Charlestown Rhode Island Homes For Sale

The village of Quonochontaug is located on Quonochontaug Pond and is 51/2 miles east of Misquamicut Beach and 31/2 miles south of Burlingame State Park on the south coast of Rhode Island.

Charlestown Map

The closest large town is Westerly. Quonochontaug Pond is one of three dozen Salt Ponds located long the coast. An interesting fact for TV trivia buffs is that X-Files Agent Fox Mulder's family owns a summer cottage in Quonochontaug.

Quonochontaug, Charlestown, RI, "the best kept secret around. If you are considering a change of pace for a few days or longer, we offer the best kept secret--our relaxing, charming spot, a wonderful beach, and salt and fresh water ponds. South County and the surrounding area have wonderful attractions for you to visit year round.

Charlestown RI Real Estate for Sale

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Shingle style cottage w/all amenities+private island w/ large pavillion (w/fireplace, H20 & electric) Dock & mooring w/ Ocean access. Guest cottage! Porches, decks & windows w/ Romantic Western Sunset views-nature abounds+You own a beach w/parking!! 5 bedrooms, 3/1 baths, List Price $5,900,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Mark Weber - Century 21 Anchor Associates. ML# 657420.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Oceanfront-Quonochontaug-Nun's Beach This quintessential 1927 shingled cottage has been splendidly restored to its halcyon days. Perched high on the coastal headlands, the views are extraordinary. Beautiful sandy beach steps from your door. Stunning! 3 bedrooms, 1/1 baths, List Price $4,450,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Raymond Mott - Properties Unlimited, LLC. ML# 730881.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Historic "Whistling Chimneys" is an 11 room waterfront Farmhouse (c.1700) with a dock on Quonnie Pond. This truly rare offering is situated on a pastoral setting of rolling lawns, stonewalls, and is adjacent to 37 acres of preserved land. 3 bedrooms, 3/0 baths, List Price $3,350,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Julie Quigley-smith - Gustave White Sotheby'S Realty. ML# 661540.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Ninigret pondfront property with dock permits - Quonochontaug east beach association privileges will convey with property. Lovely 1.6 acre site in private setting. Dwelling has in-law, and needs structural work. An exceptional waterfront site. 5 bedrooms, 4/0 baths, List Price $2,200,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Arthur Ganz - Properties Unlimited, LLC. ML# 646528.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Magnificent waterfront contemporarary w endless views and secret gardens. Boasting, 3 full BR suites, seperate guest cottage, and registered dock w ocean access. Enjoy the sunset over the water from the muti-level decks of this well-appointed home. 4 bedrooms, 4/1 baths, List Price $1,999,999.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Molly Silva - Prudential Pequot Properties. ML# 661841.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Ocean front! On the beach! Dune-top, 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home. As close to the surf as you can get! Stunning view from deck and sliders in great room and master bedroom! Brand new kitchen, roof & carpets! Don't wait! 3 bedrooms, 1/1 baths, List Price $1,690,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Skip French - Re/Max Flagship, Inc. ML# 657376.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Superb waterfront location. Home set on highest part of large lot which gradually slopes down to water and docking area. Views of Ninigret/Charlestown pond are extensive!! Ocean access. Truly a most desireable saltwater pondfront location!!! 3 bedrooms, 1/1 baths, List Price $1,500,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Ronald Goff - Wallander Realty, Ltd. ML# 663601.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Beautiful Ninigret Pond Front location. East Beach Association. Access to boat launch, tennis and private beach. Very nice views of the ocean. 3 bedrooms, 2/0 baths, List Price $1,495,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Liz Judy - Thorp & Mcandrew Real Estate. ML# 651978.

Single-Family Home - Charlestown. Gracious "cottage" high on a hilltop with WATERVIEWS. Spectacular Stone Fireplace, 5 Beds, 3Full Baths. Master Bedroom includes Full Bath and Private Enclosed Porch. Also, Stone Porch along front of house, deck off back. 3.49 Acres. Huge Barn. 5 bedrooms, 3/0 baths, List Price $1,100,000.

For immediate personal assistance and detailed information on this great Charlestown home Call: Bruce Brast @ 877-855-7913

The Information Data Exchange is an innovative program between cooperating members to provide complete listing information to the public. Listed By: Mary Jane Long - Randall, Realtors Gmac. ML# 645280.

