Step One: Get to Prudence Island. The FERRY from Bristol is the only public option. You can log an extra 15 miles each way if you bike to Bristol from Providence. However, RIPTA bus #60 can help you. The ferry landing on Prudence Island (PI) is a pretty bustling parking lot and there will be a burst of cars when you get off the ferry. Solid chance those are the last cars you see until it’s time to go home.
The pavement fades out quickly while heading north from the ferry terminal. You’ll experience a mix of gravel sizes, dirt types, and grasslands on your way past a farm (wave at the cows) to the northern tip of the island where there are some cool old foundations and beaches. From here you can see Providence to the north, Colt State Park to the east, and the smaller, uninhabited Patience Island to the west.
Turn back south (you have to backtrack here but if you made it this far you already know that) and hug the opposite coast to reach the southern tip of the island through a mix of terrain. Next, you’ll find your first giant mystery concrete slab road! The giant pier is a great place for lunch if you haven’t eaten yet before you round the end of the island and head back north on the mystery slabs (this end of Prudence Island used to be a naval base).
Explore the rest of the island at your leisure but make sure you don’t miss the last ferry home! There are roads through the Research Reserve and trails through the forests on the island. When you head back to the ferry, spare a few minutes to check out the Prudence Island Lighthouse and the accompanying view of the Mount Hope Bridge. Downtown Bristol has plenty of good food and drinks on offer before you start the last leg home!