I've always been more of a lake guy than an ocean guy, but we ended up at Oakland Beach because we were meeting friends for dinner nearby. Since we had some time to kill, we decided to take a walk along the beach and see what it had to offer. The first thing I'll say is that this isn't the place to visit if you're looking for that classic Rhode Island beach experience. If you've spent any time at the beaches in South County, whether it's Misquamicut, East Matunuck, Charlestown, or one of the quieter stretches of shoreline, it's hard not to compare the two. Oakland Beach just doesn't have the same wide-open feel, rolling surf, clean sand, or salt air that makes those beaches worth the drive. It's a bay beach, and it feels like one. That said, it isn't without its positives. The views across Greenwich Bay are pleasant, there were plenty of families out enjoying the afternoon, and it's an easy place to take a casual stroll. The boardwalk area and nearby restaurants give it more of a neighborhood gathering spot than a true beach destination. You can grab an ice cream, watch the boats, and spend an hour or two relaxing without much effort. The beach also has restrooms, parking, and easy access, so it's convenient if you're already in the area. What kept this from being a higher rating for me was the beach itself. The water looked murky compared to what I'm used to, the sand wasn't particularly inviting, and the whole area felt a little worn around the edges. It wasn't dirty enough to make me want to leave, but it also wasn't somewhere that made me think, "I can't wait to come back and spend the day here." I found myself appreciating the scenery more than the actual beach. Overall, Oakland Beach is perfectly fine for a quick walk before dinner or if you live nearby and want to enjoy the waterfront for a little while. I just wouldn't go out of my way to make it a beach day destination. For me, South County will always be where I head when I want to spend time at the ocean. Oakland Beach serves its purpose, but it never quite escapes the feeling that it's a pleasant neighborhood waterfront rather than one of Rhode Island's great beaches. read more

This space is right next door to Iggy's, beach, and the beach parking lot. They renovated and added a playground and splash pad as of June 2025. It's a beautiful space with plenty of benches and picnic tables. There are playscapes and climbing structures; there are no swings. There is a gazebo and plenty of places to eat nearby. It's a great spot to let the kids play and have a picnic! read more

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Cute little beach behind Iggy's. There is also a nice playground park for kids with fun little water fountains and jungle gyms. Not the best looking beach for swimming but people were swimming when I was there- I just dipped my feet in the water. I love to grab some clam cakes and chowder from Iggy's then walk along the water! *I think they do fireworks here for the 4th but I haven't been. read more

Oakland Beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Closed again. HIGH bacteria levels. Don't swim in the waters in Oakland Beach. The Splash Pad is nice. The small playground is good. Iggys is the mainstay read more

Oakland Beach is the perfect place to watch a crab try to smoke a cigarette. 10/10 no notes! read more

Oakland Beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Oakland beach has had a big time glow up. It still has room for improvement, but there's no better beach access in Warwick, in my opinion, that has accessible walking/resting options. This review is for the winter months as this place has a COMPLETELY different vibe in the summer. But- for now, it's a peaceful seaside retreat for a beachside stroll. read more

Oakland Beach - Boardwalk with newly installed benches - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

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Oakland Beach in Warwick had me scratching my head in confusion. From the outskirts this seems like a nice beach, but it might have you fooled. First, on the positive, I didn't pay anything for parking. I think it's because I got here before the parking attendants. The parking lot is spacious, and it's right on the beach. There is a nice amount of benches, and some restaurants, I didn't try any of them, so I can't say anything about the food. There were four lifeguards, when there was no one on the beach. And when people came there were maybe two in the water. However, this beach is so full of seaweed in the water and also dried up seaweed on the sand. I think it would make a lot of sense if they hired someone to clean this beach, instead of having four lifeguards who are just hanging out, and having a good time in the sun. Sure, lifeguards are important, but four of them is a bit excessive at one time, at this rather small beach. Oakland Beach has a lot of potential, it is very easy to access for almost anyone. If only they would take care of the seaweed. read more

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Paid to park and it os soo dirty. Dead and dismember sea creatures and debree are sprawled down the beach area. No life gaurd on duty. If they are not charging for maintenance or saftey, what are they doing with the money? read more

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Oakland beach is a hidden gem. Like all neighborhoods in affordable areas, there is good a d bad but overall is pretty. The food is great!

