East Bay Bike Path

The shores of upper Narragansett Bay were the homeland of the Pokanoket and Wampanoag peoples before English settlers established the colonial towns of Warren, Barrington, and Bristol along the water. For generations the bay was the region's main highway, carrying goods and people by boat.

In the nineteenth century a railroad was built along the eastern shore, connecting Providence with the bayside towns and the seaside resorts that drew summer crowds. The line carried both freight and passengers and helped these communities grow.

As rail travel declined in the twentieth century, the tracks fell out of use, leaving a straight, level, waterfront corridor. Rhode Island converted the abandoned rail bed into a paved recreational path, part of a national movement to turn old railroads into trails.

The result, opened in stages beginning in the 1990s, is a continuous route that has become one of the most popular bike paths in New England, prized for its flat grade and its almost constant views of the bay.

Starting near the Providence waterfront, the path crosses into East Providence and then runs south through Barrington and Warren before reaching Bristol. Along the way it passes through open salt marsh, over tidal creeks on old railroad bridges, and past coves where boats ride at anchor.

The trail links a series of destinations. It runs beside Colt State Park in Bristol, connects to town centers with shops and restaurants where riders can stop for a meal, and offers access to swimming and picnic spots near the water.

Because it is flat and mostly separated from traffic, the path suits every kind of user, from serious cyclists covering the full length to families with young children and walkers out for a stroll by the water. Its steady scenery keeps the miles from feeling long.

The salt marshes and tidal flats the path crosses are rich with birdlife. Herons and egrets stalk the shallows, ospreys nest on platforms and hunt the coves, and shorebirds probe the mud at low tide. Waterfowl gather in the sheltered water through the colder months.

The marshes themselves are vital habitat, filtering the water and nurturing the fish and shellfish of the bay. Riding through them offers a close, ground level view of an ecosystem that is easy to overlook from a car.

Watch the open bay for cormorants, gulls, and diving birds working the water, and in the quieter stretches you may glimpse turtles, muskrats, and other creatures of the marsh edge.

Spring brings the return of ospreys and migrating birds to the marshes, along with mild air and a greening landscape ideal for riding.

Summer is the peak season, when the full length of the path buzzes with cyclists and walkers, and sea breezes off the bay temper the heat, though the open marsh sections offer little shade.

Fall is a favorite time here, with crisp air, thinning crowds, and warm color in the trees along the route, plus strong bird migration over the flats.

Winter quiets the path to a bracing, beautiful ride or walk, with waterfowl on the bay and long clear views across the water, best enjoyed bundled against the wind.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.