When you are in Rhode Island you may want to find a great campground to stay at. This can be anything from a state park, private park, or even a friends driveway. Still finding the best place to stay often involves hours of reading different reviews online. With most states you will notice they have a ton of campgrounds to choose from even and that adds to the challenge. Since that is the case here is a review of Ninigret Conservation Area in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
Location Of East State Beach Ninigret Conservation Area
Learning where the hotel is located makes it easier for you to find attractions in walking distance, but also know if you are in a safe part of CITY or not. With that being the case here is the address of the hotel and the phone number as well.
236 E. Beach Road
Charlestown, RI 02813
Property Features Of The Ninigret Conservation Area
- Three miles of undeveloped beach front.
- Has a trail.
- Composting toilets are at the campground.
Campsite Features Of The Location
- Limited parking means less distractions.
- Campground has 20 campsites.
- The restrooms are 4 Clivus Multrum Compositing Toilets.
What Does The Campground Have For Kids?
The beach is obviously one of the main attractions that the kids are sure to love. At the beach, depending on the weather conditions, the kids have a chance to go swimming. The beach frontage is three miles so the kids should be able to find a spot to sit and enjoy the sun or even the water.
The trails are another option for the kids. The trails are going to wind around and are not overly long, but does provide the kids with something to do when they are at the campground.
Finally, the kids can enjoy the chance to relax without electronics. Yes, I know that may seem a little odd, but you do have to remember that the kids need a break from their electronics. By getting the kids out at Ninigret Conservation Area the kids will not be around their electronics.
What Does The Property Offer For Adults?
As mentioned the beach is one of the main attractions to the campground. When you go to the beach here you have a chance to enjoy the beach with your family, but also with the limited parking allows you to have privacy.
The 20 camping sites, which are restricted in what is allowed, makes it easier for you to enjoy some privacy and isolation. This comes from the fact that you are not going to get a large crowd around you at any time, but also have a chance to enjoy the peace that comes from camping.
Finally, as an adult, you are going to really fall in love with the views of the campground. While it may not seem like that big of a draw, the views from the break beach it will make it easier for you to enjoy the views that are seen on the water.
Amazing Views
I have to say that the campground does have some great views. These views are mainly of the beach and the water, but still these are going to be some of the best that you can find.
Now, what else is great about the views is you are able to see when storms are coming in from the ocean. So you do have plenty of time to prepare your campsite if a storm is blowing in off of the water.
Finally, the views are going to give you a perfect place to take plenty of pictures. These pictures are the ones that you can use to document your trip.
Quietness
As an adult or even some of the kids one thing that you want to have is peace and quiet. Well, the campground here only has a total of 20 sites which definitely means that the larger crowds that you can get in campgrounds with a hundred people are not going to be present.
Something else that you are going to enjoy is that the beach, while it is open, does have limited parking. This also means that it will not be overly crowded either and on a 3 mile stretch of land it generally means you do not have to deal with people sitting on top of each other.
Finally, one of the most peaceful things you can do when you do lay down at night is hear the sound of water. The location here, which is further away from major highways allows you to have that quite and hear the waves lapping at the shore.
Changing Rooms Are Available
Taking a dip in the water is very relaxing. However, when you get out of the water the worst thing possible is having to go back to your campsite soaking wet.
To address this issue, and for the people who come to the beach as well, their are 6 changing rooms. These rooms do provide you some privacy to change and dry off out of your swimming suit.
On the downside these are not state of the art changing rooms. So you can expect only the most basic of things when you are getting changed here. Still, it does allow you to have a great place to dry off and not have to wear wet clothes all the way back to your tent.
Lifeguards On Duty At Times
Swimming in the open water is thrilling, but if you are a weaker swimmer, like my kids are it can be scary. Thankfully, depending on where you are at the beach you do have a lifeguard that is on station.
It is important to note that the lifeguard does not cover the entire three mile stretch of the beach. Instead, the lifeguard is only meant to cover a designated area of the beach. Does this mean if they see a swimmer in distress outside of the area they will not respond? The answer to that is I do not know, but I know for me I would respond to anyone in distress.