The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX Program of the State-Wide Multiple Listing Service, Inc. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Coleman, Realtors are marked with the MLS logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.

Charlestown (Charleston) is along the southern coast of Rhode Island. It is a rural area, spotted with farms and wildlife management areas. Its barrier beaches are very popular with area residents who prefer quieter beaches. The township is popular in general with campers and outdoorsmen of all types.

The town of Charlestown includes the villages of Shady Harbor, Quonochontaug, Charlestown Beach, Snug Harbor, Cross's Mills, and Columbia Heights.

Several State Parks and wildlife preserves take significant portions of the township. This includes the Ninigret Conservations area, the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, the Burlingame Wildlife Management Area, the Kimball Wildlife Refuge, and the Burlingame State Park.

The Narragansett Tribal Lands, including the Royal Indian Burial Ground are also located in this township.

Boating, hiking, fishing, and bird-watching are all popular in Charlestown.

The North South Trail begins at the coastline and heads north, all the way across Rhode Island.

Resturants are few in the area and tend to be seasonal. There are several motels not affiliated with national chains and camping in the Ninigret Conservation Area and the Burlingame State Park.

Of special interest are the beaches: Quonochontaug Beach, Blue Shutters Town Beach, East Beach, and Charlestown Breachway State Beach. These beaches are quieter than most of the other state beaches and the surf can be a little rougher.

The most of Charlestown's 8000-person population lives along or just south of Route 1A, the original path of Post Road, which also hosts most of the businesses in the area. This spills over into North Kingstown a little, but most people think of the entire area as Charlestown.

To get to Charlestown from I-95, take Exit 93 in Connecticut and follow Route 216 south though several non-obvious turns, but through some nice rural countryside. Or, easier, catch Route 1 (Post Road) in Westerly and head east.

Charlestown Rhode Island History

The pre-contact wave of epidemics which swept across New England and the Canadian Maritimes between 1614 and 1620 somehow missed the Narragansett...probably because of the isolation of their villages on the islands of Narragansett Bay.

With their population relatively unscathed and later reinforced by incorporation of survivors from other tribes, they emerged from this disaster as the dominant tribe in southern New England and subjugated many of their neighbors.

By 1620 the Narragansett had already experienced some contact with Europeans and traded with the Dutch from New York.

Located just to the east in southeast Massachusetts between Plymouth and the Narragansett in Rhode Island, the Wampanoag were one of the tribes forced to pay tribute, so it is hardly surprising that the Wampanoag welcomed the new English settlement at Plymouth in 1620 and sought an alliance with them.

It is even less surprising that the Narragansett were suspicious of the English and viewed this alliance as a threat to their authority.

In 1621 the Narragansett sachem Canonicus sent a war challenge to Plymouth in the form of some arrows wrapped in a snakeskin.

William Bradford sent back gunpowder wrapped in the same snakeskin, and the Narragansett, after much puzzled discussion among themselves, decided to leave these strange people alone for the moment.

The English took the precaution of building a fort, but the crisis, which may well have destroyed the tiny Plymouth colony, was ended through the timely intervention of other enemies which forced the Narragansett to turn their attention elsewhere.

In 1622 the Pequot attacked the Narragansett who seized a disputed hunting territory in southwest Rhode Island from them. The following year the Narragansett were drawn into in a prolonged war with the Mohawk during which Pessacus, an important sachem, was killed.

By the time the Narragansett were free to deal with the English at Plymouth, they were firmly established, and large numbers of Puritans were settling at Massachusetts Bay.

In the beginning, the English were content to leave the Narragansett alone.

In 1627 Plymouth made an agreement with the Dutch not to trade in Narragansett Bay. Canonicus remained aloof from the English colonists, but he could not ignore the defection of the Wampanoag.

In 1632 he decided to reassert his authority over them, but when the English colonists supported the Wampanoag, the Narragansett were forced to abandon the effort.

The English had altered the balance of power in the region but would soon make themselves felt in other ways. In 1633 the Narragansett, for the first time, felt the full blow of an epidemic when they lost 700 of their people to smallpox.

A second epidemic struck in 1635, but the Narragansett were still able to drive the Pequot from the southwest corner of Rhode Island that year and reclaim the territory which they had surrendered in 1622.

The following year, a major change occurred in relations between the English and Narragansett.

