Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
769 Sachuest Point Road, Middletown
It’s hard to believe the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge was once a municipal landfill. The 40-acre refuge now includes breathtaking views, salt marshes, steep rocky shorelines, observation platforms for bird watching, stroller- and wheelchair-accessible trails, and a small visitors center. The visitors center is usually open every day from 10am-4pm, but be sure to check ahead to be sure. Because it sits on a small peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Sakonnet River, and Sachuest Bay, it can be an ideal spot for cooling off in the summer. It also attracts snowy owls and the second largest wintering population of harlequin ducks on the Atlantic coast during the colder months, not to mention more than 200 other bird species throughout the year. If you visit during the summer, give yourself enough time to navigate through beach traffic.
Length: 1.2 miles; 2.5 miles if you extend along the Ocean View Loop
Difficulty: easy for kids
Dogs: to protect the fragile ecology of the refuge, please leave your dogs at home
Stroller- and Wheelchair-accessible: yes!
Click here for an extensive list of guidelines for hiking with kids.
Click here to visit the Sachuest Point NWR website.