Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Beavertail State Park encompasses 153 acres at the southern end of Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. From the air, the island resembles a beaver’s tail, hence the name. The state created the park in 1980 from federal surplus land.

At this park, you can visit a historic lighthouse, see the remnants of an old fort, explore tide pools and walk along coastal trails. Many people we saw were simply relaxing in the ocean breeze with the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

The granite Beavertail Lighthouse, from 1856, sits at the tip of the park. It replaced an earlier wooden lighthouse from 1749.

Beavertail Fort stood watch over the bay during the revolutionary war. The British burned it down, along with the lighthouse, when they withdrew from Newport in 1779.

The island became home to a fort again during World War II. Fort Burnside included a naval base disguised as a coastal mansion and two gun batteries. We walked by the remains of Battery Whiting on our way to the lighthouse.

Newport Area Posts➤

• Beavertail State Park
• Beavertail Light
• The Cliff Walk
• Easton’s Beach
• Ochre Court
• The Breakers
• Newport Historic District
• Touro Synagogue
• Old Colony House
• Fort Adams
• Brenton Point

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Location: Beavertail Rd, Jamestown, RI 02835
Designation: State Park
Date designated/established: 1980
Date of my visit: October 2, 2021