Cliff Walk

Tony Vanoy and I parked and walked to the overlook at 40 Steps! Noël Teel & Calliope stayed in the car because she was napping! This is located Newport Rhode Island! It's free to enjoy! Beautiful views of the Ocean with the Cliffs & Rocks jagged around the waters edge! Absolutely gorgeous! Inspiring! Makes me want to paint! To Write! To sing! It allows my over-active imagination to run screaming wild!!! Definitely want to go back! Highly recommend to all!

Life long RI-er but had never done the Cliff Walk until today. Figured the weather was warm but not hot, and it was before tourist season and/or charged parking season, so I figured it was as good a time as any. It's a great time. Incredible views of the waterfront and mansions, and other than a section where you have to walk on rocks its easily manageable. Having said that, the pamphlet about the Cliff Walk says it takes 2.5 hours to do the 3.5-mile one-way walk. I did both ways in about 1.5 hours, walking at a steady pace and stopping to take a few photos. It can be a little congested in spots, but otherwise its a banger of a way to spend a couple hours in Newport.

Let me start this review by HIGHLY RECOMMENDING Cliff Walk. The walk encompasses miles of walkways that will have the Easton Bay on one side and gorgeous mansions on the other. It's so nice, listening to the tide coming into the rocky shoreline and watching many people enjoying the Cliff Walk, as well. Please, make it a priority to revel in this well constructed section of Newport's beauty and enjoy the peacefulness of its surroundings.

A wonderfully scenic walk overlooking Easton Beach on the left and the old money mansions on the right. A long relaxing walk.

The most beautiful walk, with breathtaking views. Highly recommend getting your steps in and doing the cliff walk if you're visiting New Port. Not only is it paved around with beautiful flowers, sounds of nature, a panoramic view of the ocean, but you can also get glances at many of the enormous mansions that cover the city. I went mid-summer morning and although it was hot out there was a nice breeze that my Miami self was happy with.

In Newport one of the popular sightseeing things to do is take the Cliff Walk. It is a scenic mostly paved path along the seashore with the water on one side and many beautiful mansions on the other side. Evidently their property rights don't go all of the way down to the water line and most of the property owners have an iron fence to keep you from going on their property but you can still see through the fence at their incredible palaces. Some of those mansions are available to tour. My advice for taking this walk is to go to the Tourist Information Center in town and they have a map and good advice to give you. The path is not continual and is broken up by stretches that are difficult to walk on. I don't understand why the powers that be don't repair the broken sections and make it a continuous path. You can drive your car and try to find nearby parking or the better option is to take the free #67 bus that goes right by several of the ingress and egress points that are on the map. Watch the weather when you go because there is very little shelter on the path. Don't go if you expect bad weather. Budget about 1 hour or so depending on how far you want to go. It is a pleasant activity that many people enjoy. The views are outstanding.

This is a Newport must do. Cliff walk, I think it is 3.5 miles long. Wonderful views are all along the walk. You get a view of some of the back of the mansions too. It starts by Easton "1st" beach. I recommend starting at Narragansett Avenue. There is parking there and it's paved there. It's where 40 steps are. The walk is easy in the beginning. At Rosecliff mansion is where it gets a little more rocky. You will walk on rocks and gravel for most of it till the end. It's fun and beautiful. Wear comfortable shoes..

If we didn't talk to the young coed working at a souvenir store in the touristy area of Providence, we wouldn't have known that the Cliff Walk existed. The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile scenic path in Providence with Easton Bay (Ocean) to the east and mansions to the west. Metered parking is available on the public street at Easton Beach. Due to me being cheap and not wanting to pay too much for parking, and me being fat and lazy, we only walked less than a mile of the entire Cliff Walk. The trail was nice and paved. 40 steps is once of the most iconic spots on the Cliffwalk. We were about 2000 steps short of getting to the 40 steps. The Salve Regina University where the young coed attends college is located along the path. The 1/2 mile we walked on the Cliff Walk was very scenic and enjoyable. I wish I had more time. I will be back one day!

