There are twenty-two major facilities that make up the RI State Park system. This includes eight state (saltwater) beaches and five (non-surf) beaches, along with smaller public use lands managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation within the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. It is possible to faintly see the milky way from 6 of the state parks. [1]
| Name | Town | County | Area | Estab- lished | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beavertail State Park | Jamestown | Newport | 153 acres | 62 ha | 1980 |  | Operational lighthouse, ocean views |
| Blackstone River Bikeway State Park | Cumberland, Lincoln, Woonsocket | Providence | 11.5 mi | 18.5 km | 1998 |  | One leg of the East Coast Greenway |
| Brenton Point State Park | Newport | Newport | 88.9 acres | 36.0 ha | 1974 |  | Host site of the Newport Kite Festival |
| Burlingame State Park | Charlestown | Washington | 3,100 acres | 1,300 ha | 1930 |  | Camping and recreation on and around Watchaug Pond |
| Colt State Park | Bristol | Bristol | 464 acres | 188 ha | 1965 |  | The "Jewel" of the state park system |
| Fishermen's Memorial State Park | Narragansett | Washington | 91 acres | 37 ha | 1970 |  | Oceanside camping |
| Fort Adams State Park | Newport | Newport | 100 acres | 40 ha | 1965 |  | Site of the Newport Jazz Festival and |
| Fort Wetherill State Park | Jamestown | Newport | 61.5 acres | 24.9 ha | 1972 |  | Sightseeing, scuba diving |
| Goddard Memorial State Park | Warwick | Kent | 490 acres | 200 ha | 1927 |  | Golf course, bridle trails, swimming, performing arts center |
| Haines Memorial State Park | Barrington | Bristol | 102 acres | 41 ha | 1911 |  | Boating access to Narragansett Bay |
| Lincoln Woods State Park | Lincoln | Providence | 627 acres | 254 ha | 1908 |  | Freshwater beaches on Olney Pond |
| Pulaski State Park | Glocester | Providence | 100 acres | 40 ha | 1939 | Day use facility in Chepachet, within the George Washington Management Area | |
| Rocky Point State Park | Warwick | Kent | 120 acres | 49 ha | 2014 |  | Coastal park on the former site of Rocky Point Amusement Park, which operated from the 1840s-1995. |
| Snake Den State Park | Johnston | Providence | 1,000 acres | 400 ha | 1969 |  | Undeveloped historic farm property |
| World War II Memorial State Park | Woonsocket | Providence | 149 acres | 60 ha | 1977 |  | City-managed park; site of annual fall festival |
| Name | Town | County | Area | Estab- lished | Image | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown Breachway State Beach | Charlestown | Washington | 79 acres | 32 ha | 1952 |  | Camping, beach activities |
| East Beach State Beach | Charlestown | Washington | 400 acres | 160 ha | 1967 | Expanded by 250 acres in 2006; small, seasonal campground | |
| East Matunuck State Beach | South Kingstown | Washington | 144 acres | 58 ha | 1956 | Modern beach pavilion opened in 2012 | |
| Misquamicut State Beach | Westerly | Washington | 51 acres | 21 ha | 1959 |  | Beach pavilion opened in 1999; site of spring and fall music festivals |
| Roger Wheeler State Beach | Narragansett | Washington | 27 acres | 11 ha | 1929 | Facilities redesigned and renovated in 1997 | |
| Salty Brine State Beach | Narragansett | Washington | 1.3 acres | 0.53 ha | 1954 | New beach pavilion and boardwalk added in 2010 | |
| Scarborough State Beaches | Narragansett | Washington | 30 acres | 12 ha | 1937 |  | Two units; swimming, observation tower, boardwalk |
The State of Rhode Island Division of Parks and Recreation manages other state lands which do not have a state park or state beach designation.
| Name | County | Town | Area | Established | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia Management Area | Kent, Washington | Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich | 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) | State's largest recreational area. | ||
| Beach Pond | Washington | Exeter | Managed by the Division of Forest Environment. Extends into Voluntown, Connecticut. | |||
| East Bay Bike Path State Park | Bristol, Providence | Barrington, East Providence, Warren | 14.5 miles (23.3 km) | 1987 | Another leg of the East Coast Greenway |  |
| George Washington State Campground | Providence | Glocester | 100 acres (40 ha) | Overnight camping facility in Chepachet, within the George Washington Management Area. | ||
| John H. Chafee Nature Preserve | Washington | North Kingstown |
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department charged with the operation of state parks and historic sites within the U.S. state of New York. As of 2014, the NYS OPRHP manages nearly 335,000 acres of public lands and facilities, including 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, that are visited by over 62 million visitors each year.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is "To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well-being of all." The agency is the largest landowner in Massachusetts.
Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a public recreation area comprising more than 800 acres (320 ha) on the Atlantic Ocean in the southern portion of the town of Westport, Massachusetts. The reservation is one of the state’s "most popular facilities ... welcom[ing] hundreds of thousands of visitors per year." It is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Misquamicut State Beach is a seaside public recreation area in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island. It occupies a portion of Misquamicut Beach, a 3-mile-long (4.8 km) barrier island that extends westward from Weekapaug to Watch Hill and separates Winnapaug Pond from the Atlantic Ocean. The state beach covers 51 acres (21 ha) and features a large beach pavilion with multiple public facilities.
