Down by the Bay at Colt State Park, Bristol, RI

Colt State Park is one of my favorite Rhode Island parks to visit. Located in Bristol right on the water, you have spectacular views of Narragansett Bay, and if you look north, views of the Providence River. On a clear day, you can even see the capital city. (I feel like a big shot writing, “the capital city.” I don’t know why… I just do.)

You can’t complain with the parking lots at Colt State Park. As you drive down the mile or so on the main road, or ride, if you’ve taken the East Bay Bike Path (for more on that, check out 5 Free Things to do in Providence), you’ll see that there are three right on the water. If you’re one of the lucky ones with a boat, you’ll be welcomed by a parking lot with a boat launch. As I’m just a peasant with a car as my only means of transportation, I parked farther down the road. Either way, you can’t go wrong with the views. The picture below shows my view standing next to my parked car.

Views of the Bay

Once we left my car, we were captivated by sound of the water and the hint of salt you smell in the air. We walked along the path that hugs the coast, ready to embark on our 20-30 minute stroll around this walkway’s loop.

The path turns left, following the outline of the land. If you’re sure-footed, you can hop along the rocks. Be careful though, they can be slippery. Along the way, there are plenty of picnic tables and benches. The benches offer a nice place to sit and admire the view. I had too much energy that day, so we didn’t sit, but I did take so many pictures of benches that my wife thought I was going insane. Below the photo of the path is my favorite shot of the benches.

Through the Woods

The path soon turns into the forest. As you head into the woods, the wind dies down. We decided that we’ll be coming back to this exact spot in the fall to take a picture of the leaves.

At the end of this section of the path, you’ll pass the park headquarters and an expansive field.

Looping Back by the Bridge

At the headquarters, take a left and you’ll be walking parallel to the Bass River. There are a couple of places along this stretch of the path where you can take in the scenery. As you get closer to the bridge, you’ll realize that this walking loop is pretty much complete. Instead of walking back to the car, we decided to go over the pedestrian bridge.

Once on the bridge, you can admire the tidal river flowing in or out or turn around and gaze at the path you just walked on.

The end of the loop

It may be the end of the walking loop, but it doesn’t mean that it has to be the end of your adventure at Colt State Park. Instead of heading back to your car, you can continue walking past the bridge. Or, you could go back near the water and have a picnic, play frisbee, or even sit on one of those benches that I took a hundred photos of. Whatever you decide to do, you can’t go wrong!

---

Subscribe and join us on our adventures!

First name Email Address

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

---

Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England!

If you like local hikes, you should check out these places:

• Ridge Hill Reserve, Dartmouth
• Hiking Simmons Pond in Little Compton
• New Bedford Harbor Walk
• Destruction Brook Woods, Dartmouth
• A Stroll at the Westport Town Farm
• Gooseberry Island in Westport
• Sandwich’s WWII Remains
• East Over Reservation, Rochester
• Natural Resources Trust of Easton
• Colt State Park, Bristol
• The Knob, Falmouth
• Blackstone Gorge, Blackstone
• Quequechan River Rail Trail, Fall River
• Lyman Reserve, Plymouth/Bourne/Wareham
• Lawrence Island, Bourne
• Meshanticut State Park, Cranston
• South Mount Sugarloaf, Deerfield
• Hiking up Mount Wachusett, Princeton, MA

---

---

Colt State Park is located off of Route 114 in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England!