A great walk along the top of the cliff. The 40 steps are on the way and also a number of places you can walk down and walk around on the rocks as well. A great place just for nice walk with beautiful views of Newport, Rhode Island or just a nice quiet place to think

A really nice walking trail with beautiful ocean views that run along the coast of Newport where many of the historic mansions are. I've been here several times and have always enjoyed taking a morning walk here while taking in the ocean breeze and breathtaking views. The only negative is the parking, which can be a mess during the summer months and holiday weekends.

Fantastic low-impact outdoor activity. The views, both coastal and inland, are spectacular. The sea is gorgeous and so are the mansions/Salve Regina University through which you pass on the path. Allot at least two hours for this if you're fast walking, and a minimum of three if you're taking your time and stopping along the way. We didn't put enough on the meter and had to turn around. I'd recommend making it to the end and walking to other things from there. There's a tea house down south that looks like a great experience.

So this is not necessarily about Cliff Walk per se, but about a special exhibit along Cliff Walk: The Great Elephant Exhibit! About 100 life-sized lantana-reed elephants can be found along the Walk: about 50 on the back lawn of Salve Regina college, about 25 on the back lawn of The Breakers mansion, another batch at Rough Point Musuem, with the remaining at the Great Friends Meeting House. You can see the first 3 groups by hiking Cliff Walk - the Salve Regina herd and The Breakers herd are close together so are convenient to view. The exhibit runs July to Sept 2024, so hurry on over and see these magnificent works of art. Really, it's an awe-inspiring sight - as well as Cliff Walk's beautiful shoreline - and the two go remarkably well together. Simply delightful.

Cliff Walk offers stunning Maine-worthy scenery in an unusual structure that presumably reflects tensions with surly rich folks (sorry I mean High Net Worth Americans) who feel they've already been too generous by allowing the walk to exist. A mix of scenic stroll and ankle-threatening rocks, Cliff Walk has few exits/entrances in the southern portion. Occasional signs will remind you GTFO there's no exit. The most infuriating part is the sign that warns of dangerous conditions. But the sign is facing outward and doesn't say which direction is the dangerous part, making it difficult to assess whether a lengthy backtracking is worth it. The rocks and waves are outstanding. A couple of tunnels mix things up. You'll find a decent assortment of plants and birds. Naragansett Ave. in the middle offers proximity to the 40 Steps, access to both easy and rock scramble portions of the trail plus the only bathroom. Can't comment on the parking difficulties as I took the bus, but if you go to the giant parking lot at Easton Beach that's a 22-minute walk to 40 Steps per Google Maps (if you actually do it in 22 minutes without stopping for multiple photos I will judge you).

During my first trip to Newport, I visited the cliff walk with family. We did meter parking by Easton Beach. Upon entry by Easton Beach, there is a map explaining the paths. We walked for much of the way and saw Salve Regina and The Breakers. The scenic views are stunning. The cliff walk is an excellent way to explore Newport and see the Gilded Age mansions. This is definitely a must if you plan on visiting Newport!

Go do this walk! It is amazing, beautiful, and just so much fun with the different views and change in terrain! Wear good shoes!

A scenic and easy stroll that almost anyone can manage. The majority of the path is paved and flat so I refer to it more as a stroll than a hike but I definitely recommend checking it out while visiting Newport. Great opportunity to enjoy the salt air, ocean views, and of course mansion gawk. The drawback is the lack of free parking but we started at Easton Beach and payed to park in the lot. It was $15 for all day parking so not horrible. You can try your hand at street parking near forty steps-there are meters which are less expensive. If you plan to trek the entire path, just know a portion is made up of rocks and may be hard to traverse for some, but there are multiple maps along the path that explain the terrain at each mile. If you are wanting to take on the path in it's entirely, just leave yourself some decent time to walk the 7 miles and snap some pictures.

