Recreation
Rhode Island has an abundance of accessible, integrated recreation programs,
services and facilities. City and town recreation departments maintain walking
and biking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, basketball and tennis courts,
swimming pools, beaches and playing fields for baseball, softball, volleyball,
lacrosse and soccer. They sponsor arts and craft activities, day camps,
concerts, and day trips that may include bowling, miniature golf, the zoo,
waterslides, movies and Pawsox and other sports contests. They help organize
community festivals, Fourth of July celebrations and events that commemorate
local historical traditions. Gymnastics, karate, yoga, aerobics, line dancing
and other exercise programs are also popular activities that may be provided by
local recreation departments.
Click on a town name on A Daytripper's Guide to Rhode Island" and you'll get a description of all the coastal areas and natural places in that community. Information on a Daytripper's Guide was compiled from Rhode Island Sea Grant's Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast and A Guide to Rhode Island's Natural Places.
Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast lists 344 swimming, picnicking, boating fishing and other recreation opportunities along the coast. A Guide to Rhode Island's Natural Places describes more than 160 sites with accurate directions to each. Includes information on interesting plants, animals, and habitats to be found in your travels. Includes detailed map. Click here to order copies. They should also be available at public libraries.
Beaches. According to the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development, there are more than 100 public and private beaches in Rhode Island. And, because of the abundance of waterfront recreational areas, visitors can enjoy a variety of water activities including surfing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing. Visit The Beachcombers Companion for a virtual tour of the fascinating beach habitat.
Division of Parks and Recreation. The Division operates 16 state parks and 10 state beaches. These state facilities provide accessible parking spaces, rest rooms and ramped building entrances and accessible picnic sites and tables. Also, Colt State Park in Bristol and Haines State Park in Barrington have accessible boat ramps. Surf wheelchairs are available at 10 state beaches on a first come, first served basis. Self propelled all terrain handicap surf chairs are available at Scarborough, Roger Wheeler and Misquamicut beaches. A recreational hand cycle is available at Colt State Park for use in the park and on the East Bay Bike path. Access to state-operated beaches is free for some people with disabilities. Call for more information.
Stepping Out, Inc. A non-profit organization that provides social, educational and cultural activities for young adults with disabilities Ð weekend camping trips, parties, dances, theater, tours, community service activities, sporting events, crafts, dinner, museums, zoo trips, hiking and educational activities including: money management, sexuality, personal development, civic awareness, cooking and planting.
The Summit Association for the Handicapped. 737-5100. A private, non-profit organization serving adults and young adults with varying types and degrees of disabilities, along with adults without disabilities, living in communities in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Meets weekly at Brunswick Bowling Lanes, 70 Newport Ave. East Providence. Activities: League bowling at East Providence Bowling Lanes from 2:00-4:00 pm on Mondays, September through June; weekly dine outs at area restaurants; Monday evening meetings may include guest speakers, movie night, bingo, Family Feud, arts and crafts, movement exercises, visiting musicians program, and other activities; day trips to Mohegan Sun, Boston museums, the Bay Queen and other local attractions; longer trips to Maine, Canada, New Hampshire are also planned; annual picnic, first Sunday in August, Masonic Picnic Grounds, Warwick; annual Christmas party.
Old Mountain Lanes. 756 Kingstown Road, Wakefield, RI 02879. (401) 783-5511. Accessible with bowling ramps. Two accessible restaurants. Call for fees and to arrange use of ramps.
East Providence Lanes. 80 Newport Avenue, East Providence, RI 02916. (401) 438-2300. Wheelchair accessible with many bowling ramps.
PARI Independent Living Center. Independence Square, 500 Prospect Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860. (401) 725-1966. Recreation information and referral. As a leader in independent living technology, PARI develops and continuously updates a comprehensive information and referral database containing community, state, and national resource organizations serving people with disabilities.
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. Occupying a peninsula between the Sakonnet River and Rhode Island Sound, the 242 acre wildlife refuge has a newly renovated visitor center. Sachuest, and four other National Wildlife Refuges in the State, are administered by the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Charlestown. The Kettle Pond Visitor Center - (401) 364-9124 - at 50 Bend Road, just off Route 1 in Charlestown, celebrates Sachuest Point and the state's other four Refuges. This facility is part of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. It includes interactive exhibits and displays. Other Refuges are Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge, and Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge.
Universal Access Program, Massachusetts Division of State Parks and Recreation. Provides outdoor swimming, fishing, boating, camping, cycling, hiking, and picnicking opportunities in Massachusetts State Parks for visitors of all abilities. Visitors with disabilities are welcome to participate in nature walks and interpretive programs scheduled seasonally in 50 forests and parks around the state. Assistive listening equipment is available upon request at many parks. Recorded brochures, walks, and tours are also available at some parks.
Upper Roaring Brook Handicap Walkway and Fishing Pier, Arcadia Management Area, Richmond-Exeter, Rhode Island. An award winning project, The walkway is 300 feet long and connects to other trails, including an additional planned 900 feet of accessible walkway. The walkway runs between a pond and a hardwood swamp, allowing users to view different types of ecosystems. The accessible fishing pier extends over the pond's edge.
Rhode Island Children's"First Fish"Certificate Award Program. (Scroll to the bottom of the page) YOU'VE CAUGHT YOUR FIRST FISH, CONGRATULATIONS!! RI Division of Fish and Wildlife, Aquatic Resource Education Program, P.O. Box 218, West Kingston, RI 02892. Contact person: Kimberly Sullivan (401) 539-7333. Receive a gift and a special"First Fish"award certificate from the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife signed by the Chief. Rhode Island has lots of places to fish but beginners, especially children, might have better luck and easier access in waters that are trout-stocked and restricted to fishing by children age 14 and younger like Seidel's Pond in Cranston and Geneva Brook and Pond in Providence.
Accessible Playgrounds. There are at least six of these facilities in Rhode Island.
