Block Island

Block Island, lying 13 miles south of the Rhode Island mainland in Block Island Sound, is one of the most magnificent natural and recreational gems of New England — a 10-square-mile Atlantic island with a strikingly varied landscape: dramatic Mohegan Bluffs (clay bluffs 150 feet above the Atlantic), 365 freshwater ponds (one for every day of the year, as the local saying has it), extensive moorland and heath, Atlantic beaches, and 40% of the island protected as open space by the Nature Conservancy and the Block Island Land Trust.

Block Island is one of the top migratory-bird concentration points on the entire East Coast (the American Bird Conservancy named it one of the top 12 bird-watching spots in the Americas), a world-class summer sailing destination with a charming Victorian-era harbor town (Old Harbor), and one of the finest surfcasting locations on the New England coast. Block Island is a treasured natural and cultural icon of Rhode Island.

Block Island offers birding (a world-class migratory-bird concentration point in fall — one of the top 12 birding sites in the Americas; in October and November the island concentrates extraordinary numbers of migrant land birds and raptors; the ponds attract shorebirds and wading birds; the offshore waters have seabirds including gannets, jaegers and alcids in fall), swimming at the Atlantic beaches (Crescent Beach on the east is the premier swimming beach, with lifeguards in season), surfcasting (Block Island is one of the finest striped-bass and bluefish surfcasting locations in New England, famous among surf-fishing devotees), cycling the island roads (the classic Block Island experience — rent a bicycle in Old Harbor and cycle all day through the moors and past the ponds), hiking the trails of the Nature Conservancy and the Greenway Trail system, kayaking and paddleboarding in the ponds and calm coves, and exploring the charming Victorian-era village of Old Harbor. The birding in fall, the cycling, and the beaches are the signature draws.

Fall (September through November) is the finest season for birding — the peak fall migration through Block Island concentrates migrant land birds (warblers, sparrows, thrushes), raptors (sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks, merlins, peregrine falcons), and offshore seabirds in extraordinary numbers. The peak is typically mid-October. Summer (July through August) is the peak visitor season for the beach, cycling, sailing and the resort atmosphere, but is also the most crowded. Spring brings the spring warbler migration. Visit in fall for the birding and cycling (the September to mid-October sweet spot has warm weather and excellent migration before the peak crowds); summer for the beaches and the full resort experience.

Block Island’s Narragansett name is Manisses (“island of the little god”), and the island was inhabited by the Manissean band of the Narragansett people for thousands of years before European contact. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block became the first European to visit in 1614 (giving the island his name). English settlers arrived in 1661, establishing a farming and fishing community. The island’s 19th-century Victorian resort development created the New Shoreham Victorian village character preserved in Old Harbor. The Block Island Land Trust (established 1971) and the Nature Conservancy have protected 40% of the island as open space — the primary reason Block Island retains its extraordinary natural character.

Block Island is a glacial moraine — a pile of glacial sediment (clay, sand and gravel) deposited at the southernmost reach of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last glacial maximum (about 21,000 years ago), when the ice sheet reached this far south and dumped enormous quantities of sediment as a terminal moraine. The dramatic Mohegan Bluffs on the south coast are clay-and-sand glacial deposits eroding rapidly into the Atlantic (the bluff face retreats measurably each year). The 365 ponds are kettle ponds (formed when chunks of glacial ice buried in the moraine sediment melted) and former coastal lagoons. The glacial moraine, the kettle ponds and the coastal erosion created the Block Island landscape.

Block Island is one of the top migratory-bird concentration points on the East Coast (American Bird Conservancy top-12 listing) — in October the island concentrates extraordinary numbers of migrant land birds (warblers, sparrows, thrushes, wrens), raptors (sharp-shinned, Cooper’s and broad-winged hawks, merlins, peregrine falcons, American kestrels), shorebirds on the ponds, and offshore seabirds (gannets, jaegers, pomarine jaegers, occasional alcids in November). Piping plovers, American oystercatchers and roseate terns nest on the beaches (protected; respect closures). The island’s 40% protected open space maintains the habitat quality that makes the migration concentration possible.