Sooo beautiful! Parking may be rough depending on time and day of the week - there is some free parking. Lots of amazing views. Some good fishing spots. A must see!

I have been to Newport a few times and never had the pleasure of doing the Cliff Walk. So this past visit, we put it on our to do list and went on a sunny yet cool day. We started at the 42 steps point where there is parking. Not all points have public parking available so there are really only two places to start if you come by car yourself, one slightly further down at a beach. Being off-season, parking was free which is great until 4/1. However, no public restrooms are open, slight bummer and why we didn't do the full cliff walk. We went about 2 miles down up to the rough point area with plenty to see and explore (knowing we had the walk back and to look for other restroom options). It was such a neat way to feel the ocean air, get some exercise, and enjoy the beautiful landscape of the coast from the ocean waves to the huge mansions. Lots of surfers out in the ocean when we were walking too. It's pretty cool to see them catching the big waves (not being a surfer myself, I'm in awe of their balance and bravery). Having been inside and done the tours of the mansions on prior trips, I have to say I equally if not more enjoyed this vantage point. Along the path are informational boards on where you are on the walk as well as the areas you are passing. There are QR codes to scan with your phone too which we did and got all sorts of interesting info on the families that once lived in these mansion compounds. Next time, we will try to get the whole path done and hopefully public bathrooms will be operating. It's a great thing to do with kids, cool terrain to walk on and some neat tunnels to go through. Wonderful spot to get some gorgeous photos too! Since we came on the "off" season per se, not sure how crowded it gets in the summer months. So parking was free and no bathrooms but would summer mean paying for parking, yes to bathrooms and also to crowds? Not sure..... and some paths are tight to walk along so lots of people could make it less scenic. All in all this time of year and the day we went were overall perfection! Highly recommend!

Due to foot trouble, I only attempted the first portion of the cliff walk, but it was well worth it. The views were just phenomenal. The cliff walk is an absolute must do when visiting Newport. The breeze, the sounds! So rejuvenating.

Cool experience while in Newport. Great views while passing Historic Mansion sites. Stop for the best hot chocolate along the way !

A must see if its your first time in Newport. I'm with a mobility challenge friend so we just took a peak and walk a little bit and turned around. It was still a nice experience though to be walk outside, see the ocean below & had a glimpse of the mansion. We accessed the cliffwalk from Eastons beach. No parking there but we are staying aroung the area so parking was not an issue. I would definitely come back & do the whole walk. Mostly flat paved path, the views breath talking. Make sure to bring a hat, wear good walking shoes, dont forget your sunnies & slather on the sunblock. slather on the sunblock

My husband and I came here and decided to do a 2 mile walk. What I liked about it was that it was free.The day we went to do the walk it was really really cold . We decided to do it anyway. The walk was amazing. We were able to see a lot of beautiful views. The 40 steps to the cliff are a must thing to do. We absolutely loved it. We wish the rest of the path was not closed, but it looked like the rocks were collapsing, and they were in the process of fixing it. If you wanted to finish the walk, you needed to walk on the outside parts over near the main road.

Some really amazing views of the rocky coast and some of the amazing mansions! Definitely a must see when visiting Newport, Rhode Island.

This was a nice walk along the cliffs with some pretty views of the water. Pathways are a little narrow so if you're with a group it might be tight on a busy day. We weren't able to do much of it as a good portion is not wheelchair accessible. We were able to go from the northern entrance down to 40 steps before we had to turn back due to stairs. Would love if they were able to find a way to make this whole trail accessible but probably not possible. Definitely recommend giving it a try, just know that if you're in a wheelchair you'll only be able to make it so far.