Rogers Williams was a man of uncommon integrity who believed the English king had no right to claim to native lands, and because he did not hesitate to express this in public, the Puritans banished him from Massachusetts as a dangerous radical.

Forced to move to Rhode Island in 1636, his negotiations to purchase land from the Narragansett initiated a long period of mutual trust and respect which continued until the King Philip's War (1675-76).

Williams' accommodation with the Narragansett was timely, since the beginning of English settlement in Connecticut had provoked a serious confrontation with the Pequot.

Open warfare erupted in 1636 following the seizure of the boat of a Boston trader near Block Island by the western Niantic (Pequot allies).

That August, an English retaliatory expedition was sent to Block Island and killed 14 Niantic, burned their village and crops, and then made a similar attack on a Pequot village in eastern Connecticut.

During the winter the Pequot planned their retaliation and sent war belts to the Narragansett asking their help.

Because of Roger Williams, the Narragansett not only refused the Pequot request, but sent warnings to Boston of impending war, and allied themselves with the English. Narragansett support proved a key factor in the English victory the following year.

In April, the Pequot attacked the settlements along the Connecticut River killing 30 colonists, and the General Court at Hartford formally declared war.

In May a small army of 90 colonists and 70 Mohegan warriors assembled at Hartford under the command of John Mason with the intention of attacking the main Pequot fort at Mystic.

Mason's command travelled by boat down the Connecticut River to Fort Saybrook and, after adding a few more men, following the coastline east to Mystic, only to find the Pequot waiting for them. Outnumbered, the expedition continued east to the Narragansett villages in Rhode Island.

Canonicus took one look at Mason's tiny command, pronounced it much too small, and provided 200 of his own warriors to be led by his son Miontonimo.

Canonicus also gave permission for the English to travel overland through Narragansett territory to make a surprise attack on Mystic from the rear.

Once enroute, the Narragansett became concerned about the bumbling manner in which English soldiers moved through the woods and considered leaving the expedition before it was discovered and ambushed.

A fiery speech by the Mohegan chief Uncas, however, challenged their courage, and they decided to stay.

Mason's army eventually reached Mystic undiscovered.

Trapping 700 Pequot inside while its warriors were absent on a raid against the Connecticut settlements, Mason and his men set it afire killing all who tried to escape.

The massacre broke the Pequot, but the Narragansett were disturbed by the unnecessary slaughter of Pequot women and children.

Unable to plant their crops afterwards, the Pequot abandoned their villages, separated into small groups, and fled for their lives. They were easy prey and few of them escaped.

The English joined with Narragansett and Mohegan warriors to track them down, capturing some and killing the rest in a series of small, but deadly, skirmishes. The English were determined to destroy the Pequot.

Warriors were executed, and the women and children sold as slaves to the West Indies.

In the treaty signed at Hartford in 1638, the Narragansett were given 80 of the captured Pequot as slaves.

The Mohegan received an equal number, but the 1,500 Pequot and Western Niantic who had managed to surrender were placed under the control of Uncas and the Mohegan.

Since their hosts were required to pay an annual tribute to the English for each Pequot living with them, they were not treated well.

With the addition of so many Pequot to their ranks, the Mohegan suddenly became a serious rival of the Narragansett as the dominant tribe in southern New England, but except for his friendship with the English, the ambition of Uncas differed very little from the Pequot where other tribes were concerned.

After the Mohegan allied themselves with the Puritans in Connecticut and Massachusetts, there was nothing to stop them, and they began seizing territory and exacting tribute from the smaller Mattabesic and Nipmuc tribes in the area.

Rather than stop this, the English looked the other way, since the Mohegan stood ready to crush any resistance as English settlement took lands from the Mattabesic.

However, the Narragansett grew increasingly alarmed at the growing power of Uncas and in 1640 formed an alliance with the Pocumtuc and Tunxis (Mattabesic) against the Mohegan.

Sensing the Narragansett were on the verge of starting a war, the Puritans forced them to sign a treaty promising not to go to war with the Mohegan without consulting them beforehand.

Despite this agreement, Miontonimo, continued his efforts to recruit more allies against the Mohegan.

Accompanied by 100 of his warriors, he attended councils with the Metoac on Long Island, Mattabesic in western Connecticut, and Mahican and Wappinger of the Hudson Valley during 1642.

