If there’s any type of hiking that Rhode Island is known for, it’s hikes with coastal ocean views.

Whether you’re planning to visit Rhode Island or live in the state, add these best coastal hikes in Rhode Island to your list (or make a challenge to hike them all!)

In this guide to the best coastal hikes in Rhode Island, you’ll find:

• 15+ hiking locations
• Detailed Trail guides for each location
• Links to Reels for a virtual tour of the trail
• Links to the AllTrails route map for each navigation

If you need hiking boots to get started on the trails, I believe these are my favorite that I claim to be the #1 Hiking Boots for New England (All Seasons).

Need friends to hike with? Join the Rhode Island Hiking Collective, a free community group to help folks get outdoors on the trails.

Learn more about Why I Started Rhode Island Hiking Collective (& Who it’s for).

One thing Rhode Island hiking trails are NOT known for is great signage and trail markers. I’d recommend using AllTrails to navigate the hiking trail.

Should you want to upgrade to AllTrails+ for more features like the ability to download offline maps, get wrong turn notifications, and more, use code MEREDITH30 for 30% off your subscription to AllTrails+.

Here are the Best Coastal Hikes in Rhode Island…

Cliff Walk, Newport

3.5 miles point-to-point, 7 miles round trip
Terrain is varied: starting at Memorial Blvd. is mostly flat, paved walkways; starting at Ledge Rd. is uneven rock
Metered parking spots can be found on Memorial Blvd. at Easton’s Beach or on Narragansett Ave. at 40 Steps
Restrooms & water fountains are seasonally available at Narragansett Ave.
Dogs allowed
Coastal ocean views & benches along the trail
If the surf is high, stop at Ruggles Ave. to watch the surfers
 Follow the signs for the small construction detour between Narragansett Ave. & Webster Ave

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Fort Adams Bay Walk, Newport

 2.2 mile coastal loop
Paved trail, Stroller-friendly & ADA-accessible
Dogs allowed
Coastal ocean views of Narragansett Bay
 Free Parking
Restrooms & Water on-site
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, check yourself after
History! Fort Adams served the U.S. Navy for ten years & the U.S. Army for more than a century
Don’t miss the Eisenhower House which was once the summer White House of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge Trail, Middletown

 2.4 mile loop (with an option to cut it short by about half if you want)
 Flat gravel path, navigable for some wheelchairs & strollers
Coastal ocean viewing platforms & benches along the trail
No dogs allowed
 Popular area for birders!
 Free parking, 2 van accessible spots
 Visitor Center with indoor restrooms & educational exhibits, check seasonal hours

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Norman Bird Sanctuary Trails, Middletown

 7 miles of trails
$7 Adult, $6 Senior/Military, $3 Child
No dogs allowed
 Free Parking
Restrooms & Water on-site
 Popular area for birders!
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, check yourself after
Coastal ocean views from the end of Hanging Rock & Nelson Pond Trail
Be aware of rock ledges, some scrambling
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Purgatory Chasm, Middletown

 Less than 1 mile
Dogs allowed
 Free Parking — Spaces are limited (approx. 8)
No Restrooms or Water
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, check yourself after
Geology nerds will love this one!
Coastal ocean views of surfers at Second Beach & Sachuest Point
Be aware of the open rock ledges on the coast, they can be slippery & dangerous
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

Beavertail Lighthouse Loop, Jamestown

2.3 mile loop
Mostly flat woods & grass trails, muddy after rain!
Coastal ocean & rocky coastline views
Free parking, 4 lots each with trailhead access
Lighthouse museum is open seasonally, restroom kiosks outside
Tower is open select days for climbing
Dogs allowed
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, & check you & your dogs after
Leave no trace — “carry in & carry out” all your trash
Be mindful on the rocks. They can be slippery when wet or covered in moss & can crumble when dry.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Fort Wetherill State Park Trail, Jamestown

