Take A Hike To The Bells, A Deserted Rhode Island Mansion
Rhode Island is full of hiking possibilities when you want to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and stretch your legs. We’ve explored trails that lead to fairytale footbridges and even a path that leads to an extraordinary overlook but today’s hike features a hike that pairs perfectly with the upcoming season. Halloween will be here before you know it and it’s the time to embrace all things spooky. A hike out to the remains of a deserted Rhode Island mansion, The Bells, might just be the creepy outing you’ve been craving.
Tucked away in the seaside Brenton Point State Park is the remains of one of Newport's majestic mansions crumbling into ruins.
The 89-acre park on Ocean Drive is wildly popular for the kite flying opportunities it affords. A large open field with nearly constant coastal breezes is the ideal spot to go fly a kite.
Visitors to the park also come to walk along the seawall, fish, explore the tidal pools, and take in the stunning views of the Atlantic. But Brenton Point State Park is more than just a festive seaside locale...
If you take a walk away from the ocean and across the field, you will find a trail that leads to The Bells, the crumbling remains of one of Newport's once glorious mansions.
Originally known as "The Reefs", the sprawling estate was built in 1876 for Theodore M. Davis. The lawyer filled his dream house with oddities and artifacts collected from all over the world.
After his death, the mansion was purchased by the Budong family. During World War II, the land was seized for the building of a defense battery. Although the government gave the property back after the war, the family never returned to the mansion and it began the process of slow decay.
Tragically, in 1960, most of the mansion consumed by fire and just a few years later torn down completely. What remains today are the crumbling ruins of the stable and carriage house.
You can no longer explore the inside of the remaining buildings, the structures are unstable, But a walk around the outside gives you a peek at what once was a very grand seaside estate.
