Napatree Point Trail (Watch Hill) Hiking Guide

Napatree Point is a narrow sand spit that runs 1.3 miles west from Watch Hill village into Little Narragansett Bay, with calm bay water on one side and open ocean beach on the other. The 86-acre conservation area is open around the clock with no fee. The usual hike follows the calm bay beach out, scrambles over boulders around the tip, and returns on the ocean side. Storms have reshaped it more than once; the 1938 hurricane alone erased a row of cottages and cut off its western tip.

no permit neededdog-friendly
Difficulty
easy
Distance
3.7 mi
Elevation gain
25 ft
Trailhead
Westerly
86-acre barrier spit reaching 1.3 miles into Little Narragansett Baysite of Fort Mansfield, an 1898 Army coastal forta Globally Important Bird Area with piping plovers, least terns and ospreysboulder scramble around the tip and open ocean beach back
fallwinterspring

The Walk Around the Point

Hiking Project maps the circuit at 3.7 miles with only about 25 feet of climbing, since nothing on the spit is more than about 14 feet above the water. The contributor who mapped it starts past the yacht club and walks the bay side first. The first 1.5 miles are on dry or wet sand, depending on the tide. Next comes about half a mile of single-track through marsh grass. The quarter mile that rounds the point is a technical scramble over boulders and medium-sized rocks, and then you come out on the smooth ocean beach for the walk back toward Watch Hill. Sand is slower going than a trail, and high tide narrows the beach, so check the tide before you set out.

Birds and Nesting Closures

The National Audubon Society has named Napatree a Globally Important Bird Area. The Watch Hill Conservancy lists federally and state-listed species here, including piping plovers, least terns, ospreys and American oystercatchers. Areas fenced off by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or its partners for nesting birds are closed to people and dogs, and the Conservancy says violators may be prosecuted. Hiking Project also notes egrets, herons, falcons and the occasional deer or raccoon.

Dog Hours by Season

Under Westerly Ordinance 76-8, leashed, registered dogs may visit at any time from the day after Labor Day through May 1. From May 2 through Labor Day they are allowed only from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Dogs must be on a leash at all times, and owners must pick up and carry out waste. That makes late fall and winter the easiest time to bring a dog. Keep it on the open beach and out of any fenced nesting area.

Parking and What Is Not Allowed

Napatree has no parking lot of its own. The Watch Hill Fire District offers free on-street parking along Bay Street, and its village lot is free too. Both have a two-hour daytime limit in summer, which is tight for this walk; the district says off-season visitors may park in its lot at their own risk. The district's Larkin Lot is free for the first 30 minutes and then charges a flat $50 plus 7 percent sales tax, and a private lot on Bay Street sells daily parking. There are no restrooms on the spit. Camping, hunting, fires, grills, drones, fireworks and vehicles, bicycles included, are banned at all times. Swimming is allowed, but no lifeguards are on duty.

History Underfoot

The Dutch trader Adriaen Block named the spit "Nap of Trees" in 1614, but the Great Gale of 1815 wiped out its forest. In 1898 the federal government built Fort Mansfield on 60 acres at the west end; it was decommissioned after a 1907 test showed enemy ships could pass under its guns. By 1938, 39 cottages lined the dunes. The Hurricane of 1938 swept every building into the bay and killed 15 Watch Hill residents. It also split off Sandy Point, which has since drifted north toward Stonington. The Fire District bought most of the land in 1945 and now manages it with the Conservancy.

Hiking tips for Napatree Point Trail (Watch Hill)

  • Start on the bay side and finish on the ocean beach, which is easier walking at the end.
  • Check the tide; the beach is narrower at high water and the rocks at the tip are slick.
  • In summer, come early or late: the free spaces in Watch Hill have a two-hour daytime limit.
  • Bring a dog only outside 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. between May 2 and Labor Day, or any time in the off-season.
  • Carry water and plan for no restrooms once you leave the village.

Nearby trails to explore

  • Long Pond and Ell Pond Trail (Hopkinton)
  • Salt Pond Unit Trails (Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge)
  • Flint Point and Ocean View Loops (Sachuest Point)

Hike this trail with TrailMates

Napatree is a walk you plan around the tide, and that is easier with a group. Post a fall or winter beach walk on TrailMates, settle the meeting time and tide in the event's group chat, and meet at the conservation area entrance in Watch Hill. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.