 A couple miles of hiking trails
Coastal ocean views from various lookouts
Dogs allowed
 Free Parking
Restrooms (May 1 to Oct 31)
Picnic Tables
History! Former coastal defense battery and training camp dating back to the American Revolution, you’ll see the former structures throughout the park
Popular scuba diving site
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, check yourself after
Rocks can be slippery & dangerous
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Osamequin Nature Trails and Bird Sanctuary Trails, Barrington

Few miles of intersecting trails
Dogs allowed
Osprey nests & wildlife viewing areas
Coastal ocean views
 Free Parking
Accessible by the Route 60 Newport Providence bus
NO restrooms or water
Noted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to be one of the 50 most important coastal marshes between Long Island and Cape Cod
Osamequin is named in honor of the Massasoit or “Great Leader” of the Pokanoket Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Claire D. Macintosh Wildlife Refuge Trail, Bristol

 1 mile out & back
 Easy ADA certified accessible hard-packed crushed stone trail and wooden boardwalk
Coastal ocean viewing platforms & a few benches along the trail
Osprey nests right on the trail, lots of birds & nature sounds!
Access point to the East Bay Bike Path
No dogs allowed
 Free parking
Covered picnic tables
 Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center & Aquarium with indoor restrooms, water fountains, & educational exhibits (exhibit entry may have a cost), check seasonal hours
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge Trail, Warren

 1.2 mile loop
 Trails can be muddy after rain
 Free parking
No dogs allowed
Coastal views of the Kickemuit River
Keep an eye out for wildlife! Deer, fox, bunnies & lots of birds are known to make this preserve home
Ticks are prevalent! Prepare, stay on trail, check yourself after
NO restrooms or water
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Colt State Park Loop, Bristol

 Free Parking
Restrooms throughout the park
Dogs allowed
5 miles of hiking trails
4 miles of paved bike paths that intersect with the East Bay Bike Path
Lots of picnic tables and lawn space
Osprey nests & lots of birds in the Marsh!
Coastal ocean views of Narragansett Bay
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Goddard Memorial State Park Trails, Warwick

 1.4 mile or 3.7 mile loop, but with lots of intersecting trails
Miles of ADA & Stroller-friendly paved paths around the park
Dogs allowed
Coastal ocean views of Greenwich Cove for part of the trail
 Free Parking
Restrooms
Multi-use park: Picnic Tables, Game Fields, Concerts, Golf, Beach, Equestrian Center, Hiking Trails, & more
Leave no trace & pack out your trash. Please don’t feed wildlife. Be aware of ticks!

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Rodman’s Hollow Trail, Block Island

 3.5 mile loop with intersecting trails
 Popular area for birders!
Coastal ocean views
Dogs allowed
 Free Parking, approx. 10 spots
NO Restrooms
Ticks & poison ivy are in this area. Don’t feed wildlife. Leave no trace & pack out your trash.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Clay Head Trail, Block Island

 3.5 mile out & back trail
 Great place to view migratory songbirds!
Coastal ocean & bluff views
Dogs allowed
 Free Parking, approx. 8 spots
NO Restrooms
Ticks & poison ivy are in this area. Don’t feed wildlife. Leave no trace & pack out your trash.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Hodge Preserve Trail, Block Island

 1 mile out & back trail
Fairly easy trail
 Lots of birds!
Pond, lighthouse, & coastal ocean views in the distance
Dogs allowed
 Free Parking, approx. 10 spots
NO Restrooms
Ticks & poison ivy are in this area. Don’t feed wildlife. Leave no trace & pack out your trash.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

Napatree Point Conservation Area Trail, Westerly

 3 mile loop
Trail is sandy beach & rock with marsh views
 Tons of interesting and rare birds!
Coastal ocean views on one side, bay on the other
Dogs allowed
 Street Parking
NO Restrooms
Fun fact: Taylor Swift’s house is just up the street!
Ticks & poison ivy are in this area. Don’t feed wildlife. Leave no trace & pack out your trash.

 Watch this Reel for a virtual tour 

 AllTrails Route Map (30% off AllTrails+ Membership with code MEREDITH30)

Have done any of these hikes? I’d love to know your favorites in the comments!

Follow me on Instagram at @meredithewenson for all things nature, hiking, and outdoors in Rhode Island and beyond.

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