The good: big parking lot, short walk to the beach, food and drinks shop, souvenirs/beach accessories shop, lifeguard, The bad: small beach( people sitting way too close for my comfort) , lifeguard announcements , small and not so clean bathrooms. read more

Scarborough State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Vacations in Narragansett, RI are a tradition. We rent a large vacation home close to Scarborough Beach. We can walk to beach if interested. Scarborough is a State Beach with lifeguards until 6 pm. The grandchildren over the years enjoy making sand castles, jumping the waves, and walking along the shoreline. The surf here is more gentle than nearby Narragansett Beach. Scarborough State Beach with its large pavilion and expanded beach area, with the nearby Scarborough South, offers a wide range of beach related activities. People of all ages can find activities of interest from sun bathing on Scarborough's sandy beach, and people watching on its boardwalk to picnicking under shaded shelters, and saltwater bathing in one of Rhode Island's most popular spots. read more

Very busy during the day, but by 5/6pm perfect! We live to do what is called, "backward beach day." We go to the beach in the evening. The sunset and the lower temps make for a better experience. Soft sand! I have never experienced soft sand like this before. Rocks are throughout but it is mostly sand. Not many seashells, but the rocks are pretty cool. Parking is free after a certain time and ample parking around that 5pm time frame. There are many areas of the beach to explore. read more

See all

Scarborough State Beach is a popular Rhode Island beach. I was pleasantly surprised by all the available parking on a holiday weekend. Parking is $14 for non residents. This fee can be much higher at other beaches. This beach is very easily accessible, with just a short walk from the parking. Unfortunately this beach isn't the cleanest, not so much from litter, but there is a ton of seaweed. Despite the holiday weekend it wasn't hard to find a spot for our large group of twelve, including little kids who love to play in the sand. They dug so deep in the sand that they found some baby crabs. There are plenty of available places for drinks, ice cream, or lunch. We didn't utilize any of them, since we brought our own. They even sell Scarborough tees and hoodies, sunscreen and beach toys right on the beach for 40% off. The waves were pretty intense making it a decent surfing beach. They have a ton of available changing rooms and one available, pretty filthy restroom. I thought it was pretty odd that in order to operate a shower you'll need to insert 75 cents for three minutes of shower time. They don't even provide water to rinse off your feet from the sand. We had to use drinking water to rinse our feet before returning to the car. They have lifeguards on duty, who every once in a while go on the loudspeaker to make some nonsense announcement. Overall this is an okay beach. Not one I would plan on returning to, unless they could make some adjustments. read more

See all

A little sun relaxing day on the beach at Scarborough Beach Narragansett RI with Bridget! read more

Scarborough State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

See all

We've visited Scarborough a few times and it's quickly moving up our favorite list. We were there on Sunday, and while it was windy and the water cold, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. If it wasn't so windy, the cold water would've felt super refreshing. The parking is fairly inexpensive at $14 per car, and compared to some of the others nearby, it's pretty well priced imo. It's a nice beach stroll too. On the far western side of the beach stand the ruins of an old stone home, which are cool to see. The beach was clean, the bathrooms were what you expect for a beach, the shops and snack bar were great too. Nearby, you can also pop by many great food spots like Gansett Wraps. Another one of our favorites! All of their wraps are fantastic. The pistachio baklava rivals what we've had in Europe. read more

Scarborough State Beach - House ruins on west side of beach. - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Lovely beach with a strong undertow when the waves are high. Good facilities but I brought my own food. $14 to park for out of state.

Scarborough Beach has been a beloved favorite weekend stop for me for the past few years and that's why as an out of state resident I purchase a seasonal beach pass that gets me into the entrance so seamlessly every time. Parking is plentiful if you get here before 10 and there's a good pick of beach " real estate " to set up if you are an early bird. We love the North side because it's less congested even at the busiest time of the day. We love walking this beach and talk about great waves ! This beach has a true " Florida like " feel compared to beaches in Cape Cod. The sand is white and soft whereas we found most beaches at the Cape to be construction sandbox feel. Definitely a different vibe too! Rhode Island beaches especially Scarborough has us enjoying week after week in the summertime read more

Such an amazing beach. Sam is extremely clean and water is very clean with ways. Definitely could come back here very easy to come by public transportation or driving which there is a paid parking lot. read more