He found few of these tribes willing to join him, but his visits spooked the Dutch in New Netherlands who were already nervous from the growing hostility they were encountering with the Wappinger and Unami Delaware along the lower Hudson River.

The Dutch mistook Miontonimo's intentions and, wrongly concluding that a general uprising was being planned against themselves and the English, passed their suspicions along to Massachusetts and Connecticut.

That winter, the Dutch decided to strike first and their surprise attack on a sleeping Wecquaesgeek (Wappinger) village (Pavonia Massacre) started the Wappinger War (1643-45).

The outbreak of fighting between the Dutch and lower Hudson tribes only added to the tensions in New England, and the Narragansett friendship with Roger Williams, still considered a radical by most Puritans, only made things worse.

When Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Hartford, and New Haven joined together in a defensive alliance known as the New England Confederation in 1643, Rhode Island was deliberately excluded.

Completely isolated, the Narragansett decided they would have to deal with the Mohegan by themselves.

Meanwhile, the Wappinger War had spread to include nearly 20 tribes, and the Dutch were very close to being overwhelmed. After concluding a treaty of friendship with the Mahican and Mohawk, they offered 25,000 guilders to the English colonists in Connecticut for soldiers to help put down the uprising.

Captain John Underhill organized two companies, with Mohegan scouts and joined the war in 1644. With the departure of the English soldiers and Mohegan warriors to fight the Wappinger, Miontonimo decided the time had come, and without consulting the English, who were certain to warn the Mohegan, he led 900 of his warriors in a surprise attack on the Mohegan capital at Shetucket.

The Mohegan were pushed back and near defeat until, with a last desperate effort, they managed to capture Miontonimo. With the loss of their sachem, the Narragansett became confused and broke off the battle.

Uncas delivered his important prisoner to the English at Hartford who locked him in a jail, but the Connecticut colonists were uncertain what to do with him until they had consulted with their counterparts in Massachusetts.

After much discussion, it was announced that Miontonimo would be released and allowed to return to his people under a combined English and Mohegan escort.

The English took Miontonimo from Hartford to Shetucket to pick up the Mohegan part of the escort, but the combined party had scarcely departed when the brother of Uncas stepped forward and tomahawked Miontonimo from behind, killing him instantly.

It is very doubtful this execution could ever have taken place without the express approval of the English authorities.

The death of Miontonimo marked the end of the Narragansett power in southern New England. For their violation of the treaty, the Naragansett were forced to pay an annual tribute of wampum to Massachusetts after 1645.

They attempted to pay this in the same manner as the Pequot by crossing Long Island Sound during 1653 and conquering the Montauk (Metoac) on the east end of the island, but the warfare upset the English colonists who had settled at Southampton in 1640. Threatened with war by the English in 1654, the Narragansett conquest of the Metoac was incomplete.

Canonicus died in 1647 and was succeeded by his grandson Canonchet (Nanuntemo). Despite their bad experiences with the Puritan colonists, the Narragansett still loved and trusted Roger Williams. Canonicus had sold him additional land during 1643, and this friendship continued under Canonchet.

In the years after the death of the Wampanoag sachem Massasoit in 1661, relations between the New England colonists and tribes took a dangerous turn. Philip (Metacom) eventually succeeded as the grand sachem of the Wampanoag in 1662, but unlike his father, he saw clearly that the English were taking over everything.

Not only the land, but their missionaries were converting his people to Christianity and undermining the traditional authority of the Wampanoag sachems.

Other tribes shared these misgivings, and Philip found many ears willing to listen as he began to secretly organize an alliance in preparation for a general uprising. Unfortunately, his secret plans were not that much of a secret. A network of informers kept the English aware that something was about to happen.

They just were not certain where or when. Philip was summoned several times to explain his actions and sign treaties of peace and friendship.

He explained, signed, and then left to resume the plotting. By 1674 Philip, over the strong objections of the aging Roger Williams, had convinced the Narragansett to join him.

Canonchet, however, personally assured Williams that the Narragansett would not harm one hair on his head when war came ...a promise which was faithfully kept. By 1674 the colonists in New England outnumbered the natives two to one, and if there was to be any chance of success, Philip needed the Narragansett.

