Drive past the lobster shacks and summer cottages of Westerly, and Dunes Park Beach appears as a gentle crescent edged by rope fences and beach grass. The shoreline here slopes gradually, revealing tidal flats at low water where children crouch over hermit crabs and minnows trapped in shallow pools. Sandbars emerge mid-afternoon, turning the shallows into knee-deep lagoons warm enough for toddlers.
“The broad tidal flats reveal sandbars and warm lagoons that turn the beach into an all-ages wading pool at low tide.”
Credit: FlickrLoose On The Dunes
The dunes themselves rise modestly behind the beach, their grassy tops anchoring the barrier that shields Winnapaug Pond from the Atlantic. Walk east and the sand firms up near the jetty, where anglers cast for striped bass and bluefish. Gulls wheel overhead, their cries mingling with the slap of small waves—nothing dramatic, just the steady rhythm of a working shoreline.
Come in October when the crowds thin, and you'll have the beach nearly to yourself. The light turns golden over the dunes, illuminating the seed heads of beach plum and rosa rugosa. Pack a thermos, a blanket, and let the kids run. This is Rhode Island without the varnish: approachable, unpretentious, and yours for the afternoon.
