Jerimoth Hill

There's definitely not too much to this one. I came by yesterday afternoon with my top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality to knock off my 18th state high point on the way to Boston. Like most of the high points I've encountered, this one is also pretty much in the middle of absolute nowhere; this was my chum's first visit to Rhode Island, and it's safe to say it's not the area the state's tourism bureau promotes to prospective visitors; it's very rural and located in the extreme NW corner of the state. It was actually pretty easy/convenient to get to; we took 395 up from CT and then a quick five to 10-minute drive on 101 eastbound from Killingly, where we located a small sandy parking area on the lefthand side across the street from the trailhead. (We initially got distracted and thought the high point was on the parking area side of the street, but once you see five angry "No Trespassing" signs, it's pretty easy to notice and then fix your mistake.) Conditions could have been worse (it was dry save for a few random flurries), but it was VERY windy. I don't think it had anything to do with the comparatively high altitude - it's literally about 800 feet above sea level - but it added an element you typically associate with a "real" high point on top of a mountain with views and whatnot. The trail itself is a flat dirt path, so as long as it's not coated in snow there's really no reason you'd have issues traversing it. This isn't exactly a lipstick on a pig situation but there's not a lot needed here in terms of trail maintenance/markers. There's a pretty prominent sign next to the trailhead confirming the nearby location of the high point, and then consistent markers on the trees heading to the actual high point - they literally say Jerimoth Hill on them, so if you don't find this, it's really on you. A few of the little markers looked pretty beat up so my only constructive feedback is to possibly upgrade them before they become completely useless. I will say though that they could use an extra sign or indicator at the high point, which is a rock - it looked to us like there had been a recent rock cairn there to denote the spot but that it had since fallen down. The location is right by a few other informal trails (denoted with colored ribbons on trees) so we did a quick check on those to make sure we didn't have to keep going. But the easiest way to confirm you're in the right spot is to look for a prominent rock and an accompanying ammo box attached to a nearby tree to log your high point visit. Probably the least memorable high point I've done to date (Delaware is up there as well), but at least it's an easy one to quickly check off the list.

This is the tallest point in RI, clocking in a whopping ~812 feet along 8 feet of elevation. Despite the low elevation it has been known as one of the most difficult high points in the United States due to its history. But in 2011 that changed, and it's now easily accessible to the public and a nice path has been paved (literally and figuratively) allowing anyone to visit the "summit". The path is very well maintained and clearly marked, an easy walk that will take you no more than 5 minutes and that's if you're going a very slow pace. At the top, remains of the old observatory set up by the university can be found. Three old buildings, a lookout area, as well as a guest book to sign sit at the top. If you're considering, it's a must. And take a moment to look up the history of this location to learn how special the ability to easily walk to this spot is.