watch hill beach

Just a brief walk on a paved trail brings you to the lighthouse. You have excellent views of Montauk Point Light at the tip of Long Island and Block Island. It's easy to walk, no traffic and the bird watching is great as well.

Loved the views, food and service.It was easy to relax at one of their fireplaces as we were entertained by a jazz band.

We wanted to see the Ocean House and the Watch Hill Lighthouse. The Ocean House was something to see. We didn't go inside, however, it make for a great photo. We drove around the corner down to the beach parking lot and parked. Since it was October, the carousel was closed as well as many of the shops. We walked up the hill to find the lighthouse. A lot of the property along the way was private and we weren't sure if we would have access to the lighthouse. We came upon a road where a man was standing. He told us we could walk down the road which led us past some gorgeous houses, with tall hedges, to the lighthouse. My guess is that we walked 1/2 a mile. No cars were aloud on the road. We arrived at the lighthouse and took some nice photos. As we were heading back, we were afforded beautiful views of the homes, to include Taylor Swift's eight room house, and the beach. We were impressed with what we saw. I'd recommend stopping in Watch Hill to see the Ocean House, the lighthouse, and the beauty of the area.

The town was nearly deserted in October when we went. Beware: no public bathrooms around in the off season!The beach itself is gorgeous. There appears to be only one or two public access points. One is a skinny dirt/rock path (fun face: right next to a house owned by Taylor Swift). Would not recommend barefooting the path. The sand is so smooth. Not many rocks or shells. So many beautiful houses and hotels.

Made it to the marina just in time to park and run toward the dune where you can see the sunset best. Spectacular view! Will absolutely try to make it back before we leave Rhode Island so we can see and do more. With the season over, I don't know how much activity goes on in the coastal town with the cooler temps.

With 2 girls (9 & 12) there are certain criteria that are essential (of equal importance):1. Bathrooms 2. Food (because we were staying in a hotel, it's not like we can pack a cooler)3. Clean beach4. No steep drop-offs, undertow, sharp rocky beach, etc.5. Relative ease of parking in relation to the beachI did extensive research online (tourism offices, tripadvisor, yelp, etc.) to be sure we found the right fit for us, since we were only going to be there for one day. Reviews were pretty confusing, so I'm hoping to clarify a bit for anyone in the same situation as we were. (in fact, one very lengthy blog supposedly was describing Watch Hill, but after being there, I now know she was actually at East Beach! I know this because of her photos.) Watch Hill Beach and East Beach are 2 different beaches. They are divided by a spit of land with a few (very large) private homes. ENTRANCE FEE: Watch Hill has an entrance fee (depending on age). We were there mid-week and paid $22 for our family of 4. East Beach is free.PARKING: We parked in a lot about 1/2 way up the hill from the carousel and paid $25 for the day. I do not know if there are other parking lots around, but this one was relatively small, and was nearly full by the time we got there (about 10am midweek). From this parking lot, you walk down the hill a short distance to the carousel & Watch Hill Beach. If you are going to East Beach from here, its an uphill walk.BATHROOMS: There are public bathrooms right next to the carousel (which is also the entrance to Watch Hill beach) Uncertain if there are bathrooms at East Beach...in my research it did not seem there were, but I cannot confirm this. One of the reasons we chose Watch Hill was because we knew for sure there would be bathrooms close by. FOOD: Starting directly at the beach entrance is a street lined with shops. We ate at St. Clair Annex, practically right at the beach entrance. Nothing fancy, but everyone was able to get something. (The cheeseburgers were excellent!) The grinders looked great going by - fresh and substantial. The cook is right behind the counter so you see him preparing your food. They are cash-only. They also have an ice cream counter, all of ours were really good. Simple, reasonable, and convenient. There were not too many other choices for food, esp with kids. Going down the street, most of the shops seemed to be clothes, jewelry and flip flops. Don't think we saw a single t-shirt/souvenir shop...the area is pretty upscale. THE BEACH: very clean, nice sand, warmer than expected water. The tide was coming in, and there was an undertow, so we didn't venture out more than waist deep, but it was a gradual slope. With the tide coming in, the waves were perfect for my kids...not too small, not too big. The biggest surprise about the beach was how SMALL it was. Looking on Google maps, it looked like you could walk all the way to the point, which was one of the reasons I chose it. Turns out however, there are cabana clubs between Watch Hill and the point, and the beach was private. There was a sign on the beach marking the end of the public beach. We were not sure if that meant you couldn't walk across it, or just couldn't set up your blanket; we walked across it to the bay side and hoped nobody took offence. Otherwise, if you were to stroll from one end of Watch Hill Beach to the other, it would take you probably all of 6 minutes! Perhaps there is a way for the public to access the point...if there is it wasn't obvious to us.The bay side - where the boats anchor for the day & folks cross the dunes to the ocean side. It was much better there for shelling (if you can call it that) and lots of cool round rocks. But again, we had to cross the private beach to get there. At the end of the day, we took a walk to East Beach to check it out. It is a hike from the shop-lined street. Up the hill, then down a long, narrow, sand path to the beach. Plenty of folks were hauling their stuff...I was glad not to be one of them, at least with kids & all the stuff that goes with them. The beach looked very long, and for whatever reason, the surf seemed much bigger.So in a nutshell, Watch Hill met all our criteria. Husband was irritated we paid to get onto Watch Hill beach when (free) East beach was walking distance away. But if we go back, I would fork over the $ again. Personally, East Beach seems like too much work when you are looking for a relaxing day at the beach.

What a surprise, lovely nice and clean beach. Warm water. Lovely view. You really have to go out of your way to find this place. It was our first time here, at a friend's suggestion. We didn't come super early and had to park in the far away lot. $25 parking for weekdays but you could park on the street for longer than 2hrs (we were told). It was a bit of a walk to the beach and we paid $7 each to go to the public beach. Showers and bathrooms nearby. Beach is small as there are cabanas further along and a beach club. We later learned that you could go on the East beach for free but no life guard or bathrooms. Seems like Taylor Swift has a property nearby which stops the traffic when she is in town. All in all, very relaxing, clean beach, fine sand, concession stand nearby, ice cream nearby and a carousel. Shopping/dining within walking distance. Pricey area.

We love this beach and visit often. Over the years, however, it has changed as far as attention needed for cleanliness. The location is spectacular. The beach itself does need raking daily and holes filled where children dig during the day. The seaweed/grass is just piled up and attracts flies. The restrooms near the carousel are in disrepair. The locks to the stalls are broken and the floors unclean. The trash overflows and is really disgusting. It's been this way for the past few years now and just seems to be getting worse. The staff needs to clean it up. With so many tourists for the season, you would think they would want to make a good impression. Hopefully, they clean it up.

The beach area of Watch Hill is a small shopping area. It boasts of the oldest carousel in America. We walked around, got some ice cream and enjoyed this stopover.

You will not be disappointed! Easy parking, very clean! The area is nice to spend the day shopping or relaxing.

Have loved this little beach since I started going there about 15 years ago. I love the little path through the beach roses, the sandy dunes, the beautiful houses, and the water here is the best! Sandy beach, waves, warm water, what else could you ask for?