A section of the walk between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street collapsed in 2022 and is fenced off. Walkers are detoured around it through the Salve Regina University campus; the rest of the Cliff Walk is open.
Expected reopening: No announced reopening date. After state coastal regulators approved the repair plan in October 2026, city leaders said they hope to start construction in 2027 and finish in 2029.
Confirm current status with City of Newport, Department of Public Services (401-845-5300) before visiting.
Open alternatives: Flint Point and Ocean View Loops (Sachuest Point)
City of Newport Cliff Walk page: detours in place between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street 'for the foreseeable future'; Points of Interest page: the Overlook section (trail marker 4) closed until further notice. NBC 10 (WJAR), Oct. 15, 2026, on CRMC approval of the repair plan.
Cliff Walk (Newport) Hiking Guide
The Cliff Walk runs along the eastern shore of Aquidneck Island from Easton's Beach to Bailey's Beach, with the Atlantic on one side and the lawns of Newport's Gilded Age mansions on the other. In 1975 it became a National Recreation Trail, the 65th in the country and the first in New England. The northern part is an easy paved stroll, while the southern part turns into a scramble over rock. A collapsed stretch near Salve Regina University has been fenced off since 2022, so expect a short detour.
Route, Distance and Footing
The city describes the walk as 3.5 miles end to end, running north to south from Memorial Boulevard above Easton's Beach to the exit at Bailey's Beach, and suggests allowing two hours or more. Hiking Project maps it as a 3.6-mile point-to-point with about 152 feet of climbing, all of it between sea level and roughly 50 feet. By the city's own reckoning about two-thirds of the route is in easy walking condition. That is mostly the northern half, past Forty Steps, Ochre Court and The Breakers. South of Marble House and Rough Point the pavement gives way to boulders and uneven ledge, so wear real shoes and expect to use your hands in places. Because it is one-way, walk back the way you came (about 7 miles), or cut inland to Bellevue Avenue and return on the street.
The 2022 Collapse and Detour
Part of the walk between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street collapsed in 2022 and is still fenced off. The city says the detour will stay in place for the foreseeable future, and walkers are routed around the gap through the Salve Regina University campus. The city's guide also lists the Overlook, trail marker 4, as closed until further notice. In October 2026 the Coastal Resources Management Council approved the repair plan. Newport's mayor told NBC 10 that the city hopes to seek bids by year's end, start construction in 2027 and finish in 2029, at an estimated cost of about $23 million. A separate sinkhole that closed the southern end in April 2024 was repaired, and that stretch reopened that June.
Parking, Access and Facilities
The city points walkers to two parking areas: Memorial Boulevard at Easton's Beach (3-hour limit from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and the end of Narragansett Avenue at Forty Steps (4-hour limit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., no parking overnight). Both are metered from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. between May 1 and October 31, and the meters take coins, cards or the Passport app. Public restrooms at Narragansett Avenue are open seasonally during daylight, and so are the water stations for people and pets near Forty Steps. Benches and access points are spaced along the route, so it is easy to walk only part of it.
Mansions and Markers
Sixteen QR-code markers, installed in 2015, identify what you are looking at. They start with Easton's Beach and Cliff Lawn, then come Forty Steps, which local tradition says David Priestly Hall first built in the 1830s so his children could reach the shore, Ochre Court, Vinland, The Breakers, Rosecliff, Beechwood, Marble House and its Chinese Tea House, Doris Duke's Rough Point, Land's End and John Russell Pope's own house, The Waves. The last marker is at Bailey's Beach, which belongs to a private beach association.
Dogs, Crowds and Timing
Hiking Project lists dogs as allowed on a leash; we could not find the leash rule on a city page. The water stations near Forty Steps are set up for pets as well as people. Discover Newport told NBC 10 that more than a million people walk the Cliff Walk each year, and the paved north end can feel like a sidewalk on summer weekends. Late fall and winter are much quieter, and parking is unmetered from November through April. Waves and spray make the rocky southern end slick in any season, and it is worth skipping in a storm.
Hiking tips for Cliff Walk (Newport)
- Start at Narragansett Avenue for the shortest walk to the mansions, or at Memorial Boulevard to walk the whole thing north to south.
- Follow the detour signs through Salve Regina; do not climb around the fencing at the collapsed section.
- Wear shoes with grip if you plan to go south of Rough Point, where the path is mostly rock.
- Check the time limit on your parking sign: 3 hours at Easton's Beach and 4 hours on Narragansett Avenue.
- Plan on about 7 miles if you walk the full length and back, or return along Bellevue Avenue.
Nearby trails to explore
- Flint Point and Ocean View Loops (Sachuest Point)
- Napatree Point Trail (Watch Hill)
- Clay Head Trail (Block Island)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
The Cliff Walk is better with someone to point out the houses. Post a walk on TrailMates, agree on Forty Steps or Easton's Beach as the meeting spot in the event's group chat, and walk Newport with people coming down from Providence. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.