Rhode Island

Tiny Rhode Island is all about the water — sailing, beachgoing, kayaking the bays, and walking Newport's famous Cliff Walk — plus cycling and exploring coastal woodlands. The Newport beaches and Cliff Walk, Block Island and its bluffs, the East Bay and Blackstone bike trails, and Arcadia Management Area anchor it.

Summer is prime for the beaches, sailing, and Block Island; fall brings mild weather, fewer crowds, and coastal color. Spring offers migrating birds, and winter is quiet along the shore.

White-tailed deer and coyotes inhabit the woods, while Narragansett Bay and the coast host ospreys, herons, shorebirds, and seals, and Block Island is a noted songbird migration stopover.

Narragansett Bay's estuary, salt marsh, sandy barrier beaches, and coastal oak forest make up the ecosystems of this maritime state, with Block Island's globally recognized moraine grasslands.

The smallest state is dominated by Narragansett Bay, which nearly splits it, with glacially shaped lowlands, sandy south-shore beaches, rocky Newport cliffs, and the moraine bluffs of Block Island offshore. Jerimoth Hill (812 ft) is the modest high point.

The Narragansett people inhabited the bay region; Roger Williams founded the colony in 1636 as a haven of religious freedom. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original states to ratify the Constitution, in 1790.

A premier sailing and yachting heritage (Newport), beach-town summers, and a strong land-trust tradition on Block Island define the outdoors.

Restoring Narragansett Bay's water quality, conserving Block Island's open space (much of it protected), and protecting the south-shore beaches from erosion are central efforts.

T.F. Green (PVD) near Providence serves the state, with Boston nearby; Block Island is reached by ferry. Everything is a short drive apart given the state's tiny size.

Rip currents at the ocean beaches, summer boat traffic, ticks in the woods, and cold-water sailing risks are the main concerns. Watch the surf and weather along the exposed south shore.

State beaches charge parking fees, and the RI Department of Environmental Management administers licenses.

Book the Block Island ferry ahead in summer.

Walk Newport's Cliff Walk above the mansions and surf, take the ferry to Block Island for bluffs and beaches, and sail or kayak Narragansett Bay. Visit beyond peak summer for fewer crowds.

Rhode Island borders Massachusetts and Connecticut, linking Narragansett Bay, the southern New England coast, and Cape Cod beyond.