Occupying a peninsula between the Sakonnet River and Rhode Island sound, the 242 acre Sachuest Point National Wildlife refuge is a very popular site for the over 65,000 annual visitors each year.
The refuge sports a newly renovated visitor center, over 2.5 miles of nature trails, viewing platforms, and a number of Refuge volunteers present to help visitors and to help in management of the refuge.
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for its fantastic saltwater fishing, and the presence of the largest winter population of harlequin ducks on the East Coast.
Once a horse racing area, then a Naval communications site, and now a National Wildlife Refuge, the are is steeped in history. From saltmarsh and beach strand habitats to upland shrub dominated lands, the refuge supports over 200 bird species, with such notable occasional visitors such as the peregrine falcon, northern harrier, and the snowy owl.
Sachuest Point, along with the four other National Wildlife Refuges in the State, are administered by the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, headquartered in Charlestown, RI. The new Kettle Pond Visitor Center and headquarters located in Charlestown, RI,, celebrates the Sachuest Point Refuge and all of the other refuges in Rhode Island. This facility contains interactive exhibits, displays, a sales area, classrooms for special events, and knowledgeable people where visitors can come and explore the refuges and learn about the wildlife resources and coastal environments of each refuge.
The 245-acre heavily wooded park borders historic and picturesque Brickyard Pond, the East Bay Bike Path and the Bayside YMCA at the end of West Street. It includes a picnic area, benches, grills, a baseball field and toilet facilities. Bikers, joggers and walkers can enjoy the views and wildlife from the bike path on the edge of the pond. Fishing is allowed in season. A dirt walking path that starts at the picnic area cuts through the grass and winds along the edge of the shallow pond, where you can easily launch canoes, kayaks, rowboats and even some sailboats. There is plenty of free parking available at the end of a gravel roadway that starts by the welcome sign at the ball field.
Goddard Park is 489 acre park located on the Potowomut peninsula, comprised of woodlands, fields, coastline and manicured grounds. There are mature tree specimens from all over the world and more than 18 miles of trails for the enjoyment of equestrians and hikers alike.
Goddard Park is home to a public beach, several ball fields and C&L Stables, a stable through which one can hire a guide and horse for public trail rides. Other features one may enjoy while visiting Goddard Park are a nine-hole golf course and a beach with bath houses.
Special events, including horse shows and a weekly Farmer's Market, are hosted at Goddard Park seasonally. Summer concerts are held at The Goddard Park Carousel, which can also be rented for private events such as weddings.
A spectre of the old Narragansett Pier Railroad, the William C. O'Neill Bike Path winds 5.6 miles from the Kingston Amtrak station through the town of South Kingstown. Along the way the well-maintained path negotiates dense forest and urban landscapes, from the Great Swamp in West Kingston to the villages of Peace Dale and Wakefield. Riders and walkers will find hiking trails that branch off the path, information placards, message boards, benches and even playgrounds.
At its eastern terminus at Route 108 in front of Rhody Joe's Bar, the path is already poised to be extended as construction, for its next phase into Narragansett, has begun off MacArthur Boulevard.
The Camp Cronin Fishing Area is west of the Point Judith Lighthouse. There is a long rocky shoreline fronting the Atlantic Ocean and this site also provides access to the east arm of the Harbor of Refuge breakwater, a popular fishing area.
The site is also made up of a freshwater marsh and lots of brush and is known to birdwatchers as the perfect spot to see vireos, warblers and sparrows during migration. Birders find the best season to visit is between August and late October.
There are plenty of hiking areas to take in along the rocky shoreline, where breathtaking views of Block Island Sound can be taken in on a crystal-clear day.
There is no camping allowed.
