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 hand-carried boats such as canoes or kayaks.
Site Name: Kings Beach
Alternate Site Name: Ocean Avenue
Town: Newport
Driving Landmarks: From the Fisherman's Memorial on Ocean Drive at Brenton Point continue east 0.8 miles on Ocean Avenue and look for a small sign on the right for Kings Beach Fishing Area. Turn right and follow this dirt road to the end.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: Rocks and gravel and the remnants of a concrete boat ramp
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 100 feet
Parking: parking lot, 20 spaces
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: ocean/bay
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:Kings Beach is a fishing access site at the east end of Brenton Point State Park. There is a gravel parking lot here and a gravelly "beach" that in good weather can be used to launch sea kayaks, but only very experienced kayakers should attempt to paddle in this area because the shoreline is rugged and there is no shelter from waves sweeping in off the Atlantic Ocean. The water can go from calm to boiling breakers with little warning. Pay attention to the tidal currents as well. While the tides are not usually that strong right off the shore here, if you round Brenton Point they can be much stronger going in and out of the East Passage. Heading west from this site takes you along the rocky shoreline of Brenton Point State Park towards the Brenton Point and the entrance to the East Passage. Heading east takes you along more rocky shoreline on the way to Lands End.
On most days the southwest wind fills in strongly in this area in the morning and blows briskly throughout the afternoon, producing strong waves, so be prepared for this when planning your trip.
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.