The Secret Beach…read more That's what we call it. My mother grew up going to South Shore beach. Her aunt had a beach house that was washed away many years ago by a hurricane. Now, its a camp site. I would LOVE to camp here! It's a beach thats nestled away. Off the beaten path. This beach attracts people who want a peaceful beach experience. At night, it's a beach that allows fires in the sand. People are basically tail gaiting at the beach. It's not over populated but space in between each vehicle for people to not be bothered by other groups, and people aren't rowdy. They are just enjoying a night at the beach. Tips: - You have to make it through rocks at the parking to get down to the water - There is a little brewery airstream in the parking lot (hours unknown) - Public bathrooms (open even after lifeguards leave) - Strict rules about parking on premises at night but there is a very small lot down the street

Amazing! We went over today after looking for a beach, and it was awesome. It's a little rocky, but…read morethe kids loved it. There was no life guard though, which was weird.

Beautiful, powdery-soft sand beach! The pavilion has a Salty's snack bar to give you snack options…read moreif you're going to spend a while at the beach (although be warned, the seagulls here are MEAN and you should not attempt to eat on this beach, they WILL attack you - I once had a seagull claw me in the head and steal a veggie burger right out of my hand. I wish I was kidding. Don't try it, leave your snacks in the car or eat right by the snack stand or they WILL go through your bag when you walk away to get any food!) The bathrooms / changing rooms and facilities are open until 6 - I desperately wish it was later because I love to watch the stunning sunsets here, which often happen much later than 6. Admission pricing went up for summer 2026 - this has always been a little bit of a pricier beach ($40 for weekends/holidays or $30 weekdays this year). Load up the car with the whole family or lots of friends to get the most bang for your buck! The parking lot is massive with multiple beach entrances, and porta potties throughout the parking lot at each entrance, next to a foot and body shower (porta potties often run out of toilet paper on a busy weekend day though, so come prepared with some spare napkins from the car to be safe if you're here after facilities close). The waves here differ from day to day - sometimes they are massive, other days it's very calm and you can have a relaxing swim, but most days they're enough to have a fun body surfing session, although they tend to break a little on the shallow side. The only reasons I'm taking stars off are for the useless recent renovation, and for the occasional red tide that shows up. I feel bad for people who pay the full admission fee, only to have tons of stinky red seaweed all throughout the water. I really wish they posted a seaweed status on their website or told you if it was bad at the entrance so you could leave before paying if you want, because sometimes it's really so thick and sharp and unpleasant in the water that it feels disgusting to swim. It really depends on the day though, and it's hard to predict. My other gripe with this otherwise incredible place is the expansion of the pavilion area that's new for summer 2026. They made the snack bar eating area larger, which wasn't really necessary since there are plenty of picnic tables just steps away and they're never really all full, and they took away the foot showers!! What kind of beach doesn't have foot showers at the main pavilion!? Even if you just want a quick walk on the beach after work and don't want to get sand in your car, the foot showers were a great and practical asset, but now the pavilion only has body showers. It's very hard to use those for just your feet without getting the rest of you wet. Since there is now more surface area than ever around the pavilion to put foot showers, I'm not sure why these were left out and reallllly hope they add them again soon - everyone looks for them when they head to the parking lot and they're very needed. The new walking path entrance is also very narrow, and if you get slow walkers or kids dawdling in front of you, there's no way to walk around them and you are stuck. Seems like these updates were not really thought through or mapped out properly. With some minor improvements this place really would be Heaven on Earth though!

What a beautiful beach. Way better than Easton's Beach which was super underwhelming…read more The biggest downside is the parking. We paid $30 cash for a weekday day pass as non-residents (July 2026). What a racket! There aren't any other parking options nearby either so just consider it the price of admission. To make it even more ridiculous, I believe they only accept cash or check, adding another layer of unnecessary silliness to the whole thing. Once you're on the beach though, it's absolutely gorgeous. The sand is soft, the water is clean and clear, and there are lifeguards on duty. It gets really busy with families but there's plenty of space to spread out if you come earlier in the day. The amenities are solid too. There are bathrooms, showers, changing areas, a concession stand, and when we visited there was also a Del's Lemonade food trailer. We came during a heat wave and the water was still cold so that tells you everything about the water temp. Overall, this was easily our favorite beach in the Newport area. If I had to choose between this and Easton's Beach, it's not even close. We'd come back here every time. Minus 1 star (should be 2) as the parking experience meaningfully detracted from the visit.

