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| Castle Hill Lighthouse Newport RI | credit USCG |
Located on the northern end of Narragansett Bay, Providence is Rhode Island's capital and largest city.
Narragansett Bay is the largest New England estuary. Narragansett Bay provides an important natural harbor for Rhode Island. Parts of the estuary extend into Massachusetts.
Rhode Island has a long history related to the sea. Practiced since the colonial period, commercial fishing is an important sector of the state's economy.
Rhode Island fishermen harvest groundfish, lobsters, clams, squid, and other seafood.
In addition to wild caught seafood, Rhode Island is a producer of farm raised oysters, clams, bay scallops, and kelp.
Local cuisine reflects the state's abundant supply of seafood. Popular dishes include lobster rolls, fish, "stuffies" (clams stuffed on the half shell), chowders, and other offerings.
Recreational saltwater fishing is also important to the state. Anglers catch a variety of species including striped bass, bluefish, porgy, fluke, winter flounder, sea bass, and others.
Rhode Island has a wealth of natural resources including 400 miles of coastline, more than 8,000 acres of parklands, 400 miles of hiking and biking trails, 25 parks and nature preserves, and miles of saltwater beaches.
Rhode Island has a long history related to the sea. Practiced since the colonial period, commercial fishing is an important sector of the state's economy.
Rhode Island fishermen harvest groundfish, lobsters, clams, squid, and other seafood.
In addition to wild caught seafood, Rhode Island is a producer of farm raised oysters, clams, bay scallops, and kelp.
Local cuisine reflects the state's abundant supply of seafood. Popular dishes include lobster rolls, fish, "stuffies" (clams stuffed on the half shell), chowders, and other offerings.
Recreational saltwater fishing is also important to the state. Anglers catch a variety of species including striped bass, bluefish, porgy, fluke, winter flounder, sea bass, and others.
Rhode Island has a wealth of natural resources including 400 miles of coastline, more than 8,000 acres of parklands, 400 miles of hiking and biking trails, 25 parks and nature preserves, and miles of saltwater beaches.
Public access to Rhode Island beaches and shorelines is protected by the state constitution. In 2023, legislation clarified the law, setting the access line at six feet landward from the recognizable high tide line, also known as the "wrack line," recognizable by a line of seaweed, scum and other deposits left where the tide reached its highest point.
Block Island is a popular destination for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, photography, and other outdoor activities. Just off the coast, Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) was the first commercial offshore wind farm to operate in the USA.
