and quiet makes it worthwhile. Not very people come here in the snow so you can have the place pretty much to your self. The trail up to the summit of hanging rock gets extremely slippery and difficult in the ice and snow so great care must be taken so you don’t fall over a cliff or ledge and end up as part of the terrain. The ridge trail is made of rocks called purgatory conglomerate or puddingstone and is of ancient volcanic origin and has a very unusually texture and appearance. Beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding area can be seen in every direction once you reach the top.
The only possible negative is the five dollar entrance charge. Lots of other cool place to hike around here are free but the Bird Sanctuary offers numerous educational programs and workshops for schools and community groups and the money goes toward a very worthy cause. I can think of a lot worse things to spend the five dollars on that a great hike though a very cool place.
A very cool place
especially
in the snow