Welcome to the ExploreRI Mapper
This mapper will help you locate boat launches and other points of interest to for small boat recreation throughout the state of Rhode Island. To get started, click anywhere on the map to zoom in on that area. To zoom out use the zoom control to the left of the map. Once you have zoomed in, boat launches and other points of interest will show up on the map as clickable red icons (see the key below the map). Click on an icon to get more information about that location. If you prefer to search by criteria or simply look up a site by name, try the boat launch search page. If you have a high-speed Internet connection (e.g., DSL or Cable), you may want to try our Google-based mapping system which also includes sites in the Narragansett Bay Watershed in Massachusetts.
KEY
Hand Carry Boat Launch
Boat Ramp
Portage
Other Type of Site
The location you clicked on is a site for launching boats from trailers. Boat ramps can normally be used to launch canoes and kayaks but please do your best to keep the boat ramp clear for boat trailers.
Site Name: Gorton Pond
Town: Warwick
Driving Landmarks: From I-95 southbound take Exit 10A, which puts you on Route 117 east. From I-95 northbound take Exit 10 and turn right at the end of the ramp onto Route 117 east. Once on Route 117 east go straight for a little over a mile and then go left at the fork, following the signs for Route 1 north. Go another 0.1 miles and go left at another fork, here following the signs for Route 1 SOUTH. This puts you on Veterans Memorial Drive heading west. Go a few hundred feet turn right into the entrance for the Warwick Police Station. Follow the road through the police station parking lot, bearing left in front of the station. The boat ramp is on the right at the back of the parking lot next to the VIN check station. The parking is on the left.
To get back to the highway go back out through the police station lot and turn right onto Veterans Memorial Drive. Go 0.1 mile and stay left at the fork. Go another 0.1 miles and turn right at the light onto Route 117 west. The ramps to I-95 north and south are about 3/4 mile down the road.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: A gently sloping asphalt boat ramp leads down to the water line. From there it is a sand and gravel surface leading into the pond.
Float/Dock: no
Parking: parking lot, 50 spaces
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: lake/reservior
Note: Because one boat launch can access, say, both a lake and a river or both the upstream and downstream portions of a river, not all paddling trips at a given site will necessarily encounter all of the features listed.
Comments & Overview:Gorton Pond is a 58-acre peaceful oasis in a dense suburban neighborhood. There are houses and buildings all around the pond, except for a small public beach at the southeast corner, but most of the houses are at least a bit screened by trees. Gasoline engines are not allowed on the pond so any boats on the pond should be relatively slow moving. About 900 feet east of the boat ramp is an elaborate, handicapped-accessible fishing dock with two roofed gazebos. To get this dock by land go back out to Veterans Memorial Drive and walk east for a few hundred feet and look for the dock on your left at the back of a parking lot. This is also the parking lot for the beach. The beach is just a little further east down a path that runs next to the road. The dock is designed for fishing and has a railing all around it so it is not suitable for getting in and out of a boat. The boat ramp is also the better place to launch hand-carried boats.
For more details see the full site report
The data on this website comes from many sources, including volunteers and organizations across the state of Rhode Island and nearby parts of Massachusetts. We have done our best to make sure the data are accurate and up to date, but any information critical to the success of your trip should be confirmed before you start. The maps and information on this website should not be substituted for nautical charts, topographic maps, or other more detailed maps and guides. We welcome corrections and additions. To send a correction or provide other feedback, please use our feedback form.
Credits: The data for the base maps was provided by the Rhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS) and the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The site data came from numerous sources and organizations. Much of it was collected through the hard work of volunteers for various conservation, watershed and outdoor recreation groups around the state of Rhode Island.