The Merry-Go-Round Beach is open to the public. Admittance to the beach is charged on a daily or seasonal basis. Admittance is free for Watch Hill Fire District taxpayers and to members of the Watch Hill Fire Department.
Amenities include: cabana, beach box, chair and umbrella rentals, public restrooms, beach showers, and lifeguards. The Fire District recently purchased a “Mobi-Chair” beach wheelchair and “Mobi-Mat” to enable handicapped access on the beach.
Bathrooms, open to the public seasonally, are located between the Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round and the Merry-Go-Round Ticket Window and Beach Office.
Entrance can be found at the south end of Bay Street, 151 Bay Street, just to the right of the Merry-Go-Round.
For information about amenities, pricing and hours of operation, visit The Merry Go Round Beach’s website.
Napatree Point Conservation Area (NPCA) is an important ecological preserve and wildlife refuge, where only passive recreation is permitted. Over 40,000 people visited NPCA last year alone; to preserve this extraordinary asset, we ask that you comply with the Rules of Respectful Enjoyment, which can be viewed here: https://thewatchhillconservancy.org/napatree/visiting-napatree/.
There are no lifeguards on duty. The entrance can be accessed by foot at the southwest end of the harbor seawall. Please use only walking paths marked by yellow poles to cross the dunes.
East Beach stretches three miles, heading east from the Lighthouse. No lifeguards are on duty, and visitors are expected to practice “pack-in/pack-out” when bringing disposables to the beach. Thanks to the non-profit East Beach Association, whose motto is “Leave only footprints behind”, the beach is kept clean and the dune habitat safe; details of beach rules and town ordinances can be found at East Beach Association’s website.
Please be respectful of the neighbors whose properties abut the beach—the area above the mean high-tide line inland, including dunes, is private property. Entrances to East Beach can be found on Bluff Avenue, Everett Avenue and Manatuck Avenue.
222 Watch Hill Road • Westerly, RI 02891
Phone: (401) 348-6540
Office Hours: Saturday, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm in season