See all

As a native Rhode Islander my first advice about beaches is that the beaches on Cape Cod are really nice in the summer, and oh yes, all you Ct. folks, I hear Taylor Swift has a summer place in Watch Hill in Westerly, so you don't really need to come here. Just kidding-well no not kidding. Scarborough beach is a state beach with lifeguards and a nice pavilion for changing, bathrooms and beach snacks. The actual beach is about a mile long and and has lots of parking on the other side of the dunes, the sand is pretty much rock free and depending on the wind etc, interesting but not challenging waves. I like it a lot as its a very diverse crowd here, lots of families from all over R.I. and of course lots of young folks too, a great beach to take walks on and its one of our go to beaches in the area (the others being Wheeler, Salty Brine and Camp Cronin). Lots of rules, boogie boards ok, surf board not, no charcoal grills on the beach and of course no dogs on the beach during working hours (8:30am to 6pm). read more

Scarborough State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

See all

Beautiful state beach in Narragansett RI but the weather was dreary and wet so we did not stay long that day or take any pictures. But the waves come rolling in and there are snack places and a gift shop. Our hosts go often and I've seen their pictures and would love to visit in better weather. read more

Scarborough State Beach is one of Rhode Island's most popular and well known beaches. Developed in 1937, this 26 acre facility located on Ocean Road in Narragansett has approximately 2,325 feet of beach frontage. It has long been known as the principal destination for a "day at the beach" for thousands of Rhode Islanders over the years. It's a nice serene beach with lots of room for settling and for walking for a long while. It really is a great beach for all ages with two beautiful pavilions, boardwalk, observation tower and sitting areas along the boardwalk. Picnic table, concessions, restrooms, and coin operated hot showers. Scarborough was originally developed in 1937. It has long been known as the principal destination for a "day at the beach" for thousands of Rhode Islanders over the years. With the acquisition of Olivio's and Lido's beaches to the south of Scarborough, the State of Rhode Island added 16 acres and over 1,000 feet of beach frontage for expanding the saltwater recreational facilities at Scarborough. The Olive's and Lido's beaches, are now referred to as the Scarborough South. The addition of Olivio's and Lido's beaches has brought the total acreage of Scarborough State Beach to 59.7 acres, and .85 of a mile of shoreline. Lifeguards on duty 9am -6pm. There's a fee to get in.....Non-Residents: Adult $10.00. Child from 5-11yo: $7.00. And fee for parking. read more

See all

at 10am in the morning I shouldn't have to clean a toilet first to go to the bathroom..they are disgusting every toilet! Beach is beautiful I've lived in RI my entire life and never seen such lack of care to our beaches facilities. DO better please! read more

I came during off season and stayed at a nearby place within walking distance to this beach. Very convenient. I was surprised to find there was a little boardwalk and covered seating area, great I suppose when it's hot and sunny. It was not hot and sunny while I was there - oops. Anyway, huuuuuuge parking lot, narrow beach with gray sands. Very clean. read more

I found out later that locals think this beach is only ok, but for a landlocked girl like me I loved every minute of my visit here and I'm so happy I went! Would go again in a heartbeat. It was beautiful and very clean, I only spotted a few pieces of trash in the sand, and when I went on a Sunday just before 6:00 it wasn't busy at all. I stayed for almost 2 hours, past sunset and it was just so lovely and relaxing. The lifeguards leave at 6:00 and there's no entrance charge after then either. This also means the public restrooms are locked up at 6:00, so be aware of that and act accordingly haha. read more

Nice beach was there mid- week. Had perfect weather there... we're from out of state cost was 6.00 for parking would of been 12 but we are seniors. Beach is free.. nice concession area for lunch. Also had gifts for sale there next to lockers.The one thing is that they close at 6pm and announce this at 5 pm over mega speaker .. very loud!they lock all bathrooms and changing area so you kinda need to take care of business before.. read more

See all

We were on a mission to check out some of the beaches in the area, and a friend said we needed to stop here. There's plenty of room to spread out because the beach is long, but the distance from the boardwalk area to the water is relatively narrow. The sand is soft and mostly free of rocks, and the waves are bigger here than at some other beaches because there's no breakwater offshore. The water was cold on the day we were here in early, but we weren't swimming and didn't mind. We did walk along the water's edge and put our feet in, though. This is a good beach to visit if you want to spend several hours. There are multiple parking lots with lots of spaces, buildings with showers, food, bathrooms and other amenities. Overall, this is one of the prime beaches in the area and one that should be considered when planning to spend a day at the water. read more

See all

The most dirty disgusting unsanitary beach i ever been to. Seaweed and algae from one end of the beach to the other end. Dirty brown and blue ocean water, beach littered with whiskey nips, cigarette butts, and other disgusting trash. Loud music blasting by teenagers, restrooms completely closed and shutoff from the public, no trash cans to get rid of your garbage. No refreshments to eat no water or snack bar opened and when they do during the high rate season it's price gouged and $35 dollars for cost of parking at this disgusting gross unsanitary beach. You can literally smell the seaweed and algae and pollution plant factory from two blocks down the street depending on the wind gusts. The pollution factory has giant pipes coming out of a "sewer" onto the beach and into the ocean on the far left of this dirty unsanitary beach. The amount of rocks are enough to break your feet if you step on them barefooted especially going into that dirty brown and blue water. If anyone is familiar with the beaches in California like Malibu and Venice then there you have clear crystal water beautiful immaculate sand with no litter or disgusting seaweed and algae like you do in disgusting scarborough. Find different beaches except the one by west shore road in warwick that one is also disgusting brown green gray and blue water dirty sand with cigarette butts and whiskey nips. Zero stars or negative stars would be appropriate for this unsanitary beach read more

