We walked on this beach this morning, before the crowds. This State Beach is not far from our Roy Carpenter's beach, so it's easy to go from one to the other. Many people rate this beach as the best State beach in RI. The sand is soft and the beach area is ample. Lots of people come here, there's lots of parking. Electric vehicle charging stations are available for 4 hours max while enjoying the beach. read more

This is a beautiful and clean beach. Lined with beautiful sand dunes. The soft sand makes it enjoyable to go for a long walk. Large parking makes it easy to find a spot. There were bathrooms and a little spot to get some basic food and drinks. Would definitely come again. read more

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We had an amazing afternoon relaxing on the beach and swimming in the ocean. The water is clean and the restrooms are immaculate. I will be visiting this beach again. read more

Hands down one of the best beaches in the state of Rhode Island. Seriously underrated. Amenities Include: Pavilion/Restrooms/lifeguards/large parking lot/food/ice cream/showers:changing rooms! Usually there are limited crowds, and great waves. However when I came down today Wednesday July 20th the lot was completely full & there were so many people on the beach it was hard to find a spot to set out stuff down. This is pretty atypical for this beach- usually there are not many people & beautiful water & sand. The water today had surprisingly a lot of seaweed as well, also not what I am used to here! The water is usually clear and beautiful. However this is very rare for this beach. So overall I highly recommend this beach, hopefully today's trip was a fluke- with the crowds & the seaweed! Just keep an eye on the kiddos- as there are strong rip currents, undertow's, etc! read more

East Matunuck State Beach - East Matunuck - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

East Matunuck Beach is by far my favorite New England beach. I should give it 1 just so no one will go there, but I think it's one of the best. Hopefully, no one reads my review and they won't go. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beautiful beach! - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Beautiful RI beach. Quite, quaint, and allowed our family to enjoy the water. We went during the week, alter in the day. We still had to spend full price but it was worth it to see my daughter so happy to be jumping the waves! It's a small parking lot but there looked to be a decent pavilion (we did not visit.) People were spread out and just enjoying the day. I can say it was nice to see the boats coming and going from Block island but not crowded like Salty Brine. Also this is close to the Ocean Mist and Matunuck Oyster bar. Just in general a nice area for family time. Be careful though, lots of dips while walking out into the ocean- very deceiving. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Welcome - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

One of my favorite beaches in RI! The sand is beautiful and the facilities are superb. The snack bar has a bunch of really creative options. Make sure you don't go to Matunuck instead as it's a little bit less beautiful. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Season starts 5/28 - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Great beach. $14 to enter. Nice crowd & nice sights. The Oyster house less than a mile away is an added bonus. One of the nicest beaches in Rhode Island read more

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I'm laying on the beach enjoying the sound of the waves when these two life guards are very loudly laughing and talking about how they slept in the car last night and drove to work drunk today. These are the people responsible for ensuring safety at the beach. It's horrible to think they are on the road none the less in a position monitoring public safety read more

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My boyfriend and his family have been going since he was little and we went for the first time together with our 3 month old extremely family friendly we were on the private side so there were dogs which was also so nice absolutely amazing beach. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

As far as beaches go, this is one of the best the state has to offer. The beach is clean, the water is clean. The pavilion isn't bad either! I love East Matunuck Beach because it has, "the west wall" a great big jetty that juts out a quarter mile into the ocean. It is great to watch the Point Judith / Block Island Ferry pass by. And it is a great fishing spot. You will find me there once a week in the summer, even if it is just to fish for a couple of hours! read more

Absolutely gorgeous beach. We have family in this area and based upon their suggestion we took a drive to this gorgeous spot. There was plenty of parking and it was extremely easy to walk to see the ocean view. The beach was clean and absolutely perfect. We sat and took in the air and enjoyed every minute of it. read more

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Great Sandy Beach, super clean and great bech to walk along the edge I wish you could play Frisbee or ball. The snack bar is super expensive and didn't have half of the menu items. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beach Day - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Not as great as the hype I was provided from colleagues. As it is a fresh water beat, you need to prepare your family for the quality of the water as well as the beach. read more

Went a couple of weeks ago on a Friday, the current was strong and the lifeguards were absolutely amazing rescuing several people from the rough current, kudos to them all for all their hard work!! Beautiful beach and the restrooms are well kept....more beaches can learn from this beach and its restroom set up!!! read more

I've been going to this beach since 1989, when my grandparents first bought a cottage in nearby (then) Wakamo Park. Beautiful and clean. The reviewer who complained about fish eggs and seaweed clearly doesn't understand how the ocean works. These things always come and go at any beach. East Matunuck has an almost private feel, as the dunes obscure the view of the street. The facilities are beautiful and even the food is good. read more

I've been coming to the RI shore for 13 years. I've not come to this beach because Scarborough so close. I'm glad I made the choice to change. This beach is serene. There are a good mix of families, teens, college kids and singles. People respect each other. It's a pleasant place to be. There is a pavilion constructed in 2012. It's state of the art. There is seating with an amazing view. The snack shack is top notch. Great selection and surprisingly affordable. The waves are good and the beach is clean. Can't wait to be back. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beach house - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

