Are Rhode Island's beaches public? Here's how to know, and what you can do on them

Unlike states where beaches and beach access can be made private, Rhode Islanders enjoy a right to the shore that is enshrined in the state’s constitution.

Beach access expanded significantly in 2023 with the passage of a sweeping bill to give the public even more room on the state’s sandy and rocky beaches.

But, as seen with a recent case in Narragansett, as well as through a recent lawsuit , challenges still persist when it comes to public beach access. A ruling by the Superior Court in that lawsuit seemingly tested the constitutionality of the shoreline access law, but those arguments are still before the state's Supreme Court, and the law itself has not been overturned – yet.