We compiled a list of 8 of Rhode Island's best State Parks. Read through the list below to learn which activities and/or features each park is well known for and begin planning your next excursion!

Beavertail State Park, Jamestown

*Best for classic New England, stunning jagged rocky water views!

Highlights: Breathtaking vistas, salt-water fishing, hiking/walking, marine life viewing at the aquarium

At Beavertail State Park you'll breathe in saltwater air as you walk a 2.3 mile hiking trail with views of the Narragansett Bay; ocean water spraying against the jagged shoreline. This park is well known for having some of the most breathtaking views in New England. Available activities include walking, saltwater fishing, hiking, and of course sightseeing (there are some really beautiful rocks and cliffs, water views and lighthouses). The park has four overlooks, so in addition to being a great hiking/walking destination for sightseeing it's also very easily toured by vehicle.

The Rhode Island Park Naturalist program also runs the Beavertail Aquarium, which is located in what was once the foghorn house for Beavertail Lighthouse. The aquarium is set up to imitate the natural environment of Jamestown's shoreline, and the staff showcase samples of local marine life in the aquarium. They return the wildlife back to the ocean and take new samples every few weeks so there is always something new to see! The aquarium also hosts tidal pool explorations and special events.

Goddard Memorial State Park, East Greenwich

Highlights: Swimming/Sun-bathing at the Beach, Hiking, Picnicking, Golfing, Boating, Fishing, Horse-riding

Goddard Park is known as Rhode Island's most popular Metropolitan Park. Here you'll find spacious lawns, open fields, and forested areas with trees from all over the world: including 62 deciduous and 19 evergreen species. Visitors can play golf on the park's nine hole course and can take advantage of 18 miles of horse paths as well as an equestrian show area.

The park offers 355 picnic tables, 11 game fields, a beach, a boat launch, a fishing pier and a performing arts center for weddings, concerts, picnics and special events. There are also great hiking trails that will take you through beautiful wooded areas over looking the Bay at some points. Goddard Park has everything you could possibly want for the ultimate day trip!

Lincoln Woods State Park, Lincoln

Highlights: Fresh Water Swimming & Fishing, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Horseback Riding, Ball Fields, Picnicking, Nature Viewing

Lincoln Woods State Park is over 600 acres of multi-functional, recreational adventure! Visitors can enjoy swimming at the fresh water beach, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, fresh water fishing, playing baseball, soccer and other sports, and picnicking. I've quoted google reviewer Eric Harrison below, because when I read his review I couldn't think of a better or more well rounded way to describe Lincoln Woods:

"A true gem of a park. There is a clean (despite what you may hear) lake with a manmade sandy beach, a paved loop trail with lots of ups and downs for an easy low impact walk, virtually limitless trails for hiking or mountain biking, and a dedicated area of the park for horseback riding (with no bikes allowed). There is also a popular fishing area, hundreds if not thousands of glacial erratics (boulders) of varying shapes and sizes to explore and climb, dozens of reservable picnic sites ($5/day!), 2 baseball fields, a large soccer field and other various grassy general use areas. Since the woods haven't been disturbed in almost 200 years it's also one of the best places in the state to find extremely large oaks and pines. It's also easily accessible on RIPTA and has an obnoxious amount of on-site parking. I've been going to Lincoln Woods for almost 40 years and I'm still discovering new things to explore in the 600+ acres. Can be crowded on weekends and in general during nice weather, but the "old secret" part of the park between the northern edge of the paved loop and Breakneck Hill Rd is always sparsely populated and often feels post-apocalyptic (in the best way possible). TL;DR: Lincoln Woods has everything and more that a great State Park should."

-Eric Harrison, Google Review

Brenton Point State Park, Newport

*Best Sunset & Most Incredible Water View!

Highlights: Sight-seeing, Majestic Water Views, Sunset, Picnicking, Fishing, Walking Trails

Located on scenic Ocean Drive in Newport, Brenton Point State Park has some of the most beautiful views in New England. The park is located at the point where the Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, so you can imagine that it's hard to beat those water views. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this scenic place is to come on a stormy day and watch as giant ocean waves strike the rocky shore and spill out over Ocean Drive. It's a truly wild scene that you just can't view anywhere else in the area!

