Watch Hill Beach

One of the best beaches! Bay side for toddlers and ocean side for bigger waves. Parking in Watch Hill is a challenge so be prepared to pay or walk. Or find a friend with a boat!

I’m in love with this awesome little town. Beaches are beautiful, the lighthouse museum is pretty cool.

Best sport ever. Paid $50 for parking for 4 hours and it fills up quickly. The beach itself was beautiful, clean, and not overly crowded.

I have been visiting Watch Hill Beach for seven years, and when my family and I first discovered it, we felt we had found a true treasure. Before I proceed with my review, I want to address some negative comments I’ve encountered regarding the locals. In my experience over the years, I have never encountered any rude locals; they have always been warm and welcoming. Like any destination, if you behave loudly and disruptively, you may not be welcomed. Now, regarding my review: We have always enjoyed our time there because of the friendly locals, delicious food and coffee, and the ability to relax while listening to the waves and watching families and friends enjoy themselves. I’ve always been very hesitant to go to the beach on July 4th because of how busy it can get. My best friend and I decided to go on July 4th 2025 and it did not disappoint us at all!!! We had such a great time, we found a great spot to sit back, relax, and enjoy. There is no beach like Watch Hill. I’ve traveled to many of them, but none compare to this one. Also, shout out to the parking attendants who do a phenomenal job ensuring all the cars are parked correctly and the ease of leaving the parking lot. Thank you!!

Enjoyed the 2 days Sunrise and sunset both wonderful

Peaceful beach and very clean and quiet. Great place to bring the kids. Be prepared to pay to park and to enter the beach. Well worth it!

Absolutely love this beach ⛱️!! We've been going here for over 30 yrs and I still love it just as much. I enjoy the 2 hrs of free parking ;) on the street. It could cost up to 50-60$ dollars to park for the day. Beautiful harbor . Just a dream

The merry go round isn't open until tomorrow, June 18th. It was a beautiful day, sunny & warm and not crowded. Shopped & ate while soaking up the sun. Lots of eateries and shopping venues. Very picturesque for those who love photography. Yes took a photo as I walked by Taylor Swift's home. Be respectful..there are body guards present everywhere. All in all a beautiful day.

If you ever take a pit stop in Watch Hill or you're trying to stalk Taylor Swift at her waterfront home here, make sure to take a quick stop and check out the oldest operating merry go round in the US. Unfortunately, it's only for small kids as there's a weight limit due to the way it's designed, so if you got kids, hopefully they can appreciate the history behind it and enjoy the ride.

The Watch Hill Flying Horse Carousel is a historic carousel that has been operating in Watch Hill, Rhode Island since 1884. The carousel was manufactured by the Charles W.F. Dare Company in Brooklyn, New York. It is unclear when exactly the carousel was manufactured, with some experts believing that it was assembled as early as 1867. It is one of the two oldest carousels in the United States, along with the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. The Watch Hill Carousel is also the oldest carousel in the United States in which the horses are suspended from chains. According to local legend, the carousel originally belonged to a traveling carnival. They brought it to Watch Hill some time between 1897-1883 and left it there for unknown reasons. It contains 20 horses in two sizes and it's believed that the bodies of the horses were carved from single blocks of wood, with the legs carved and attached separately. When the carousel rotates, centrifugal force drives the horses outward, giving rise to the name "flying horses." The New England Hurricane of 1938 caused extensive damage to the carousel. The horses were recovered from sand dunes and the carousel was restored to operation. Today the carousel runs from June to Labor Day. My family and I recently visited the Watch Hill Flying Horses Carousel. We were visiting some friends of ours who were vacationing in the area. I remembered hearing that one of the oldest carousels was located in Watch Hill and asked if we could all visit. Like other early carousels, the Watch Hill Carousel features a brass ring device. We first learned about this concept when we visited the Flying Horses Carousel in Martha's Vineyard. A wooden arm dispenses iron rings that carousel riders try to grab as they pass by. If a rider gets a 'brass ring', then they win a free ride. This whole concept adds a fun competive element to the ride. We let our older son ride a couple of times and he was lucky enough to grab a prized brass ring and win a free ride. We all had a fun time visiting the historic carousel and look forward to returning in the future!

