Newport likes to call itself “America’s First Resort.” But the fact is that all of Rhode Island is a playground for the kinds of things you’re likely to find on any resort’s daily activities list. From golf, tennis, and pickleball, to biking, water sports, and guided tours, here’s how to spend the whole summer living that vacation life — including sunset dinners on the beach — without ever having to book a room or pay a resort fee.
Rhode Island has more than 30 golf courses that are open to public play, including Meadow Brook Golf Course in Richmond, which has been ranked among the top 100 courses in the US. Other local favorites include Warwick’s (on the East Greenwich line) Potowomut Golf Club, designed by a protege of golf legend Donald Ross, and Newport National, an 18-hole, links-style course named New England’s top public golf course by New England Golf Monthly. A hidden gem in Providence is Triggs Memorial Golf Course. Recently rated one of the top 14 municipal golf courses in the US, this actual Ross-designed course is a favorite for its challenging layout, generally buffeted by wind. Affordable daily rates, including discounts after 5pm, make it a win-win.
Looking to work on your stroke? Cranston’s Topgolf has three floors of bays to tee off from, and waiter-service means you don’t have to anguish until the 19th hole to get food and drink. If your short game is your only strength, there are 36 holes of mini golf under a fire-breathing volcano at nearby Mulligan’s Island, a nautical-themed 18-hole course at Adventureland in Narragansett, and the quirky, alien-inhabited Dusty Planet in Providence — a nice rainy-day option since it’s indoors.
You don’t need to be a club member to book court time at most of Rhode Island’s eight indoor tennis centers, but summer is the best season for outdoor play on the hundreds of public courts available statewide. Some of the best are the 10 clay courts (and one hard court) at Roger Williams Park, where the Providence Tennis Academy runs leagues, tournaments, and tennis camps. Courts are available on a membership basis or with a day pass. The historic grass courts at the Newport International Hall of Fame are available to the public. Racquet rentals are available at the Pro Shop; just be sure to wear your tennis whites – top and bottom – for outdoor play.
Like a lot of people, Lil’ Rhody Pickleball owner Kevin O’Brien’s path to the sport originated with tennis. “I was at a tournament in Massachusetts and they had taped pickleball lines on the tennis courts. I found them distracting and said, ‘this sport needs its own courts.’ So I looked into it.”
It’s been nearly two years since O’Brien opened Lil’ Rhody Pickleball in a shopping center in North Kingstown, and he’s plinked and dinked his way to success in what’s been called the country’s fastest growing sport. “It got started as an easier alternative to tennis and sort of a senior citizen game, but now it’s filtering down to everybody; even younger kids are getting involved,” he says.
Lil’ Rhody has five indoor pickleball courts (each named for a different town in Rhode Island) and two outdoor courts. Other options include Centerline Pickleball in Warwick, Newport Pickleball, and of course outdoor public courts — mostly relined tennis courts, but also some permanent, pickleball-only ones in places like Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland and Wilson Park in North Kingstown
The event makes its debut on the famed grass courts. Highlights include mic'd up doubles matches with teams of celebrity guests, Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, and Angela Kinsey, playing alongside Hall of Famers including Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Tracy Austin, Jim Courier, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, and Gigi Fernandez.
Water sports are among the most common resort activities, and it's no surprise that Rhode Island has plenty to offer — this is the Ocean State, after all.
Kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available from Narrow River Kayaks in Narragansett, where you can ride the tides up and down the Pettaquamscutt (Narrow) River all summer long. Providence Kayak Company offers urban explorations in the heart of the capital city as well as paddles in Lincoln Woods State Park, and Blackstone River Expeditions leads guided, 90-minute tours of the river that gave birth to the American Industrial Revolution from their base at Central Falls Landing.
Sunset and moonlight paddles are the most popular tours run by the The Kayak Centre in Wickford. Held when the moon is full, the moonlight paddles are actually a buy-one-get-one, since the tours are timed to catch both the sunset over the West Bay and moonrise over Jamestown. Other options include a Taco Tuesday outing with Hobie Eclipse pedalboards followed by fish tacos at Wickford on the Water restaurant. Some guided tours venture into Narragansett Bay, but most tours and renters stay within the confines of Wickford Harbor.
“If you were to paddle the coastline of the entire harbor it’s about nine miles,” says Kayak Centre store manager Matt Bosgraaf. “You start in the village but then get more into the nature side of things in the Mill Creek area. There’s an osprey nest on Rabbit Island, and people often stop at the beach on Cornelius Island for lunch.”
Rather sail than paddle? Sail Newport will rent you a Rhodes 19 or J/22 sailboat so you can explore Newport Harbor and work on your boating skills.