However, he was forced to wait until they could accumulate enough guns and ammunition. It appears the uprising was planned originally for the summer of 1676, but the murder of John Sassamon, a Praying Indian spy, in January of 1675 forced his hand.

Three Wampanoag were arrested, convicted, and hung, after which rumors flew that the English intended to arrest Philip. With Philip no longer able to restrain them, Wampanoag warriors attacked Swansea, Massachusetts in June and started the King Philip's War (1675-76).

The English immediately forced the Narragansett to sign another treaty agreeing to remain neutral.

With war all around them, the Narragansett gathered together into a single, large fortified village in a swamp near Kingston, Rhode Island.

Throughout the summer, Philip eluded the English soldiers and attacked settlements throughout New England. However, to protect his women and children, he had left them at the Narragansett fort. In the late fall of 1675, Philip returned and took most of his people with him to western Massachusetts.

The English, however, considered this a violation of their treaty with the Narragansett, and in December, a 1,000-man colonial army with 150 Mohegan scouts arrived and laid siege to the Narragansett fort.

After Canonchet refused demands to surrender the Wampanoag in his village and join the English against Philip, they attacked. Remembered as the Great Swamp Fight, the Narragansett were literally destroyed in this battle losing more than 600 warriors and 20 sachems.

Canonchet, however, escaped and led a large group of Narragansett west to join Philip in western Massachusetts where they gave a good account of themselves for the remainder of the war.

Beginning in February, Canonchet led several attacks against English settlements in the Connecticut River Valley and in March was responsible for an ambush which almost wiped out the command of Captain Wadsworth.

Another Canonchet-led ambush shortly afterwards cost the English at least 70 killed.

The Narragansett also combined with Sancumachu's Pocumtuc to attack Northfield, but by this time hunger had become a greater enemy than the English soldiers.

With Philip's people needing seed corn for the spring planting, Canonchet in April accepted the dangerous task of returning to Rhode Island to bring back a supply from a secret Narragansett cache.

His mission succeeded, but on the return, Canonchet was captured by the Mohegan, turned over to the English, and later executed by firing squad. The loss of Canonchet seems to have profoundly affected Philip until his own death four months later.

After the Great Swamp Fight and death of Canonchet, about 3,000 Narragansett women, children, and old people were left defenseless without food or shelter.

Ruthlessly hunted down, it can be assumed that many of them succumbed to either starvation or deliberate massacre. Hundreds of captured native women and children were shipped as slaves to the West Indies, 500 from Plymouth alone during 1676.

The warriors were almost always executed.

How many Narragansett were able to avoid this and find refuge among the Abenaki, Mahican, and Iroquois is unknown. From a pre-war population of 5,000, only 500 Narragansett survived the war to sign a peace treaty with the English in 1682.

The Eastern Niantic had remained neutral throughout the war, and the Narragansett received permission to join them on their small reservation near Charleston, Rhode Island.

The combined tribe has since been called the Narragansett.

Even Uncas and the Mohegan took pity on what had befallen their Narragansett enemies and allowed some of them to settle in their Connecticut villages after the war.

In 1788 many of the Narragansett left their Rhode Island reservation or the Mohegan villages in eastern Connecticut and joined the Brotherton Indians on the Oneida reservation in upstate New York.

The Brotherton relocated with the Oneida and Stockbridge (Mahican) to northern Wisconsin between 1822 and 1834, and during 1856, the Stockbridge and Brotherton who wished to retain tribal ownership of their land merged and moved to a separate reservation west of Green Bay.

The other Brotherton accepted citizenship and allotment at this time, and many of their descendants still live in Wisconsin on the east side of Lake Winnebago.

Despite these losses, the main body of the Narragansett has remained in Rhode Island through the years.

Rhode Island unilaterally terminated their tribal status in 1880, and the Narragansett lost 3200 acres from their reservation (leaving them with all of two acres).

Attempts at legal redress were denied by the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1898, and although this was a clear violation of the Non-Intercourse Act of 1790, the federal government refused to intervene because the Narragansett had never signed a treaty with the United States.

The Narragansett were unable to regain their reserve until the settlement of a lengthy lawsuit in 1978. Their reservation near Charlestown currently has about 2,500 acres.

Carolyn Jones - Fine Photography 401-364-3178

For thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans inhabited what is today Charlestown.

Their economy was centered on hunting, fishing, and agriculture which they carried out in all parts of Charlestown.