Employees and staff handled our situation with kindness & grace. Extremely helpful and understanding, the best!!

Got very lucky and got 2 hour street parking on Bay St (weekday). Nice sandy beach though there was seaweed. Entrance is right behind the carousel, and there are clean facilities for beach guests on a large deck. $12/adult, $6/kid. Carousel was indeed $4 to ride one of the outer horses. Same ticket window. From the beach, you see private cabanas and the yacht club on the right. On the left you see the light house. Taylor Swift's house is not visible from the beach but is a quick drive on the road past the beach on a hill with a black gate. (Private property signs all over her property). I was impressed the staff came around to beach guests to collect trash.

Noice! so, have you been? its pretty nice in these parts, so i hope you get past the checkpoint. haha, jk, no checkpoint, but you better wear your male romper in these parts. Ok, so leave that hipsterwear at home, but please look nice, the people of watch hill have a reputation to uphold. the carousel is iconic, well, it is to the people around here i guess. my kids love it! LPT: get the outside track so your little muffin can grab the brass ring. they might not get it, so be prepared with a participation trophy! if you want to step on the beach, its going to cost you, so best prepare yourself for that. TSwift lives up the street so you know its not cheap. i guess good people watching, but also know those riche are looking at you (nose turned up) sand

Fabulous location and beach. Avoid parking or staying at The Watch Hill Inn. Horrible customer service - employees were yelling at each other and I could hear cursing.

Never in my life did I ever think I would ever visit Rhode Island. Of all the great places that the Northeast has, New York and Boston in particular, I would have never guessed that I would be so excited to talk about the Watch Hill Beach in Rhode Island. It is, by far, one of the most peaceful places I've ever visited. We made just in time to watch the sunset and it was one beautiful sight. On one side is a peaceful view of the sunset while on the opposite side you hear the waters of the Atlantic. If you're brave enough, out on your suit and take your surfboard for a ride. It's all rocks to get to the ocean but I saw a few folks brave enough to go for it. Just a few blocks away is a village full of shops. From clothes to real estate, food and ice cream, there's enough going on to get there early enough so you have some things to do before catching the sunset. This is a must do for me in the future.

This place is utterly gorgeous and this history is fascinating. At the tip of the peninsula (that you can only walk to) is an old Spanish American fort. The whole peninsula, which is like 2 miles long used to be covered in hotels and cottages, but in 1938 a hurricane came and blew everything away. Now it's all sand, but you can still find basements and pieces of house all over the place and still washing up on shore. The sunsets here are beautiful. You may want to wear long pants because to get to the beach you need to pass through a bit of some tall grass that have signs warning about ticks, so I dunno but you may want to be alert just incase.

Cool spot to come hang out and walk around the town shops for a day (sunny or overcast) it's nice for your traditional New England beach day, bring cash for parking lot, and beach entry fees and your cooler/chairs!

So cute. Old time carousel with real-deal horsies suspended from chains. Kids wouldn't go for a ride, but was fun to watch. Didn't realize this operation was connected to the private beach next door. Don't think it's crazy-expensive but at $2/child and $8ish (?) / adult, I would rather plunk down some money on a state pass for the whole season for the same price. That being said, if you're visiting from out of town it is not a bad place to take the family. No fight for parking with their private off-street lot. Guess it's the second oldest carousel in the states. That makes it uber-cool. Can't go all the way with five stars. Kids working the giddy-ups were obviously distracted...as any 16 year old would be. But a smile on their faces wouldn't hurt.

