This is my go to beach. Every time I come here, the sand is raked and clean and free of rocks. Although the seaweed has been bad this year, it seems to be getting a little better as the summer goes on. The restrooms to include the porta potties are always clean and the little shack with the lobster roll and fries is on point. There's also a little shop to shop for clothing. There is plenty of parking and easy to get two ramps that lead you to different parts of the beach. There are plenty of lifeguards on site to ensure safety for children if that is a concern of yours. read more

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Beautiful, powdery-soft sand beach! The pavilion has a Salty's snack bar to give you snack options if 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! read more

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What a beautiful beach. Way better than Easton's Beach which was super underwhelming. 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. read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

Beautiful dog-friendly beach in the offseason. Dogs must be leashed. There were no parking fees in the offseason which was nice. Be careful with smaller dogs as there are coyotes in the tall grass across from the beach. Beautiful and picturesque location. You can drive up further to the Sachuest Point National Wildlofe Refuge (dogs not allowed) which has beautiful views. Such a beautiful scenic drive or enjoying the beautiful sunrise. read more

Excellent beach for sunset walk. I was here during cold December and there were still locals walking this beach for sunset. Sunset can be very scenic here. Peep the attached images. There is also a huge parking lot. But like most beach spots, restrooms are closed during winter time. I would come back. It was a good time. 10 out of 10 would recommend, especially for sunset. read more

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Disclaimer: I hate the beach. But in this case, it wasn't so bad, mainly because I didn't have to bake in the sun all day, didn't have to get sand in my shoes, and didn't have to deal with crowds. This is a nice beach that allows you to get close enough to enjoy the views without having to deal with the aforementioned sand. Even while I was there, it was busy, but not overwhelming so. It's a nice place and offers so outstanding views and a beach experience without having to fully deal with the drawbacks of a beach. read more

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Sachuest Beach, locally known as Second Beach, is a South facing, mile long, family friendly beach with good surf and great sand. There is a concession stand, bathrooms, changing area, showers, grills, picnic tables and shade structures located at the main building. Port-a-johns are located at the base of each pathway. During peak season parking is $15 for the weekdays and $25 for the weekends. I would recommend this beach to other visitors. read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

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Once you park the car and are on the beach, you don't see the parking lot. Just a beautiful beach. The food truck in the parking lot had delicious sandwiches. Their lemonade is amazing. read more

This is where most people go if they are going to the beach. Parking can be difficult, and you will have to pay to park. It's in Middletown and even Newporters go there The beach is great. Great views all around make it even more enjoyable. The sand is soft and the water is clear. If you surf there are good waves at "surfers end". They have bathrooms and a very good snack shack. Second beach is right by the Sachuest point wildlife refuge that had cool trails and has great views. Norman bird sanctuary is close too. read more

I come here every single week. Clean beach and very beautiful views. Katie the beach manager and her crew are amazing, they saved my friend's iPhone after he dropped it behind the showers. They didn't have to do that but they got right to it and within 20 minutes got it back. She's super sweet. Thanks again read more

Spent a Monday afternoon here with family. (FYI $25 to park on a weekday, cash only.) Beach was great and clean. Snack bar has burgers, hotdogs, twin lobster rolls and fries for $27. We ordered the twin rolls with fries, mozzarella sticks, fried doughboy and niece got a burger and fries. All the food was great. Rolls were perfectly grilled and crispy, lobster cold and fresh. Niece said burger was "awesome" and the fried doughboys, delicious and brought me back to earlier years. The only critique is there were no clam cakes or fried clams on the menu. These were a beach staple growing up so I was pretty bummed I couldn't eat some hot clam cakes with some sand sprinkled in for extra crunch :D All in all a great beach day was had by all! read more

Worth getting a ton of sand in your shoes just a quick stop after our visit to the refuge. It was simply energizing to get up close to the water (even though it was only 60' out). Although we did not stay long, I'm grateful we stopped to enjoy the views and the sounds. read more