This heritage lives on in the continuing presence of the Narragansetts their lands, institutions, and historic sites still in tribal use.

Charlestown's Ocean House Marina

The first white settlers arrived soon after 1660, occupying the flat, fertile coastal plain where several large plantation were established in the 18th century.

Farms were also created in the more rugged interior sections.

On August 22, 1738 a large parcel of the Town of Westerly was separated and incorporated as the Town of Charlestown-named after Charles II.

On August 18,1747, our town was divided at the Pawcatuck River and the Town of Richmond was incorporated.

In the early 19th century, the Pawcatuck River was harnessed to power textile mills, and several industrial villages sprang up.

Cross Mills developed as a local center oriented to the important Post Road and serving area farmers with stores, a post office, gristmills and a busy blacksmith shop. Grist mills, saw mills and single mills were also built on the Pawcatuck River, and later came cotton and woolen mills.

The mills gave birth to new villages as mill houses were contructed to house the workers.

Clark's Mill (now Shannock), Carolina Mill and Kenyon Mill enlarged our towns population.

Hank Randall Photography

Our year-round population now approaches 7,000 but on a typical summer day it is not unusual to find 30,000 spending their leisure time here.

In 1958, the state formally opened the current Charlestown Brechway improving ocean and pnd access.

The "New" Route 1 was constructed in the early 1960's.

In 1974, the World War II Naval Air Base in Charelstown, about 600 acres, was closed and more recently divided into a U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge and the town-owned Ninigret Park.

There is a lovely family beach at the spring-fed pond, a playground, tennis courts, a nature center, an astronomical observatory, a health/exercise track, a criterium bicycle racing course and a Senior Citizens center.

Nature abounds and there is an abundance of game birds and often visible herds of wild deer.

Visiting Charlestown Beach

If you are traveling by, why not stop by Charleston Beach.

The dominating feature in the area is the The Hills.

Logwood Cove is very close and always nice to visit. Niles Spring is always fun to check out.

A visit to nearby Martins Point is very relaxing. If you want to get a better view of the area you could always climb Cherry Tree Hill.

Don't leave Charleston Beach without first checking out Black Rock.

Some nice nature is available in Genesee Woods. You get a great view from the top of Jobs Hill.

If you're here at Charleston Beach checking out Old Whale Rock is a must.

Taking a little trip to nearby Indian Head Neck is a great idea.

If you want to get up a bit higher try climbing Beacon Hill.

Stevens Cove is very close and always nice to visit.

Taking a little trip to nearby Old Breach Cut is a great idea.

The view from the top of Bush Lot Hill is worth the climb.

Taking a little trip to nearby Grace Point is a great idea.

Carolyn Jones Fine Photography 401-364-3178

Clay Head is a great place to check out while in the area. If you want to get up a bit higher try climbing Swede Hill.

Pilot Hill is a great place to go up on if you want more of a bird's eye perspective on everything here around Charleston Beach.

If you want to see some interesting stuff take a look at Snores Rocks. What would a place like Charleston Beach be without interesting nearby features like Grove Point Rock.

Veterans Park is a beautiful place any time of year.

Taking a little trip to nearby Cormorant Cove is a great idea. Cormorant Point is very close and always nice to visit.

If you like swamps you're in luck, New Meadow Hill Swamp is right nearby.

Why not go to Grace Cove also while you're here. Drop by Old Harbor while you're here.

Boiling Spring is a great local attraction. A visit to nearby Harbor Neck is very relaxing.

Getting up on Bluff Head is great exercise and the view is great too.

Take a look at nearby Franklin Swamp.

Green Hill Pond

Swamps like Coonimus Swamp are fun to visit.

There are swamps here too, Niles Swamp is not far away.

Why not climb nearby Beach Plum Hill.

Why not go to Beach Plum Neck also while you're here.

Climbing up to the top of Mouwneit Hill is great exercise.

A visit to nearby Trims Pond is very relaxing.

From the top of Gunners Hill you get a great view of the surrounding area.

A visit to nearby Dories Cove is very relaxing. Why not climb nearby Sunset Hill.

Everybody loves Block Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Interesting geology is available here, Old Briton Rock is right here.

You simply have to take a look at Mohegan Bluffs while you're here at Charleston Beach.

Up on the top of Plover Hill you'll get a great view.

