Want to explore (and paint) Narrow River? Here are the five best options:
- WALK along Narragansett Beach to the mouth of the river
- DRIVE to Sprague Bridge or Middle Bridge
- HIKE at Garrison House Acres or King Benson Preserve
- KAYAK from the Narrow River Inlet
1. Walk on Narragansett beach
Narrow River is a tidal river with the entrance to Narragansett Bay at the north end of Narragansett Beach. The sand banks formed by the winter storms make this a favorite area for boaters to raft up and enjoy the beach. The river mouth and narrow tidal inlet have a very strong current.
2. Drive to a bridge overlook
Sprague Bridge
The old remnant of Sprague bridge offers a picturesque view of the marshes. Sprague Bridge provides a great view of the inlet and tidal flats. You can also walk down the short trail on the southern side of the bridge to the waters edge and, at low tide, sit by the water. Boats come in and out frequently to drop off passengers taking advantage of the nearby parking. The John H. Chafee Wildlife Refuge is also here, but doesn’t offer much for shoreside trails.
Middle Bridge
A short distance from Sprague Bridge is Middle Bridge on Middle Bridge Road. There is parking near the bridge if you want to enjoy the view.
3. Hike in a Nature Preserve
King Benson Nature Preserve
A beautiful ~3 mile loop trail through the woods that takes you to a small beach on the lower pond. Two deep brackish water kettle ponds, upper pond and lower pond, are located at the end of the river. In true Rhode Island fashion the lower pond is also called Pettaquanscutt Lake. Most of the access points to these ponds are private, with the exception of the Nature Conservancy’s King Benson Preserve located in North Kingstown. This beautiful preserve is on the site of a former Girl Scout camp and extends right down to the waterfront. There is a small beach with shallow water perfect for a picnic.
Garrison House Acres
On the western side of Middle Bridge, the Narrow River Preservation Association’s Garrison House Acres Preserve, offers a beautiful walk through grassy meadows to the marsh edge. See my blog post on Garrison House Acres for more pictures.
4. BYO Kayak Narrow River
Bring Your Own Kayak to one of several launching areas and enjoy the wildlife. If you want to explore mouth of the Narrow River, you can launch at the tidal inlet by Sprague Bridge or Middle Bridge (may have to pay for parking). Another option (my preference), if you want a longer paddle, is to launch at Pollock Avenue and loop the lower Pettaquamscut River. Rhode Island Blueways has excellent maps for this route as well as for kayaking Upper Pettaquamscut River.
The John H. Chafee Wildlife Refuge is along the eastern side of the , but doesn’t offer much for shoreside trails. However, viewing the wildlife on the marshes of the preserve by kayak is outstanding. There are many seabirds here including egrets and herons.
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