Date visited: 3/26/2023

It was the last weekend of doggie beach season. Most beaches, including the State Beaches in Connecticut and Rhode Island, don't allow dogs after March. This was the last state beach in Rhode Island that we had not visited. It is connected to the North Beach, so we wound up walking the length of both beaches. The South Beach has a rocky area on the end that made for some nice photos. Temps were in the mid 50's and it was very windy, but that didn't stop the surfers wearing wet suits, as well as college students in bathing suits running into the ocean! Of course, Mandy also went into the water, despite it being cold. Lexi was having no part of it today.

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Dates visited: 5/30/2022, 6/29/2023, 6/20/2024 & 8/16/2024

This is another very nice spot in Rhode Island that allows dogs at the beach year round! This is primarily a fishing spot. There were many people on the point fishing. There is a nice overlook area, with views of the lighthouse, as well as a monument dedicated to those who were lost on fishing boats. Of course there is a small beach area too, which was packed. We had to park on the road and walk about a half mile to get to the point. I saw an officer ticketing cars that were parked incorrectly, so I'm glad we parked on the road.

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Our second visit here was 13 months after our first. It was still crowded, but this time there were more people fishing than on the beach. We arrived about an hour before sunset. Initially, we tried to walk the rock jetty, but it was hard to navigate the rocks with so many people fishing from them. As the jetty went farther out, it got too dangerous for the dogs. So we just hung around the beach for a while and enjoyed the sunset.

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This is such a wonderful spot! We visited this beach for the third year in a row. This time it was the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year. That gave us time to drive here after work, and escape the brutal heat and humidity inland. It was a perfect 72 degrees and sunny when we arrived a little after 5:30PM. The beach was moderately crowded when we arrived, but got busier as the evening progressed. The jetty here sticks out and curves around, so the beach area has calm waters, while the waves really rip on the lighthouse side of the jetty. We did our usual activities here: explore the beach, cool off in the water, and walk the jetty. For this trip, we also got in a short hike. For the first time, we walked the rocky section, from the parking lot, along the shore, up to the lighthouse. This part of the trip was a very fun adventure, and something we hadn't done on our previous visits. Despite being rocky, it was a pretty easy hike with amazing views of both the ocean and the Point Judith Lighthouse. This is one of the best kept secrets in Rhode Island!

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This is one of our favorite spots in the area. For this visit, there was wildfire smoke in the upper atmosphere that really dimmed the sunlight. We walked on the jetty a bit, the dogs cooled off, and then they played on the beach. We also took a walk to Rose Nulman Park and back.

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Dates visited: 7/11/2022 & 8/23/2024

In order to visit every town in Rhode Island, we need to take a boat to get to New Shoreham (aka Block Island). So we arrived at Point Judith to take the Block Island Ferry to New Shoreham. This was the dogs first trip on a ferry, and Mandy didn't like it all. (No big deal for Lexi!) We took the high speed ferry, and it soon as it started to get moving, she started to shake. Dogs can only be on the outside deck of the ship, and they are not supposed to be on the benches, but I had to put Mandy on my lap to calm her down, which worked.

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It took two years, but we headed back to Block Island. This time we took the traditional ferry instead of the high speed ferry. The traditional ferry tickets were much cheaper, but the trip took an hour, double the time of the high speed ferry. The good news was that the boat didn't shake as much. Mandy still didn't like it, but she did much better this time around.

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Date visited: 5/12/2023

This is a beatiful trail. We parked at Narragansett Town Beach, and headed to the trail head across the street. It's a completely flat, easy trail that heads to the South County Museum (you can park for free here to access the trail during the beach season), and eventually ends at the Community Center near the Elementary School. Near the museum, the trail runs right by the farm animals. As you can see in the photo, Mr. Goat insisted on posing for a picture as well. As great as this trail is, there is one huge problem with it...and that was ticks! The dogs were covered with them! So I would avoid this trail this time of year. I've read that the bugs are relentless during the summer months, so that might not be a great time either. It probably looks pretty "bleh" in the winter, so maybe the fall is a good time to visit.

