Black Point Management Area
Just a short drive north on Ocean Road from Scarborough State Beach, is the small, tucked away parking lot for Black Point Fishing Area. The Black Point trailhead begins here with a short walk along a dirt trail to some of the most rugged and beautiful ocean views in southern Rhode Island. The Malcolm Grant Trail is a 2.1 mile hike along the rocky shores of Narragansett Bay.
Black Point Hiking Trail
A short way in, the trail forks right or left, with the left taking you on a grassy woodland loop that is favored by dog walkers. To the right is an in and out path along the rocky shores ending at the Windswept House ruins that border Scarborough Beach. The first thing you will notice are the many short paths down onto the rocks. I stick to those with minimum poison ivy, which is plentiful here.
At low tide there are numerous tide pools for exploring with hermit crabs, small rock crabs, and starfish.
Black Point Ruins - Windswept
This is popular spot in its own right, but is also used by some for beach access to Scarborough State Park. Personally, crowded beaches are not my thing and I would rather hang out on the rocks any day.
The ruins are the last standing remnant of Windswept, a 21-room mansion built in 1895 for the Davis family. For the rather interesting history of the house built with a fortune amassed from “Perry Davis’s Vegetable Pain Killer” see this short article in Rhode Island Monthly.
Black Point is also for the Dog's
My hiking and plein air painting buddy… Our dogs love walking here. Foraging for dead crabs and eating seaweed is high on their list. Bring your own waste bags as there is no dispenser here.
We walk our dogs here year round, although the off season months are certainly easier to find parking
Plein Air Painting at Black Point Cove
With the gorgeous ocean views and dramatic rocks, there is plenty of material for plein air painting and I come here often. This little time-lapse video of me painting ‘Black Point Cove’, captures the warm late afternoon sunlight on the rock face of the pebble beach. This cove is my favorite little spot at Black Point, with it’s turquoise waters and the sound of tumbling rocks with each wave.
Interested in your own original art of Black Point? Contact me for a commissioned painting of your favorite view.
Things to do in surrounding area
Once you are done with this walk, you can continue south along Ocean Rd to Point Judith Lighthouse and Fisherman’s Memorial State Park or head north to Narragansett Beach. You can also grab a quick lunch of chowder and clam cakes or fried oysters or a decadent doughboy to snack on at Aunt Carries or Iggy’s.
