Newport Harbor Walk
Newport Harbor Walk Facebook Page for Hints and Tips
Newport's Ten Mile Drive

F A Q

Hours:
    Sunrise to Sunset
    365 Days a Year


Entrance Fee:
     Free

Entrance:
    119 Memorial Blvd.


Dogs:
     Leash only, watch for poison ivy.

Return Trip:
    RIPTA Trolley RT 67 and Trolley Map Page or walk north on Bellevue Ave. (4.5 miles to Easton's Beach)

Facilities:
    
Public restrooms at Narragansett Ave. open during daylight hours.

Map to Start:
     Google

Map to End:
    NOT at Ledge Rd.
    Google

Official downloadable map:
     Cliff Walk Map 2021

Parking:
    Easton's "First" Beach
    175 Memorial Blvd.

    or
    Forty Steps
    300 Narragansett Ave.


Best place to view with limited time:    
    Narragansett Ave
    to Ruggles Ave.

Handicap Access:
     North end only. Stairs just south of Marine Ave., each side of Webster St.


Time to Finish:
     2.5 hours if you
    are in good shape
    and in hurry


Bike:
     Not on walk, but bike stands at Narragansett Ave.

Baby Carriage:
     North end only

Picnic Area:
     None

Emergency:
    Cell 911,
    note numbers
    stenciled on walk


Refreshments:
    
No

Additional Vistor Information:
         (401) 845-5544

Maintenance:

    Newport Parks
     (401) 845-5802


Liability:
    Limited -- Public
    Right of Way
    over private
    property


Newport's
Cliff Walk Commission

The Commission minutes on this link provide insite into the ongoing operation of maintaining Cliff Walk.
   (401) 845-5300



Detour for repairs starting 3/1/2022

A Short History of Cliff Walk, click here

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      The Cliff Walk along the eastern shore of Newport, RI is world famous as a public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with the architectural history of Newport's gilded age. Wildflowers, birds, geology ... all add to this delightful walk.

     What makes Cliff Walk unique is that it is a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District.


     In 1975
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the walk was designated as a National Recreation Trail ... the 65th in the nation and first in New England. The walk runs 3.5 miles and about two-thirds of the walk is in easy walking condition.

      Parts of the southern half of the walk are a rough trail over the natural and rugged New England rocky shoreline. Walkers need to be especially careful and alert in these challenging areas. RI State Law seems to apply to Limit Liability of property owners. [see State Law, Section 32-6]


      You pass at your own risk on the walk, which is a public right-of-way over private property. In spots just a couple of feet from the path are abrupt drops of over 70 feet. Wild bushes and weeds often hide this danger.

      As you walk further south you have to scramble from rock to rock and proper shoes are a must. Even with good shoes, fine sand on some of the rock surfaces can be very slippery.

      One of the main things to watch for is Poison Ivy which grows well in rainy summer weather along some areas of the path.

      Nevertheless, the walk remains one of the top attractions in Newport and is taken by people of all ages. Current estimates have a quarter million trips made each year.

      The walk starts at the western end of Easton's or First Beach at Memorial Blvd. and runs south with major exits at Narragansett Ave., Webster St., Sheppard Ave., Ruggles Ave., Marine Ave., Ledge Rd., and ends at Bellevue Ave. at the east end of Bailey's Beach locally referred to as Reject's Beach.


This aerial overview covers
the northern end of Cliff Walk
with the forty steps in the middle
and the Breakers in the upper left corner.
[This is the easy walking part of the Walk.]


      At Marine Ave. there is a small natural beach [Belmont] that is often used by surfers to launch their boards when surfing off the "Breakers" on those rare occasions when hurricanes are passing offshore.
RI State Plaque for Designated Rights of Way

      Five State of RI designated rights-of-way to Cliff Walk are marked with brass plaques at Webster St., Narragansett Ave., Ledge Rd., Ruggles Ave., and Seaview Ave.
There are Five unique segements to Cliff Walk

1. Memorial Blvd. to Forty Steps
[Map's Green Line covers paved walk ideal for casual walk or jog.]
2. Forty Steps to Ruggles Ave.
Map's Gold Line covers a close up of Mansions at Salve University campus; there are several sets of steps.]
3. Ruggles Ave. to Belmont Beach
[Map's Magenta line covers a touch of rough terrain and waves breaking near walk when wind is strong from South.]
4. Belmont Beach to Ledge Rd.
[Map's Red Line covers pieces of Rugged Terrain especially at Rough Point, however this is most rewarding for serious hikers not afraid of heights. ]
5. Ledge Road to Bellevue Ave.
[Map's Blue Line is sometimes missed by Cliff Walkers, but if you have done segment 4 this is easy and better than walking out Ledge Rd.]

Map controls: 1. lower left corner box toggles between sattelite or map view. 2. lower right + zooms in, - zooms out.
3. upper right [   ] expands to full screen. 4. cursor hand allows moving the map where you want. 5. colored symbols indicate more information and related links. 6. Click on photos to see larger version.
It's not just rocks!

      "From Memorial Blvd. to Ochre Point, south of the Breakers, the rocks are Coal Age black shale, sandstone, and conglomerate that has metamorphosed to slate, metasandstone, and metaconglomerate.

      "The Coal Age (300 million-year-old) sedimentary rock is important scientifically because it alone of the major rock masses in the state contains enough fossilized plant remains to allow geologists to date geologic activity in this region.

      "Ochre Point got its name from the yellowish (ochre) oxide of iron in the rock, although much of this has since been removed, covered, or eroded. Continuing south, toward Rough Point, one can see Precambrian metasedimentary rocks, which mainly consist of light-colored slate and metavolcanic rock.

      "Past Rough Point occurs the Newport granite. The granite consists of several types: coarse-grained granite with large pink feldspar crystals; finer-grained, more evenly textured granite that cuts through the first type; and numerous quartz veins that can be seen in almost every rock type in the area."


... Preserving Newport's Public Shoreline Access
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