The Cliff walk has three levels of difficulty, easy paved pathways, which would accommodate a stroller or wheelchair, medium includes a walk along the boulders protecting the shore and difficult. You will definitely want appropriate shoes and if walking the entire trail, water at least. Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses are all good ideas as well no matter which section(s) you plan to travel. The easy portion begins near Easton Beach. We began our journey mid-way, parking on Narragansett Avenue. I used the Passport parking app to pay for on-street parking, but there is a kiosk near the cliff walk too. Public restrooms are also here. We walked down the 40 Steps first and after soaking in the view from the rocks, we climbed back up and followed the paved pathway toward Easton Beach. The walkway is two way traffic and would benefit from being wider in some spots. This would accommodate the crowds better and allow for faster walkers to more easily pass. However, there is room along much of the paved pathway to 'walk on the grass', although signs say to stay on path for your safety. So there's that. We turned around at Easton beach and made our way back to 40 Steps. A portion of the cliff walk is closed past Narragansett Ave, and an on-street detour takes you around the closure to continue on the pathway. There are a few signs along the route, which is accessible from many locations along the route, that outline the difficulty of each section. It was a lovely walk past some of the Salve Regina buildings, and through an enormous stone and metal gate at the edge of their property. We followed the paved path until it expired and the trail leads on to large boulders placed to prevent coastal erosion. This is a 'free for all' hike: that is, no specific trail is blazed across the rocks, you pick and choose your own way as works best for you. Not everyone in our group was up for this and we turned back. Altogether, climbing 40 steps, plus 'there and back again' along the entire 'easy' portion of the trail, with stops for photos and enjoying the view, took almost 2 hours. Yes, we could have done it faster, but we were at a moderate to slow pace, just enjoying the day. Lovely views on a very sunny day. Parts of the more difficult trail pass by some of the Newport 'cottages'. Know your physical capabilities and plan your journey accordingly. The entire pathway is there and back, so over 6 miles round trip. Have fun!

The Cliff Walk is an obvious (and kind of inevitable?) must-do while in Newport. Stunning views throughout the entire walk! Locals are quick to note that this walk does not loop back, so you'll need to decide, if you're walking the whole thing, where you want to start and end your journey. I didn't do the entire thing, opting to skip the more treacherous parts (and because I simply didn't have time to get all the way to the lower end of town). You'll see mansions, beaches, rocks, and SO much more as you make your way through this walk. You can hop on and off the trail at various waypoints to continue exploring. Don't forget to take tons of photos and enjoy!

So breathtaking. I only did the first half because I had my baby in tow, and I heard it could get a little rocky after the steps. The first half is very well paved and a nice and easy walk with a stroller. The walk to the stairs takes around 45 minutes and it's just pure beauty the entire time. You are on a cliff that literally snakes around the ocean, so how could it not be? Once you make it to the stairs there is a public restroom which is always a plus. The walk can definitely get a little busy - lots of joggers, dog walkers and people out and about enjoying. Morning was my favorite time of day to do this walk because the heat wasn't as intense. Of course this is a must if you find yourself in Newport.

A lovely walk. But make sure you pay attention to the map. Some sections are truly, truly rough. But other sections are exceptionally walkable and pleasant. Very much worth a visit if you're in town.

Highly recommend this. Highly. The views of Narragansett Bay are breathtaking, the walk invigorating, the mansions extraordinary. Walk the whole thing, it is 3.5 miles one way; you will not be sorry. There are some parts that you must be careful about. Some parts have literally nothing between you and the water below, so wear good walking shoes and take your time doing this if you plan on walking the whole route. In addition, some of the rocks are uneven, creating a bit of a harrowing experience if you do not look. Be mindful of poison ivy as well. If you are strong enough, you can do this. But only when the weather is nice. Windy conditions also play a factor in this walk. But I am happy I did this, and still recommend you do it as well.

The cliff walk is definitely a highlight of Newport. It's a 3.5 mile walk but there are different places you can enter/exit if you don't want to do the whole thing. We started at the 40 steps and walked down past some buildings apart of Salve Regina University as well as mansions like the Breakers. You get great ocean views and see lots of plants and flowers. Lots of people come visit the cliff walk so it can get crowded. Very scenic. Definitely a must see in Newport!