A MUST DO! 4&1/2 STARS! Watch Hill is a beautiful New England picturesque Village with unique one of a kind small stores. The grey weathered shingles on the outside of the shops give it a distinctly New England quintessential Charm. It's fun to go window shopping & browsing through the stores, restaurants & ice cream shop. You can also take your towel & suntan lotion & head on over to the beach. The town's most famous resident is Taylor Swift. Yup there's some people with Mega Bucks who reside here. Their old fashioned carousel is called The Flying Horse Carousel & dates back to 1876 & is now a National Historic Landmark. Be sure to take a ride. It's fun to stroll along the shoreline & see the boats out in the water & tied up at the docks. You definitely connect with nature here in a more peaceful laid back setting. Cloudy days & sunsets are really beautiful here on the beach. They have paid parking & sometimes you can even snag a Free 2 hour street parking space. Remember to take a walk up the hill to the beautiful Ocean House Hotel & have lunch @ The Verandah outside. You will have a multi million dollar view of the hotel & the Atlantic Ocean & you can even see Taylor's oceanside digs from there. It used to be, you had to have mega bucks & be really rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Cute but overrated The carousel is old but works. It's cute but nothing special. The beach at the Carousel is nice but not great. Go to Messquimaqit or Narragansett if your looking for a real beach experience.

Hard to give this place a true evaluation because they basically don't want you to be there if you're not a millionaire. I was driving along a busy street with my family today and in the other lane, another driver was waiting to pull into a spot. A local man, driving a convertible, decided he didn't want to wait so he pulled into the opposite lane and drove straight at us. I stopped my car, terrified that he was going to hit us, and he barely scraped past. I threw my hands in the air in frustration and he flipped me off and screamed "go back to Maryland." How quaint. Don't waste your time. Go literally anywhere else on this beautiful coast because these folks most certainly do not want you to visit.

We went during the off season, so everything was mostly closed. You can visit the carousel and lighthouse, but the shops and museum are closed, as is the beach. It is a pretty walk up to the lighthouse and lots of people were hanging out, with their dogs, and fishing. Locals were friendly.

I'm giving this three stars because people are commenting here on 2 completely different sections of the beach. There is the very small area of beach next to the carousel that costs $8 for adults. Most of the beach is for the private club next door so to me to the price is ridiculous for this little area. But that's just me. 1 star The other beach is at Napatree point, which has its own listing but clearly not everyone has found it. That part of the beach is amazing. I would give that 4 stars. Only reason it isn't 5 is that I am picky about waves. I either want big waves like at second beach or gentle waves like at East beach. These were obnoxiously in the middle to the point where I couldn't really relax or swim, just kept getting hit in the face with water. Only went in once and not for long. East beach is more clear and a better swimming beach. I may try it again and go to the end of the beach this time. Napatree is very scenic and a good place to walk. It is not well advertised so it is hard to find if you don't already know about it. You go to the parking area for the private club and just to the right of the private lot sign you will see a sign for Napatree. I almost missed it myself. Walk over the dunes and there you are. If you walk up on the rock wall you get a good view of the lighthouse and Ocean House. The area of Watch Hill itself is really nice and is a good place to spend the day.

Simply the best beach in New England, period. Classic seaside village feel, some monster mansions (this was once a hangout for Hollywood east) and miles of flawless white sand sea shore. You can actually surf here, especially at low tide, you can get some pretty rad breaks. This has been a staple of my East Coast summers and now I am sharing that with my little guy. I love Watch Hill. Dont go to the little pay beach area near the marina, walk up the hill and down the path and be awed.

Oh, Watch Hill, how I adore you. Sandy beaches, peaceful atmosphere, quaint downtown area, and lovely lighthouse in the distance. We came in the late afternoon after finishing up work and were still able to soak up the waning hours of warmth and daylight. The waves were magnificent! So much better than the comparably still waters of Long Island Sound. Also, funny enough, the walking path I always take to the beach is right next to the house that I guess Taylor Swift just bought (judging by the rabid tweens prowling). The "no trespassing" sign also says " I knew you were trouble when you walked in" which I had to chuckle at.

Bring your kids here! It is an excellent little area. The carousel itself is the second oldest in the USA. Like others have said in reviews, it was nearly destroyed in the 1938 hurricane. Basically, kids ride the carousal and collect rings each turn around. Most of the rings are silver, but there is one bronze ring that entitles the recipient to a free ride. I love brining my nephews here when they are in town. There are two beaches here, one pay entry beach next to the carousel (great for kids as it has little to no waves, lifeguards and climbing rocks) and East Beach. East Beach is also beautiful but a bit more dangerous. Serious swimmers only with these waves / rip tides!

