We are here in Beautiful Goddard State Park for a week early Father's Day celebration with our five boys! This park is a vast well maintained full service state park in the smallest state in the union, Rhode Island! For a small fee, we rented a gorgeous little private shaded spot with two picnic benched and real bathroom facilities. We brought out food and a small grill to cookout. They did come check our permit, which you need to reserve to grill. Dell's lemonade truck is often present, so we treated ourselves to the famous Dell's frozen lemonade-yay! We were there a good 5 or 6 hours and it was a perfectly lovely and enjoyable day for our family to relax and enjoy our rare time to reconnect in person. What an invaluable experience. I can't stress enough having uninterrupted time with those you love. Cell service is non existent, so take this time to disconnect off the grid and just live and love. This place is a true simple gift-a Beautiful way to reconnect and just feed the soul. Take my advice, do it now, while you can. Make a happy plan before life makes other plans! Thanks for following me, Happy summer 2026! ~Tami from Miami read more

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Beautiful, large park with many different sections. A great boardwalk by the narrow beach. A wonderful place to take dogs, lots of benches to take rests, and an ample parking lot whose potholes were recently fixed, yay! Sometimes it's hard to find out what part of the park you're meant to meet someone in since there are so many sections. You can walk along the long beach or try a woodsy hiking trail. The trails on the right of the beach have either steps or a gradual slope to get up to the top of them, and you can look down over a small cliff to see the water below. The trails on the left of the gazebo are beautiful and give you many options, but people ride horses here, so be mindful of the droppings! This park has fantastic sunsets and multiple picnic areas, plus multi Porta potties that are usually in decent condition to use if needed. The bridge is great to look at, but can get crowded with families doing holiday photo shoots in the fall, so I've become wary of coming here since being stuck on one side of the bridge while a family made us wait to cross until they were done with pictures (ugh). I've come here for walks/hikes and even to wade at multiple times of year and always enjoy a beautiful day and peaceful experience here. read more

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What a great state park. Great trails to take your dogs on. Horseback riding is so fun. They have such a big area you can do picnics you can just do a nice walk. There is a small beach not to be like oh my God this is amazing, but it's still a great place to spend the day. read more

I came here for a picnic event and it was nice. The picnic area was a bit hard to find but there are plenty of signs around the park to guide you around.... I just kept going towards where the road took me and I found my group very well set up in Field I, steps from the restrooms. The park has many campsites, picnic areas, grills, waterfront spaces as well as wooded and trails. A nice green spot in East Greenwich. read more

One of my favorite parks in RI. I actually learned how to swim at the beach there. The land is picturesque and vast on 489.2 acres. There are forests, golf course, fields, 18 miles of equestrian/walking trails, picnic tables, and an arts center. The park is open all year from sunrise to sunset. Parking at the beach area is decent but can be full during the summer. I liked to go around 5 pm in the summer since it's not too busy at that time. The beach was clean but the water has a bit of seaweed; it overlooks the Narragansett Bay. I've walked the trails in the woods and it's peaceful. I've snowshoed in the winter and that was also beautiful. It's a great place to have a picnic and chill. Definitely another RI gem. read more

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Nice park to walk around in. There's the small beach area and actual trails. Plenty of picnic spot areas for large parties and group and plenty of parking. Only thing to watch out for is the trails have a TON of horse poop. Not sure if it's meant for pedestrians because the amount of poop that we have to try to not step in was like every second. Very hard to do when you're trying to take in the scenery and beauty of the park. Otherwise, great picnic areas and scenery on a beautiful day! read more

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They need to set some rules on how close boats can park to the beach. People swim and kayak here. People are consistently dropping anchor within 15 feet of the beach blasting their music. You also aren't supposed to cook on the beach but no one enforces that rule either so they leave their junk all over the beach read more

This vast expanse of park is a joy for people who love to stroll along the beach path and watch the marina with its wealth of bird life. A native spotted us with our big camera and assumed that we were bird watchers. He pointed out a hawk perched on the mast of a nearby boat. Later we spotted a group of cormorants. The western end of the park was two minutes from our lodging, and a joy to behold. The magnificent sunset brought out a group of nature lovers, including us. On a later trip, we took advantage of a farmer's market near the entrance. The good vibes here seemed to infect every other visitor we met. We hope to return to East Greenwich and pick up where we left off with this excellent park. read more

