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: South Ferry Road - URI Bay Campus
Town: Narragansett
Driving Landmarks: This site is on the URI Bay Campus and is easy to find. From Route 1A (Boston Neck Road) take South Ferry Road towards the Bay Campus and simply follow South Ferry Road straight to were it dead ends at the shore. If you are coming from Route 1 take Bridgetown Road (Route 138) east (at Tower Hill) and follow the road to Route 1A. When you get to Route 1A go straight across 1A and you will be on South Ferry Road, which leads straight to the site.
ADA Accessible Boat Launch? no
Shoreline: Sand and gravel beach
Float/Dock: no
Approximate Length of Carry between Car Access and Water: 25 feet
Parking: parking lot, 8 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:This site on the URI Bay Campus has a nice gravel and sand beach very suitable for launching sea kayaks. It might also be possible to launch trailered boats here but you would be driving on sand and gravel not a hard surface ramp. The parking lot next to the beach is not very big but there is more parking just up the hill. Once on the water you are on the open waters of the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, so wind, waves and boat traffic should be expected. Heading south from this site you can paddle by 50 foot cliffs on the way to Bonnet Shores. Heading north takes you past Plum Beach and towards the Jamestown Bridge. Experienced paddlers can head east across the West Passage to Dutch Island (a 1 mile crossing) and Fort Getty Park.
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.