The Corn Neck Road Beaches of Block Island, Rhode Island
Block Island is a small island off of the coast of Rhode Island that has a natural coastal New England feel and some great beaches to explore.The town of New Shorham was founded in 1672 and is the smallest town in the smallest state in the United States. There are may different types of beaches on the island. Some are more accessible than others and range from soft sand beaches to very rocky beaches. Check out our post to help plan your epic journey to “The Block”.
This post will focus on the specific stretch of beaches on the eastern side of Block Island referred to as Crescent Beach. There is a road called Corn Neck Road that connects the entrances to the coastline’s beaches. This span of amazing coastline includes many beaches that are sure to suit whatever you are looking for. If you don’t plan on having a car with you, some beaches are walkable from the ferry at Old Harbor. These include Baby Beach, Fred Benson’s Town Beach and Scotch Beach. You can easily bring or rent a bike to get around. There are also a few car rental places on the island. Just call in advance to reserve to make sure they have availability. There are a lot of great restaurants where corn neck road starts. There is a Block Island Grocery that has a lot of good food options and snacks and beverages for the beach.Here is a map that you can use to help you navigate the island
After Fred Benson’s Town Beach there is Scotch Beach. Scotch beach has a great stretch of prime coastline on Block Island. There is limited parking but there are spots along corn neck road and also on Scotch Beach Road where the entrance to the beach is. This beach is ideal for being able to soak up some rays and also enjoy some privacy while there. You can ride your bike with a chair backpack or even walk from Fred Bensons. The Great Salt Pond is just across the street for all you kayakers out there. There is a lot of activity to see on the Great Salt Pond. Here is a beautiful panoramic video of Scotch Beach with the Great Salt Pond in the background.
After Scotch Beach the next beach on the coastline is Mansion Beach. Mansion Beach is a great beach and has slightly more challenging surf than at Scotch. If you are looking to get some boogie boarding in or even surfing, Mansion Beach is likely your best shot. There is always something fun to do and see at Mansion Beach. This is one of our favorite beach fabulous spots on Block Island. There used to be an old mansion here, that’s how it got it’s name. There are some old remnants of the structure where the parking lot is. This is a gorgeous New England beach!
You can usually find parking in the lot but may have to wait a little bit for parking on certain days. You can ride bikes but this is the farthest beach to trek to from the ferry and it’s down a dirt road. Depending on where you are staying you can bike but don’t forget the beach gear!
Mansion Beach has quite a history with the original beach having a mansion perched over the dunes that overlook the sea. Built in the 1880s by Edward Searles and his wife, Mary Hopkins Searles, widow of railroad magnate Mark Hopkins and once described as the “richest woman in America, the architecture followed the “English Mannerist” theme and was designed by British-born Henry Vaughn.
Here are some old photos of the mansion that used to sit atop Mansion Beach.
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