Clean sand, no seaweed, manageable waves, decent facilities, great parking, reasonable prices. My fav. New England beach. The Cape is overrated. read more

Excellent beach. Come here year round to walk and enjoy the ocean breezes. A popular destination in Rhode Island.

This is one of the prettiest beaches I've been. It was super clean. Beautiful and the water was soo clear! (Living in nyc, you definitely notice the difference between beach water lol). It's huge! The people all were spaced out, adhering to social distancing rules. It was absolutely beautiful! read more

This was a nice beach with amenities available nearby including bathrooms, souvenir shops and eateries. A large parking lot attached to the beach and across the way gives access for many cars and those who need drive to the beach. As someone from NJ, I love that there is no cost to go on the beach, though parking is about $12 daily. The beach was clean and there was definitely enough space for people, not too crowded even on the sunniest and warmest of beach days. They have a short boardwalk but only for walking and where food and restrooms are. You can get hot dogs, chicken fingers, even a lobster roll at the food stand as well as ice cream and Dell's frozen lemonade. The bathrooms have seen better days, but it's a public beach, so it's expected. read more

We've been here a number of times over the years and have enjoyed it. The sand is nice, the surf is good and the facilities are ample. Our family has rented a house close by, so my wife and I have walked or biked vs driving. They have plenty of parking; even an overflow lot across the street. The storm water stream on one side is slightly odd. I feel they could step up the grounds a bit. You can tell at one time they had a lot of plantings, but they're mostly overgrown or taken over by weeds now. They have changing areas and restrooms right off the beach. There are a few snack bars and usually someone selling frozen lemonade. So you have options if you run low on food. Waves are good for bodysurfing or boogie boarding. The water can be a bit cool, but that's New England for you. Overall, a nice beach. read more

Scarborough State Beach - Weekday at the beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

One of the local beaches near Point Judith, it's situated adjacent to a wooded area which has numerous trails and sights to see as you walk toward Black Rock fishing area. There are several rock formations with tidal pools providing another alternative to ocean swimming. This is a great area to walk with many interesting sights to see. read more

See all

We picked Scarborough beach as a pit stop to relax and take a nap while on our road trip. The beach was clean, sand was soft, plenty of lifeguards on duty, and everyone was social distancing. They have a big parking lot with reasonable prices ($12 for out of state cars on a weekday, $14 on a weekend. No re-entry if you leave and want to come back). There isn't much else there though- only a small beach shop and snack bar. They do have bathrooms, but they could be cleaner. A huge pro is that they welcome out of state visitors, unlike Narragansett town beach! I would recommend packing a lunch and coming here if you want a simple day by the sand and water. read more

I love scaborough Beach. Great big waves, changing rooms with outdoor showers, restrooms and snack bar. Lifegaurds on deck. Out of state visitors pay 14.00 on weekend. read more

See all

This beach is clean, sand is groomed - no stones or cigarette buts like some other spots. Water was free of seaweed with lovely little waves. The pavilion is beautiful with full range of amenities. Great spot for a Del's lemonade. We've given up on Horseneck Beach due to proliferation of rocks and $40 parking fees. read more

Scarborough beach is a beautiful stretch of powdery white sand, offering an abundance of parking, plenty of covered seating areas, and snack/food/drink vendors, however; the reason for my 3 star review is simply the people this beach attracts. I don't know what the reason is behind the type of beach-goers who frequent this particular beach, but in the handful of times I've been there this summer, we are usually always surround by a-holes. Whether said a-holes are drunkenly obnoxious, arrive with an EZ-up tent and their entire extended family, and/or blast their awful music so loud that everyone in a 5 mile radius can hear it; it's enough to turn a fun day into a semi-nightmare of a day. Also, I don't know what it is with this particular beach but it seems parents are always losing their children here. No doubt you'll hear on the intercom at least 2 or 3 times within a few hours: "we've got Johnny at chair 3." Again, if it weren't for the people, this could easily be a 4 or 5 star beach, but per usual... people ruin everything. read more