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What a nice little get away in your own back yard. This is a large park with lots of area for picnicking, walking, or hanging out on the beach. On our most recent visit many people were wearing face masks if they were near other's. There were a good number however who were without masks, sitting on benches overlooking the ocean, or walking on the paths and beach. Just bring your mask and plan to keep your distance. We normally start with a walk along the beach and then move onto the wooded paths. This past week there are two large trees that have fallen from the woods into the ocean, creating an obstacle on the beach. Looks like someone cut away a few of the branches so you can walk 'under' the tree at the water line. The paths in the wooded areas are cool and normally quiet. There used to be swans but I did not see them this time. It can be 'buggy' in there too, so if you tend to be bothered by flying things plan to bring your repellent. On cooler days, a walk in the open fields under the sun is nice. There is lots of open space for letting the fur babies and kids tire themselves out. Just be sure to pick up after the fur baby if they heed the call of nature. If you want to have a get together in the park, pavilions are available for rent. We attended a party here some years ago and rented two spots. Unfortunately, the particular one's our host had reserved were already taken when she arrived and the occupants didn't care that she had paid in advance for those spots. Just be aware you should either plan to come early, or you may need to call in NPS enforcement. I've never used the concessions, but did use the restrooms once and they were pretty much what you would expect from a Nat'l park. Basic. There is one area of the beach for swimming only and a life guard is on duty in the summer. Other areas of the beach may have boats anchored in the water. read more

We visited here back in august of 2023. The beach was empty when we arrived.There was 2 other people on bach around 9:30 am. the beach itself was fairly clean but the rocks and pebbles that you had to cross to get in water were torture.. No waves to speak of as this is on inland side of RI. The only highlight was a man who was metal detecting and showed us a gold ring he had found while we were there.Also the beach house was closed so you couldn't use the facilities there. The only had a few portable toilets which were gross! Wish i could have given them a better review..and one other thing no lifeguard on duty. read more

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This is a beautiful park! There are great walking trails and plenty of picnic sites throughout the park.

Beautiful beach on the coast of Warwick. Very small beach that is easily overlooked. There are only about 10 parking spots in the area I went. No life guards were present since the water is shallow. I went out about 100 yards and the water was still up to my stomach. If you're trying to warm your kids up to the water. This place is perfect since the water wouldn't be as "scary". Hardly anybody was here when I went during the week. The amount of space from the sand to the water is not that spacious either. Still a wonderful free beach. read more

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I've been to this park on several occasions and I do find it a little bit confusing. I think I need to go more often to find out exactly how much and what is here. Certainly more than I know of. We went out to visit the boat ramp and it was lovely. We watched the boats come in and out and it was just a nice time. Mike stick his feet in the water because he is brave but I didn't. Nice boat ramp and pretty section of the park. read more

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Nice little beach, very clean, plenty of parking, not crowded. Water is clean but not transparent. Too shallow :-(

Awesome walk along the water front of Greenwich bay. Their is a horse/walking trail if you want to stay a little inside of the waters edge. Tons of picnic areas that locals were using for parties. read more

Great place to come take a walk and relax. Love the trail that is parallel with the beach. Bathrooms are clean. Many people hold parties here. Carousel and pony rides($5) are available. read more

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This park is stunning and very relaxing. We have been twice this summer to hike the trail by the beach. It's a wide, relatively flat trail and seems to be well taken care of. Dogs are allowed so we brought ours along. (Dogs must be leashed.) People ride horses on the trails, so you may come across a pile of horse poop here and there, but it's not terrible. The trail by the water's edge narrows in a few places when the tide is in yet is still passable, but when the tide is out there's a jetty of rocks that one can walk out on. The beach area of the park seemed clean and there were lifeguards during the daytime hours. The swim area is cordoned off with buoys. There are bathrooms inside a building by the water, but we did not venture in so we don't know the condition. The park also has a golf course and we saw signs for horse riding, too. There is something for everyone here. read more

