New England's Idyllic Island State Park Just Outside Of Newport Offers Serenity And Surreal Rocky Coastline Views

The eastern half of Rhode Island is dominated by the ocean coiling up into Narragansett Bay, forming a labyrinth of islands and peninsulas that give the state its particular maritime character. Its sheltered waters with multiple access points to islands and coves have made the bay a strategic outpost for military defense since the Revolutionary War, in addition to providing stunning coastal sights. Many of the most incredible places you need to visit in Rhode Island are scattered around the bay, from pristine beaches to the historic gem of Fort Adams State Park in Newport. 

At the Beavertail State Park and Museum, on Conanicut Island, you can walk through centuries of seafaring history, along with getting some of the best views in the state, facing the ocean and southern New England coastline. One of Beavertail State Park's claims to fame is its Beavertail Lighthouse, which is the oldest lighthouse in Rhode Island and the third-oldest in the United States. 

Today, the lighthouse is its own museum with free admission. Another point of interest in the park is the former military outpost Fort Burnside, which is only available for tours by appointment. Still, you can see military relics on the walking paths around the park, and it's also possible to explore the park in your car, as there are four overlooks accessible by the road that loops around the island's tip. The park is located just 10 miles southwest of Newport and is open every day, although the lighthouse museum is only open every day during the summer season and weekends during spring and fall. Check with Beavertail Lighthouse for details and hours.

A good place to start your exploration of Beavertail State Park is at the Lighthouse Museum. There's parking near the lighthouse, and it's free to visit the grounds every day, though the inside of the tower itself is only open on select days for visitors to climb up to the top. The lighthouse was first constructed in 1749, a significant addition to the Narragansett Bay, which was an often treacherous throughway for seafarers. Though the foundation remains from the 18th century, the lighthouse itself underwent multiple reconstructions, with its current tower dating to 1856. 

Inside the keeper's quarters next to the tower, you can see the original fourth-order Fresnel lens on display that was used to guide countless sailors around the rocky shoreline. The lighthouse occasionally hosts special events, too, like outdoor meditative sound baths.

Amid the lighthouse museum complex, located within the former foghorn house, the Beavertail Aquarium is open seasonally from June through October. The aquarium is stocked with tanks that display marine life native to Rhode Island's shores, including seahorses, turtles, and moon snails. For most of the animals, the aquarium releases them back into the wild after the visiting season is over. The aquarium is managed by the Rhode Island State Parks Naturalist Program, which also sometimes hosts guided tours of the park's shores and tide pools.

From the lighthouse complex, follow the path along the rugged coastline. A few short trails wind around the island tip, skirting the rocky shores and crossing through some forested areas. It's also possible to make a 2.3-mile-long loop of the park, starting and ending at the lighthouse. The trails are great for birdwatching — harlequin ducks and sandpipers are frequent inhabitants during winter — and there are saltwater fishing opportunities, too. If you come during the winter, you might even see harbor seals relaxing on the rocks.

Along the paths, you'll pass some interesting military ruins. One, Fort Burnside, is a preserved coastal surveillance post from World War II. There are also numerous unmarked bunkers and foundations if you keep your eyes peeled. In fact, Beavertail was once home to a secret Navy facility, the Spraycliff Observatory, on the northwestern side of the park. The facility was created around 1942 to test experimental radar systems following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much of what happened at the Spraycliff Observatory is lost to time, though some antenna mounts and a water cistern remain evidence of its former existence. You can also see a small, overgrown ammunition bunker on the east coast of the park called Battery Whiting.

Unlike some of the other islands in the Narragansett Bay, you don't need to take a ferry to get to Beavertail State Park — Conanicut Island is connected to the mainland by bridges and via Jamestown, the artsy paradise packed with parks and restaurants. It's just a 40-minute drive from the Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport.