Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast A guide to parks, wildlife refuges, beaches, fishing sites, boat ramps, pathways, and views along the Rhode Island coast 1 Block Island Additional copies of this publication are available from the Rhode Island Sea Grant Communications Office, University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197. Order P1696. Loan copies of this publication are available from the National Sea Grant Library, Pell Library Building, University of Rhode Island Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197. Order RIU-H-04-001. This publication is sponsored by R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, by Rhode Island Sea Grant under NOAA Grant No. NA 16RG1057, and by the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CRMC, CRC, or NOAA or any of its sub-agencies. The U.S. Government is authorized to produce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. Sustainable Coastal Communities Report #4404 This document should be referenced as: Allard Cox, M. (ed.). 2004. Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast. Rhode Island Sea Grant. Narragansett, R.I. 84pp. Designer: Wendy Andrews-Bolster, Puffin Enterprises Printed on recycled paper Rhode Island ISBN #0-938412-45-0 Please Note Of all the hundreds of potential public coastal access sites to the shoreline, including street ends and rights-of-way, this guide represents a selection of sites that are both legally available and suitable for use by the public. This guide is not a legal document; it is simply intended to help the public find existing access sites to the coast. As of winter 2003–04, all descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge. Each site was visited and descriptions verified to the best of our ability. However, inaccuracies may still exist in the text, since conditions are constantly changing and more sites are being adopted and managed for public use. Please send comments to: Monica Allard Cox, Rhode Island Sea Grant, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882. 2 Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast Written by Rhode Island Sea Grant Coastal Resources Center University of Rhode Island 1 Acknowledgements This second edition of Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast is updated from Lee, V. and P. Pogue. 1993. Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast. Rhode Island Sea Grant, Narragansett, R.I. 75pp. I would like to thank Adam Zitello who, as a University of Rhode Island (URI) Coastal Fellow, visited the sites and photographed and catalogued them. His work was instrumental in capturing the breadth of informa- tion included in this guide. I would also like to thank Kevin Cute, Marine Resources Specialist, R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, who, with tireless advocacy for public access to the coast, has helped to make this guide as inclusive and accurate as possible. Special thanks goes to Wendy Andrews-Bolster for her many hours of painstaking work in designing this guide to be both beautiful and usable. I also gratefully acknowledge the efforts of the following people in providing content and/or reviewing site listings and maps for accuracy. • Tom Ardito, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program • Kim Botelho, R.I. Department of Environmental Management • Theresa Burke • David Byrnes, R.I. Saltwater Anglers Association • Carl G. Carvell, Weekapaug Fire District • Michael Cassidy, Pawtucket Department of Planning and Redevelopment • Marilyn Cohen, North Kingstown Department of Planning • Betsy de Leiris, Norman Bird Sanctuary • James W. Farley, The Mount Hope Trust • Charlie Festa, University of Rhode Island • Lynn Furney, City of Cranston • Arthur Ganz, R.I. Department of Environmental Management • Dan Geagan, City of Warwick • Robert Gilstein, Town of Portsmouth • Geoff Grout, R.I. Economic Development Corporation • William Haase, Town of Westerly • Charlotte Johnson, Rose Island Lighthouse • Richard Kerbel, North Kingstown Harbor Management Commission • Bob Kilmarx, Barrington Conservation Land Trust • Mil Kinsella-Sullivan, Common Fence Point Improvement Association • Karen LaChance, R.I. Economic Development Corporation • Eugenia Marks, Audubon Society of Rhode Island • Steve Medeiros, R.I. Saltwater Anglers Association • Don Minto, Watson Farm • Bob Moeller, R.I. Saltwater Anglers Association • Larry Mouradjian, R.I. Division of Parks and Recreation • Bill Mulholland, Pawtucket Parks and Recreation Department North Light, Block Island • Lisa Nolan, Southeast Lighthouse Foundation • Andrew Nota, Narragansett Parks and Recreation Department • John O’Brien, R.I. Department of Environmental Management Division of Fish and Wildlife • Becky Pellerin, Town of North Kingstown • Michael Rubin, Rhode Island Special Assistant to the Attorney General • Bob Rutkiewicz, Warren Conservation Commission • Lee Schisler, Audubon Society of Rhode Island • Frances Segerson, R.I. Department of Transportation • Raymond Sousa, Town of Barrington • Lori Urso, Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association • Lee Whitaker, Town of East Greenwich • Tim Wolken, Town of South Kingstown • Sandra Wyatt, Barrington Conservation Land Trust And thanks to Rhode Island Sea Grant staff for their assistance in preparation of this guide. Maps were adapted from base maps provided for the first edition by the URI Environmental Data Center. —Monica Allard Cox, Editor Rhode Island Sea Grant Communications 2 Table of Contents Coastlines Introduction ......................................................................... 4 Public Access: A Tradition of Value ................................ 5 How to Use This Guide ...................................................... 6 Fall Fishing in South County .............................................. 8 Saltwater Sportfishing Coastal Birding in Rhode Island ....................................... 10 Laws and Licensing....................................................... 7 The Wood and Pawcatuck Rivers ................................... 15 Safety Tips ........................................................................... 7 Narragansett Bay ............................................................... 20 Ninigret Pond ...................................................................... 21 Public Access Locations ................................................... 9 Surfing in Rhode Island ..................................................... 25 Block Island ......................................................................... 11 Designing Providence’s Riverfront Revival .................... 44 Westerly ............................................................................... 15 A Century of Change: Charlestown ........................................................................ 19 Providence Harbor Shorelines .................................... 45 South Kingstown................................................................. 19 Bringing Back the Blackstone ......................................... 46 Continues on page 26 Salt Marsh ........................................................................... 52 Narragansett ....................................................................... 19 Osprey .................................................................................. 58 Jamestown .......................................................................... 31 The Quahog ......................................................................... 64 North Kingstown ................................................................. 31 Narragansett Bay National Continues on page 38 Estuarine Research Reserve ....................................... 65 East Greenwich................................................................... 37 American Holly.................................................................... 74 Warwick ............................................................................... 37 Piping Plover ....................................................................... 74 Cranston ............................................................................... 43 CRMC’s Public Right-of-Way Process ............................ 80 Providence........................................................................... 43 Pawtucket ............................................................................ 43 East Providence .................................................................. 43 Barrington ............................................................................ 53 Warren ................................................................................. 53 Bristol ................................................................................... 59 Portsmouth .......................................................................... 65 Continues on page 70 Tiverton................................................................................. 65 Continues on page 70 Little Compton ..................................................................... 69 Middletown.......................................................................... 69 Block Island Newport ............................................................................... 75 CRMC Rights-of-Way ......................................................... 82 Index ..................................................................................... 83 3 Introduction Rhode Island is richly endowed with