When I was living in Providence, I didn’t understand how lucky I was to live less than 45 minutes from some of the best beaches in the Northeast. Spending a few hours with my toes in the sand, the soundtrack of the ocean, and a good book in hand sounds like the perfect summer’s day.

STATE BEACHES

Scarborough 

Scarborough is one of the livelier beaches in Rhode Island. The waves draw boogie boarders who are looking for a thrill ride, the soft sand attracts teenagers who want to play in the sand, the shallow water appeals to familes with small children who want to wade without worrying about deep water, and the long stretch of beach entices beach walkers.   With all of these features, as well as the bathhouses, concession stands, and picnic tables, this beach is usually crowded and saturated with music. 

To get away from the lively crowds, I usually extend my beach walk to the north side of the beach, where the beach connects to a walking trail that leads to the ruins of an old estate and a cliffside trail along the more rugged coastline. The rocks along this path are also popular with people in the fishing community.

Roger Wheeler

Roger Wheeler in Narragansett is one of my favorite beaches in the state.  Because of the jetty, the waves are smaller, which makes this more of a family oriented beach.  Unlike nearby Scarborough Beach, the crowd here tends to be quieter (no blasting music) and calmer.  While the water is calm, there tends to be random rock outcropping, so having water shoes is helpful. One of the things I like about this beach is that it is connected to Salty Brine Beach by a series of private beaches; this allows for a peaceful walk where you don’t have to weave through people.  

Salty Brine

When I tell people I went to Salty Brine State Beach, their response is “where?”.  Their response is justified because this is the smallest beach I’ve ever been to. Still, even though it is small, it still has everything you need on a beach. Of course I mean sand and water…..

No, really, I like this beach a lot… for a weekday. Everything is clean (beach, water, bathrooms, and shower). Also, the water is warmer than the water at the Westerly beaches. Salty Brine is one bookend to a span of beaches, the other end being Roger Wheeler State Beach with private beaches in between. The open space of the private beaches along with the beach’s composition (firm sand, few rocks and shells) make this a great running or walking beach.  

While most Rhode Island state beaches only have food stands, Salty Brine also offers a basic food stand (Salty’s -which is also at many of the other RI state beaches) and two established restaurants (George’s of Galilee and Champlin’s seafood).  In addition to looking out on the beautiful water, Salty Brine also has the Block Island Ferry and other boats coming in and out of the channel. The jetty separating the beach from the channel is well worn and easy to walk on on.

East Matunuck

This is by far my favorite state beach. While it can be busy, it is nowhere close to as busy as the other state beaches I have visited. The parking lot is the most rustic, with no designated spaces, but I see that as the only downside.

The long stretch of sand with minimal waves makes this a great walking beach. At the east side of the beach is a jetty that can extend the walk. The jetty runs along the canal where the Block Island Ferry starts and across the canal is Salty Brine Beach. The west side of the beach connects to a neighborhood, so it’s possible to extend the walk through a classic RI beach community all the way to the classic beach bar – Ocean Mist.

Misquamicut

For those who are looking for the boardwalk beach experience, Misquamicut in Westerly is the best Rhode Island has to offer. This beach is all about the beach experience – sunbathing, drinks at the bar, beachwear shops. The parking lot is large, which means that this is also a very crowded beach. The small waves here make this a great place for boogie boarding and skimboarding.  With three miles of soft sand beach, Misquamicut offers lots of space for a beach walk; however, sections of it are rocky and other sections tend to get filled with seaweed, so it helps to have shoes. 

AQUIDNECK BEACHES

Easton’s Beach (1st Beach)

Situated at one end of the Cliff Walk, Easton’s Beach (also known as First Beach) in Newport is the most visible beach in the area.  This is a beach for people who want to have easy access to their cars, food, and shops.  The flat and packed down beach is right along the road with a restaurant and carousel at one end.  While it’s nice to be close to amenities, First Beach is also notorious for having red seaweed; even though this seaweed is not dangerous, it also isn’t all that pleasant to wade through.  

Sachuest Beach (2nd Beach)

Sachuest Beach (better known as 2nd beach) in Middletown is composed of a beautiful long stretch of soft sand that works well for walking and relaxing. The waves are not too big and the water is warmer than the West Bay beaches. The main facilities are fine. One thing I like is that there are port-o-potties throughout the parking area so that if you need to go to the bathroom but don’t want to make the trek to the main place, there are options.

The waves here are big enough for some beginning surfing, and at the Surfer’s End of the beach, Elemental Surfcamp offers rentals and classes. 

While neither of these spots are walkable from the beach directly, Sachuset Point (one of my favorite places in the area) and Purgatory Chasm are both great side trips to take from here.

3rd Beach

Third Beach in Middletown is off the beaten path. Since it’s on the same small peninsula to the much more extensive and popular Second Beach, it doesn’t have the same crowds. This makes Third Beach a nice place for a quiet beach day.  Because it is sheltered in a bay, the water is calm and boats tend to anchor off the shore.  As a result, the beach sometimes feels more like a harbor than a beach.  The sand is flat with very few rocks, which makes it a nice running beach. The only amenity here are porta potties, and the swimming area that is roped off is pretty small. However, the lifeguards didn’t seem to mind that I swam laps outside of the designated swimming area. Overall, this is a low key beach that is good for exercise and short stays.