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Dates visited: 9/17/2022, 4/26/2023, 5/12/2023 & 9/16/2024

This might be the best beach we visited yet! Dogs are only allowed from September 16 through May 15. The beach is techincally "closed" from the day after Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend, but that just means there are no life guards I guess, because the place was packed. It was another great day weather-wise. It seemed like it was a bit cool for humans on the beach. It was only in the upper 60's, but that didn't seem to stop anyone. There were plenty of people in the water, sunbathing, and walking their dogs. It looks like they stop collecting parking fees at the main lot after Labor Day, so that may have led to the amount of people as well. We arrived just before 3PM, and had to park on a nearby road because the lot was full. We walked the length of the beach and back. The sand was very nice here. Not rocky like some of the beaches. There were less people at the north end of the beach, so it was easier to get pictures of the dogs with less distractions. I guess that part of the beach is "Conochet Club Beach". There was some sort of event going on near the North Beach Clubhouse. There was a band playing and food trucks. The dogs got to cool off in the water too! A good time was had by all!

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We came back a second time the following spring. We stopped here because I needed a few more steps after our visit to Whale Rock Preserve. It was colder, and nowhere near as busy, but still a very pleasant walk.

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Our third trip here was 2 1/2 weeks after our previous trip. We parked at the beach to access the Canonchet Farm Trail, so of course we had to visit the beach as well since we were already here! It was a very warm day and the beach was packed. The beach is still technically "closed", so there is no fee or parking charge until Memorial Day Weekend, and dogs are allowed until May 15th. The "free" part probably added to the amount of people. It was definitely beach weather. We don't generally get to visit beaches like this when they are this busy, since most beaches don't allow dogs in the summer months.

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This was our fourth visit to this beach, almost two years to the day after our first visit. That's not coincidence. Dogs are allowed here after September 16th, so we didn't waste any time this year! This is one of the most popular beaches in the area, it's flat and easy to access. Our walk was pretty much a repeat of our 2022 adventure. We walked the length of the beach, up until the mouth of the Pettaquamscutt River and back. Waves rip here, and the beach was quite busy with shell collectors, sunbathers, surfers, and swimmers, even on a Monday afternoon where the temperatures didn't get much above 70 degrees. There was even a cruise ship passing by. This time around we also explored the Narragansett Pier Marketplace and Memorial Square as well. walking over five miles in the process.

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Date visited: 9/17/2022

This is the touristy area just south of Narragansett Town Beach. The main attraction here is "The Towers". The structure is all that is left of an 19th century "Narragansett Pier Casino". The rest of the building burned down in 1900. Now, The Towers are used to host special events. There is a small park with a gazebo near the towers. There was an antique police car show going on when we visited. That is something I've never seen before.

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Date visited: 10/11/2023

This is the walkway that runs between Ocean Avenue and the seawall, from the state boat launch/fishing pier to Narragansett Town Beach. We started at the fishing pier and made our way to area around the beach before heading back. (We skipped this beach on this trip since we had already visited it three times already). Even though we had been in this general area before, this is the first time we actually walked the path between the fishing pier and The Towers. It was a great two mile walk out and back on a gorgeous autumn afternoon.

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Date visited: 9/16/2024

This is a shopping area and condo complex across the street from the Town Beach. The are fewer shops here than some of the other touristy parts of Rhode Island. We stopped at the ice cream shop so I could get a Del's Lemonade. There's also a cool, carved stone wall along the sidewalk.

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Date visited: 9/16/2024

This is a memorial, near the towers dedicated to war veterans. Somehow we had missed this small park on our previous visits to the area.

Dates visited: 11/12/2022 & 10/11/2023

These are State Beaches in the Galilee section of Narragansett, right next to the Block Island Ferry. Dogs are allowed on Rhode Island State Beaches in the off-season, and even though it's 70 degrees in November, it's still the off-season. These beaches are connected, at least in the off-season. I think there might be a private beach in between that's roped off during the summer. I'm not really sure. These are okay beaches, but I think the Town Beach is nicer.

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On this trip, we visited Roger Wheeler Beach. We parked at the lot for that beach, which happens to be right near where we left off last time. We headed southeast along the beach. I wanted to walk on the beach all the way to Camp Cronin, but eventually the sand disappeared, and the rest of the walk would have been on all rocks the rest of the way. This was a little too difficult for us to navigate, so we eventually turned around and headed back. This section of the beach also features some sand trails that we were able to explore on our way back.