Something else about the lifeguard is they are only on duty during certain times. So if you are expecting to see a lifeguard year round that would be a mistake, but also even at certain times in the summer the lifeguard may not be on duty either.
Shell Searching Can Take Place
As you can imagine anytime that you are near the water you have a chance to find shells. This is very true of the campground here, which has plenty of shells that wash up on the beach and come in a variety of colors and shapes.
Now, if you are shell searching you are likely to find other things as well that have washed up on the water. I know this from experience when I would look for shells on the shore of Lake Michigan as a kid and would find glass and other things that I never would imagine.
It is important if you are shell hunting that you only pick up the shells that are empty. These shells make it easier for you to have a great shell to your collection, but also helps to ensure that you are not taking away an animals habitat.
Smaller Size Limits Camping Equipment
While I personally love the smaller size of the campground here, it can be restrictive on what you can camp with. These restrictions are definitely ones for you to know about and make sure you follow.
Now, from what we have seen before the larger vehicles may not be something that you would want to bring here. The campground is not one that has all that you would want to have in amenities either as far as disposal sites, water or electric hookups.
Another restriction is the fact that the campground is missing a lot of the creature comforts that you may be used to. This includes the electric and even a shower house. So if you are dirty you may have to walk back towards the East Beach and take a quick dip in the water to remove the dirt.
What Is In Driving Distance From East State Beach
Frosty Drew Observatory is a great stop to check out here. The observatory is a great place to check out and just see the stars. Depending on the time you go, it is possible to see things that you have never seen before in the sky or learn about them.
Small Axe Cafe is a great place to stop for some good cafe type of food. The best part is the price is not overly expensive and does have quite a few healthy options on the menu for you to pick from.
Phil’s Hungry Have is located only 1.8 miles from East Beach. This is a budge friendly place that serves mainly an American style cuisine that you are sure to love.
PROS AND CONS
- Close to the beach.
- Has trails to walk along.
- Can be considered a small campground.
- Plenty of gorgeous views to enjoy.
- Chance to see migratory birds that follow the coastline
- Parking lots are small and fill up quickly.
- Limited amenities to a composting toilet only on the grounds.
What Others Say About The Campground
While I do give you quite a bit of information about the hotel I figured you would like to know more about what other people are saying. With that being the case, here is what other people have said about the location.
Dani has this to say about the East Beach area, ”such a stunning beach.” This is talking about the beach and definitely adds to the fact that I already have raved about the beach being a great place.
Leah has this to say about the beach as well. ”So much space to yourself.” This is another point that I brought up and that stems from the fact that people love the privacy that you find here compared to some of the other beaches.
Who Would Like The Ninigret Conservation Area
The people that enjoy the quiet and peace of a beach front campground will like this campground. These people can be mainly families, but it could also be the people that are just looking to get away from everything.
The other group that could enjoy the campground are those that want to be close to the water. This makes it quite a bit easier for you to go out and enjoy the water early the next morning before anyone gets to the campground.
Who Would Dislike The Ninigret Conservation Area
The first group are the people that want to have a campground that has full amenities. While the campground does have a composting toilet it is not the full amenity that everyone would like to have.
Finally people who want to have a lot of people around to make friends with may not like the campground either. Since this campground is smaller you are going to have the issue of it not providing you with all that you want with regard to companionship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Dogs Allowed?
At the beach dogs are allowed only in the off season.
Is The Parking Lot Large?
The parking lot is small to help keep the crowds down.
What Time Does East Beach Open?
The beach opens for visitors at 8 am.
Is The Parking Rate Different?
For state residents and out of state residents the parking rate is different.
Is East Beach Open Year Round?
The answer is yes it is! However, for me I would not go swimming once it gets too cold.
My Final Thoughts On Ninigret Conservation Area
Finding a great campground to stay at in Rhode Island is a challenge. With that being the case, I would recommend people to check out Ninigret Conservation Area and East Beach. The campground is smaller and most of the focus is around the beach, but it is close enough that these are often referred to as the same. So I would recommend this campground and beach alike. If you are using a large RV, though, you may want to reconsider if you are going to camp here.
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