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List of Rhode Island state parks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

State parks

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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 14 acres 5.7 ha 1977
City-managed park; site of annual fall festival

State beaches

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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

Other Division of Parks and Recreation lands

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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 Image Remarks
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

References

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Note: All data come from the respective state park's webpage unless otherwise noted.

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