As Rhode Island beaches go this one is a mixed bag. If you're looking for soft sandy beaches and a surf spot, this ain't it. If you want a park, with some fried seafood and a chill location to relax it checks all the boxes. It has some appealing parts to it for sure. Iggy's is right there. Parking is free. It has a nice blend of grassy park area and small beach area. It does tend to attract some unsavory characters lol the water is usually riddled with seaweed and God knows what else. I recently learned that anyone that has moderate sound equipment can plug in at the gazebo and have at it. Last time I was there I was serenaded into the evening by a terribly off key karaoke lady drunkenly belting out her bountiful ballads...I mean, it was entertainingOf you're in the area grab some fried offerings and catch a nice sunset! read more

Oakland Beach - Supreme - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I'm sorry but this is one of the dirtiest places I've been in my life. I've been down this way before to go to Iggy's but apparently I must have never gone past the Iggy's building. I Took my dog for a walk on the green areas and her pee might be the cleanest thing in the area. I've never seen so many cigarette and cigar butts in my life. It was dirty, there was litter, and there were junction boxes near the gazebo that were completely open and ready for electrocution. I immediately regretted my decision of wearing flip-flops And wondered if putting my facial masks on my feet would be an acceptable practice in 2021. My dog may be scarred for life thinking I was sending her back to where she was found when she was living on the streets. Full Disclosure: I grew up in Narragansett So my standards are pretty high on what is and is not called a beach. read more

"Come sleep on the beach Keep within my reach" (Sea and Sand -The Who) One of the servers at our hotel raved about how gorgeous Oakland Beach was, and since she said it was just a few minutes from our hotel, we decided to check it out on our way home. We saw a big parking lot, two gazebos, and a long but narrow sandy beachfront on Narragansett Bay. There was also a very disturbing guy sitting alone in his car, windows down, and singing loudly in an angry tone, as if he was in his own living room and was angry at the TV. He seemed to be a little off to me.... The setting is very scenic, I have to agree with that. There was a lot of seaweed on the beach, and I would have to come back on a beach day to know more about what the Oakland Beach experience would be like. I did like the fact that were a few restaurants just a short walk from the parking lot, including the famous Iggy's Doughboys and Chowder House. Maybe I'll be back, maybe I won't. But if I do, I sure hope the Phantom of the Opera will be long gone. read more

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Really not very impressed other than the location and ample free parking. I felt that there were accessible garbage cans for trash yet there was a lot of trash all over the beach. The sand was not clean and the water was pretty gross. Slimy seaweed. I did not see any seashells or any sea glass like I found just around the corner at the Rocky Point Beach. read more

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I loved this beach, it was soo peaceful not pack at all. It was just perfect and relaxing. I was extremely surprised that the water was warm and it just felt amazing sitting in the rocks by the water enjoying the view, sun and water. Iggy's Restaurant is right there always can enjoy delicious lunch or picnic by the water. The was clear and the same had tons of mini sea shells read more

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This beach is a good one to visit. Having Iggy's right next to it is what also helps the rating. The playground looks like it hasn't been renovated since 04'. However, it's still a nice spot for children to play. There's a lot of parking spots along the coast that provides a great view of the ocean. There seems to be a park nearby for picnicking. Walking on the beach is really unpleasant to someone that doesn't have rough feet. The area could be picked up some more too. But if you're trying to go to a beach close by. This one isn't too bad. I believe they start charging soon. read more

Oakland Beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

This beach has soooo much potential, it's a shame there is zero upkeep!2.5 Stars!! Pluses: Free to park, free to get in, water is pretty warm, docile water/small waves/ no undertow, good for kids, you can bring beach toys/boogie boards, they have garbage cans, food/restaurants within walking distance, & a PLAYGROUND within 100 ft of the water! Negatives: DIRTY, seaweed EVERYWHERE, broken glass chards in the sand, unsupervised kids everywhere, not many beach stores nearby, lots of people smoking on the beach!! NO LIFEGUARDS!!! I don't recommend bringing valuables here!**** This could Be beautiful if it was maintained. There's overgrown grass on the beach and tons of seaweed on the beach. Space there's also a lot of sketchy characters that hang out near Iggy's. If they cleaned up this beach it could be beautiful. read more

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It's great! Some spots the water comes to you 2 or more times a year. Born an raised here, over 40 years. Us native to the beach love it here. What we don't love is Iggys spreading all over the beach like a disease preventing other family businesses from giving us something different and possibly better options. For those who don't know. Oakland Beach many many years ago was known as Camp Wetmore, until the name changed over 100 years ago. We're not looking to change it again "Iggys". What we also do not love is out of Towners that leave their trash everywhere and disrespecting our home, especially during the summer season. But what we really really hate, are the out of Towners buying up every lot they can to build those God awful homes that stick out like a sore thumb! That and this new thing these geniuses came up with called BED AND BREAKFAST homes. Bringing new faces onto our streets every day, some who look very sketchy. Don't get me wrong, we welcome people here. But respect our home! read more

