Fall Foliage Scenic Drive - Rhode Island Coast
This Rhode Island scenic drive is delightful any season of the
year, but with fall foliage the added splash of color deepens
the experience and appreciation of the Rhode Island coastline
and surrounding villages.
This is a one-way 61-mile scenic drive on Route 1A along Block
Island Sound until turning North to follow the western shore of
Narragansett Bay. The drive eventually hooks up with Route 138
east over to historic Newport and the scenic 10-mile Ocean Drive.
Along the way are plenty of detours for lighthouses, wildlife
refuge trails, beach walking, and quiet village rambles in
autumn splendor.
Let's get going...
Start the drive by heading south on U.S. Highway 1A from
Westerly. Look for the sign to Watch Hill Road, which takes you
out to Watch Hill, a marvelously preserved Victorian seaside
town.
Attractions in Watch Hill include The Flying Horse Carousel, the
oldest continuously operating merry-go-round carousel in the
U.S., and the Watch Hill Lighthouse, a granite and brick-lined
19th Century masterpiece. The Lighthouse has no parking so
you'll park in town and stroll out the 15-minutes it takes to
get there.
Continue the scenic drive by retracing the road back to US 1A
and then heading east. Route 1A merges with Route 1 as you drive
towards Charlestown and the Point Judith Area. This part of the
drive has numerous beaches, and turnoffs for salt ponds and
wildlife refuges protected by the natural beach barriers on
Block Island Sound.
Follow Route 1 until it intersects with Route 108 south and head
down to Point Judith and the Junction of Route 1A. Drive the
short distance to Point Judith Lighthouse, which was built in
1857. Here you'll also get another great view of Block Island
and its cliffs on the horizon.
Take Route 1A North to Narragansett Pier and on to farms and
countryside surrounding the Pettaquamscutt River. This area of
stonewalls and forests once housed many Rhode Island plantations
that gave the state its formal name of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations.
In the fall foliage season the forests are ablaze with autumn
and add a satisfying splash of color to this coastline tour.
Continue the scenic drive north until it meets Route 138 and
then head east on Route 138 over Jamestown Bridge to Conanicut
Island, and then over the magnificent Newport Bridge into the
city of Newport.
Newport is on the southern tip of Aquidneck Island, and the
final leg of this fall foliage scenic drive. It is one of my
favorite cities in New England - anytime of the year - but
especially during autumn.
After the Newport Bridge follow the signs to the Transportation
Center. Stay on the main road as it winds through the harbor
area, and eventually becomes Memorial Boulevard until it meets
Bellevue Avenue on the right.
Ocean Drive is a 10-mile route that starts on Bellevue Avenue
and follows Ocean Avenue around a rocky peninsular with fishing
coves, swimming beaches, and public parks.
The Ocean Avenue part of the drive is probably the most scenic
with magnificent houses on rocky necks amidst the backdrop of
full-force Atlantic Ocean. Brenton State Park is a halfway point
on Ocean Drive, and is popular for picnics and flying kites.
As you head out of the park you're heading back to Newport
Harbor, and pass the Castle Hill Lighthouse, Hammersmith Farm,
and Fort Adams Park.
The Fort Adams State Park is on Harrison Avenue, and you'll turn
left at the next intersection, and left again onto Halidon
Avenue. Continue right onto Wellington Avenue and you'll pass by
King Park on your left, which is at the southern end of Newport
Harbor, and leads you back into the city center where the tour
ends.