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Date visited: 12/30/2022

This was our 66th and final visit to Rhode Island for the year. It's been a wild ride! This beach is located mostly in South Kingstown, and you can read more about our visit on that page. The Narragansett section is on the east end of the beach. I guess the state beach ends at the "KACI Private Beach No Dogs Alcohol" sign, so we turned around at that point. The pictures below are from the Narragansett section.

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Date visited: 4/26/2023

First and foremost, dogs are not allowed here. The sign explains "Trail and boardwalk areas are too narrow to safely accommodate visitor and dog use". That is some very weak reasoning. I was reading reviews on the All-Trails app, and some of them mentioned that the no dog rule was largely ignored. In fact, as I arrived a man was leaving with a big dog, and we passed another dog walker during our hike. Use this information as you will....but don't blame me if something happens because you brought your dog here! That being said, this was a great walk! The "narrow" path proceeds for a half mile through some swampy areas, with "narrow" boardwalks over most of the real wet spots, before reaching the shoreline. Toward the end of the trail, one side is bordered by a barbed wire fence protecting the trail from the Camp Varnum National Guard Base. Once at the shore, the trail continues along side the fenced in facility, or you can simply walk the rocky shore line for another half mile or so. The ocean views are beautiful. This is a really nice walk. It's just a shame that dogs and their humans aren't officially allowed to enjoy it.

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Date visited: 7/14/2023

Only the very eastern end of the bike path is in Narragansett, as most of the path is in South Kingstown. There is a parking area at Narragansett Elementary School, which also has access to the Canonchet Farm Trail, which leads to Narragansett Town Beach. That means it is possible to take a trail all the way from the The University of Rhode Island to the Narragansett Town Beach. There is a small dirt loop nature trail that is accessed from this portion of the trail as well.

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Date visited: 8/20/2023

This is the first of three of these public waterfront access areas that we visited in Narragansett on this day. They are all within a half mile of each other on side streets off Ocean Road. They are also all very similar. There's no sandy beach, just rocks, and not much access to the actual water, without traversing some steep and slippery rocks. This one features a short, steep trail that brings you to the waterfront. This is the only one of the three that also has a trail along the shoreline, though it's not much of a trail. These places are also popular fishing areas. Unfortunately, a lot of trash is left behind, despite there being two large trash barrels at the entrance. I witnessed a group of people with fishing poles arriving bringing their Dunkin cups with them to the rocks. I doubt the cups will wind up in the trash barrels! Despite the trash, it's quite scenic and a nice place to sit on the rocks and enjoy the ocean view, or have a picnic. We headed up the road to Newton Avenue Watefront next.

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Date visited: 8/20/2023

This is the second of the three public waterfront access areas that we visited on this day. Like Bass Rock, it also features a steep trail that leads down to the rocks on the shoreline. The rocks are easier to access here. In addtion to the people fishing, there were also groups of people sun-bathing here, and even another dog! I learned the hard way that despite the rocks looking easier to traverse, they can be slippery. Mandy wanted to go down to the water, and kind of pulled me along and I slipped and landed on my rear! Ultimately I was okay, and we made our way to Hazard Rock later in the day.

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Date visited: 8/20/2023

This the third and final of these small public waterfront access areas we visited on this day. We had visited the nearby Bass Rock and Newton Avenue watefronts earlier in the day. This is pretty similar to the other two, with rocks looking over the scenic ocean vista. Actually, all three of these places are very much like the most excellent Black Point trail. It makes sense, since that place is also down Ocean Road, just south of these access points. (Black Point is much better, because there is an actual trail there). There's a weird bench with no legs here, sitting on the rocks with the words "Please Enjoy" carved into it. I'm not sure who would actually sit on this bench without legs. Maybe it was put here for the dogs! The rocks can be really dangerous at these places, but we kept to the safer areas, and took some nice photos before calling it a day. A seagull joined us for one of the photos. I named him Gus.

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Date visited: 10/4/2023

The pictures below are from the portion of the marsh in the Jerusalem section of Narragansett. You can read more about the marsh and see more photos on the South Kingstown page.