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We love this beach. This past weekend we were in RI and we have an English Parakeet. Our day for the beach was Sunday and we needed to check out of our hotel so we had the parakeet with us. I saw the "no pet" policy and was very concerned about the car being too hot for the bird. I went to the managers station and asked permission and was informed our parakeet is welcome at the beach, in his cage, as long as he doesn't bother anyone. The manager clarified the no pet policy to say that cats, dogs, and horses are no allowed. This isn't to say that large screeching parrots, or snakes, or other critters are ok but our small single (wing clipped) parakeet in his cage is welcome. Thank you! read more

Clean and well kept this beach is a treasure. Life guards are alert and friendly. They have a food food so close to the beach and the water isnt far away. read more

Horrible parking system snd very crowded. Rocky and foul smelling . One of the worst beaches I've ever been to!

Nope. Nope. Nope. Gross beach full of red tide seaweed and the devil's eggs of plankton. Imagine a BILLION clear, squishy jelly beans. Super slippery on the shore. You feel them bonking into your legs as you stand in the surf. The clear eggs (?) stick to the kids boogie boards. And you have nightmares about swallowing them. Such a tragedy! Because the bathrooms, showers, changing facilities, food, soft sand...were all outstanding. Should have been an amazing day. But nope- had to pack up once we had sunscreened and ventured into the water. TL;DR great facilities. Gross beach. read more

Perfect beach in every way- EXCEPT THE NIGHTMARE PARKING LOT. This is my favorite beach and partly because I live so close to it. I describe this beach as a step up from sand hill cove. Meaning the waves are a bit bigger and it is perfect transition for your kid that isn't a baby anymore. The waves are perfect. Not too small not to big. The sand area is not too big either, so it packs up fast..but also empty's fast. The parking lot is horrible. They really need someone directing people how to park. Because there are no lines cars usually take up two spaces. The beach opens at 9am and the lot fills up within minutes. They have a wait line and let cars go in one by one as cars leaves. We waited 45 minutes to enter. Timing is everything when going to the beach. I found that you need to get there before it opens or after 12. Being a family beach many will leave early with their toddlers and after 12 is usually when they deal with nap times. Any time on a HOT day after 9 and before 12, be prepare to wait. read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

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One of our favorite beaches! We make it here every year with the family. The updated pavilion is gorgeous and their food they serve there is yummy! The surf is a little rough so it's not a great beach for really little ones. Also, sometimes you'll find red tide there and those days stink... literally. read more

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This is definitely my new favorite RI beach! The waves roll in frequently and the water is a nice sky blue with hues of green. We can around 9:30 on a Saturday and we parked in the $5 pay lot to avoid thinking about moving the car. Definitely a popular spot but is a well kept secret by locals! read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Very clean beach! They will even give you a bag for your trash when you're driving in to park. Ample parking. Clean changing area and restrooms & great snack shack!! Will definitely go back! The lifeguards were great too. They helped a man in the water in a situation that could have turned bad in seconds! read more

Beautiful sunny afternoon but the beach was awful. Low tide, lots and lots of red kelp or whatever and a really really noxious smell. Beach is very rocky. Ugh. I am an RI native and beachgoer of 60+ years. We left after half an hour. read more

much winter damage beach very rocky seaweed also a problemcould take rocks or seaweed but not both will not be going there again this year

This beach will be open on May 30,2020. Admission will be free with no restrooms or concessions open. Port-a-Johns will be available. Parking will be limited in an attempt to maintain social distancing and visitors are expected to wear face masks when not in the water. The above is subject to change. read more

Visited this beach for the first time earlier this week (July 3). Could be my new favorite beach in New England. Nice sand, less rocky than other beaches. Can't wait to go back read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Of all the beaches in this amazing little state with over 400 miles of coastline, East Matunuck is pretty damn close to perfect. Scenic views? Check. Soft sand? You got it. Clean and eco-friendly facilities? New this spring. The limited parking also insures that the beach can never be too crowded, which adds to the chill vibe of this little slice of heaven. Another cool thing: the beach is surrounded by marshes, so there's a real sense of isolation and peace. The parking fee is totally reasonable compared to other beaches - $10 during the week, $14 on weekends for the entire day. The facilities I mentioned are absolutely spotless and ample for the size of the beach. I love the deck area with the shady spots and picnic tables, and the shower areas are thoughtfully located just off the beach and before you get to the porches. Seeing Block Island off in the distance is pretty cool, too, and reminds me just how lucky I am to live in this beautiful place. read more

