What is a Land Trust?

A land trust is an organization that works with willing landowners to permanently conserve the land they love for public benefit. In Rhode Island most land trusts are private, non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. Other land trusts are affiliated with municipal government and are created by state legislation or municipal charter or ordinance. Land trusts agree to permanently steward and defend the land and conservation easements they hold. Rhode Island has over 45 land trusts including 18 municipal land trusts.

Land Trust Trails

Go to ExploreRI.org for directions, trails maps and other information on the trails created and maintained by many of these land trusts. They are some of the best walking trails in Rhode Island, on beautiful landscapes protected by land trusts.

Land Trusts in Rhode Island

Barrington
Block Island/New Shoreham
Bristol
Burrillville
Charlestown
Coventry
Cranston
Cumberland
East Greenwich
East Providence
Exeter
Foster
Glocester
Hopkinton
Jamestown
Johnston
Lincoln
  • Lincoln Municipal Land Trust M
Little Compton
Middletown
Narragansett
Newport
North Kingstown
North Providence
North Smithfield
Portsmouth
Providence
Prudence Island
Richmond
Scituate
Smithfield
South Kingstown
Tiverton
Warren
Warwick
West Greenwich
Westerly
Statewide
 

Map of Land Trusts

These land trusts are those dedicated to land preservation. There are several additional land trusts in Rhode Island (not shown in this list) which focus on the creation and retention of affordable housing.