Brenton Point State Park

Named after Governor William Brenton, Brenton Point State Park has quite the history—it used to be another fabulously wealthy estate. The manor is now gone (you can find ruins if you look hard enough), and the exquisite grounds have been turned into a state park. Stand on the rocky banks here, and you’re the furthest south you can be on Aquidneck Island.

Though many visitors hike, picnic, and fly kites (there’s a kite store onsite to take advantage of those ocean breezes), a worthwhile day here can be spent simply sitting on one of the many benches facing the sea. With views southward, you can often catch both sunrise and sunset.

• The state park is free and open year-round, from sunrise to sunset.

• Bathrooms, picnic tables and benches, a kite store, and a food truck can be found onsite.

• The park is also home to the Portuguese Discovery Monument and the annual Newport Kite Festival.

Brenton Point State Park is right on Newport’s famed 10-mile (16-kilometer) Ocean Drive–in fact, it’s the halfway point. As you’re driving by, simply pull over; it’s free to enter, and there’s plenty of parking lining the shore. If you don’t have your own wheels, rideshares and taxis can get you here.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round, though most visitors will be here during the more temperate weather of spring to fall. There’s no bad time to go, though if you’d like to add a kite show, come in early July for the Newport Kite Festival. Otherwise, sunrise and sunset are usually extra spectacular.

At times called “The Reef” and later “The Bells,” a short hike into the woods brings trekkers to what remains of the mansion: stables, carriage house, and tower (besides the park’s visitor center, which is the original servant’s quarters). Climb the tower, and you’ll get an excellent—if eerie—view of the woods taking over the carriage house. The two remaining buildings are fenced off, and rangers keep a good eye on trespassers.