Block Island’s ecological significance is the extraordinary migratory-bird concentration at the island each fall, enabled by the island’s position as a stepping-stone landfall in Block Island Sound for migrant birds crossing the open water from the mainland. The island’s 365 kettle ponds provide freshwater and feeding habitat for migrant shorebirds and waterfowl. The moorland and heath (maintained by grazing and mowing) provide habitat for migrant sparrows and short-eared owls. The 40% protected open space (Nature Conservancy + Block Island Land Trust) sustains the ecological quality. The nesting piping plover and roseate tern populations are conservation priorities. Protecting the ponds, the open-space character and the beach-nesting birds sustains the extraordinary natural heritage.

Block Island holds a treasured and beloved place among the natural and cultural icons of New England — one of the finest and most intact island ecosystems in the Northeast, a world-class migratory-birding destination, a premier New England sailing and cycling resort, and a Victorian-era island village of rare charm. Its 40% protected open space, its irreplaceable migratory-bird role, its 365 ponds and its Mohegan Bluffs make it one of the finest short-trip island destinations in the United States. Block Island is a cherished natural and cultural icon of Rhode Island.

Block Island is accessible by ferry from Point Judith, Rhode Island (the primary year-round ferry, operated by Block Island Ferry — about 55 minutes; reservations required for vehicles in summer), from Newport, Rhode Island (seasonal passenger ferry), and by small aircraft to the Block Island Airport. No bridge connects Block Island to the mainland. Old Harbor is the primary landing point. The island is car-accessible (you can bring a car on the Point Judith ferry) but cycling is the classic and recommended way to explore. Rentals (bicycles, mopeds, kayaks) are available in Old Harbor. Check the Block Island Ferry schedule and reserve well in advance for summer travel — the ferries sell out.

Block Island NWR (USFWS), the Nature Conservancy and the Block Island Land Trust together protect approximately 40% of the island as open space — a conservation model for Atlantic islands. Nesting piping plover and roseate tern beach areas are closed from spring through July (respect all closures absolutely — these species are federally protected). Visitors help by staying on designated trails, not disturbing the nesting birds, not harming the kettle ponds (no waste, no debris), following the Block Island Water Quality Program guidelines for septic systems and lawn care (private land), and supporting the Land Trust and Nature Conservancy. The Mohegan Bluffs are eroding; do not disturb the unstable clay face.

The Mohegan Bluffs (150-foot clay bluffs on the south coast) are the most significant safety hazard — the cliff face and edge are extremely unstable; stay well back from the edge at the top (the unstable clay can collapse without warning). Use only the designated stairways to reach the beach below the bluffs. The Atlantic ocean surf on the south coast can be powerful; swim at the lifeguarded Crescent Beach on the east coast. Mopeds are popular on the island but require attention to the narrow, windy roads (moped accidents are the primary summer injury on Block Island); wear a helmet and drive carefully. Respect the bluff edge, the surf and the moped roads.

Ferry reservations required for vehicles in summer (reserve months in advance). No camping on the island without permit (limited private campgrounds). Nesting-bird beach closures from spring through July. Pets must be on leash on beaches in season. Respect the Land Trust and Nature Conservancy trail rules. Clean, drain, dry all watercraft to prevent invasive species spread in the ponds. Fishing follows Rhode Island regulations. No open fires outside designated areas. Pack out all trash. Check Block Island Ferry and Town of New Shoreham for current rules and seasonal restrictions before visiting.

The town of New Shoreham / Old Harbor (the charming Victorian village with restaurants, galleries and ice cream shops — the social center of Block Island), Mohegan Bluffs and the Southeast Lighthouse (a spectacular lighthouse at the top of the bluffs — walk the dramatic blufftop trail to the lighthouse for the finest view in Rhode Island), Crescent Beach (the finest swimming beach), Block Island NWR (the northern tip of the island, excellent for fall birding), the Clay Head Trail (a dramatic trail along the northern clay bluffs with sweeping views), the island’s 365 ponds (best explored by bicycle), and the offshore fishing grounds define the Block Island experience. Everything is within cycling distance — no car needed.

Visit Block Island in early October for the finest combination of mild weather, the peak fall migration (the island fills with migrant warblers, sparrows and raptors after a northwest wind in mid-October — one of the great birding events in New England), and the absence of summer crowds. Rent a bicycle in Old Harbor and cycle the full perimeter of the island for the complete Block Island experience. Stand at the edge of the Mohegan Bluffs at sunset (stay safely back from the edge) for one of the finest coastal views in New England. Book the Block Island Ferry from Point Judith well in advance (the summer ferries sell out months ahead); the fall ferries have more availability. Bring binoculars in October.