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: Goddard State Park
Town: Warwick
Driving Landmarks: From Route 4 take the exit for Route 401 (Division Street). Take a right at the end of the ramp (this applies no matter which way you were going on Route 4). Follow 401 into downtown East Greenwich and take a right at the stop light onto Main Street (Route 1). Go 1/2 mile south on Main Street then turn left onto Old Forge Road. Old Forge Road becomes Ives Road, which leads to the park. During the summer enter through the main entrance, which is at the far (east) end of the park (about 2 miles from Main Street) and then backtrack to the boat ramp, which is at the west end of the park. During the off-season you can enter at the west end through the white stone pillars (not the horse farm/farmers market entrance).
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: Concrete plank boat ramp and gravel beach
Float/Dock: no
Hours of Operation: Sunrise to sunset, year-round
Parking: parking lot, 50 spaces
ADA Accessible Parking Spaces? no
Water 'Features' At Site: estuary, 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:Goddard State Park is a large state park with many amenities, including a concrete plank boat ramp. However, the ramp is in poor condition and only usable for trailered boats at high tide. For boats on trailers, the municipal boat ramp on the other side of Greenwich Cove is likely to be better. For everyone else, Goddard Park has much to offer, from beaches to walking trails to fishing, restrooms, and picnic areas. In the off-season it is also possible to launch hand-carried boats from the far east end of the swimming beach. Goddard State Park provides access to Greenwich Cove, Greenwich Bay and Narragansett Bay beyond. Greenwich Cove is very sheltered but can be busy. Greenwich Bay can be rough if the wind picks up and it can also be busy in the summer, but under most conditions this is a fine area for less experienced paddlers. On most days the southwest wind does fill in strongly in this area in the morning and blow throughout the afternoon, producing significant waves on Greenwich Bay, 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.