intermediate
New Shoreham, RI, United StatesFred Benson Town Beach (Crescent Beach), Block Island
The lifeguarded heart of Crescent Beach, the arc of sand that runs from Old Harbor toward Clay Head along Rhode Island Sound, a short walk from the Block Island ferry dock. It is popular for family swimming and is the only stretch of the island with both lifeguards and a public pavilion. Plan your swim between 10am and 5pm in summer if you want guards on the stand.
Photo: Timothy J. Quill · CC BY-SA 4.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 60/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 17°C, wind 49 km/h, waves 2.5 m, UV 1. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Town-owned beach at 7 Corn Neck Road near the Old Harbor ferry dock; free admission. Block Island is reached by ferry from Point Judith year-round.
- Parking & transport
- Free parking in the pavilion lot or on the street; bike racks.
- Lifeguards
- Lifeguards on duty 10am to 5pm in summer; the only beach on Block Island with both lifeguards and public amenities.
- Water quality
- Licensed saltwater beach monitored by the RI Department of Health Beach Monitoring Program for Enterococci bacteria; a sample over 60 cfu/100 ml triggers a review that can close the water to swimming.
- Season
- Pavilion open 9am to 6pm in summer; beach open dawn to dusk.
- Facilities
- Pavilion with wheelchair-accessible restrooms · Showers · Changing rooms · Snack bar · Chair, umbrella and boogie board rentals · Picnic area
Sources: visitri.com, visitrhodeisland.com, en.wikipedia.org, rimonitoring.org
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Details
- Location
- New Shoreham, RI, United States
- Type
- ocean
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Coordinates
- 41.1825, -71.5660