State Parks

No person or vehicle shall be allowed withing the limits of a State Park or Beach area between the hours of sunset and sunrise the following day except by official written permission or unless an area is designated otherwise by written regulation.

A.Domestic animals shall be on a leash of not more than six (6) feet in length and under the control of a handler at all times. The handler is responsible for the caring and supervision of the animal, including but not limited to, feeding, toileting, and cleaning up after the animal. Horses shall only be allowed in designated areas and bridle trails except by official written permission.

B.No person shall bring any animal onto any State bathing beach, East Beach/Ninigret Conservation Area, or Burlingame Picnic Area from April 1st through September 30th, with the exception of service animals as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-9.1-2.

No person shall operate or ride a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or other operator propelled vehicle or device in any unit or portion thereof, of the Division of Parks & Recreation after the Regional Manager has made a finding that conditions are unsafe for the operation of such vehicles and has issued an order prohibiting such activity.

A.All operations of boats must be conducted in accordance with the regulations established in Chapter 80 of this Title.

B.The operations of boats with motors of any kind, except electric trolling motors, is prohibited on the waters of Olney Pond in Lincoln Woods State Park on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays between the Saturday before Memorial Day and Labor Day of each year, inclusive.

C.The operation of boats with motors of any kind except electric trolling motors, owned by persons other than the State of Rhode Island with motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower is prohibited upon Olney Pond except with official written permission from the RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife.

D.The use of motors in excess of ten (10) horsepower on boats launched, hauled, or operated on the waters of John L. Curran State Park is prohibited.

A.No person shall moor, dock, or berth a vessel, boat, or any other object overnight except in designated mooring, docking, or berthing areas.

B.The Regional Manager may, by posting of an order, specify time limits for the mooring, docking, or berthing of a vessel, boat, or any other object at mooring, docking, or berthing facilities. No person shall moor, dock, or berth a vessel, boat, or any other object in violation of time limits so established (See also § 7.18 of this Subchapter, Swimming, Bathing, Floating).

A.Reservations shall be accepted for State camping areas in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the RIDEM, and amended as necessary, for the proper administration of a campground reservation system and with a State authorized campground reservation system provider.

B.The person to whom a camping permit is granted shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older, shall be an occupant of the campsite, shall provide the first and last names of members of the party, and shall be responsible for his or her party's compliance with RIDEM policies, the Rules and Regulations of the RIDEM and all other applicable laws. Only those members listed shall use the campsites. Only one (1) family (immediate family) is allowed per campsite. Non-family groups shall be limited to six (6) persons per campsite.

C.Any person or persons voided on a camping permit are not allowed to reenter any camping area for the duration of the camping season.

D.All campers shall check in at the designated permit office at the beginning of the camping period and surrender the camping permit to a member of the permit office at the end of the camping period, where applicable.

E.No pets are allowed in camping areas, unless with the written permission, or as may be allowed in accordance with the provisions of current State Laws and policies.

F.All visitors shall be out of the campsites by 10:00p.m. each night. Campers shall be quiet between the hours of 10:00p.m. and 7:00a.m.

G.No person shall occupy a campground for more than a continuous two (2) week period, with a seven (7) day minimum break prior to any re-occupancy with the exception of Charlestown Breachway State Campground and East Beach State Campground where the maximum stay is seven (7) nights within a three (3) week period.

H.Each campsite must be occupied on the first (1st) night of the permit and must be occupied at least four (4) nights during each week of the camping period. Noncompliance with the above is grounds for immediate revocation of the permit.

I.Camping permits shall be issued at the parks on a "first-come, first-served" basis or by contacting our current campground reservation system provider. Campers shall be ready to set up camp on the date of issuance. Permits shall not be issued by phone at the campground.

J.Reserved campers can check in from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm on the first day of their reservation and must check-out no later than 11:00 am on the last day of their reservation.

K.Charlestown Breachway

1.Camping permits shall be issued at the Charlestown Breachway on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Camping is limited to fully self-contained vehicles. The permits shall run from 1:00 p.m. on date of issuance to 11:00 a.m. at end of camping period.

2.No camping shall be allowed in the day use lot.

3.All visitors to the camping area will pay the daily parking rate and park in the day use parking lot.

4.Only one (1) additional towed or non-towed vehicle is allowed to be parked in the camping area per site. Vehicle pass is required.

L.Ninigret Conservation Area/East Beach

1.Camping permits shall be issued at the Ninigret area on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Camping is limited to self-contained vehicles, properly RIDEM inspected and licensed. Only twenty (20) camping permits may be issued at any one time. The permits shall run from 1:00p.m. on the date of issuance to 11:00 a.m. at the end of camping period.

2.Camping units must also be equipped with 4-wheel drive and must have a current RI State Barrier Beach Permit issued through the Rhode Island Coastal Management Council.