Parking may be tough and expensive ($30 on a Tuesday!) but it's by-far my favorite Rhode Island beach. It's secluded from the crowds (due to the parking hassle) and it's clean. You are walking distance to cute shops and restaurants with a beautiful view of the harbor. When I went there was a trailer with bathrooms in the parking lot nearby so it wasn't necessarily close to the beach but still an option if you had to go. There are gorgeous homes and the Ocean House which add to the beautiful view!

Awful water full of Sea Lice!! All over my son! Disgusting looked like seaweed but then he felt stinging on his body. No signs posted no warning! Never again!

I rode this carousel so now my kids are up! Great memories of going for the golden ring!

My friend owns a beach house a couple of homes down from this beach. All of us would walk down to the beach after dinner. It's well lit at night and Andrea's is right next door. Andrea's play live music on special nights. It's a very clean and nice beach. It definitely gives you that New England feel (almost like a Nantucket feel to this beach). The best thing about this beach is at night you can climb up to the lifeguard's chair and sit back and enjoy the view! We walked on the beach and it started pouring like cats and dogs one night...thank God we ducked into Andrea's for shelter. Definitely come here if you're in the Rhode Island area!

This is a beautiful beach! Parking can be tricky, so I recommend one of the private lots (we paid $20 for a week day but I think it is $40 on the weekend). Entry to the beach itself is $9/person (not sure if that price goes up on weekends or not). It's a scenic, peaceful beach in a charming location with cute shops and restaurants all within walking distance.

Love love this beach and have been going to it for about 20 years! We don't usually go to the carousel beach section since it cost money to get in....but we go to the free beach that is a little farther up the hill and it is beautiful, clean and amazing. For the first time we brought our 2 year old daughter to this beach and she had a blast playing in the sand and chillin. I also love their boardwalk filled with stores and places to eat...and the little nook where the boats and yachts are docked...sometimes there are swans swimming around there for no reason! Parking fees are ridiculous but the time at the beach cannot be beat!!!

Price is reasonable - you should take uber or get dropped off. Bathrooms and bathhouses available. Small beach, lots of families and crying kids. Summer in Watch Hill kind of stinks now. Too many tourists.

First time coming here and can't wait to come back. This beach is amazing, the waves are fun to swim in, Taylor Swift's beach house is right next to the beach and it's simply paradise. Make sure you get there EARLY as the beach fills up pretty fast. If I ever come to Rhode Island again I'm definitely coming back to this place!!!

We had a great time in Watch Hill. My 3 year old granddaughter rode the carousel for the first time ever. It's a beautiful village, BUT there's a two hour parking limit per day. It seems like the village wants you to come in, shake some money out of you, and then throw you out. We did have a good time, carousel, ice cream and sightseeing. Two hours was enough, but the policy is not exactly welcoming. By the way, how does the village know if you've overstayed your welcome?

Before taking a little road trip up to this beach on a Sunday morning (about 2 hour drive) , my friends and looked up reviews. Some said that the parking was completely free. When we arrived the first lot we saw said that parking would be $40 for the whole day. So we kept driving around assuming there would be a lot for free parking. (Oh and we got there at 9:15 and the beach had just opened at 9) We saw the 2 hour parking and 3 hour parking. We parked at the 3 hour parking spaces not realizing that it was for people only with certain permits. We ended up getting a $75 ticket. We were pissed and it was only 10 am. So we barley spent any time at the beach. By now all parking lots were full and we were so pissed so we ended up leaving and driving back to CT to a local state beach. Honestly, not worth the 2 hour drive. We ended up calling the Municipal Court and got the ticket down to $15.

We visited this beach again Labor Day weekend and were pleasantly suprised at how good it looked. The cleanup went really well but there were still small pieces of glass to be seen all over the beach. I don't think most of it posed a hazard for cutting anyone, but it may be a concern for those families with young children who like to play/dig in the sand. Hopefully these small glass pieces will get sanded smooth by the surf eventually.