Brenton Point State Park is a public recreation area occupying 89 acres (36 ha) at the southwestern tip of Aquidneck Island in the town of Newport, Rhode Island. The state park offers wide vistas of the Atlantic Ocean where it meets Narragansett Bay. The park lies adjacent to the Newport Country Club, part of Newport's Ocean Drive Historic District. It is managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Parks and Recreation, and is overseen by the staff at nearby Fort Adams State Park.
Fort Adams State Park is a public recreation and historic area preserving Fort Adams, a large coastal fortification located at the harbor mouth in Newport, Rhode Island, that was active from 1841 through the first half of the 20th century. The state park hosts the annual Newport Jazz Festival and Newpo and is the home of Sail Newport and Eisenhower House.
Colt State Park is an American public open space that occupies 464 acres (188 ha) on Poppasquash Neck in the town of Bristol, Rhode Island, once owned by industrialist Samuel P. Colt, nephew of firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt. The park is a major component of the Poppasquash Farms Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a stop on the East Bay Bike Path. The park includes trails, picnic groves, boat ramps, an observation tower, and an open air Chapel-by-the-Sea.
Scarborough State Beach is a public recreation area fronting the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The state park occupies 60 acres (24 ha) comprising two units located at 870 and 970 Ocean Road. The beach offers saltwater bathing, picnicking, observation tower, and boardwalk.
Fishermen's Memorial State Park is a public recreation area and campground encompassing 91 acres (37 ha) on Point Judith in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The state park occupies a portion of the former Fort Nathaniel Greene, named after Rhode Island native and Revolutionary War general Nathaniel Greene.
Fort Wetherill State Park is a public recreation area occupying 61.5 acres (24.9 ha) at the southeastern tip of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island. The state park sits on the East Passage of Narragansett Bay opposite Fort Adams State Park. From 1901 through World War II, Fort Wetherill and Fort Adams were part of a string of coastal defenses designed to protect the bay's entrance points. The Fort Wetherill battery and training camp were acquired by the State of Rhode Island from the United States in 1972. The park is used for sightseeing, scuba diving, picnicking, boating, fishing, and hiking. As of 2020, the fort itself is almost completely covered in graffiti.
Goddard Memorial State Park is a public recreation area occupying 490 acres (200 ha) along the shores of Greenwich Cove and Greenwich Bay in Warwick, Rhode Island. The state park grounds were once the estate of Civil War officer and Rhode Island politician Robert Goddard, whose children gave the land to the state in 1927 as a memorial to their father. The park features a nine-hole golf course, an equestrian area with 18 miles (29 km) of bridle trails, swimming beach, canoeing area, picnicking facilities, game fields, and a performing arts center.
Haines Memorial State Park is public recreation area in the town of Barrington on the northeastern side of Narragansett Bay, six miles (9.7 km) south of East Providence, Rhode Island. The state park offers picnicking, play fields, fishing and boating facilities, and is a stop on the East Bay Bike Path.
World War II Veterans Memorial State Park is a public recreation area located in the city of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The park occupies land known as the Social flatlands where textile mills operated along the banks of the Mill River until the early years of the 20th century. Since 1979, the park has hosted the three-day Autumnfest celebration held annually on Columbus Day Weekend.
Charlestown Breachway State Beach is a seaside public recreation area on Block Island Sound in the town of Charlestown, Rhode Island. Located on the east side of the manmade channel that connects Ninigret Pond with the Atlantic Ocean, the area offers 75 camping sites for self-contained RVs, ocean swimming, beach activities, salt-water fishing, and a boat launch.
East Beach or East State Beach is a seaside public recreation area on Quonochontaug Neck, the narrow barrier island that separates Block Island Sound and Ninigret Pond, in the town of Charlestown, Rhode Island, United States. The state beach encompasses three miles (4.8 km) of oceanfront and abuts Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. The area offers a 20-unit seasonal campground, salt-water fishing, ocean swimming, and beach activities.
East Matunuck State Beach is a public recreation area encompassing 144 acres (58 ha) on the shore of Block Island Sound in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The state beach offers picnicking, ocean swimming, and beach activities.
Roger W. Wheeler State Beach is a public recreation area covering 27 acres (11 ha) on Block Island Sound in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The area offers picnicking, ocean swimming, and a playground.
Salty Brine State Beach is a public recreation area occupying slightly more than one acre (0.40 ha) of ocean shore in the village of Galilee, town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Established in 1954 as Galilee State Beach, it was renamed in 1990 to honor Salty Brine, a Rhode Island radio and television personality. The area offers ocean swimming and saltwater fishing. A 2,800-square-foot (260 m2) beach pavilion and boardwalk were added to the facility in 2010.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) is a Rhode Island state government agency charged with supervising and controlling the protection, development, planning, and utilization of the natural resources of the state, including, but not limited to: water, plants, trees, soil, clay, sand, gravel, rocks and other minerals, air, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, shellfish, and other forms of aquatic, insect, and animal life.
Note: All data come from the respective state park's webpage unless otherwise noted.