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A great place all year long. Goddard Park is a wonderful place to go in the summer months. Swimming, fishing, yaking, golfing, hiking, biking, skating, horse back riding, picnicking or just doing nothing. Few places have such a wide variety of activities available. But for some reason most people seem to abandon the park after Labor Day. The hordes and noise that were so obvious in the summer seem to mysteriously dissipate and leave the park as if someone turned off a light switch. Wham, no more noise or crowds. This of course gives the park a whole different feel. Quiescence and solitude. Introspection and reflection. The same place but with a different temperament. Even better for hiking, biking or walking because of the cooler temps and lack of aggressive insect life lusting for my blood. When the cold winds of winter start to howl and the snow arrives the park becomes a nice place to snow shoe or cross country ski. Always something fun to do here. read more

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Great, clean park! I love that it's huge and there's a ton of trails. I love walking my dog around the park. I also love the picnic tables, there's a ton of them scattered throughout the park. The beach is also very nice and clean. My only complaint is that I wish there were more trash cans around the park! There are barely any trash cans near the picnic tables. read more

Goddard Park is less than desirable for a beach location. The park is okay, but Colt State Park and Brenton Point State Park (among others I'm sure) offer a greater "ocean view" for the amount of park. As far as the beach is concerned, it's dirty. The sand is gross and filled with crap, and the swimming area is only a small sectioned off area. I saw a bridal party taking photographs here and can't imagine ever choosing this location myself. It may be more convenient to get to than Bristol, Newport, or Narragansett, but it's not nearly as nice as the others. read more

Beautiful and vast park. This is a Big Place. It has an Ocean View Beach, a Changing Area & Bathrooms, Concession Stands, A Wooded BBQ /Picnic Area near the waters edge. Round 7 & 8 of the Vittoria North East Cyclocross series were held in the park. It's the last big cyclocross weekend in the Northeast, and the end of the year for many of the mid-Atlantic and NECX racers. You ask how is the course? The NBX CX GP is a roots-and-sand course. About 90% of the course is composed of those two elements--often juxtaposed--and it makes for a completely unique CX experience. It also means the potential for mechanicals and bike swaps. read more

Goddard Memorial State Park - NBX CX GP - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Beautiful park with nice trails for exploration. Great place to take pictures. However, I'm not a big fan of the (rocky) beach. read more

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Nice spot, atleast during pre season. They have a nice park, hiking trail and a small beach area that I'm told gets packed in the summer. Lovely view of the bay if you dont mind the places taking off from TF green. Otherwise good place to people watch and enjoy a nice spring/summer day. read more

One of the jewels of Rhode Island. A beach, walking trails, areas for golf, football, BBQ, any outdoor fun really. You could easily spend an entire summer's day here just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. read more

I've come here many a time for dog walks, horseback riding, trail running, and surreptitious high school drinking. I lived very close by in my childhood and the parental units' dogs prefer a horse trail over asphalt roads for their daily walks. The trails have loose sand and can be filled with horse poop (which the dogs seem to love, I don't get it). Wear poop resistant footwear. Wintertime is awesome here. A Christmas afternoon dog walk with my parents and the dogs is tradition. They do close off the middle section of the park, but you can still park at the beach or boat ramp. I've never been on a horse and for $30 dollars for an hour of riding, I said what the hay. I went with my sister and my mother, both of whom have never been on a horse. I think I was more scared than my mom. Still, it was quite an enjoyable experience. The staff at C&L Stables is friendly and informative. The same trails are great for trail running. Mud running has nothing on poop running. It's summer vacation. You are a high school senior next year. There's nothing good on TV. What do you do? Grab a friend and some booze, and walk over to the park to sit on the rocks. Yea, you're cool. I have learned to skip coming here on major cookout holidays (e.g. Memorial, Labor, 4th). There are flocks of people (yes, flocks) that descend on the park to have 100 person cookouts. It seems like every car has a soundsystem and tries to outdo their neighbors. Stay out of the trails those days too. On two separate occasions, I unwillingly had to walk past some very active teenage hormones. I don't know if it would draw people from across state. The beach is poor and there isn't anything overly unique about it. But as a local, I love this place. Great place to visit if you are in the area. Bring a frisbee. read more