This is by far my favorite state beach. While it was busy, it was no where close to as busy as the other state beaches I have visited. The parking lot was the most rustic, with no designated spaces, but I see that as the only downside. The beach was clean, great for walking (because it stretches a long way) and the water was easy to wade into with some small waves. If you walk all the way to the east side of the beach there is a jetty that is cool to walk along; however, you do need to wade through some funky marsh area to get to it. Don't get all grossed out, you can just jump back in the water afterward to clean off. From there you can see Salty Brine State Beach and watch the Block Island Ferry come in. One funny little detail is in the bathrooms. Overall they were clean, but you need to have some muscle to flush the toilet. The flush button is built into the concrete and has hand painted sign stating to "push hard" with two arrows pointing to the button. Take the sign literally and push with two hands because it's the only way you're going to get the toilet to actually flush. read more

I wasn't overly impressed. The beach does have some nice waves but that also means a ton of red tide. It was disgusting and you will literally be covered in seaweed. Make sure to take a nice shower afterwards. That was the biggest problem. If you can get passed the red tide and go further out, the red seaweed at least goes away a little. This water also had a ton of minnow fish which was strange, especially if you feel them all hitting your back as the waves rise up. The biggest issue I have with Rhode Island beaches is they double the prices for non-state residents. That's what I would like to call stateism. Joking aside, if you go on the weekend, you would have to pay 28 bucks while RI residents pay 14. I find that to be pretty unreasonable and advise non-R.I people to go to their own state beaches if they can. read more

This beach is amazing they have great food and the life guards are really nice and kind. it's just that somedays there is a lot of red seaweed in the water but after a while it starts to clear up and if you go on different days. The waves are big I would have to say the waves get up to 3-7 feet tall 7 feet is a wave that you don't see a lot it's very fun to boogie board and the beach is very clean. I would have rated 5 stars if there was not a lot of red seaweed but at least it goes away. read more

My favorite beach in Rhode Island! Great location; near several great restaurants. The beach is well maintained and clean. It's not that crowded and the waves are usually big. It's $20 to park, but it's the best $20 park admission you'll ever spend to keep the kids occupied for a whole day (think Disney, Six Flags, etc.)! Perhaps the feature that sets this beach apart from the others in Rhode Island is the concession stand. It's called "Salty's" and it actually has a good menu with stuff worth eating! There are fish tacos, gourmet burgers, salads, wraps, and several healthy options. Most parks just serve you greasy hot dogs and French fries but Salty's has some stuff you actually won't mind eating! Overall, if you are going to spend 8-10 hours at a beach with your family, this is definitely your best option! read more

I've been coming to this beach since I was a small child. It's location is great, near many nice restaurants in the area and the view from the shore is incredible. You can walk down the beach and sit on the rocks and watch boats come in and out which I think is nice. You can also see Block Island on a clear day. The facilities were recently updated and it's gorgeous. What used to be a huge cement eyesore of a building now looks like a giant beach cabana and it's amazing. Unfortunately this beach only gets three stars for two reasons. One is because the prices for parking are crazy and seem to climb steadily each season. The second reason is also something that has gotten progressively worse over the years. There is a constant red tide. It's disgusting to swim in, look at, and smell. It covers the beach in smelly, rotten seaweed. I would say in the last five years I have seen five clear water days, and I come here pretty frequently in the summer. The high prices of this beach would be worth it if not for the red tide. I suggest going somewhere else until the state or someone fix this red tide issue. read more

This beach was beautiful. It was very clean and had a nice snack bar that offered New England style seafood options. While I would not go there just to dine (it was a beach snack bar after all), New England clam chowder and lobster rolls were a welcome site compared to your usual hot dogs. I would definitely go back as I loved this peaceful beach. I bet that it gets more traffic later in the summer. read more

Beautiful beach! Parking opens at 9 am and we got there at about 8:30 am on a Thursday in August. We were maybe the 5th car in line which was great. We walked our stuff in while someone stayed with the car to get all set up. Nice shorter beach so you are close to the water. Good sand with very few rocks and not much seaweed in the water. Nice facilities - free outdoor showers, snack shop, bathrooms with changing stalls, changing table and pay showers (that were nice and warm). read more

Absolutely beautiful..... Really nice beach with a rock wall on the east side that you can walk on top of.... A must see beach if you are in the Naragansett area.... read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island

Not sure if it just happened to be the day that I happened to come here, but the water was full of seaweed everywhere, had to brave going through tons of sea weed on the shore to get further into the ocean where it wasn't so bad. Aside from the water the beach was great though, the sand was supper clean and the shore line was great to walk along, was spacious and relaxing not overcrowded. Another plus is the the restroom facilities were super clean. Would recommend for a great place to come and relax, but if you don't plan on going in the water you'll be fine just not a fan of all the seaweed. read more

Great beach! Bathrooms are usually clean and staff is friendly. Water has some great waves too! It has a nice long stretch of beach for walking, about a mile or so. It's great for families with kids. Everyone is respectful, and there isn't all the young, rowdy crowds at this beach, like some of the others. Highly recommend for those with families looking for good, clean beach fun! read more

East Matunuck State Beach - Beautiful and busy beach on a blistering hot day! - Beaches Near Me - Wakefield, Rhode Island