3.Parking shall be allowed only in designated areas. All holes and ruts caused by immobilized vehicles shall be filled and the area left in good condition by the operator of the vehicle causing damage.

Walking or crossing over the dunes is permitted only in designated areas.

Hunting shall be conducted in accordance with Fish and Wildlife regulations established in Part 60-00-00-9 of this Title and all applicable state statutes.

A.No person shall use a picnic table at Colt State Park, Goddard Memorial State Park, Burlingame Picnic Area, or Lincoln Woods State Park without first obtaining a permit.

B.When conflicts arise in permit applications for playing field league use, the following priorities shall apply:

1.Every consideration shall be given to time, space, zoning, or by other controls and devices by the Division of Parks & Recreation to provide opportunities, consistent with public safety, for such conflicting recreational uses.

2.Prior playing field league users will receive first consideration for traditional times and areas.

3.Children's playing leagues will receive priority over adult leagues and use shall be established pursuant to §§ 8.9(B)(1) and (2) of this Part.

Organized groups utilizing Public Reservations under the jurisdiction of the Division of Parks & Recreation, must submit prior written request to and have official written permission for a Special Use Permit from the Director or his or her authorized representative. Permits are also needed for any scientific, research, educational or volunteer activities regardless of number of people participating in accordance with § 8.16(H) of this Part and Part 60-00-4 of this Title.

In addition to these regulations, specific written policies relating to individual park units may be promulgated by Regional Park Managers with the prior approval of the Administrator of the Division of Park & Recreation. Such written policies shall be kept on file at the Division of Parks & Recreation headquarters.

AAll individuals employed as lifeguards at bathing areas within the State of Rhode Island shall hold an active state lifeguard certification card as issued by the Division of Parks and Recreation.  Lifeguards holding surf cards may be employed at surf, non-surf bathing areas, or pools.  Lifeguards holding non-surf cards shall be employed only at non-surf bathing areas or pools.  Lifeguards holding pool certifications shall be employed only at swimming pools.  All certification cards are issued annually and valid for one year, as dated, unless extended, suspended, or revoked by the Division of Parks and Recreation.

B.All bathing areas shall provide lifeguard equipment and personnel according to the requirements of the Division of Parks and Recreation.

C.All lifesaving equipment shall be maintained in good operating condition ready for immediate use.

D.All bathing areas shall post conspicuously the hours lifeguard personnel will be on duty.

E.A telephone for emergency calls shall be readily accessible from every bathing area.  Numbers of police, fire and rescue units of the area shall be posted conspicuously beside any landline.

F.No power boats shall be allowed within any bathing and swimming area.  The management of each bathing area shall maintain the area free from driftwood and other objects which may cause injury.

G.Bathing and swimming areas shall have a state certified lifeguard present in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-22.5-11 during posted hours in accordance with § 8.12(D) of this Part.

H.Bathing and swimming areas that are open and do not have a lifeguard on duty shall post signage in a conspicuous place advising:

1.“No Lifeguard on Duty – Swim at your own Risk”

2.“Individuals under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult”

3.“Individuals should not swim alone”

I.During periods of severe surf, undertow and other emergency conditions the Department shall have the authority to close any and all bathing areas whenever such action is deemed necessary in the interest of public safety. Whenever a bathing area has been closed because of the aforesaid conditions, lifeguards or any designated public safety official shall be retained on the beach to caution prospective bathers against entering the water.

J.Annually, the bathing season shall be from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend until 6:00 p.m. on Labor Day unless the Division of Parks and Recreation gives notice to the contrary.

A.For the purposes of administering these fees, resident and non-resident vehicle fees shall be based solely upon the State of vehicle registration.

B.Camping fees for Daily Site Reservations shall be solely based on the Customer’s state of residency as indicated in the Department of Environmental Management’s current Vendor Registration Camping System.

C.Septic Dump fees will be assessed to any individual using Fisherman’s Memorial Campground or Burlingame State Campground septic dump stations who is not a current registered camper at that particular campground. Registered campers at East Beach State Campground or Charlestown Breachway State Campground will be issued one free Septic Dump Pass to Burlingame State Campground for use during their stay. Any additional uses will require the camper to pay the Septic Dump Pass Fee.

A.Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 32-1-17, "Persons with Disabilities."

1.No fee shall be charged to any person with a disability regardless of age, or to automobiles transporting a non-driver with a disability, at any recreational facility owned and operated by the State; provided, however, proper identification is presented as prescribed by the Department of Environmental Management.

2.For the purpose of this section, "fees" means all fees for parking, admittance, or other user fees for playing golf. The term "fees" shall not include licensing fees, camping fees, picnic table fees, or specialized facility use fees, including, but not limited to, fees for the use of equestrian areas, performing arts centers, game fields, and mule shed.

