Westerly Beaches Offer Beauty, Charm and Fun

The picturesque town of Westerly sprawls out along Route 1 and encompasses seven villages, including Watch Hill, Dunn’s Corners, Bradford, Misquamicut, Shelter Harbor and Weekapaug. Visitors enjoy exploring the 33-square-mile area, taking in the fine arts, exploring the shops and restaurants and visiting the area’s many historic buildings.
Nature-based activities are particularly popular at the area’s beaches. Walking, kayaking, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, sailing and beachcombing are favorites along the seemingly endless miles of shoreline.
Misquamicut Beach forms the majority of the Westerly RI coastline, while the exquisiteness of Watch Hill attracts visitors from around the world. Charming Weekapaug forms Westerly’s west end and is home to dozens of mansions, a private beach club and prime spots for surfing.
• East Beach – A public right-of-way leads from Bluff Road to this long and lovely beach that stretches from the Watch Hill Lighthouse. Portions of the beach on either side of the right-of-way are private. Located in Charlestown, East Beach takes up three miles of prime beach shoreline. It is the easterly extension of Quonochontaug Neck and is the least developed of the Westerly-area beaches. This beach also features a 20-site campground.
• Misquamicut State Beach – This beach is one of the largest and most well-known in the state. The beach features an array of activities for the entire family, including a state-of-the-art large, new pavilion. Its seven-mile stretch of coast lies between Watch Hill and Weekapaug and follows Atlantic Avenue, where the majority of Westerly’s coastal businesses are located. Misquamicut is also home to most of Westerly’s coastal nightlife, such as Paddy’s Beach Bar, Sandy’s Lighthouse, Andrea Restaurant and the Windjammer Café. The Windjammer Cafe is the site of a small park with amusement rides, water slides, mini-golf and go-carts.
• Atlantic Beach Park – This beach is across the street from the Windjammer Cafe at the eastern end of Misquamicut. It overlooks Block Island and the tip of Long Island. Its main attraction is the Herschell-Spillman Carousel, circa. 1915.
• Napatree Point – A one-and-one-quarter mile of beautiful and ecologically-fragile barrier beach, this beach features beautiful beach grass, dunes and wildlife, located in a conservation area. The long, sweeping views of Little Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean are beautiful along this three-mile stretch. On the ocean side, you can see the 100+ year-old remains of Fort Mansfield.
• Watch Hill Beach – This small beach lies behind the antique Flying Horse Carousel in the heart of Watch Hill. The carousel is the oldest, continuously-operated carousel in the United States. Watch Hill is also the site of some of Rhode Island’s most majestic mansions and sits atop a small hill, which is the location of the world-famous Ocean House. The Ocean House is a 49-room manor featuring oceanfront views, an elegant restaurant and a rich history.
• Wuskenau Town Beach – Formerly called Westerly New Town Beach, this beach on Atlantic Avenue is located between Misquamicut and Charlestown. The Wuskenau Beach is a town-owned and operated beach facility and is open to the public.
• Dunes Beach Park – This small beach on the Weekapaug Breachway offers full amenities at an affordable entry fee. The beach is geared to families, with restrooms, bath houses, showers and a concession stand.