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: Fort Getty
Town: Jamestown
Driving Landmarks: If coming from the west bay, cross the Jamestown bridge and take the North Main Road exit. Turn right onto North Main Road. In 2 miles North Main Road takes a slight bend to the right and becomes Southwest Avenue. Follow Southwest Avenue across the causeway, where it becomes Beavertail Road, and look for the entrance to the park on your right.
If coming from Newport, take the Jamestown exit (just after the toll booth). Turn right at the end of the ramp and go 0.4 miles to the T-junction with Conanicus Avenue. Turn left on Conanicus Avenue and follow it into the center of Jamestown and turn right on Narragansett Avenue. Go 0.4 miles to the junction with Southwest Avenue and turn left. Follow Southwest Avenue across the causeway, where it becomes Beavertail Road, and look for the entrance to the park on your right.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: Asphalt boat ramp and nearby sandy beaches.
Float/Dock: low float or dock
Parking: parking lot, overnight parking permitted
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:Forty Getty State Park is one of the few places in the Bay where you can paddle to a campsite. The park and campground are owned and run by the Town of Jamestown. It is a popular site for boating, fishing, camping and swimming. Advanced reservations for camping are recommended. There are fees to enter the park in season. The boat ramp is asphalt and reported to be in good condition. Dutch Island Harbor, north of Fort Getty, offers interesting possibilities for exploration in sea kayaks. Both Dutch Island Harbor and the adjacent West Passage are relatively exposed and can get rough if the wind kicks up. 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.
Note that as of July 2011 the town is charging $20/day to park at Fort Getty and $30/day to park a car with a trailer. Full details of the fees for using Fort Getty are available on the Fort Getty website. Note that the fees are listed under "camping rates" even though some of the fees relate to day use.
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.