The views of the ocean are amazing and the trail is nice for long family walks. My young kids did not make it too far, but they did have a blast. It was cool seeing the mansions and architecture. Being from Hawaii I was thrown off by the black sandy beach, but people seemed to be having fun. Will most likely go again, but next time be more prepared for a long hike.

PROS: this is the only hiking trail in all of Newport. This is a flat terrain with a nice gravel ground. Perfect for any age and ability. There's many sites to see like mansions, the beach, and rock formations CONS: hardly any parking at the front near where the beach is. Also the path is skinny so going around slow walking people is challenging OVERALL: if you like hiking I would definitely come here. But if I were you I would Uber here

Newport's famed oceanfront walking trail is a fantastic way to see the spectacular Rhode Island coastline up close, along with many of the Gilded Age mansions that overlook the rugged cliffs. If you don't have the time or energy to walk the entire 3.5-mile stretch, I'd suggest starting at the end of Narragansett Ave, where we found street parking readily available, along with a public restroom. Start with the 40 Step staircase, which provides amazing views of the coast, then follow the short detour through Salve Regina University, to pick up the walkway at the end of Webster St. (the stretch between Narragansett and Webster is closed indefinitely for repairs as of June 2023). From there, the Cliff Walk will vary between a paved trail and an unpaved stretch of slippery boulders that takes some concentration to navigate. You'll pass The Breakers and a number of other breathtaking mansions, including Rosecliff and Beechwood, the Astor estate that's not open for tours. We went as far as the tunnel beneath the Chinese Tea House, but the path continues for another mile past that, ending at Bailey Beach. The route took us about an hour each way, mostly because we kept stopping for photos and to take in the incredible view. A MUST for anyone visiting Newport, the Cliff Walk provided a fabulous afternoon experience for our family, and is highly recommended.

The Cliff Walk is a National Recreation Trail which runs through a National Historic District in Newport, Rhode Island. Ocean views abound throughout the 3.5 mile walk. The trail also passes by some of Newport's famous gilded age mansions. We entered the walk by the Chanler Hotel. We had our dog with us and encountered many other people walking with dogs along the way. We explored the grounds of Ochre Court (now Salve Regina University), walked around the Breakers and watched the surfers ride the waves. Shortly after the Breakers, the paved walk ended. We didn't want to rock hop with the dog, so we exited the path at that point.

I sadly didn't have enough time to finish the cliff walk BUT what I did see was absolutely beautiful and amazing ( I highly recommend going right before the sun sets ) beautiful scenery with the mansions and amazingly beautiful waves and history.

We absolutely love the cliff walk! Path is paved, beautiful view of the mansions, and ocean is beautiful. The path is not that busy during off season which is when we tend to visit Newport. It's a site we always take in when we visit.

Defintley a must do when visiting Newport. Some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. We got on about a block away from The Breakers and headed right. I heard this wasn't stroller friendly so I didn't bring mine. But honestly if you have little kids you probably aren't going to be able to do the parts that aren't stroller friendly anyway so we probably could've gotten away with bringing it. We turned around once it started to get rocky and headed back in the opposite direction and passed the Breakers along with the Regina Salve University. We probably only did a small section of it because my three year old started complaining that she was tired and wanted to be held. But, it was well worth it. If I ever came back without kids I would defintley want to do the entire thing, which is about 3.5 miles long.

Well maintained trail and highly trafficked. I love that they have QR codes along each landmark so that you can read more about it if interested. It is difficult to see some mansions as they are private and fenced off (rightfully so), but walking along the sea is enjoyable in itself. Be careful of some of the rocks and boulders midway the trail as they can be slippery. If you have time, I suggest walking back via the streets/pedestrian sidewalks of the neighborhood instead so that you can view the fronts of the mansions. They are a sight to see.