Two of Rhode Island’s best state parks can be experienced on horseback. Sunset Stables’ one-hour trail rides through Lincoln Woods State Park saddle up every day of the week from 9am to 5pm. The hardwood forests in the park are full of deer, so Bambi sightings are common. Newport Equestrian also offers a two-hour tour along two beaches and a wildlife preservation with views of Saint George’s Castle.
Rare is the bicyclist who loves hills, but an e-bike (a bike with a motor to help you pedal) can help with the ups and downs of a Block Island by Bike tour. Owner Zena Clark leads on- and off-road tours of this “Last Great Place” by e-bike and mountain bike, mixing history and nature talk with the passing scenery.
Dan Murphy was working in healthcare when he realized his true passion was biking, so he quit his job to launch Little Compton Adventures, an e-bike tour company that offers guided rides along the lightly traveled roads of the quietest stretch of the Rhode Island shoreline. “I sometimes have to pinch myself, because it’s a beautiful place to live and I get to take people for bike tours,” he says.
Tours take between two and two and a half hours, cover 15-18 miles, and set off on most mornings and evenings. Groups pedal to the historic Commons, the Little Compton town landing with its views of Sakonnet Lighthouse, and through peaceful Wilbour Woods. “They call this the farm coast with all of the stone walls and the ocean,” Murphy says. “Most people haven’t been here, but they want to ride somewhere near the water and it’s nice and quiet over here compared to Newport.”
Soak up some summer vibes on a cruise of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay with Newport Classic Cruises, which will get you onto a sloop (Eleanor), schooner (Madeline and Adirondack IV), or a Prohibition-era yacht (Rum Runner II). The red sails of the Aurora are an unmissable sight in the waters off Newport, and this twin-masted schooner’s scheduled sailings include a midweek lobster lunch; pair it with your favorite bottle of wine or bubbly on this BYOB cruise.
Providence’s rich maritime and architectural heritage is featured on Providence River Boat Company narrated tours; other options include cruises with wine and oysters, twilight cruises, and special sails on Waterfire nights. Blackstone Valley Explorer tours combine natural beauty with Industrial Revolution history in the form of old mills and canals.
You don’t need a room key to enjoy poolside cocktails and summer swims at the Last Resort in Smithfield. This restaurant, which also presents a regular lineup of live entertainment, has a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool and six poolside cabanas, an outdoor tiki bar, and volleyball court. The pool is open daily to the public for a fee. Heading to Block Island? Champlin’s Marina & Resort offers day-passes to its family-friendly (“Marco!” “Polo!”) heated waterfront pool with dining options.
Say “namaste” to the divine light of a Rhode Island summer with morning yoga on some of the state’s best beaches. Natural Fitness Yoga offers 8am sun salutations on Narragansett Town Beach; all ages and ability levels are welcome. Both morning and full moon yoga classes are led by the yogis of South County Community Yoga on Charlestown Town Beach.
South Kingstown Town Beach is the sacred strand chosen by All That Matters for their daily morning yoga sessions and monthly full moon yoga. The popular classes usually attract around 25 people on weekdays and up to 100 on weekends. Sessions are held right on the beach, with a covered pavilion for those who prefer to be out of the sun.
“We keep it very natural: it’s all the ambient sounds of summer, with waves crashing and seagulls crying,” says All That Matters director and yogi Michele Maker. “Some teachers opt to do the ending shavasana right in the water.”
Want to reel in some game fish or catch sight of whales? The Frances Fleet in Galilee has half-day, full-day, and night fishing trips that go for fluke and black sea bass, as well as deep-sea tuna fishing trips. Afternoon whale and dolphin watching tours set sail from late June to early September.
One of the Ocean State’s hidden treasures is the quality of its river fishing, says New England Fly Fishing School’s Ed Lombardo. “Rhode Island has some of the finest tidal rivers in all of New England,” he says. Lombardo leads wade-fishing outings for striped bass and hickory shad in the Narrow River and other locations; the Wood River and its tributaries are rich with trout. Newcomers have the option of starting with a fly-casting lesson at Addieville East Farm in Burrillville.
“It’s a lot more than just fishing,” says Lombardo. “I show guests the aquatic insects that are here and why we tie the flies the way we do. If they are neophytes, I’ll give them lessons and show them what to look for when you’re actually fishing. Reading the water is very important, because 20 percent of the water holds 90 percent of the fish.”
