South County Coast · Watch Hill to Point Judith

The Atlantic coast of Rhode Island from end to end, one way: from Westerly the route rides down to Watch Hill and its old carousel, follows RI-1A along Shore Road behind the Misquamicut and Weekapaug beaches, takes US-1 and Old Post Road through Charlestown, and works through Matunuck to Galilee and the Point Judith lighthouse. It's 37 miles; the quickest way back is US-1, which is divided highway. In summer expect beach traffic, paid parking and a crowded Watch Hill, and wind from the side on the open stretches.

Watch Hill is the start of the coast: a small harbor village at the southwest corner of the state, where the Flying Horse Carousel, from around 1876 and a National Historic Landmark, is one of the two oldest carousels in the country. Its horses hang from chains, so they swing out as it turns. Parking in the village is limited and mostly paid. From there RI-1A runs along Shore Road, inland from the Misquamicut and Weekapaug beaches, and the route uses US-1 and Old Post Road to get through Charlestown, because RI-1A isn't continuous.

Past Charlestown, Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge has a parking lot on Matunuck Schoolhouse Road and trails down to the pond, and the route ends at the Point Judith lighthouse, past the fishing port of Galilee. It's a one-way route: the quickest way back west is US-1, which is a divided highway. In summer the beaches bring heavy traffic and paid parking from Westerly to Narragansett, Watch Hill gets crowded on weekends, and the open stretches by the water can have strong crosswinds.