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I liked this beach a lot because the sand area was larger than first beach and there's more space for you to station yourself. I also really enjoyed the lobster hut on this beach. Free admission but you have to pay for parking. Dogs allowed after 6pm during beach season. read more

The best beach! Seriously, after visiting most popular beaches in RI this one always seems to be the nicest. For regulars, the season pass is a no brainer since it can now cost $30 on weekends. Just a couple trips means you break even. The beach is typically very clean although some parts can be a bit gravely instead of sandy, which is not nice on the feet. Most parts are sandy with super clear water. Outside of the main beach areas toward surfer's end, red tide tends to pile up from mid July onward which can be a little gross, and why you will see most umbrellas toward the center of the beach. The beach is about 1/2 mile total, so not the biggest, but one reason it is considered so nice is because the beach itself extends very gradually outward which has an impact on both the sand and the waves. Other, steeper beaches in RI will have bigger waves that crash down somewhat aggressively. That rarely happens at second beach unless there is some weather coming, the waves are typically "medium". The beach has outhouses and rinse stations at every path in the parking lot. In the center of the beach is a main building with facilities and food, typical as you'd see at other beaches, but maybe not as built up as say, Scarborough. Not being built up is one of the nice things about this beach though. Typical tradition is to spend a day at the beach followed by a trip to Flo's clam shack or Frosty Freez ice cream. For lunch, gansett wraps is just a few minutes away and the perfect food to take to the beach. Just beware of the shameless seagulls who won't hesitate to grab food right out of your hand. read more

What a beautiful beach Great space and very clean The food is amazing and delicious And all the stuff here are also professional and kind and always here for you if help is needed Highly recommend! read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

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I spent 24 hours in Rhode Island while on a road trip so of course I had to stop at the beach. We decided to check our second beach and we were not disappointed. There is so boardwalk but the beach and water was so clean unlike Atlantic City! The water was very cold though but on a hot summer day it felt super refreshing. It was a great family road trip and even better stop. There is a very nice cliff walk at the entrance of the beach area which I would highly highly recommend to everyone who visits the area! read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Cliff Walk Views - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

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I swam away from my friends who sat together on the beach. I knew they were watching me, even when I was underwater. I wondered how deep I would swim. Probably until the fear of the ocean's depth became too much to handle. Where the surrounding land broke off seemed like some kind of measurement. I lost track of where I was and eventually the water returned me to the shore. read more

Love this beach. Had a fun fun day by the beach. And planning to return as much as I can before this beautiful summer will disappear. Parking is around $15. Too much for a weekday. But it is what it is. Beach was almost empty. And walked for a bit to really be by myself. Had a day that just wanted to be the water and think about nothing. Beautiful beach. Clean. And I know that on weekdays there are smiley people by the beach. To go. read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

My family has been coming to this beach forever - as other reviewers have said, it's one of the best in Rhode Island, plus they have the best waves of all the beaches on Aquidneck Island. As a huge dork that still loves to boogie board as an adult, this is a major plus for me! We decided to come here this afternoon for a quick swim, and were pleased to discover that they don't charge for parking after 4 PM. If you can hold off the temptation to spend the whole day at the beach, you might be better off waiting! Less chance for sunburns, encounters with loud children, and free parking? Sounds awesome to me! Aquidneck Island's beaches (especially First Beach just down the road) are notorious for red tides of seaweed, but Second Beach actually isn't too bad when it comes to this. I'm very sensitive about swimming in seaweed, and I've rarely encountered an issue that prevented me from going in the water. This beach also has an entire end dedicated to surfing! Bring your own board or rent one from the Island Surf & Skate truck, which has all the gear you could ever want to borrow. There's also a small selection of food trucks - Del's Lemonade (a Rhode Island must-have) and Flat Waves (Island inspired fare featuring tacos and burritos), which beat the snack bar by a mile in terms of price and quality. Check those out for lunch or bring your own. I'm looking forward to many more visits to Second Beach as the summer continues! :) read more

One of the next beaches in RI. Short hop to Newport. A great place to spend the middle part of the day.