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They've really improved over the years, I've been going there since I was a teenager. The beach is clean and Iggys is next door

More parking lot than beach. Huge lines of fat people who are piled up to order food. Folks stand in the streets! Only a few eateries open; many along this stretch are closed. Not enough sand and fun. Too much hassle, car-park heat and families with shrieking toddlers. Go some place else. Rebel review: 2 read more

Oakland Beach, what once used to be a hopping area in the 1930's is finally making its comeback! Great area, views, and space for an enjoyable weekend day out in the summer. Large parking lots and side streets, of which can become a hot commodity on a busy day. Expansive rock wall to walk on complete with areas that jut out decently far into the water. Sandy portions to lay out and make sand castles. Not your fancy fine grain white sand. . . more of a sifted dirt/pebbles mixture. Comfortable enough! Whats great about the area is the amount of restaurants and grassy areas for picnics. Both take-out and dine-in options available. While visiting on a perfect Sunday afternoon, the grounds were filled with family parties, biker conventions, beach goers, and tourists. . . sounds busy but there was no feeling of overcrowdedness or chaos. I highly enjoyed the 'biker' band playing live for all the leather-clad cyclists hanging on a grassy patch. Relaxing, fun atmosphere! Perfect for the whole family :) Playground area for kids! As I am not fond of setting foot in the ocean, I have no opinion as to this beaches swimming component. Very few waves as the beach is located on a bay inlet. read more

Oakland Beach - Sandy View - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

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This is the only beach I go to for a few reasons ; 1. It's never crowded to a point you can't breathe which I love it because you can enjoy time with your family. 2. It's not that far like most beaches 3. Iggys and Boardwalk( Iggys owned seafood restaurant ) are literally right there , also Top Of The Bay There's also 2 sides to this beach , one side close to Iggys that has a kids playground and a lifeguard then the other side is closer to where the boats are and where people dock. But you can be on this side this is the side I always go to so I can relax and swim. You can also go clamming and fishing on this side just please know exactly where before you do it , or you could get in trouble. I been going to this beach for as long as I can remember. For the most part it's a very clean beach, people clean up and the sand isn't cluttered with crap. This beach also a few times a year has a small carnival for kids with rides and games! It's so much fun for all ages. And why not enjoy the beach and also rides , as well as a few times a year they do fireworks here, which are always eventful! The only downside as like other beaches sometimes the water can be contaminated and be forced to shut down. This beach is known to be "dirty" but I haven't lost any body part yet so I say give it a go. read more

Took grandpuppies out for a ride. It was a very friendly and clean beach. Not busy or crowded at all. Wecwalked around a bit. The ice cream and other shops were open bit did not stop this day. Some other time. read more

Oakland Beach - Hanging out w grandpuppies - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Not a horrible beach. Not a great one either. Pros are lack of rocks in the water and on the sand. Some beaches have a bunch that make it hard to relax. Cons Bunch of green seaweed dried up on the shore. Cons Not a ton of actual beach. The sand area isn't that wide. It's got some length to it down the beach though. Being close to Iggy's is clearly a win. It's a free beach for parking and entry which is a plus. Proximity to Providence is a plus too depending how you look at it. You're not getting tired from beach commute. read more

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I love visiting Oakland Beach during the summer months.. it's not too far, plus it's great having some delicious Iggy's Clamcakes and chowder right on the beach! read more

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This would be a beautiful spot if they kept up good maintenance and all the hood rats didn't act so hood. It didn't get its nickname Trash by the Sea for nothing. I remember about ten years ago swimming at this beach and a floating turd rolling by. Thought over time they would change it for the better... butttt aye it only got worse. Due to the max amount of people there when I strolled through last night. Covid will be ramping. read more

We have going to Oakland Beach a couple of times this summer because we have gone to Iggy's now that they have the call ahead and pick up your food system. That's really cut down on the wait time so we are enjoying that. This time we took a walk on the beach. The beach was really clean the sand was really clean and that really made me happy. I can remember years back that it was not a clean Beach so this was a great Improvement. There was a lot of seaweed in the water the first few feet into the water was really bad and then more seaweed but that's not something that can be controlled. It just happens. Having gone to Oakland Beach these past couple of times has made me want to return again to just enjoy the beach. Not to swim necessarily but to sit on the sand and relax and have some good food and enjoy the view. read more

