Rocky Point Park

About

Rocky Point State Park occupies a point of land on Narragansett Bay in Warwick, Rhode Island, on the site of a well known amusement park. William Winslow bought the land in 1847 and began serving shore dinners and offering amusements to visitors who arrived by steamboat. Over the following century the site grew into one of New England's largest amusement parks, with roller coasters, a log flume, the Skyliner gondola, a Freefall drop ride, a ferris wheel, and a carousel. The park closed in November 1994 after its parent company ran into financial trouble, and the grounds sat empty for over a decade.

The City of Warwick bought 41 acres of the property in August 2008, and a walking path opened to the public in June 2011 while demolition of the remaining ride structures and buildings continued through 2014. Rhode Island voters approved a 2010 ballot measure to buy the rest of the land by nearly two to one, the state took final title to the additional 83 acres in March 2013, and the roughly 120-acre park opened officially on October 25, 2014.

Most visits center on the paved waterfront path and a deep-water fishing pier that opened in July 2020, the only one of its kind on this stretch of the bay. Walkers, joggers, and anglers use the path and pier, and the open lawns work for a picnic or a walk with a dog. Scattered across the grounds are remnants of the old amusement park: the steel tower from the 1906 Circle Swing ride, the ruined base of the old Skyliner gondola station, and a peace arch built for the 1964 World's Fair and restored in 2016. The park also hosts seasonal lawn movie nights and 5K runs. Most people spend an hour or two walking the loop and the pier; anglers tend to stay longer.

Rocky Point sits about 10 miles south of Providence, roughly a 20-minute drive down Route 117 and Warwick Avenue, and about 15 minutes from T.F. Green International Airport. It shares the Warwick waterfront with Oakland Beach and Conimicut Point, both a short drive away, and with Goddard Memorial State Park a few miles south.

Accessibility

Rocky Point State Park is workable for a wheelchair or scooter on its main paved areas, with one caveat: of the two parking lots, one has a steep path down to the park, so the second, larger lot is the easier approach.

Both lots sit off Rocky Point Avenue. Rhode Island DEM has not published a count of accessible parking spaces for the park. If you can, use the larger lot; DEM's own accessibility notes describe its path to the shoreline as easier than the one from the smaller lot.

From either lot, a paved path runs along the shoreline and connects to the fishing pier, which opened in July 2020. DEM's statewide accessibility chart lists Rocky Point among the parks with a paved trail and an accessible fishing area, but not among those with hand-cycle paths or ADA-designated picnic tables. The small beach area is reached by crossing a stretch of grass to a ramp, a route that can be difficult for a manual wheelchair even though a scooter typically manages it.

Restrooms at the park are portable toilets in the main lot; one is described as an accessible unit, though DEM does not detail its dimensions or door width. Rocky Point does not appear on the state's list of parks offering loaner beach wheelchairs, walkers, or beach access mats, so bring your own mobility equipment if you plan to leave the paved path.

Call the park at (401) 884-2010 before you go if you need specifics on the accessible parking spaces or restroom, or to report a barrier. RIDEM's ADA coordinator, Tricia Quest, can also help with accommodation requests at 401-537-4413.

Checked by Accessible America, August 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Rhode Island

• Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (Providence)
• Roger Williams National Memorial (Providence)
• Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium (Bristol)
• Newport Car Museum (Portsmouth)
• Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark (Pawtucket)
• Providence Performing Arts Center (Providence)