Beautiful beach! Quiet, great for relaxing close to our hotel! About 10 minutes. $30 to park was a little much! But, it is what it is! read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beautiful rocky edged beach! - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

Awesome beach - little further from town but worth the extra run or drive! Much less crowded and the nature center isn't far away. Gorgeous beach read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Cliff trail ish - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

The only reason why I didn't give it five stars is because the red seaweed smells horrible at low tide. But second beach has a great mix of locals and tourists. It's pretty busy on summer days but you can find a spot. The water is nice and daily clean. You're kinda in the middle of nowhere. You'll have to pay for parking and there's nothing but fields nearby so you'll have to drive elsewhere for food. But there are some food trucks in the parking lot! Theres dels with is famous frozen lemonade and flat waves- a Hawaiian type food. Del's is the one I always hit up. There maybe be some others there but you can always picnic on the beach! read more

Great beach!! The beach itself is very clean. There are on site surf lessons, del's lemonade, food truck, and port-a-potties. Parking was $20 not sure if it was more bc it was Labor Day weekend. I had a fantastic 2 days here. Even the red tide couldn't bring down my mood. There is also some rocks to climb and even jump from. read more

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One of the best beaches in the state. Pavilion offers an array of food items, bathrooms, changing rooms, outdoor showers and if needed. first aid station. Soft sand beach is kept very clean with regular combing and the staff has been known to walk around to collect trash from beach goers. Lifeguards are on duty from Mem day weekend through Labor Day. At times they will run drills and it's always great to watch them and know these people take their job seriously. Water is usually pretty clean. There will be days during summer where red tide will come in but most often you can rely on having a great day in the water at second! During the height of summer you do need to get here early or you will be sitting on the hill waiting to park. Porto potties at the end of many paths and outdoor showers add to conveniences at this beach. Warning! Seagulls here are professional food thieves. They WILL swoop in and grab your food right out of your hands before you even know what happened! Guard your food items carefully!! read more

Hands down this is my favorite RI beach to go to (and I'm a native and a beach snob...so there you go!) First of all, it's called "Second Beach" - if you refer to it as Sachuest, you're clearly a tourist. I love the stunning views of St. George's and the Cliffwalk/Mansions to the west, and the nature sanctuary to the east. On great summer days the water is filled with sailboats. There are portable restrooms conveniently located at the top of each path too. I recommend going up path 1 and turning left, it's the least settled area of the beach. Come at 4pm and you get in free! Otherwise it's pricey here for both a day pass and seasonal pass ($150+ if you're not a Middletown resident for a summer pass, or $20/day on weekends). The weekends get bonkers, so get there by 10;00am or there is no guarantee you'll get a parking spot. Here's a hint...if it's mobbed or you want a quieter place...keep driving up the road to THIRD beach! read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - View from the east end - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

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Love this loc. Surfing section with rentals available lifegard towers (about 6 or 7 total) Bathrooms flushable and porter johns Showers both outdoor and indoor Great loc. close to local eats and bird sanctuary read more

