Updated August 2026
Best beaches in Rhode Island by water quality
Rhode Island has 129 public beaches in the EPA monitoring dataset, 53 of them with enough bacteria samples to grade. 14 earn an A for consistently clean water. Full ranking below. National lists: cleanest beaches in the US and beaches that exceed bacteria limits most often.
Rhode Island beaches on the map
Ways to pick a Rhode Island beach
Cleanest water (Grade A)
- Misquamicut Fire District Beach — Washington
- Charlestown Breachway — Washington
- Charlestown Town Beach — Washington
- Sandy Shore Motel — Washington
| Grade | Beach | County | % over limit | Samples | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Misquamicut Fire District Beach | Washington | 0% | 43 | Excellent |
| A | Charlestown Breachway | Washington | 0% | 36 | Excellent |
| A | Charlestown Town Beach | Washington | 0% | 35 | Excellent |
| A | Sandy Shore Motel | Washington | 0% | 32 | Excellent |
| A | Seaside Beach Club | Washington | 0% | 31 | Excellent |
| A | Andrea Hotel | Washington | 0% | 31 | Excellent |
| A | Briggs Beach | Newport | 0% | 30 | Excellent |
| A | Pleasant View Inn | Washington | 0% | 29 | Excellent |
| A | Atlantic Beach Park | Washington | 0% | 25 | Excellent |
| A | Paddy's Beach | Washington | 1.6% | 62 | Excellent |
| A | Misquamicut State Beach | Washington | 1.7% | 60 | Excellent |
| A | South Shore Beach | Newport | 1.7% | 60 | Excellent |
| A | East Beach | Washington | 1.9% | 54 | Excellent |
| A | Green Hill Beach | Washington | 2.9% | 34 | Excellent |
| B | Dunes Park | Washington | 3.1% | 64 | Good |
| B | Camp Fuller Ymca Beach | Washington | 3.1% | 32 | Good |
| B | Ocean House | Washington | 3.3% | 30 | Good |
| B | Bristol Town Beach | Bristol | 3.5% | 258 | Good |
| B | Grinnell's Beach | Newport | 4.4% | 91 | Good |
| B | Misquamicut Club | Washington | 4.4% | 45 | Good |
| B | Plum Beach | Washington | 4.5% | 111 | Good |
| B | Capt Roger Wheeler | Washington | 4.8% | 124 | Good |
| B | Barrington Town Beach | Bristol | 4.9% | 308 | Good |
| B | Blue Shutters Beach | Washington | 5.6% | 36 | Good |
| B | Narragansett Town Beach | Washington | 5.7% | 123 | Good |
| B | City Park Beach | Kent | 6.1% | 132 | Good |
| B | Warren Town Beach | Bristol | 6.1% | 131 | Good |
| B | Fort Adams State Park Beach | Newport | 6.3% | 32 | Good |
| B | Oakland Beach | Kent | 6.9% | 394 | Good |
| C | Goddard Memorial State Park | Kent | 7.9% | 392 | Fair |
| C | Sandy Point Beach | Newport | 8.1% | 259 | Fair |
| C | Dunes Club | Washington | 8.1% | 62 | Fair |
| C | Peabody's Beach | Newport | 8.4% | 476 | Fair |
| C | Bonnet Shores Beach Club | Washington | 9% | 111 | Fair |
| C | Saunderstown Yacht Club | Washington | 10% | 40 | Fair |
| C | Mackerel Cove | Newport | 10.3% | 195 | Fair |
| C | Easton's Point | Washington | 10.3% | 29 | Fair |
| C | Fogland Beach | Newport | 10.8% | 111 | Fair |
| C | North Kingstown Town Beach | Washington | 10.8% | 74 | Fair |
| C | Roy Carpenter's Beach | Washington | 11.1% | 54 | Fair |
| C | Willow Dell Beach Club | Washington | 11.1% | 54 | Fair |
| D | King Park Beach | Newport | 12.2% | 98 | Poor |
| D | Hazards Beach | Newport | 12.4% | 202 | Poor |
| D | East Matunuck State Beach | Washington | 13% | 54 | Poor |
| D | Conimicut Point Beach | Kent | 13.6% | 265 | Poor |
| D | Reject's Beach | Newport | 13.8% | 123 | Poor |
| D | Rose Larissa | Providence | 14.5% | 62 | Poor |
| D | Spouting Rock Beach | Newport | 14.5% | 62 | Poor |
| D | Stillhouse Cove | Providence | 15.3% | 59 | Poor |
| D | Scarborough State Beach - South | Washington | 15.7% | 705 | Poor |
| D | Gooseberry Beach | Newport | 19.1% | 68 | Poor |
| D | Easton's Beach | Newport | 23.6% | 423 | Poor |
| D | Camp Grosvenor | Washington | 23.8% | 21 | Poor |
Download the full Rhode Island beach safety ranking
All 53 graded Rhode Island beaches with their Beach Safety Grade, exceedance rate, sample counts, and program status — from EPA monitoring data. Enter your email to download. A grade is a multi-year classification, not a same-day safety clearance.
Rhode Island beach grade updates
Get new grades and water-quality updates for Rhode Island beaches by email.
Where to stay near Rhode Island beaches
Find beachfront hotels, condos, and vacation rentals across Rhode Island — live availability and prices.
Top-rated places to stay near Rhode Island beaches
Prices for Oct 2–4, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Watch Rhode Island beach grades
Get an email when a graded Rhode Island beach posts a new sample or swim advisory.
Frequently Asked Questions
The table ranks Rhode Island beaches by Beach Safety Grade from EPA bacteria samples. Grade A beaches have the fewest exceedances of the safe-swimming limit.
Hotels, condos, and vacation rentals for Rhode Island beaches are on the map on this page. Compare water quality in the table, then book from the town you actually want to swim from.
Rhode Island beaches vary. Of 53 graded beaches, 14 earn an A for the fewest bacteria exceedances and 0 earn an F for exceeding the safe-swimming limit most often. A grade is a multi-year record, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory the day you swim.
The day you swim. A grade is a history of samples, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory before you get in.