Newport Cliff Walk, Beavertail State Park & Fort Wetherill State Park (Newport, Rhode Island)
Newport Cliff Walk
A couple weekends ago, Sarah and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather in New England by taking a trip to Newport, Rhode Island. With the popular historic New England city just an hour and a half away from Boston, it was the perfect place to spend a day exploring in the sun.
The majority of our day was spent strolling along the scenic Newport Cliff Walk. Designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, the Cliff Walk stretches 3.5 miles and offers breathtaking views of the coastline as well as the famous Gilded Age historic mansions. One of the most notable spots on the Cliff Walk is Forty Steps. Located near the access point at the end of Narragansett Avenue, it's a granite staircase that leads to a balcony overlooking the ocean and offers access to the shoreline.
Following the Cliff Walk, we drove over to downtown Newport, which is packed with all types of restaurants and shops. We walked around a bit before grabbing lunch at Brick Alley Pub, a restaurant and pub. The food was good and the staff was friendly. Overall, it was a great atmosphere.
After lunch, we hung out in the waterfront area before deciding we were going to check out some of the state parks. We ended up visiting Beavertail State Park and Fort Wetherill State Park, which are five miles or so from each other, making it a no-brainer to visit both. The former is home to the third oldest lighthouse while the latter features an artillery fort from the 1770s. Like the Cliff Walk, both state parks offer amazing views of the ocean.
Overall, Newport is a great day trip that I highly recommend. Between the Cliff Walk, the shops and restaurants, and the state parks, Newport offers a great variety of things to do for you and your friends and family.