I've started taking my dogs to this park since it's been getting warmer out. They really enjoy exploring all the trails, so I am a pretty big fan of this place. The beach is pretty nice, and there are a ton of trails to wander around on. I guess my only beef is the trails can get pretty covered with horse manure. Now, I'm pretty manic about picking up after my dogs, and I understand that it's a law or regulation or something (personally, I think people who don't pick up after their dogs are irresponsible owners and should have their dogs taken away from them and given to people who take the responsibility of ownership seriously - sorry, this is a REAL BIG PEEVE of mine). Anyway, I know they are called "horse trails", but shouldn't there be something similar for horse crap? Really not a fan of having to tip-toe through the "tulips" in some places there. Other than that, though, I think this is a great place to enjoy some nice weather. read more

Girlie and I were looking for a quick place to hit the beach and tried out Goddard. I was really pleased to find an acceptable bay beach, small swimming area and lovely grounds for strolling. Horseback riding is available and there is more space than I have seen in other RI parks. It's free with small fees for renting table and space. Great for large gatherings, Frisbee, boccie I'm not sure about drinking. read more

We were staying on the other side of the bay with no water access and found this beach. We really like it!

Absolutely stunning. I'm from Pennsylvania, and I usually go to the local beaches, but I have to say, this is the best beach trip I've ever been on. Free parking, beautiful little beach, with a view of sailboats and forest and a big beautiful bathhouse to wash up in for free!! Picnic tables and grills.... I could go on and on. I love being able to sit in the shade under a tree and look at sailboats on the water. My boys had an absolute blast collecting crabs and playing in an area that really wasn't overcrowded at all. I won't even describe what going to the Jersey shore today would be like!! Okay, I will. Overpriced parking that's really far away, hot beaches with no shade, cheesy boardwalk with the bathroom half a mile away.... Looks like I will be making the long drive more often!!!!! read more

Goddard Memorial State Park - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

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Goddard Park reminds me of places I used to go as a kid with my family. It is a beautiful, well-kept, sprawling park with plenty of options in terms of location and activity. Let's go down the list, shall we? Nine-hole golf course Beach with swimming area, lifeguards and facilities Carousel house performing arts/function pavilion Picnic areas Camping sites Boat launch ramp Pony rides ($5) Horseback riding Gazebos/pavilions for rent Numerous trails and paved roads for walking, running, biking, skating... whatever your fancy This is a free-entry, carry-in-carry-out state-run facility. It is conveniently located about 10 minutes off of either Rt. 95 or Rt. 4, and I love it because it is so close to Brewer Greenwich Bay Marina, so we can visit the park, go out on the boat, anchor off the coast of the park and swim back and forth. There is plenty of shade from either trees or pavilions, and bathrooms are well-spaced throughout the park. The only reason I'm not giving Goddard Park five stars is because the bathrooms were disgusting with trash and debris scattered about. In a park where the grounds crew is busy working even on a Sunday, I would expect better maintained restrooms. The park is open daily sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs are allowed, alcohol is not (monitored). read more

I've been here before off season, but this was my first time during the summer months - during a weekend, no less - and wow is it a different experience. This park is definitely used to its full potential, which I'm really happy to see. There were families throughout the park cooking out, a wedding happening in the carousel building, and people strewn about the beach. Everyone looked to be having a great time - including myself. It's a big enough park that there can be crowds of people but it's still possible to find your own space. Goddard park offers a lifeguarded beach - but they also don't seem to mind if you swim outside of the designated area (or build a bonfire on the beach - a little weirded out by that one) and hiking and riding trails (watch out for horse poop). I haven't and was not really all that tempted to go swimming here, but if you don't want to drive all the way to the beaches and you want to cool off, I can see it as an option. I was pleasantly surprised by the food served at the snack stand, though I do have to say it took a long time for it to come out and the ketchup was not so good. The best part about the whole thing is that it's free. read more

Goddard is big, spread out and offers plenty if you're feeling active (trails, horseback riding, swimming), and also lots of space to spread a blanket and take that well-deserved siesta. Trees everywhere. I love to swim and I have to say, Goddard is just not my spot. Small beach, smaller swimming area (frequently closed due to bacteria) and no great views. But for a picnic and to get out for some fresh air? Definitely! read more