B.Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 32-1-18, "Senior citizens."

1.No entrance fee shall be charged to any person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older and who is eligible to participate in the Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the elderly program, and an entrance fee not exceeding one half (1/2) of the established and posted rates shall be charged to any other person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older at any recreational facility owned and operated exclusively by the State, excepting docking slips; provided, however, proper identification is presented as prescribed by the Department of Environmental Management.

C.The Director of the Department of Environmental Management, with the approval of the Governor, may, from time to time, waive user fees at State beaches and State parks on any legal holiday recognized by the State of Rhode Island.

The tables below include a list of fees for activities and amenities provided at RIDEM properties.  For rental fees associated with the Eisenhower House located at Fort Adams State Park see § 8.16(M)(10) of this Part.

A.The Les Pawson Loop in Lincoln Woods, shall have a one-way counter-clockwise traffic pattern with two (2) exceptions. When the gates across the road are closed, traffic shall be two-way. That section of road, which lies between Twin River Road and the North Parking Lot area, shall be two-way.

B.Commercial vehicles in excess of two and one half (2 ½) tons gross weight are prohibited on the highway running through Veterans Memorial Parkway in East Providence, Dean Parkway in Cranston, and Narragansett Parkway in Warwick, except by official written permission.

C.Salty Brine State Beach

1.The parking lot at Salty Brine State Beach is for the use of State Beach patrons only. All vehicles using the lot must fit within the designated parking spaces and cannot protrude or obstruct any traffic within the parking lot.

D.Ninigret Conservation Area/East Beach

1.No more than thirty (30) day use barrier beach vehicles, RIDEM inspected, are permitted beyond the beach parking lot at any one time.

2.All persons and vehicles must vacate the designated beach parking area by sunset. Parking is prohibited in the beach parking area before sunrise.

3.Day use vehicles displaying a season pass or paying the daily beach fee will be allowed only in the beach parking area designated for this purpose, unless given official written permission to us the Back Track.

E.Purgatory Chasm

1.Parking is prohibited from sunset to sunrise the following day.

2.Parking in excess of thirty (30) minutes is prohibited.

F.Salter Grove

1.No person or vehicle shall be allowed within the limits of the State Park at Salter Grove, in the City of Warwick, between the hours of sunset and sunrise the following day except by official written permission by the City of Warwick.

G.Meshanticut Grove

1.No person or vehicle shall be allowed within the limits of Meshanticut State Park in the city of Cranston, between the hours of sunset and sunrise the following day except by official written permission.

H.Jamestown Beavertail State Park

1.It is the intention of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management ("DEM") to obtain 170 acres of federal surplus land on the Beavertail area of Jamestown, Rhode Island. The Department has worked with the Town of Jamestown ("Town") toward creation of a Beavertail State Park which would be made up of the surplus land and 26 additional acres now owned or controlled by the Town. In moving toward creation of the park the Department and the Town have analyzed the characteristics of the land in question and have drawn plans for a park which will meet the needs of users while preserving the fragile ecological, scenic and historical characteristics of Beavertail. This plan is explained and described in the associated guidance document entitled, "Parks and Recreation Guidance Document for the Development and Operation of Beavertail State Park, Jamestown, Rhode Island," which includes an analysis of the physical and biological characteristics of the Beavertail Peninsula.

I.Beavertail State Park

1.Except as specifically provided for the attached Beavertail Descriptive Plan, roads and bikeways at the Park shall be constructed only on roadways existing at the time of the State's acquisition of the land.

2.Vehicular traffic, including bicycles, shall be restricted to the roads, bikeways, and parking lots. Parking shall only be allowed on paved or graveled areas specifically denoted as parking areas.

3.To the maximum extent possible, pedestrian traffic will be limited to the pedestrian pathways provided for in the Plan.

4.The total parking capacity shall be limited to 150 cars, dispersed among five separated parking areas of 30 cars capacity each.

5.Vehicular traffic is to be managed in such a way as to discourage or eliminate traffic from Beavertail Point, in the vicinity of the existing light house.

6.No restrooms shall be constructed except on soils marked as Newport Series, and only then when appropriate percolation tests show suitability of the soil for sewage disposal systems.

7.Management of the Park shall be conducted in such a manner as to encourage dispersion of visitors around the park, rather than their concentration in any particular locality.

8.No development of any sort whatsoever shall be allowed in the large open spaces provided for and depicted in 8.16(I)(15) of this Part. These acres shall be preserved for natural plant succession and wildlife habitat.

9.There shall be allowed at no time overnight camping within Beavertail State Park.

10.The overriding principle of the Park's development, operation and management shall at all times be the restoration and preservation of the natural features of Beavertail Peninsula.