The Cliff Walk is on every Newport RI to-do list I've ever seen...and rightfully so. The free 3.5 mile walk along the RI coastline offers some amazing views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Newport Mansions. The walk begins at Memorial Blvd. and Eustis Avenue and ends at Bellevue Avenue and Coggeshall Avenue. The estimated completion time for the 3.5-mile walk is 2.5 hours at moderate walking speed. Though most of the walk is easy, there are some hills, staircases and uneven surfaces at times. So remember to wear comfortable shoes! There are a few places along the walk that are highly visited: Forty Steps, Ochre Point, Belmont Beach, Sheep Point, Rough Point and Lands End. You may want to check out those along the walk...or in some cases, drive and park close to those sites. Metered ($1.25 per hour payable by credit/debit card) parking is available at the Forty Steps location along Narragansett Avenue and at the First Beach location along Memorial Blvd. There are also public restrooms at the forty Steps (Narragansett Avenue) location.

Great views Portions of the trail are still affected by the hurricane. We did about half of the trail and decided to turn around. Street parking is available nearby for a charge.

We started at 40 Steps and walked past Breakers - where it got very rocky. Honestly this was just ok for us. The views were beautiful of course, but we've been lucky to have visited other parts of the country that are more exceptional. Also - when we visited, there was a lot of construction and detours - which lessened the experience for us.

Such a beautiful walk in March! Not too many people, really warm (didn't really need our jackets). The daffodils were blooming and it was really nice to see the first signs of spring. For parking we were able to park up the street in a public beach area (off season so no charge) . A portion of the cliff walk was closed due to renovations but was still enjoyable and provided beautiful views! A must for visiting Newport !

This was a great walk to see the water. You can't see many houses which is what we went on the walk for. You don't really feel like you're on the beach, but beautiful scenic views.

We parked by the bus depot and took the free Newport Trolley to the start of the cliff walk. This end of the trail has a few areas where you need to watch your step but overall the hike was rather calm. The one drawback is that there is only one stop for restrooms on the hike so if your are not well prepared it becomes a bit of a dash, especially with kids in tow. Overall a wonderful way to experience the beautiful coastline.

Seriously one of the coolest walks ever! The Cliff Walk takes you on an amazing path over rocks, paved paths, and dirt trails that hold the ocean on one side and incredible, massive mansions on the other. There's so much to look at and everything is so beautiful. It would take a couple hours to walk the entire thing and there are even walkways dug into rocks so that the path can continue and continue. We went during COVID and everyone we walked past put their masks on when passing, and there actually weren't many people out at all. Such a wonderful, peaceful and gorgeous free activity. I hope to go back one day!

Unbelievable experience. Must see and do. Wear good shoes. Take your time. Really enjoyed the experience.

One of the most beautiful walking trails I've ever walked. Not only are there great views but they are different levels of difficulty and there are plenty of convenient places to park at various points and take even just a portion of the walk. Even without doing the whole walk you will be rewarded with whichever portion of the walk you decide to are able to do. The walk is very well-maintained, has excellent signage and safety railings in the portions where they are needed. Even on the paved and easier parts it is still recommended that good walking shoes be worn and depending on the weather that you are dressed appropriately. A very enjoyable time!

Whenever I am near Newport, RI during the summer months, I always love visiting the Mansions in Newport. Due to Covid 19 this year, the Mansions were open but I preferred to enjoy outdoor activities along the walk, as well as the beach. I chose an area of the Cliff walk wherein there was not a large crowd of people. Found an area to park for free. Enjoyed a nice, short walk to the Cliffs, and truly enjoyed the time I spent walking the Cliff, sitting on the rocks, and enjoying the warm ocean waves crashing all around me. My only suggestion is to visit on a week day during off season when the weather is still warm if you want to avoid crowds. Also there are great hidden areas wherein you can avoid the masses, just have to know where to look.

What's better than a path behind rich peoples homes to gawk and dream of being mega rich? Ha! Actually I think it's highly over rated. Cool old mansions along a scenic New England coast line.