Best park in the area by a long shot! I grew up going to Goddard Park and rediscovered it as an adult. It's a special place in the West Bay Area that has something for everyone. Pros: -awesome trails that weave all over the park...never crowded and perfect for running, walking, dog adventures, and more -beach that offers views of the bay, boating action in the bay, and great sunsets. Lifeguards there in summer months and there's a small area roped in. Not usually too crowded and saves you from the drive down to Narragansett or Newport. There's also plenty of benches lining the beach area you can use to enjoy the view -bathrooms open (seems to be seasonally mostly) at a few locations around the park -tons of picnic area/spaces/grills which are great for birthday parties, family gatherings, and other get togethers -free free free! No entry, parking, beach, or bathroom fees -gazebo carousel can be rented for parties (graduation parties and birthday parties seem to be the most popular) at reasonable rates with pretty awesome views of the bay and nature all around -there's space for every sort of outdoor adventure...cross country teams practice and race here, you'll usually find a soccer or volleyball practice or pick up game, a group of friends playing whiffle ball or frisbee, and more. Triathlon groups often practice here due to the ease of doing all three sports at one site -farmers market on Fridays during the summer! So many great produce and local items for sale -golf course on site (public) -horseback riding available (you'll often see horses on the trails) -popular spot for engagement or family photos due to ability to get both nature background and beach background in your pictures! Cons: -sometimes the beach water isn't swimmable due to bacteria -so much horse poop on some of the trails...keep an eye out! -some summer weekends there are a few groups who can get a little loud with their music...luckily this park is so large you can find a spot far enough away from them to enjoy the beauty of it all read more

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I planned a picnic at Goddard Park early this fall for a group of old college friends to get together. It was a perfect location for the group of 15 or so of us to gather some beach chairs and a couple folding tables and just hang out by the bay. The sun was glistening perfectly over the water as sail boats drifted by. There are little gazebo coverings for people to set up their picnics. It is free to the public year-round. The bathroom facilities are convenient and clean. The area makes for interesting people watching, as well. There are benches and little areas along the beach to nestle in and enjoy a good book on a random afternoon. I also find it a convenient location to meet friends and go for a walk around the grassy park and picnic areas. The park roads become busy on the weekends, so recommend walks limited to weekdays. read more

What more can be said about this beautiful expanse of land. Dog & horse friendly hiking trails make for a wonderful day exploring nature with the whole family. The beach is dog friendly in the off season too! Be careful where you step because of the horses though. Also, every Friday from May-October they have a lovely farmers market. Produce, plants, meats, jams, jellies, soap, essential oils, honey, pet treats & many more high quality local agriculturalists make for a wonderful Friday morning tradition! read more

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Love Goddard Park for many different reasons! Lovely selection of places to sit, picnic, etc. Sometimes filled with many different activities and parties so maybe hard to find space, but love Goddard park! read more

Love this quiet and uncrowded beach. We were there every day during labor day weekend and it was a pleasure not to have to fight crowds or pay for parking. I'm so glad I read the YELP recommendations and went there. I might have never found this gem otherwise! read more

Goddard Memorial State Park - Lovely and quiet! - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I went to a cookout here last weekend and I love this park! It's huge and kind of confusing as to where to turn in but once we found the spot we were supposed to be in we had a really good time! The public bathroom they have is an actual bathroom and not a gross outhouse, and it was clean which was an added bonus. I want to look into have a Labor Day cookout here this year read more

Always great fun for the family. The beach front, while small, provides for a nice intimate area and the water is calm so the kids can enjoy. The only down side is that the walking area can get cluttered with debris. I am not sure if it is washing ashore or it is fellow beach goers that do not know how to clean up after themselves. Great places to let the kids and dogs run and picnic. read more

I used to run here every year in high school for the Brown Invitational... and now I live 15 minutes away from it! One of the best perks of living in PVD. Goddard has a great mix of everything: golf, stables, trails, beach, and picnicking. You can easily spend an afternoon here. The park is well-maintained and offers plenty of parking. Most days there are no entrance fees or parking fees. Definitely a place to check out. read more