Oakland Beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

So, sadly Oakland Beach will never really be the cute little beach town we all envision when we think of "the beach." I would say its more like the community surrounding a pond. Its a bit dated, run down and not really kept all that well. Its almost as if the town council has stayed the same since 1935 and not a cent has been invested into the community. It is truly a shame as it had potential at one point. Thank god for Iggys and all they do for that area, as it really is one of the only reasons to go here. Sadly, as we saddled up to the bar, we commented on how great the back patio was and we got a "yeah, its nice, but I'm not sure you would want to go in that water." Clean it up, invest in your community and turn things around! There is no reason for that area to look so run down. read more

As someone who has lived in Rhode Island their whole life, Oakland Beach is literal trash. If someone asked me to name the worst spot in Rhode Island, the first spot that would come to mind would immediately be Oakland Beach. If you were to ask anyone else who has lived in Rhode Island their whole life the same question, you would get the exact same answer. Oakland Beach is easily the worst spot for three reasons: The people, the beach itself, and the food. Now I know they can't exactly control what type of people come to this beach, but the people are running absolutely wild and nobody is out there making sure the other members on the beach are comfortable. Honestly, the people who attend Oakland Beach still probably are comfortable because they've had to deal with these hood rats that come out of their drug houses they call homes for so long now. I specifically remember coming here one time with my little cousin and there were a big group of woman in a circle twerking on the sand, no, I'm not kidding. As I mentioned previously, the second reason would be the beach itself. As the main attraction, quite literally in the name, you would think they try to tidy it up and make it look nice. It's absolutely awful, the DIRTIEST beach I've EVER been on. If you look in the sand there's always glass or practically covered with trash. Also, this beach is a MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD!! Never, and I truly mean never, have I ever seen a lifeguard sitting in the chair. If someone ends up drowning, they would have to count on a stranger because the lifeguards aren't doing their job, if they even hire any. The last thing on the list is the food. It isn't absolutely awful, but it's nothing that makes you want to come back either. There are two restaurants (besides the ice cream shack, doughboy, etc.) located within Oakland Beach, and the wait on either one of those restaurants are typically excruciatingly long. The proportions were usually small, but after COVID-19, became even smaller which I already thought was impossible. Small proportions wouldn't be that big of a deal if they were cheap, but unsurprisingly, they're not. This has nothing to do with the food, but more of the restaurant itself, they hire these horrible singers more towards the summer time. Whoever hires them, please stop, I don't know if the person singing is drunk but it actually distracts you from the meal because of how bad the woman's voice is. I can recall one time going to one of the restaurants with my family, but we decided not to make a reservation because of the woman singing on a microphone absolutely ruining our plans with her out of tune shrieking. To sum it all up: This is quite literally the worst spot to visit in all of Rhode Island. Every time tourists go there, it's embarrassing for people to see what we live near. If I was a tourist passing through Oakland Beach, I'd feel bad for everyone who lives in Rhode Island. read more

First visit to the beach today and it was a Monday afternoon in the summer. Dead. I think we saw maybe 6 groups of people along the entire beach. It was good for us since we were a party of 2 families with young kids! We walked to the furthest sandy edge of the beach as it was the ONLY area not covered in seaweed. The waters were so thick with seaweed it was insane. Like we were standing in spinach stew. The beach has an interesting scent but there weren't too many annoying seagulls around- likely because so many food joints are about 2 blocks away. Convenient I suppose if you're making a day of it! Word to the wise: wear flip flops on the beach. The sand is so coarse!! I'm not usually a big baby about stuff like that but after a few hours on that sand, my feet were raw. They're throbbing even now as I sit and it's been 5 hours since my last step on the beach. read more

Oakland Beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

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I've lived in Rhode Island my whole life and I'd never been here until recently . Having grown up in Narragansett there was never a need. Now living in Northern RI it's just a twenty minute drive to a quaint little beach to enjoy a sunset with your loved one. Would I swim there? Nope but it's a nice enough place to relax and have a picnic or grab some Iggy's. I deducted a star because there was an out of the package condom on the rock jetty and a graffiti-ed penis near the jungle gym. Come on people clean up your act...literally. read more

Oakland Beach is a great spot to hang out for a few hours, lots of trees, shade or sun if you want to get your burn on. Dining options are all around - I happen to like Iggy's, but I never go there on a weekend! One of the perks of being local, I get to go on weekdays and beat the huge lines! Is OB a great swimming beach? Heck NO! No waves at all, this is the bay after all. And the garbage does build up. Sadly, people are lazy sob's. But we still find plenty of spots to hang and chill out. GREAT fireworks for the 4th! Very family friendly crowd. Not sure of the date this year, but get there early and bring some chairs, the benches fill up first! read more

