Cliff Walk, Newport

When we lived in Rhode Island, the Cliff Walk was closed because parts of it were crumbling off into the sea. The 1938 and 1954 hurricanes had destroyed part of the cliffs and there were some unsafe areas so in the 1970-1976 time frame (about when we would have visited) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent about two years supervising basic repairs.

About two-thirds of the walk is now in easy walking condition and my daughter and some of her children have walked part of it in the last couple of years. Some of the trail is still in unmanicured condition and needs more fitness and more agility to travers.

The Ciff Walk along the eastern shore of Newport, RI
is world famous as a public access walk.
The walks run 3,5 miles and about two-third of the walk is in easy walking condition.Parts of the southern half of the walk are rough trail over the natural rugged New England rocky shore line. Walkers need to be especially careful and alert in these challenging RI State Law seems to apply to Limit Liability of property owners.You pass you own risk on the walk, which is a public right-of-way over private property. In spots just a couple of feet from the path are abrupt drops of over 70 feet. Wild bushes and weeds often hide this danger.Proper shoes are a most. Even with a good shoes fine sand on some of the rock surfaces can be very slippery.
One of the main things to watch for is Poison Ivy which grows well in rainy summer weather along some areas of the path.

A beautiful and relatively simple 6.2 mile hike along the water and near the mansions. See the travelogue for more info.

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Spots along the Cliff Walk can be dangerous with steep steps such as the 40 steps, uneven pavement and sloping hills. Wear good walking shoes and watch where you step.