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Had a fantastic time here and enjoyed Second beach. Only charge here was the $10 weekday parking charge. As you drive over to this area of a Rhode Island there is Easton's (1st beach) Sachuest (2nd) and 3rd beach (don't remember the name). Easton's is very busy. We drove by here and decided to keep driving. Sachuest seemed less busy. We didn't go to third but heard there was no restrooms there so we decided to stay here. Overall we loved this beach. At 9AM not many people. 11AM more and the peak was between 11-1PM. At 3pm the early people are leaving and by 4PM more leave. If you are heading back up to Providence 4PM is a bad time to leave as traffic seemed heavy. This was on a weekday. I imagine a weekend would be crazy cuckoo for traffic. The restrooms at 2nd beach were very clean. Also they had working showers to rinse off and it was a very clean beach, water was clean and lifeguards present. We came here for 2 days we enjoyed or so much. On both days I would walk down in search of shells with my daughter. We discovered a good pile that we brought back. Water quality had some dry light reg algae but no smells. Waves on day one were nice 1-3 ft and second day was 1-2 ft. The water was said to be 71F on day one it felt warmer than this. Day two it felt almost 80F. Maybe because it was hotter near 90F out. Sand quality was excellent. No dead fish and sand looked groomed in the morning. The city does a good job keeping these beaches clean. We also really appreciated the no smoking policy! The food canteen had decent food options but we didn't eat here. Not as much selection of food as Narragansett but enough selection to keep you going. Expect $10-$14 per person not including drink. Overall an awesome beach for the family and cheaper as you only have the parking charge. We will definitely come back here as we loved this place! read more

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This is one of the nicest beaches in RI. 1.) The beach is clean. 2.) it's a large beach- plenty of room to spread out. 3.) The sand is soft 4.) picnic table available to eat 5.) Nice concession stand / will take cc read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - One of the nicest beaches in RI - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

Sachuset, better known as 2nd beach, is composed of a beautiful long stretch of soft sand that works well for walking and relaxing. The waves are not too big and the water is warmer than the West Bay beaches. The main facilities are fine. One thing I like is that there are port-o-potties throughout the parking area so that if you need to go to the bathroom but don't want to make the trek to the main place, there are options. I'm not a fan of the parking fee. While all of the West Bay beaches offer a discount for in state guests, this beach does not. Not only that, it is more expensive than the fee for out of state guests at the other beaches. Currently the fees are $15 on the weekdays, $25 on the weekends. At one end of the beach is the Sachuset point wildlife sanctuary (one of my favorite places in Newport). At the other end is Purgatory chasm (a quick rocky detour to check out). read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Dance of the birds - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

This is one of the best beaches in RI. It is has a family feel to the place - not just a family friendly beach - but the staff feel like they've been working together for years and you're in their home. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. The food selection is bigger than most beaches. The beach is clean and even at high tide there is plenty of space for everyone. The waves make this a small child friendly beach. The parking lot is huge so you don't have to arrive at the crack of dawn even on the busy weekend. The only drawbacks: the weather can be fickle when the wind in blowing in off the water But this is a solid beach to head even from the Boston area - ok never mind forget I said that stay away and save me my spot. read more

A great beach with powdery sand and clean facilities. The snack bar isn't as good as first beach but otherwise we loved this beach!

Love ths beach. Better than first beach, which is crowded and has more algae UPDATE- 9/3/2012-- This and East beach are my favs. I like to hang out on the eastern part of the beach for solitude, but don't try to swim there without water shoes. You will end up walking on sharp rocks. There is a reason why no one swims over there. The bottom is sandy everywhere else though, big waves. Great view. Also right next to the wildlife refuge read more

Second Beach and this whole area is the only beach I am willing to go. The beach is great and the hikes around the area are also great. Overall great vibes. (Instagram is KyleCaptures) these photos were taken over at the Nature walks right near second beach. read more

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The sand here is soft and light and the waves are low and perfect for swimming. It gets crowded like any beach but is geared more towards the locals than First Beach is. Overall a great beach in this area, definitely one of the best in Newport. There are also beach staff who come around and collect trash. It keeps the beach looking flawless and is really a nice touch. read more

Second Beach / Sachuest Beach - Beaches Near Me - Middletown, Rhode Island

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Hands down one of the most beautiful beaches in Rhode Island! It's a bit pricey to park however we always seem to find a spot, they have restrooms at every path and the beach is so clean. This is no ordinary beach, on one side of you is s nature preserve and on the other is the cliff walk. For some reason the water seems so clear here! We pack a cooler with all the essentials and generally head on down for 4 pm. Did you know the beach is free at 4:00 each night? Honestly, check it out! read more