Have a great hiking adventure along the Clayhead Nature Trail.

No need to travel far to check out interesting stuff like Lantern Rock.

Middletown Square is a great place to stretch your legs a bit.

If you're in a climbing mood you may want to go up on Harbor Hill.

Why not go to New Harbor also while you're here.

Swamps like Rossis Swamp are fun to visit.

Going up to the top of Sandy Hill is great fun any day.

Why not go to Harris Point also while you're here.

Great Salt Pond is very close and always nice to visit.

The beauty of Charlestown Beach is reason enough to stop by.

Getting up on Blackberry Hill is great exercise and the view is great too.

From the top of Great Neck you get a great view of the surrounding area.

Tautog Cove is very close and always nice to visit.

Going for a hike along the Clayhead Nature Trail will let you absorb the natural beauty of this area.

If you're in a climbing mood you may want to go up on Green Hill.

Shumunkanuc Hill is a great place to go up on if you want more of a bird's eye perspective on everything here around Charlestown Beach.

Places like Ninigret Park are great to visit.

Why not go to Fort Neck also while you're here.

If you're into the whole hydro structure thing you can check out Wood River Junction Dam.

Crying Rocks is an interesting place to visit while at Charlestown Beach.

Marsh Point is very close and always nice to visit. A visit to Sand Plains rejuvenates the soul.

Why not check out Horseshoe Falls Dam while you're here?

Ninigret State Conservation Area is a good place to check out.

Why not go to Allen Cove also while you're here?

Climbing up to the top of Shannock Hill is great exercise.

A visit to nearby Grassy Point is very relaxing.

Taking a little trip to nearby Foster Cove is a great idea.

A visit to nearby Marshneck Point is very relaxing.

Taking a little trip to nearby Potato Point is a great idea.

Adult Piping Plover

The Hills towers over Charlestown Beach. You get a great view from the top of Indian Burying Hill. Up on the top of Wilbur Hill you'll get a great view.

Why not go to Hall Point also while you're here. Taking a little trip to nearby Horseshoe Point is a great idea. Horseshoe Falls is a beautiful place to visit while you're at Charlestown Beach.

Grassy Point is very close and always nice to visit. Why not go to Marshneck Point also while you're here. Great Swamp Goose Marsh Dam is worth checking out while you're here. Childrens Cove is very close and always nice to visit.

Taking a little trip to nearby Allen Cove is a great idea. A cool spot to check out is Coronation Rock.

The view from the top of Border Hill is worth the climb. The trees of Genesee Woods are a great source of shade on hot summer days.

Take a look at nearby Charlestown Breachway. A visit to nearby Coon Cove is very relaxing.

If you want to get a better view of the area you could always climb Broad Hill.

Charlestown Breachway

Ninigret Salt Pond has a permanent opening to Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean via a dredged channel called the Charlestown Breachway.

Prior to humans making the Charlestown Breachway permanent, East Beach was naturally breached an average of seven times a year. During the 1600 and 1700s, humans manually opened a channel to the salt pond if it was not breached naturally (see history of breachway).

In 1952, the Charlestown Breachway was stabilized. The breachway channel was dredged to a depth of 3 feet and a width of 120 feet and two stone jetties were extended into Rhode Island Sound.

By permanently opening the salt pond to the sea, the nature of the pond was forever changed.

What was once a seasonally brackish water body of water became a high salinity, tidally flushed estuary. Oceanic animals and plants enter the salt pond via the breachway and the water in the pond is now more saline (salty).

While the breachway makes access to the ocean much easier for boaters, the increased salinity and sedimentation has changed the biology in the pond drastically.

The Pond is a very productive fishing ground. Winter flounder is the most popular finfish species caught by recreational and commercial fishermen.

The flounder lay their eggs in the fall and winter which hatch in two to three weeks. Because tidal flushing is low, the flounder are able to remain sheltered in the ponds where food is plentiful throughout the summer.

The Ninigret Salt Pond region is used for a variety of recreational activities as well as oyster and quahog aquaculture.

This region contains natural and historical benefits which contribute to its uniqueness.

The Salt Pond region extends from the barrier beach that separates the ponds from the ocean to the inland boundary of the watershed of the pond.

The extraordinary landscape, the salt pond and ocean, the soft sandy beaches and the moderate climate contribute to the popularity of the region.