Brenton Point State Park itself has several beautiful gardens and walking trails, and about 20 picnic tables. Visitors of the park can picnic, hike, fish, walk the park's trails and gardens, or just sit and take in the incredible scenery. While your here, you can also take a bike ride (or better yet, a go-cart) down ocean drive, revealing in the crisp ocean breeze while you sight-see. This spot is one that will remind you just how small you are.

Burlingame State Park, Charlestown

Highlights: Huge Campgrounds, Freshwater Beach, Boat Launch, Fishing, Canoe Rentals, Hiking Trails

Burlingame State Park's campground is 3,100 acres of land surrounding Watchaug Pond. It's a very spacious campground with over 700 campsites, 20 cabins, 50 fire pits, restrooms with shower facilities, drinking water, a playground, an arcade, a freshwater swimming beach, a nearby DEM boat launch for boating and fishing, canoe rentals and hiking trails. The ocean is also nearby so there are saltwater beaches in the area to switch it up! A gem of a park for those who truly love spending time in the great outdoors.

Colt State Park, Bristol

*Best for picnicking and barbecuing with a view, and bike riding!

Highlights: Barbecue and Picnicking, Biking, Walking/Jogging, Scenic Water Views, Open Fields

Colt State Park is a beautiful 464 acre park on the water in picturesque Bristol! The park has 400+ picnic tables, and barbecue areas scattered throughout. There are four miles of bike trails, ten large playfields and six picnic groves. There's also always a Del's Lemonade stand hanging around on warm summer days!

Some areas of the park can get more crowded than others, especially on the weekends. You can certainly spend a day hanging out surrounded by other picnickers, sitting on the grass overlooking the water - but you are also sure to be able to find a more secluded spot somewhere amongst the 464 acre grounds where you can roll out a blanket and enjoy a quiet picnic on a grassy knoll between trees, listening to the sound of leaves falling and the ocean breeze blowing. Colt State Park is just a perfect, laid back Rhode Island scene!

Fort Wetherill State Park, Jamestown

*One of the only places for snorkeling/diving in the North East!

Highlights: Picturesque Water Views, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing, Hiking, Boating, Picnicking, Historical Fort

Fort Wetherill State Park is a former coastal defense battery and training camp situated on 61.5 acres of land. Situated between the park and Newport Harbor/Narragansett Bay are 100 foot high cliffs that make for a magnificent sight and make the park a great place to view the Tall Ship Events and America's Cup Races. Fort Wetherill is also one of the only places in the area suitable for scuba diving. On days when the water is clear enough, you can see a variety of beautiful underwater sights! Diving Clubs from New York State, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island scuba dive here year round.

The park also offers picnicking, boating, fishing, and hiking. There is an old abandoned fort, now covered in graffiti, but laden with American history (no signs explaining the history, but for those who are interested you can find information online and then discover the site for yourself while visiting the park). Underground tunnels connect through the entire fort - they are perfect for exploring. Google reviewers also say that there are some great spots for cliff diving (at your own risk - we do not recommend that unexperienced people attempt to cliff dive) and quiet, incredible views.

There are a number of other great state parks...

but we wanted to limit the features to our top 8. However, I wanted to shout out 3 more great places to explore and enjoy the outdoors quickly here at the end:

1. If you're interested in going to a great dog park, bike riding (the East Bay Bike Path connects through), shopping local at the farmer's market, fishing, boating, swimming in the bay, walking and/or grilling, head over to Haine's State Park in Barrington!

2. If you're looking for fishing, salt water swimming, boating, picnicking and checking out local events with a beautiful water view, head to Newport's Ford Adam's State Park. Fort Adam's is where the Newport Folk Festival, Jazz Festival, summer concerts, food truck events and more happen every summer!

3. If undeveloped property with walking trails, secluded areas with beautiful natural landscaping and places to admire foliage are more your scene, then Johnston's Snake Den State Park is perfect for you (pictured below between our photos)! Snake Den has 1,000 acres of undeveloped land with plenty of trails to enjoy along with a community garden, beautiful trees, flowers, plants, a working farm, and Wicked Tulips farm is also located here.

As always, if you have any questions about other things to do, places to visit, restaurants and bars to eat and drink at and, of course, real estate in Rhode Island - don't hesitate to reach out to us! Email inquiries@thehajdarajgroup.com with any and all questions or call Albert at 508-851-5888.

The Best State Parks in Rhode Island