If you are planning a trip to BEAUTIFUL New England, you’ll want to include a few stops in Rhode Island. Boating is a big part of the culture in Rhode Island. But if you want to see Narragansett Bay from a different angle, you’ll want to book a tour with ‘Rail Explorers USA‘. This unique perspective has you reverting to the rails. Whether you’re the outdoorsy type or a history buff, this experience is for everyone!
We first heard about ‘Rail Explorers’ while wandering the aisles of the Boston Travel & Adventure Show this past winter. As we neared their booth, a large, bright red pedal cart began to fill our view. It was very curious indeed. We chatted up the staff to learn more about the vehicle. It was clear that this was a very unique activity. We decide then and there that we are absolutely going to need to try ‘Rail Explorers’ for ourselves! And we decide to do so on a beautiful summer day in July.
Disclaimer: This blog post is based on a service that was provided to the authors in exchange for an honest review of their experience with Rail Explorers USA. All opinions are 100% that of Staying Afloat Blog.
Rail Explorers: The Northern Ramble
Based in Portsmouth, RI, ‘Rail Explorers’ has several types of trips to choose from. For our excursion, we selected “The Northern Ramble”. This six mile section of track travels past several historically significant sites. As part of your trip, you receive a ~3’x5′ guide book, which highlights these sites for your viewing pleasure. Other tours include ‘The Southern Circuit’ and ‘Fireside Tours’ (complete with s’mores!). They also feature Saturday & Sunday Brunch trips, which include mimosas, bloody marys, muffins, fruit and coffee.
We are scheduled for the 11:30am tour, so we arrive at 11:15am to check in. The office is easy enough to locate using Google Maps, and is well marked upon arrival. We park in the large, shaded parking lot and make our way across the tracks to the main office. The office is a little, blue cabin sitting on a shady patch of grass with plenty of seating, and corn hole boards. They also have restrooms and a photo opp at your disposal, as you await the beginning of your tour. We peruse the gift shop as we wait for our tour to begin. Our particular session has us take a 15 minute coach bus ride to the northern end of the track. There, at Hummocks Station, our chariots awaits us.
Rail Explorer Guides
Upon arriving at Hummocks Station, one of the guides boards the bus to provide us a humor packed safety briefing. Next, we disembark in search of our ‘Tandem’ rail explorer. As we make our way along the platform, we search for a two person explorer with our name on it. Ours was the second to last in the row. There is a cart designated to a guide who brings up the rear. We settle in to our cart and wait our turn to start our journey.
The rail explorer carts come with two seats (Tandem) or four seats (Quad) to accommodate pairs and groups.
There are several guides dedicated to each of the ‘Rail Explorer’ trips. They start by ensuring everyone is settled and buckled in prior to starting their ride. Next, they conduct the procession of carts. The guides are great at spacing out the carts to ensure everyone’s experience is relatively exclusive. There are several hundred yards in between carts. They also take your photo as you begin your ride, and once more mid-ride, at the Mount Hope Bridge. Additionally, you’ll encounter them along the track, ensuring that every explorer traverses any road crossings safely. All of our guides were very pleasant and helpful, which made for a wonderful experience!
Are the Rails Active?
Surprisingly, yes! But generally, trains are creatures of habit and have a very specific schedule. The ‘Rail Explorer’ tours have been scheduled around any potential train activity on the track, to maximize your enjoyment!
We came to find out that the land itself is shared between the State and the Navy. The great part about this is that it means much of the land is untouched! This feature adds to the natural beauty of your trip.
What You’ll See
There are 15 landmarks along ‘The Northern Ramble’ route. Each of these has historic value, as is described in the little book you’ll receive before your tour. We’ve included photos of a couple of the highlighted sites above.
Additionally, you’ll see native New England flora and fauna in all it’s glory! Our trip was peppered with monarch butterflies and common species of bird. The rails are lined by various wild flower including pokeweed, staghorn sumac and many other local plants.
Did we mention the rail sits alongside Narragansett Bay? You’ll enjoy a beautiful view of the Bay as it comes in and out of focus along your trip.
What Should I Bring?
- Close toed shoes
- Long sleeve (just in case)
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Drinking water (also available at the main office)
- Snacks
- Fido ( yep! the cart’s are pet friendly)
Each of the carts has a grate ‘floor’ so there’s no risk of falling through the bottom of the cart onto the rails. Your cart also has a small storage bin in which you can place your personal belongings during the ride. They even provide an umbrella should it start to rain on your cruise.
How was our Rail Explorers experience?
FANTASTIC! From beginning to end. The staff were helpful, the carts are comfortable and the views were stunning. The adjustable pedals made for a comfortable, low impact trip. While the tours are conducted rain or shine, we had a GORGEOUS summer day for our first ‘Rail Explorers’ experience. It was in the mid-70s with a gentle breeze near the water. We can only imagine it would be a wonderful ride to experience in the fall as well then the leaves are changing and the air is crisp.
‘Rail Explorers’ is an ecotourism activity that is good for the environment and good for the whole family. If you aren’t planning to be in the New England area, they also have trips in the Catskills (NY) and Las Vegas (NV). So head over to the Rail Explorers website and book your first rail explorers trip!
Do you think this is something you would try?
