A few summers ago, we were strolling near The Towers in Gansett and started chatting with someone who was intent on cluing us in on what he called secret gardens in the area, somewhere near the URI Kingston campus.

Light Bulb Moment: I now realize that guy (Hi Guy!) was talking about the Kinney Azalea Gardens.

The Faellal family, direct descendents of Lorenzo Kinney Jr., the 4-H director at URI who created the original gardens, tend to the grounds and keep everything open to the general public for FREE. Donations are welcome, though, and go toward the maintenance and preservation of the property. The family also runs a working nursery on the premises and visitors are able to purchase in season.

Search it on Instagram and you’ll see it’s a wildly popular spot for photoshoots amongst those already in the know. Prom pix. Fairy Garden themed stuff. Pregnancy snaps. All that and more. And the moon gate in particular (in the photo below) is pretty Insta Famous with parents, kiddos, and IG Bloggers alike.

Okay, we did just miss peak azalea season last month, but there are still plenty of other reasons to take a spin over in June. I mean, the holly trees will be in full bloom soon, and there are tons of trails to explore. (Psssst ~ There’s also a wooden foot bridge to cross.) Just know to keep your eyes peeled for the tiny sign (It’s easy to overlook!), and that the parking for visitors is behind the owners’ residence and extremely limited.

***Kinney Azalea Gardens are located at 2391 Kingstown Road, Kingston, RI 02881.***