Access: From Mountaindale Road, 1 mile from Pleasant View Avenue in Greenville or 1 1/2 miles from Old County Road in Esmond. Enter on a dirt road, Wolf Hill Trail, in an open power-line strip beside a Narragansett Electric power substation. Parking is currently very limited and we are working on this problem.

• Google Map - Mercer Lookout

Features: Quiet woodland trails, second growth forest, a chimney and fireplace remaining from a Boy Scout cabin, blueberry bushes and a panoramic view of the Providence skyline.

This property was acquired in 1997 through a bequest by the late Hester Hastings who wanted it named for her relatives, the Mercers. Consisting of 24 acres, the high, rugged land was used for years as a summer camp by members of a Providence Boy Scout troop. However, after the Scouts’ cabin burned, probably in the 1940’s, the property was virtually forgotten for decades and the grand view became obscured by growing trees. Since the town took over the land, the vista has been reclaimed and it is once more possible to stand at this spot and enjoy the long views over Providence. On clear days, you can see far beyond the city, down Narragansett Bay as far as the Mount Hope Bridge.

The walking route, marked by blue paint spots on boulders and trees, is rocky in places but also presents looks at songbirds and wildflowers, particularly where it follows ancient Wolf Hill Trail, which before I-295 was built, connected this area with Esmond. From the parking area in the power line strip, the trail turns east (right), toward I-295, then follows a second power-line strip along Wolf Hill Trail. Two paths lead from the old road to the cabin site, going to the right at poles numbered 0511 and 0514. Going in on one path and returning on the other makes a pleasant little loop. The walk from your parking area to the outlook and then back down is just under one mile.

January 14, 2015: Providence skyline now in view from Mercer Lookout