11.An Advisory Committee shall be constituted as follows:

a.The Advisory Committee shall comprise five (5) members.

b.Three of its members shall be selected and appointed by the governing body of the Town of Jamestown, by whatever process that body sees fit.

c.One of its members shall be chosen by the Director of the Department of Environmental Management, or its successor agency, if any.

d.The fifth member shall be mutually chosen by the Town and DEM, shall be a citizen of Rhode Island not a resident, permanent or seasonal, of Jamestown, and shall be knowledgeable in matters of environmental protection and preservation.

12.The Director of DEM shall consult with the Advisory Committee not less frequently than twice annually regarding the operating of Beavertail State Park, and in any event shall consult with the Advisory Committee before making any policy or development decisions with respect to such Park.

13.The Director of DEM shall consult with the Advisory Committee prior to seeking to amend, through the procedures provided in the Administrative Procedures Act, R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-35, any part of these regulations.

14.The development, operation, and management of Beavertail State Park shall at all times strictly comply with these Regulations, and 8.16(I)(15) of this Part attached hereto.

15.Map

J.Colt State Park

1.The vehicle traffic pattern at Colt State Park, as designated on attached map of § 8.16 of this Part of the general location plan of Colt State Park.

2.Map

K.Eisenhower House, Fort Adams State Park Purpose

1.Eisenhower House is an 1873 mansion overlooking the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. The house was built as the commandant's Residence at Fort Adams, and it was occupied by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958 and 1960 as the Summer White House. Now located within Fort Adams State Park, Eisenhower House is surrounded by broad lawns and commands remarkable views of Newport Harbor to the east and Narragansett Bay to the west.

2.Use of Eisenhower House must be consistent with the historic nature of the property and the interest of the State of Rhode Island in maintaining the property as an orderly and dignified setting within the state park.

3.The Eisenhower House may be rented for weddings, social events, business meetings, small conferences, clambakes, large tented and other events.

4.Licensees shall be required to sign a contract, provided by the Department, for all Eisenhower House rentals. No person shall be allowed to utilize the Eisenhower House without a valid signed contract.

5.Use of the grounds and interior of Eisenhower House may be restricted by the Department to designated areas available for rentals and events.

6.All events shall comply with City of Newport ordinances, including noise.

7.Events and use of the Eisenhower House shall at all times comply with federal, state and local fire safety laws and codes.

8.Insurance protection may be required by the Department for events pursuant to contract.

9.The Licensee is responsible for any and all damage done to Eisenhower House property, including damage committed by guests or vendors. The Department reserves the right to require a refundable damage deposit and/or a performance bond in an amount the Department deems appropriate.

10.Fees for Eisenhower House Fort Adams State Park

a.Rates are for a five - hour rental. Additional hours may be purchased at the rate of five-hundred-dollars ($500) per hour or two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per half hour.

b.For weddings, a ten percent (10%) discount applies to Wedding & Special Event Rental Rates if bride or groom are active military in the United States armed forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, or who are active duty in the Rhode Island National Guard. A valid active military ID is required.

c.The following fees shall be in effect as of January 1, 2019:

(1)Weekend, Holiday and Evening Rental Rates: In-Season Rates - May 1 to October 30.

(2)Weekend, Holiday and Evening Rental Rates: Off-Season Rates - November 1 to April 30

(3)Day Use Rental Rates - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(4)Photo Shoot or Filming Rates - One hundred dollars ($100) per hour.

(5)Damage Deposits – A damage deposit shall be required for all events. The Department through the contract with the Licensee shall determine the amount of and terms for damage deposits.

(6)Non-Profit Rate – Non-profit organizations may receive a fifteen percent (15%) discount on all rental rates for mission-related events and functions. Discount requires submission of a 501(c)(3) determination letter and the Licensee’s by-laws. The non-profit discount is not available for events on Saturdays from May 1 to October 31.

d.The Department, in its sole discretion through its Director, may from time-to-time waive or reduce rental fees provided the eligible event does not interfere with paid rentals at the Eisenhower House. All such waivers or reductions shall be approved in advance in writing.

(1)Events and organizations eligible to request a fee waiver or reduction include:

a.Events that are free and open to the public and promote and raise the profile of the historic aspects of or raise funds for preservation of the Eisenhower House or Fort Adams State Park.

b.State agencies for mission related meetings and events during normal business hours.

(2)Organizations requesting consideration of a fee waiver or reduction must submit a request in writing to the Director of RIDEM at lease thirty (30) days in advance requesting the specific date and time of the event. Request should include a copy of applicant's 501(c)(3) determination letter and a copy of the applicant's mission statement, if applicable. The request must be signed by and authorized representative of the applicant.

(3)If the request is approved, an authorized representative of the Licensee must sign a contract, to be provided by RIDEM.

(4)Any reduction or waiver shall not affect the applicant's obligation to comply with the remaining qualifications, restrictions, criteria, insurance and operational cost of this regulation or Eisenhower House policies.