Love this beach!! It's so close to our beach home we can ride our bikes or walk. The bathroom are…read morevery clean and kept up everyone is so friendly and the water is warm and fun to swim we always stay 4 to 5 hours. Still can't get enough

Free parking with fun waves. This may be my teens favorite beach on the island. The waves are large…read more(for New England) and the sand is great. There are lifeguards at chairs 1 and also the main part of the beach which is around chair 7. It can get busy but we were able to find a spot to lay all our stuff out. Waves are strong and crash near shore. It's hard to use a boogie board due to this. My family enjoyed playing in the waves without a board.

Stopped on ocean drive. It was a nice day and nice views of the area. Not sure if the water was…read morecold but the sand was nice.

Great little beach that's perfect for swimming and grabbing a light snack at the beach stand!…read moreStopped by on a weekday, $30 per car and then you have access to the beach and concession stand. There's also a place to change, an outdoor shower to rinse off and two bathrooms. Can't wait to go back

I have been going to this beach for years and enjoyed it because its a nice quaint peaceful beach…read moreto sit by the water. You use to be able to purchase an annual pass but then they did away with it and it was only available for Portsmouth residents. Which I feel any RI resident should be available to purchase a pass. They had coupon books available to purchase for $50 for 4 passes and now they have done away with that also. I went to the beach yesterday to find out that it now cost $25 per day for parking. That is ridiculous a lot for parking when there are no amenities available besides a bathroom and they allow people to fish and leave their garbage and fishing line and hooks everywhere. I'm so disappointed!

So it was extremely rocky. Thought the name " sandy point" kind of meant it would be sandy tip, not…read moreso much. Also website said snack areas were available; there were none. I was pleased there was a restroom which doesn't set bar high. Water was dark and not nice at all disappointed.

This came up as a trail for me when I was searching, and it is, but as the name indicates is more…read moreof a fishing point than a trail. The trail runs right along the water, offering multiple side paths that take you directly to the shore. Some great views, and although the terrain isn't hilly, it's not straight and has just enough incline to make it challenging without it actually being challenging, if that makes sense.

It's a beautiful spot along the West Bay in Southern R.I., great walking paths and beautiful views…read moreof the bay. Keep in mind the parking lot is very limited in # of spaces and although the walking paths are wide and generally well kept, it's not a great situation for those with mobility issues. Keep in mind it's not a good beach/swimming venue, but more explore the rocks and tide pools. Seems very popular with fisherman.

I love coming in the fall it's so quiet and peaceful here …read more It's a nice long walk around the island. Wish the observation towers would be repaired. We saw deer running around. Many places on the island and nearby to take amazing pictures.

Gooseberry Island is a wonderful outdoor location full of history and the splendors of nature in…read morecoastal New England. I have been here twice; once for the beach and a second time for island hiking. The island is accessible by a man-made causeway connecting the mainland and the island over a sandbar that was used back in the day to originally gain entrance to this small piece of land. The island has a small beach with softer sand perfect for lounging around, catching some rays. The water is free from much seaweed and is great for small children as there are not many waves that come crashing into shore in this section adjacent to the parking lot. The lot fills up quickly in the summer months and it is recommended to get there early if you don't want to fight long and hard for a space to pull into. The rest of the shore is quite rocky but makes for some great shell and interesting rock finds. The remainder of the island is covered with thick, thorny brush. There is a main path that allows for hiking throughout the island. Of priority interest on the island is its history as a coastal defense installation; still seen today are a pair of WWII towers used for large artillery. Apparently there are other underground bunkers as well but they are mostly hidden by brush these days. Unfortunately, these structures are now covered in graffiti. It is very interesting to discover the history of this island's recent past. The island is open sunrise to sunset in the summer. Port-a-Johns are available for hikers and beach-goers... they are kinda disgusting (as most are) and never seem to have toilet paper so plan accordingly. Dogs are permitted on leashes. There is a boat launch available... I watched a couple people unload jet skis into the water during my time here most recently. Best of all... its free! If you're out early, pass by the parking fees at Horseneck beach and travel a bit farther down the road to visit this location!

Love Mackerel Cove. So many great memories. Cherished place for all my family and friendsread more

A small beach. Off-season, so there were no issues with parking. Nice views of the waterfront,…read morebut again, it's small, so there's not much space between the road and water, so it's not exactly a peaceful experience. Waves are small, and it's a simple little escape.