1 Best Sight in Newport County and East Bay, Rhode Island

Cliff Walk

Fodor's choice

See the "backyards" of Newport's famous oceanfront Gilded Age mansions while strolling along this 3½-mile public walkway. The designated National Recreation Trail stretches from Memorial Boulevard at the western end of Easton's Beach (also called First Beach) south to the eastern end of Bailey's Beach. Along the way you'll pass Salve Regina University's Ochre Court, the Breakers, Forty Steps at Narragansett Avenue, Rosecliff, and Marble House and its Chinese Tea House. Park on either Memorial Boulevard or Narragansett Avenue. The trail is relatively flat and easily walkable between Memorial Boulevard and the Angelsea mansion; beyond that point, it's a mix of unpaved trail and scrambles over rocky cliffs. However, a partial collapse of the Cliff Walk between 40 Steps and Ochre Court in 2022 has necessitated a short street detour for the foreseeable future. Make sure you apply sunscreen, wear comfortable rubber-soled shoes, and bring your own water.