Rhode Island has many places where you can end an active day with dinner and drinks with a water view, but relatively few where you can actually dine on the beach. The Windjammer and the Ocean Mist in Matunuck come close with outdoor patios and decks overlooking the waves. The iconic Ocean House in Watch Hill offers beach-adjacent tapas at Dalia (pro-tip: bring cash for valet parking).
For true toes-in-the-sand dining, point your sandals toward Paddy’s Beach Club in Misquamicut, which serves a fast-casual menu of beach favorites, and the beach tiki bar at George’s of Galilee, where the tropical drinks can be paired with to-go meals from the restaurant or nearby food trucks.
There's visiting Block Island and then there's Ballard's Beach Resort – which has its own vibe. Close to the ferry, this place has everything for an endless summer in one day (or a stay). The food and drinks are delish (Daiquiri Bar!), they have a quarter-mile-long private beach with cabana rentals, fire pits at night, and a schedule of live music. Too much sun? There's an indoor oceanfront restaurant, too.
Adventureland Family Fun Park
Narragansett | AdventurelandRI.com
All That Matters Yoga and Wellness
Wakefield | AllThatMattersWellness.org
Ballard’s Beach Resort
Block Island | BallardsBI.com
Blackstone River Expeditions
Central Falls | RiverTourBlackstone.com
Blackstone Valley Explorer
Central Falls | RiverTourBlackstone.com
Block Island by Bike
Block Island | BlockIslandBikeTour.com
Block Island Parasail
Block Island | BIParasail.com
Centerline Pickleball Club
Warwick | CenterlinePickleballClub.com
Champlin’s Marina & Resort
Block Island | ChamplinsResort.com
Dalia, the Ocean House
Watch Hill | OceanHouseRI.com
Diamond Hill Park Public Pickleball Courts
Cumberland | CumberlandRI.org
Dusty Planet Miniature Golf and Arcade
Providence | TheDustyPlanet.com
The Frances Fleet
Narragansett | FrancesFleet.com
Exeter Country Club
Exeter | ExeterCC.com
Fenner Hill Golf Club
Hope Valley | FennerHill.com
Gansett Cruises
Newport | GansettCruises.com
George’s of Galilee
Narragansett | GeorgesOfGalilee.com
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Newport | TennisFame.com
Island Style Parasail
Newport | IslandStyleParasail.com
The Kayak Centre
Wickford | KayakCentre.com
The Last Resort
Smithfield | TheLastResortRI.com
Lil’ Rhody Pickleball Club
North Kingstown | LilRhodyPickleball.club
Little Compton Adventures
Little Compton | LittleComptonAdventures.com
Meadow Brook Golf Course
Richmond | MeadowBrookGolfRI.com
Mulligan’s Island Golf and Entertainment
Cranston | MulligansIsland.com
Narrow River Kayaks
Narragansett | NarrowRiverKayaks.com
Natural Fitness Yoga
Narragansett | NaturalFitnessYoga.com
New England Fly Fishing School
West Greenwich | EdLombardoFlyFishing.com
Newport Classic Cruises
Newport | Sail-Newport.com
Newport Equestrian Academy
Middletown | NewportEquestrian.com
Newport National Golf Club
Middletown | NewportNational.com
Newport Pickleball
Middletown | NewportPickleball.com
The Ocean Mist
Matunuck | OceanMist.net
Ocean State Pickleball
Narragansett | OceanStatePickleball.com
Paddy’s Beach Club
Misquamicut | PaddysBeach.com
Potowomut Golf Club
Warwick | Potowomut.com
Providence Kayak Company
Providence | ProvidenceKayak.com
Providence River Boat Company
Providence | ProvidenceRiverBoat.com
Providence Tennis Academy
Roger Williams Park | ProvidenceTennis.com
RI Cruisin’ Cocktails
RICruisinCocktails.com
Rose Hill Golf Club
Kingston | TheRoseHillGolfClub.com
Sail Newport
Fort Adams State Park, Newport | SailNewport.org
Sediment Backyard Lobster Bakes
Block Island | SedimentBlockIsland.com
Soaring Eagle Zip Ride
Providence | RWPZoo.org
South County Community Yoga
Charlestown Facebook/So County Community Yoga
Sunset Stables
Lincoln | SunsetStables-RI.com
Topgolf
Cranston | TopGolf.com
Triggs Memorial Golf Course
Providence | Triggs.US
Wannamoisett Country Club
Rumford | Wannamoisett.com
Wilson Park Public Pickleball Courts
North Kingstown | NorthKingstownRI.gov
The Windjammer Surf Bar
Misquamicut | WindjammerSurfBarRI.com
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SteveMaciel
Bob, Thank you for sharing the love of Blackstone Valley, RI!
Sunday, August 3, 2025 Report this