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I'm a beach lover. I live in the west coast and live in a beautiful beach town. My husband and I rented a cottage here in Oakland beach, not even knowing about the beach. We knew it was on the bay but did not know what it would be like. It's not as nice as I thought it would be. But it's not that bad, once you get used to it. The history of this beach is interesting and it looks like the people of this area are trying to make it better. We did not swim. Too much seaweed for my taste. We did sit in the rocks and watch the sunset. Some of the people at the beach seemed a little sketchy, but that's normal just about everywhere. I felt pretty safe walking and sitting in the beach alone. On the Weekend the beach got pretty full and lots of music being played. The ice cream shack and boardwalk food was nice since we were staying really close and could stroll down to it. Did notice a lot of litter and would be helpful having cans down closer to the beach area. All in all it was a nice beach to visit. read more

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I have been on Yelp for years and have never felt the need to write an updated review until now. Oakland beach is the secretly great beach that people know about, but don't visit because it's in Warwick, near the airport and it has a sad history of having been quite dirty. Well, these are my top 5 reasons why this place is awesome: 1. Location: for lots of folks in RI this place is WAY closer than Aquidneck Island or Narragansett. Take your saved gas $$ and buy yourself a cheap beer or ice cream at the restaurants that are within spitting distance of the sand. 2. Antique car show: the cars are beautiful and you can easily spend an hour strolling along admiring them all. 3. Park: if you need a break from the sun you can sprawl out under a tree, in the gazebo, or at the covered picnic bench. It's really big and beautiful. 4. Parking: free and abundant. 5. Water: the temperature is a bit warmer than what you expect from a New England beach because it's located in a bay. I quite prefer it. read more

Oakland Beach - Nice small shady area! - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

A lot of people bash on Oakland beach for being dirty, and truth be told when I came here back in 98 it was pretty gross, but Warwick had been doing a great job of trying to change that. I frequently go swimming here during the summer. As long as you check the beach closures on a regular basis you have nothing to worry about. The past two years it was actually closed less than the beaches down in Newport. It's a great beach and you don't have to pay for parking or to get on it, also during the summer there's a great classic car show every Tuesday. They blast old 50's and 60's music from the gazebo. Pretty cool scene. read more

Oakland Beach - Sunset at the beach - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

quite beautiful and peaceful here. my dad and i drove hear, just to look at the beautiful water. it was to cold to get out of our car, but when the weather gets warmer we will be back. read more

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Should be a beautiful place but locals and out of towner are slobs. Covid 19 is complicating things also. wish I had been able to snap a pic but was driving. Drove by the ball field 20 significant others lined up in lawn chairs no social distancing and not a single mask. The local police cars parked. 4 officers bike riding as a group. Not providing any value just getting some exercise as a group on a nice day. read more

A beautiful beach with an ice cream shop, doughboys and three reastaurants. It was very peaceful and beautiful. read more

Oakland Beach - So peaceful - Beaches Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

What I like about this place is how unpretentious it is. It is not the place where people scrutinize your bathing suit, body, or style. It is more about finding your own little cove and enjoying a relaxing day at the beach. What I don't like about this place is the trash. Please people, it's not too hard to carry your trash to one of the many trash cans that line the beach, even if it at night and you've had a whole handle of vodka - yep found that, along with a whole large trash bag worth of cans, bottles and other trash (just in one cove). Still, the water is warm and shallow, there are places in the shade to take a break from the sun, benches to take a break from the sand, a bike path that connects all the coves, and a variety of food options: Iggy's for take away, Top of the Bay if you want to sit and take your time. There is also Marley's for some more adult fun (though it wasn't open when I was there). One more warning - some of the coves had a larger population of the little clear jellyfish (don't know their exact name) than others. The first two coves that I tried to swim in, it felt like I was swimming in jello because of all of them, but the 3rd cove had very few and so I called that my cove for the day. read more

Felt like I was swimming in a swamp. Shallow. Gross. I felt dirty when getting out. I am not picky- it is that bad. read more

I really dont like this place. When I walk the beaches I fear that I will step on syringes or other types of dangerous trash. There are always shady looking folks fishing off the rocks and women hanging on backs of motorcycles with too tight pants and their bras showing intentionally. I am a huge beach person- give me a quiet, serene and clean beach any day. Oakland beach can be extremely over crowded and if you are not into crowds paying, too much money and waiting in too long of lines for overrated clam clakes and chowder, you may not want to stop by. read more