Information
Landmark: Rodman’s HollowCity: New Shoreham
Country: USA Rhode Island
Continent: North America
Rodman’s Hollow, New Shoreham, USA Rhode Island, North America
Overview
Tucked into Block Island’s quiet southwest corner, Rodman’s Hollow feels worlds away-a 230-acre natural amphitheater shaped by ancient glaciers, where wind rattles the tall grass and the wild heart of the island still beats, and a wide bowl of meadows, shadowed woods, and secret wetlands holds a hushed, ancient beauty, most of all when wind ripples the tall grass and the sea winks pale light far off.Rodman’s Hollow took shape thousands of years ago, when glaciers pulled back and carved a broad, cool hollow into the island’s rocky ground, also over the years, the hollow turned into a patchwork of life-soft hills underfoot, a glint of fresh water seeping through the soil, and tangled coastal thicket swaying in the wind.Just past the trailhead on Cooneymus Road, the ground falls away into a wide, green hollow where the wind smells faintly of salt, not only that on a luminous morning, sunlight slips across the hollows and ridges, and to the south the ocean glints like a silver blade just beyond the horizon.The venue feels wild but calm, like the island is quietly drawing in a deep breath, along with the trails here are easy to follow yet impossible to resist, with dusty loops and narrow tracks winding through glowing meadows, dipping into the basin, then climbing toward wind-brushed ridges.The main loop runs about a mile and a half, but many hikers stretch it out with a side trip to Black Rock Beach, where the waves slap against shadowy, jagged stones, also you follow the slope past bayberry and huckleberry shrubs twisted by the wind, then step into grassy dips buzzing with dragonflies and scattered with luminous summer wildflowers.Standing on the ridge, you spot the Mohegan Bluffs rising to the east, with the Atlantic stretching out beyond them in a shimmering blue sweep, to boot rodman’s Hollow, home to some of Block Island’s most vibrant wildlife, thrives as a protected sanctuary thanks to the combined efforts of The Nature Conservancy and the Block Island Conservancy.These habitats nurture rare plants, from the bushy rockrose and current England blazing star to the wiry little bluestem swaying in the wind, while songbirds flit through the shrubs while raptors ride the wind overhead-red-tailed hawks tracing unhurried circles, sparrows and catbirds darting like quick shadows between the leaves.Frankly, Come spring, the hollow buzzes with bees, their wings a steady shimmer; by autumn, butterflies float past like scraps of painted silk riding the cool air, therefore each season shapes the hollow’s mood, turning crisp with autumn leaves or soft under spring’s mist.Early summer hums with life, the air heavy with bayberry and the sweet warmth of sunlit grass, on top of that by late August, the air turns dry and golden, and each step lands with a soft crunch in the dust, fairly In winter, the hollow stands stripped and raw, its curves etched sharp under a pale, knife-edged light, after that whatever the time of year, the venue feels wide open, with a quiet stillness you can almost hear.It seems, The soundscape unfolds in layers: wind hisses through scrub oak, surf thuds faintly against the shore, and a gull’s cry trails off above, in conjunction with local lore says early settlers grazed their animals on this land and cut coarse, shadowy peat to burn for heat.For centuries, Rodman’s Hollow has stayed mostly untamed, a patch of wind-stirred grass and rugged bluff that still shows Block Island as it was before roads and houses claimed the land, consequently today, walking through it feels like slipping back in time, into the island’s first pulse of wind, salt air, and sun-warmed stone.Rodman’s Hollow isn’t just a scenic preserve-it’s the island’s wild heart, stretching wide under the wind, where grasses sway and every corner hums with quiet life, to boot come to hike, to think, or just to taste the salt in the breeze-the hollow draws you in, urging you to pause and listen.In the stillness, you catch not silence, but the steady hum of nature-the same heartbeat that’s been shaping Block Island for thousands of years, like waves tapping the shore.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-10-28
