On Labor Day Weekend, at least in the USA, people commonly go to the beach or lake, have barbecues and celebrate the last days of summer. What do the Nomads do? We go on an adventure of course. This time, we visit Newport, Rhode Island and journey along the famous Cliff Walk.
Before I get into the description around the actual Cliff Walk, let me give you some advice on timing. We went to an island community that is sought out for its beaches and boating. We did this on a day when it seemed like the ENTIRE world wanted to visit Newport, Rhode Island. To say that there was traffic and people everywhere would not be an understatement. So, if you want to go do the Cliff Walk, I suggest you do it on a day other than Labor Day.
The Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island is on the eastern shore of Newport. It is a public access walkway above the ocean cliffs and just below some of the largest mansions in the area. Remember when we went to the Biltmore Estate and saw the Biltmore House? That was their main residence. Their summer “cottage” is located in Newport, Rhode Island. It has 70 rooms, 125,339 square feet of gross area and 62,482 square feet of living space on 5 floors. What a summer cottage! It was one of many mansions along the Cliff Walk.
We arrived in Newport around 3pm and were immediately met with traffic. This was the bumper to bumper, crawl along a few feet a minute type traffic. We figured that we would be out of the traffic soon since people were seeking beaches and boating and the Cliff Walk did not cater to either. Some of our research directed us to park at the Memorial Blvd entrance to the Cliff Walk. What we did not know was the parking you would use to get to this entrance was the beach parking. Remember when I said EVERYONE was there for the beach and boats? Well, the parking lot was overflowing! Time for Plan B.
Other reading and research led us to information that said there was parking by the Forty Steps. This area is located at the end of Narragansett Ave just past Annandale Rd (see insert).
So, we headed over to the end of Narragansett Ave. The street was lined with people parking on both sides of the road. As I passed a car, I spotted its reverse lights activating. I noticed an area where a fire hydrant was. As it was supposed to be, no one parked in front of it, so I used this area to do a 3 point turn in the road and zoom up to the car that was just leaving. Wonderful Nomad luck!
If you park in this area, it is $1.25 per hour with a 4 hour maximum. At the end of the road, adjacent to the Cliff Walk, there is a little kiosk that will allow you to insert coins, $1 and $5 bills or a Visa or Mastercard. Remember your license plate number. This is absolutely key. It is the only way you can pay for parking. You do not need to put the receipt on your dash. You simply keep it with you as proof of parking. Additionally, there are two unisex bathrooms next to the kiosk. If you think you need to go, do so as there are none other as you head South on the trail. If you head north, towards Memorial Blvd, there are supposed to be more restrooms. We did not venture that way so I can not confirm it personally.
We paid for parking, used the restroom and we were off. We headed south along the Cliff Walk. The pathway is concrete. So, it is easy to do in flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes or hiking boots. There are areas to deviate from the pathway. If you are that sort of person (like we are), I suggest tennis shoes or hiking boots. If you do, please remember, these are still cliffs. You can still fall and you can still get seriously injured. Proceed with proper caution when off trail.
Along the pathway, at certain points, you will see QR codes on the east side of the pathway. If you scan them with your smartphone, it will bring up a webpage that tells you what is opposite of you in the corresponding area. This adds the information to fill in the burning questions you have. How big is that house? How many rooms does it have? Who owns it? Is it a historical building that I can go on the lawn of or is it private property? Some of the places are open for tourism while others are actually the domiciles of families.
When you get to the end of the sidewalk, that is the end of the official Cliff Walk. You can keep going by rock hopping. But, as we understood it, that is private property. So, we turned around. Although there were many, many people who continued to press forward on the rocks and along the walls to the various properties.
The Cliff Walk was an enjoyable stroll with great views of architecture, the water and the cliffs. We even saw one rock structure that Mama Nomad said looked like a dog’s head. This was worth the few hours it took us to get here and the $5 in parking that we paid. I will reiterate again, I DO NOT suggest visiting this place on Labor Day! If you are in the Newport area of Rhode Island, stop by the Cliff Walk and take a stroll. Safe Travels.