Miles of scenic shoreline, beaches, and seaside resorts attract many people to Southern Rhode Island.

In fact, it is the fastest growing area in the state. On a peak summer day the population can swell to an additional 165,000 people!

But growth does have its consequences. While people are attracted to the Salt Pond region, the natural beauty and preservation of the pond is being jeopardized.

Overdevelopment threatens the area's ability to absorb wastes and keep its waters unpolluted.

One-hundred-and-seventy-four acre East Beach State Park is a three-mile long barrier beach of white sand that faces Block Island Sound.

If you have a recreational vehicle you may try your luck at camping at one of 20 first come first serve overnight campsites located directly on the beach (no tents).

There are also an additional 30 day use sites located directly on the beach for swimming, sunbathing or just relaxing.

Access to either the campsites or day use areas requires the purchase of a $50 Barrier Beach Permit.

The beach has a lifeguard on duty during the summer months and is relatively private due to the small parking lot that accommodates less than 100 vehicles.

On the northern border of East Beach State Park sits Ninigret Pond, a large salt pond that is a popular location for both bird watching and wind surfing.

Salinity of Ninigret Pond has increased dramatically due to the installation of a permanent channel to Block Island Sound in 1952.

The brackish water has been replaced by a tidal estuary and now serves as a critical safe haven for a variety of marine life.

The northern shore of Ninigret Pond is a National Wildlife Refuge for hundreds of species of marine and bird life.

Further east of East Beach State Park sits tiny 62-acre Charlestown Breachway State Park.

It is here at the eastern end of Ninigret Pond that the channel to Block Island Sound sits.

The park has 75 cramped and open beachside campsites for recreational vehicles only on a first come first served basis.

There are no services of any kind and open fires are not allowed, but the cool breezes, panoramic 270-degree views of Block Island Sound, and if your lucky the ability to park almost at the waters edge help you forget about the close proximity of your neighbors.

The park also offers a boat ramp that provides access to Block Island Sound and Narragansett Bay.

Charlestown Breachway State Park is an outstanding location for saltwater fishing and for digging clams. Both activities require a permit and you should check regulations and safety warnings, especially for red tide that can cause serious illness if infected shellfish are eaten.

Located southwest of Burlingame State Park is 152-acre Misquamicut State Beach.

This day use park is a barrier beach just east of Watch Hill, Rhode Island and was born after the state purchased the hurricane ravaged spit in 1954.

The popular park has undergone a series of forced renovations after almost being closed permanently in 1992.

Misquamicut's meteorological scars have long since healed and it is a popular beach for surfing and beachcombing. A lifeguard is on duty during the summer months.

Carolyn Jones Fine Photography 401-364-3178

Despite what the TV networks wants you to believe about Rhode Island through popular TV shows like Providence and Family Guy, outdoor adventure and scenic beauty can be found in this tiny state.

Burlingame State Park is an excellent starting point if your Rhode Island adventure includes hiking, boating, wind surfing, or walking on miles of available beaches.

Throw in some world class bird watching and the tepid New England weather, and the western shores of Rhode Island suddenly becomes an ideal choice for your next great adventure.

Wild Rose Beach - Bob Schmidt Photography 401-497-3279

Ninigret National Wildlife Reserve is located in Charlestown almost 30 miles south of Providence.

The refuge, 407 acres, has experienced many "histories": created from run off from the glaciers of the last ice age 14,000 years ago through early Native American use and subsequent colonial period farming.

Refuge staff is attempting to restore the native coastal sand plain grasslands, a habitat in danger of completely disappearing from the southern New England coast.

Over 30% of the endangered and threatened species in Rhode Island can be found in this area.

There is an extensive trail system avilable to hikers that will provide beautiful views of wetlands, grasslands, forested and shrublands, wooded swamps and a stretch of barrier beach, as well as Ninigret Pond.

Ninigret Pond is Rhode Island's largest salt pond (at approximately 1700 acres) and is linked to the Block Island Sound via a man-made breachway.

Black ducks, Canada geese and diving ducks winter in large numbers on the pond. Osprey, harriers, kestrels and other migrating raptors frequent the refuge lands, too. On the beach, the Refuge staff manages an extensive federally threatened piping plover nesting program.

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Carolyn Jones Fine Photography 401-364-3178