Newport offers lovely scenic drives especially in foliage season

Beautiful drives for motored vehicles, motor bikes, and bicycles surround Newport and nearby town of Jamestown on Conanicut Island. Drives include Bellevue Avenue in Newport, where visitors can see many of the famous Newport mansions; Ocean Drive, along Newport's magnificent rocky cliffs and passing Fort Adams State Park; and Conanicut Island drive, passing the spectacular scenery of Narragansett Bay, rolling fields, and historic homes of Jamestown.

Conanicut Island

East Shore Road and North Main Road Jamestown, RI

Conanicut Island, home of the town of Jamestown as well as Beavertail Park, is located in Narragansett Bay between the mainland of southern Rhode Island and Aquidneck Island, home of Newport. Conanicut Island is a long, narrow, north-to-south strip of land, and it is a lovely drive past fields, towns, gardens, and salt marshes, with distant views of the bay, the mainland, and arching bridges. Two parallel north-south roads that travel the length of the island are East Shore Road and North Main Road. Toward the southern part of the island, take Beavertail Road to the magnificent Beavertail Park, with its expansive views of the bay, rocky shores, and lighthouse.

Ocean Drive and Fort Adams

Newport, RI

Length: 10 miles

In the early 1800s many wealthy New Yorkers escaped to Newport on "Rhode Island" during the hot summers. Today, Newport's Ten Mile Drive combines that history of a wealthy summer community with a fabulous Newport recreational treasure of public parks and miles of public access shoreline to rank as one of the most popular drives in the country.
Driving directions: From The Elms on Bellevue Avenue [just south of Memorial Blvd.], drive south to Narragansett Avenue. Turn left [east] onto Narragansett Avenue and drive down to Ochre Point Avenue. Turn right onto Ochre Point Avenue, where a number of the historic estates are located. At the end of Ochre Point Avenue turn right [west] on Ruggles Avenue. At the intersection of Ruggles and Bellevue Avenue turn left [south] on Bellevue Avenue to drive by the Beechwood, Marble House, Rosecliff, Belcourt Castle, and Rough Point mansions.
At the end of Bellevue Avenue turn right onto Coggeshall Avenue and take the first left onto Ocean Avenue. On Ocean Avenue drive along the ocean by Bailey's Beach, Hazard Beach, and Gooseberry Beach. Turn right onto Castle Hill Avenue; drive north to the first intersection and turn left onto Ridge Road to go by the U.S. Coast Guard Station and past Ocean Cliff. At the end of Ridge Road turn left onto Harrison Avenue to go by Hammersmith Farm and Fort Adams. At the next intersection turn left and then left again onto Halidon Avenue. Continue right onto Wellington Avenue to go by Newport's King Park. King Park is the southern end of Newport Harbor and the Newport Harbor Walk.
Click to view mapOcean Drive and Fort Adams Map