Always loved second beach. First beach is for the attention hogs and tourists! Its parking lot is bigger than the smaller third beach and the restrooms are a LOT nicer. I hate summer weekend beach visits. If I must make them, its at 6 am and I'm long gone by noon. Otherwise its a late beach day, with a book, a blanket, and an ice cold beverage. The sand is clean and well kept and there isn't much seaweed to contend with (though some years better than others) Watch the currents.. the riptide is astoundingly strong and weaker/younger swimmers may have trouble. The surf is undoubtedly moderate in strength and in July, like bathwater. Before Memorial day and after Labor day you can enter, park and bring dogs all free. Though the restrooms are not open until memorial day. They do have one single portable bathroom in the parking lot. The snack bar is a sad state. After paying $20 to park and you don't have a packed lunch you may be forced to get a mediocre burger or hot dog for $10 and it may get snatched by the millions of seagulls :(actually witnessed this!) So bring a cooler, pack your goodies and set up camp as early as you can. This is a popular and family oriented beach. You won't see the typical younger party-goers here and most everyone i've ever interacted with has been ultra nice. If you are in Newport and you want to get your feet in the sand, I recommend starting at second beach!! read more

My teens and I spent a nice day here last week. It was very hot and the water was cool and refreshing. The beach was pretty full because of the temps, but we still found a nice spot against the fences on the dunes to set up our umbrella and chairs. The water was clear and the sand here is soft and not at all rocky. There were plenty of lifeguards on duty and they made frequent announcements reminding people that they shouldn't play ball because the beach was too crowded. There is a snack bar for refreshments, including Dippin' Dots, but we didn't purchase anything that day. There are outdoor rinsing showers and restrooms. This is a great family beach. I was happy that there seemed to be no one smoking and that people who had music playing, had it at a low volume so it wasn't a bother to other beach patrons. (Quite nicer than what we'd usually have to deal with if we went to Misquamicut.) Parking was $15 for the day on a weekday for us out-of-staters. This, too, was less than Misquamicut. read more

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It may have taken me until the 10th of July to get my ass to the beach, but I finally got there. Even more embarrassingly, I've lived in the great state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations for THREE YEARS, and had never actually been to a proper RI beach! It shames me to share that with you, but I'm an honest broad, so there you have it. The beach of Second Beach was perfect. Powdery, clean sand, refreshing but not too cold water, picturesque views... just lovely. I like very much that the (crazy chaotic) parking lot is hidden by the sand dunes and that there is an actual building with restrooms, hoses, seating, and a food-bar restaurant. It adds a sense of comfort and convenience to the otherwise extremely rural area. Now, this beach was crowded, but I have to tell you I didn't come across much obnoxia. Everyone kept to themselves and was pretty considerate of their neighbors. This is definitely a beach where the locals go. I was even able to take a little snooze in the sunshine after my initial swim in the summer ocean. Bliss. There are tons of lifeguards patrolling and watching the beach, so it seems very safe. There was a mix of families with kids, teenagers, adults and students - this is a beach for everyone. I will absolutely be back... probably next weekend! read more

Coming from a Boston suburb, this is a great choice, as parking is much cheaper than Massachusetts beaches ($15 weekdays, $25 weekends) and it's only about an hour and a half drive. We arrived around 11am on a Thursday and the lot was still half empty. There was plenty of space on the beach, but it was bustling with a mix of families, college aged kids, and older couples. Not too noisy, and not silently peaceful. The sand is soft and powdery, not rocky, and it appears they maintain it well. The water wasn't shockingly cold, it was easy to get used to, and lots of people were swimming/using boogie boards. The bathroom was kind of gross, but that's your typical beach bathroom. They could add something to the floors to keep them from puddling though. Overall, a simple beach for a reasonable parking price. Would return! read more