Date visited: 11/16/2023

I wasn't really sure this was a real place. There's not a lot of information about this beach on the net. I did find a few write-ups, one called this beach a "small rocky area with a punk rock vibe". One review on Google says "Rhode Island's top punk only surf spot. On the beach the airwaves rock with everything from the cramps to the chats while the water is full of even harder rocks"...okay. You can see why I wasn't sure this place was real! I guess this is a popular area with surfers. The actual beach has no signage at all. I parked at the gravel lot on the corner of Old Ocean Road and 5th street, but the pathway to the actual beach is not obvious. There's a short trail on the left side of Aunt Carrie's restaurant that leads to the beach. There is not much sand here, it's mostly rocks! It's actually quite scenic, and a nice spot to listen to the waves and smell the ocean air. We walked the length of the beach and back, a total of eight tenths of a mile, over lose stones. As we were headed back to the access path, I slipped on the lose stones and fell. I was fine, but my camera wasn't. I wear the camera on my neck and the lens must of hit one of the stones as I fell. There's a huge scratch on the lens. The camera is pretty much useless at this point. (I actually bought the protection plan, and I also have a spare at home, but I was without my camera for the rest of the day). So enjoy these photos, they are the last ones this camera will ever take.

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Dates visited: 2/19/2024 & 5/24/2024

We would have visited this park sooner, but it had been closed since December of 2021, before we started regularly visiting Rhode Island. Evidently, the trail to the shoreline has been open this whole time, but the park area was closed because the cliff has been eroding away and is unsafe. The park is privately owned, and the owners petitioned the state for $2 million of funds from the infrastructure plan to fix the park, but were denied. At some point within the last few months, the "closed" signs were taken down anyway. There's not a lot to do here at any rate. There are some benches that provide views of the ocean, but access is to the shore is only allowed from the trail off Ocean Avenue. The Point Judith Lighthouse is next to the park, but you can't get that close. Access is prohibited, because the lighthouse is on Coast Guard property. We used the muddy path to get to the rocky shoreline. It's probably a good place to go fishing, but not a great place for a walk. In order to get some additional steps, we walked down Ocean Avenue to some additional Shoreline Access Points.

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Since our first visit here was on a cold February day, we came back on a warm day in late May. We took the trail from Ocean Avenue to the rocky shoreline first. Then we made our way to the park section, where Mandy & Lexi were able to run around in the grassy area a bit.

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Date visited: 2/19/2024

These might be the last public shoreline spots in Narragansett that we had not explored yet. There are three different shoreline access points at the end of short side roads off Ocean Avenue - on Pilgrim Ave, Louise Avenue, and Conant Avenue. There are a few parking spots at the Pilgrim Avenue and Conant Avenue access points, but we walked here from Rose Nulman Park. There's not much to do here, as the shoreline is too rocky to be walkable. The spot at the end of Conant Avenue is the best of the three. There is a bench, and some steep stone steps that bring you down to the water, where the waves rip against the rocks. The access point at the end of Louise Avenue is just a short walk between two different yards. You wouldn't know it was public access if not for the sign. These are probably great spots for fishing, and photos, but not much else. There is a trail off of nearby Nichols Avenue that leads out to Punk Rock Beach, but we didn't take any pictures from there since we already took a bunch there on our previous visit to Narragansett.

Date visited: 5/24/2024

Somehow I was able to find another dog-friendly beach in Narragansett that we hadn't visited yet! This beach is located on University of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay Campus, and is open to the public. There's not that much information on-line about it. Dogs are welcome year round. The beach is small. It's in the northern part of Narragansett, looking out into the bay, rather than the open ocean. The waves are mild, but that's just how Mandy & Lexi like it. They wasted no time getting into the water! There are views of both the Jamestown and Newport bridges from here. A distinguishing feature of the beach, is the RV Endeavor, a research vessel docked here. We also walked around the small campus a bit, and took some nice photos in front of the campus buildings.

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Date visited: 8/5/2024

This is a small waterfront access point for Point Judith Salt Pond, at the end of Knowlesway Extension. There's a small park area, and a wooden stair case that leads to the waterfront. The area is not large, but provides nice views of the salt pond.

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Date visited: 8/5/2024

There's not many adventures in this area left for us that we haven't done before, so I started creating our own! We parked along side Galilee Escape Road, and explored the area. There's a state run boat launch, with a small beachy area along the southeast side of Point Judith Pond. Mandy and Lexi were able to cool off on the pond. After that, we headed over the Great Island bridge, on to the island, and then over to Little Comfort Island, where Mandy and Lexi were able to enjoy another beachy area. We walked a bit over two miles total here.

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