A long, lovely beach with plenty of parking. It has nice sand and some pretty good waves for Rhode Island, so surfers are usually found out in the water. A great place for families since there is a lot of room to sit or run around and the beach does have good facilities. Scarborough State Beach can get pretty loud and rowdy at times but more in a amusing sort of a way rather than anything really annoying. The Beach is also a great place in the off season where surfers can still be seen out in the surf and the long beach is a great place for a winter walk. read more

I've been going to Scarborough for 13 years as its close to the family home where I stay. It's close and reasonably priced. I won't be a regular again. I've found another state beach close by that is far better. This beach has great waves and nice sand. That's it. The clientele is a bit on the seedy side. I actually heard one person dropping F-Bombs near a family. When the father confronted the woman, she replied, "Do you know who my father is?" She then intimated he would receive severe bodily harm. Just this week, I saw two woman brazenly drinking Coronas next to their children. It's just not the environment I want for my family. read more

For a RI beach it's pretty cool. The beach itself is ok. But the rest of the property is really nice. Grassy picnic/BBQ areas. Life guards on duty during season. Very clean & well maintained. Restrooms, concession stands, showers, shaded gazebos, benches, walking paths. Not great for shells or seaglass collecting but good for round stones. Decent for walks & body surfing. Lots of families & teenagers. read more

The seagulls are on another level here, they're so annoying and aggressive! The sand from beach to non beach also feels shorter than other beaches. read more

Overpriced parking. They charged us $28 to park our car at this place. This is ridiculous since it is a state park and there's no real justification for why parking should be so expensive at this place. Also the beach is very average and not worth paying this much. The water though that does have some good waves so if you're into bodyboarding this is the place to try it out. There's a lot of families at this place and a general chill vibe however I do think that the other beaches along the Rhode Island closed I'm much better than this one. They also charge much less than this one and some of them have street parking full four hours for free. read more

Scarborough State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Scarborough State Beach will open May 30,2020 with free admission. No restrooms or concessions will be open on that day but Port-a-Johns will be available. Parking will be limited in an effort to maintain social distancing. The above is subject to change. read more

I remember coming to this beach when I was little, I specifically remember "the flags". Through the years I have had the opportunity to check out some other neat beaches sprinkled across Southern New England - although this isn't my top choice, I was reminded today why this spot is still orrery cool! It's huge! And there are several "towers" with restroom/shower/food facilities covering the sections. They announce lost children (I know, right). It's accessible a few different ways (straight shot from the Wickford short cut or from Route 1). It's got a huge lot and you rarely need to spill over elsewhere. The waters not bad! Not terrible undertow, decent waves for all ages (my toddler could hang) and red tide and rocks were minimal today. Not too much litter. Diverse crowd read more

Clam clear water, plenty of space on the beach it self compared to some of the other shorter shore lines, and accessible via RIPTA for those who don't drive or don't feel like driving. It's the first time spending a summer in RI and Scarborough has been one of my fave beaches so far. read more

Scarborough State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

Awesome beach! Great waves for boogie boarding! Great bathroom facilities, reasonable parking prices and lots of beach space! The only downside I can think of is that there is no frisbee allowed in the water. I totally understand this rule if the water is packed and your diving over people but it kind of bothers me otherwise. Great views and lots of fun! read more

See all

Our favorite beach. Bathhouse with hot (coin operated) showers, concession, lifeguards. Well maintained beach and facility. read more

Scarborough State Beach - Love this beach - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island

We come with Narragansett area from Massachusetts several times each summer, we much prefer it to the Cape. The water is warmer in RI and the traffic is better. Scarborough has a medium sized main lot plus a much larger satellite lot across the street which is just as close to the beach. The water is clean and the waves are great for boogie boarding. The beach itself is clean probably because it is a trash in trash out facility. There are also coin op hot showers and decent lavatory facilities, and a nice cement boardwalk the length of the beach. It's a diverse crowd, people seem to just have a fun day at the beach. There is a very nice concession stand/snack bar with items not usually found at a conventional beach stand: lobster roll, avocado toast, veggie burgers, grilled cheese, fish tacos, plus burgers, chicken fingers, fries, and nitro coffee and lemonade. Prices are not unreasonable for the quality, there is also a retail store across the patio with some nice summer apparel items as well as boogie boards, toys for the kids, sunscreen and other beach amenities. We forgot to bring a couple of things with us so we're happy to be able to buy there. The staff at both the concession and gift store are really friendly and helpful, we were also told they both are under new ownership this year. Parking prices have been reduced in recent years so no longer outrageous to come and stay for the day. Definitely recommend! read more

Lifeguards were not on duty as expected at 9am and two of them were later spotted racing up and down the beach in foggy conditions possibly endangering patrons. Otherwise, the waves were nice for boogie boarding and the facilities were cl read more

Scarborough State Beach - Lifeguard chair - Beaches Near Me - Narragansett, Rhode Island