Was It Worth It?
Cliff Walk

​Posted April 29, 2026, by Janet Wolfe

What It Is

Designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, Cliff Walk is a 3.5-mile path straddled on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and on the other side by a series of century-old mansions, the “summer cottages” of the Gilded Age’s rich and famous.

Where It Is

Newport, Rhode Island

When We Went

June 2023

What We Did

Cliff Walk runs from Easton’s Beach on Memorial Boulevard to Bailey’s Beach on Bellevue Avenue. We were hoping to walk most of it, but things didn’t go as planned.  We didn’t leave home on time, we forgot something and had to go back, and then we hit really, really, really bad traffic.  As a result, we didn’t reach Cliff Walk at 5:00, as hoped.  Instead, we arrived at 7:40 p.m.

With less than an hour of daylight to explore what takes most people 2-3 hours, we parked on Narragansett Avenue, took advantage of the public restrooms, and started our walk at Forty Steps, roughly half a mile from the northern end of Cliff Walk.  

Originally built in the 1830s out of wood (now stone) by David Priestly Hall to give his children access to the shore, Forty Steps offers beautiful views of the ocean from two vantage points.  We happily descended the stairs (rumor has it that there are actually 48 steps, but we didn’t count) and took photos while taking in the views.  It’s easy to see why the hired hands of the local mansions chose this spot to socialize during the Gilded Age.

From Forty Steps all visitors have to take a little street detour.  In 2022, a 20-foot section of Cliff Walk between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street collapsed, so from Forty Steps we headed back up Narragansett Avenue, turned left on Ochre Point Avenue, and made another left on Webster Street, which brought us back to Cliff Walk.

We continued past Ochre Court mansion—the second-largest mansion on Cliff Walk and the main administration building for Salve Regina University, stopped at the overlook at The Breakers mansion, and strolled past the glass-enclosed gazebo behind Angelsea mansion.

The sky was starting to get dark by the time we reached Angelsea, the 1880-built home of Philadelphia grocery goods merchant, Walter H. Lewis. However, we took a few minutes to cross the boulders—the first non-paved part of the walk we encountered—to Belmont Beach.  This small, rocky beach was a pleasant final stop.  We stood there for about 15 minutes, mesmerized by the sight of crashing waves and the sound of rocks rolling with the tide.  

After that, we turned around—the moon settling comfortably over the ocean on our right—and made our way back to our car on Narragansett Avenue. 

How Much We Spent

Access to the path is free.  The only thing we paid for was parking.

How Much Time We Spent There

Because of our late departure and traffic, we had less than an hour on Cliff Walk before it got dark.  Walking the trail from beginning to end usually takes 2-3 hours one way.

What We Liked

What’s not to love about walking along the shoreline of a beautiful ocean?  The view was calming, the setting was peaceful, and the public restroom near Forty Steps was well stocked with toilet paper (women in particular understand how important this feature is, especially after spending hours on the road).

Seriously, this was a pretty cool experience.  

Most of the mansions we passed by were separated from the Cliff Walk by high fences and deep back yards, but that didn’t matter to us.  Although it was fun knowing that we were walking by some incredibly fancy, expensive, and old homes (most of the mansions along Cliff Walk were built in the mid-to-late 1800s), we were more mesmerized by the fact that such a public path existed in the first place and that it offered such beautiful and breathtaking scenery.

What We Didn't Like

Because we got there much later than anticipated, we didn’t get to explore much of the path.  We also didn’t get to check out a few of the area’s local food institutions, including a fluffy, slushie-like beverage from Del’s Lemonade (whatever you do, don’t ask for a straw or a spoon) and a Rhode Island-style “hot wiener” (steamed bun, meat sauce, yellow mustard, finely chopped onions, and a dash of celery salt) from Olneyville New York System in Providence.


Was it worth it? 

Yes!

If you go, keep the following in mind:

• The first mile-and-a-half of Cliff Walk, from Memorial Avenue to Marine Avenue, is flat and paved.  If you’re going with young children, using a stroller, or adverse to any type of rough or uneven walking surfaces, your best bet is to stay on this part of Cliff Walk, which starts near Easton’s Beach.  
  

• The rest of the path—beginning around Ruggles Avenue, just before Belmont Beach—contains portions with large boulders and rocks and other uneven terrain.  Sturdy walking shoes are highly recommended if you plan to walk the southern part of the path.
  

• If you’re really interested in seeing the mansions from the path, it’s worth noting that the Easton Beach to Forty Steps portion of Cliff Walk is not level with the mansions (it’s below), so views aren’t as good.  Your best bet for mansion views is the segment of the path between Forty Steps and Ruggles Avenue.
  

• There are only two public restrooms along the entire path—one at Easton’s Beach and one near Forty Steps—so plan accordingly.
  

• Not every entry point to Cliff Walk has nearby parking.  You can find metered parking on Memorial Boulevard at Easton’s Beach and on Narragansett Avenue at Forty Steps.  Street parking can be found in limited quantities on Webster Street, Ochre Court, and Ochre Point Avenue.
  

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• ​Many of the mansions do offer tours, and most of those tours are managed by The Preservation Society of Newport County.  Find out more at https://www.newportmansions.org/.
  

For more information, visit https://www.discovernewport.org/things-to-do/cliff-walk/.
For an official map of Cliff Walk, visit https://exploreri.org/trailmaps/Cliff-Walk-11X17-Map%20.pdf.
For additional information provided by visitorswho have done the entire Cliff Walk, visit https://portholeadventures.com/destinations/rhode-island-cliff-walk and https://anaadventure.org/2022/12/24/cliff-walk/.


Did You Know?  The Gilded Age, roughly considered the time period from the 1870s through 1900, is largely characterized as a time of rapid industrialization, economic growth, and materialism.  It’s also known as a time of extreme wealth and opulence for some and poverty for many.  Some of the biggest benefactors of the era put their wealth to work in Newport, building extravagant summer getaways that included such features as 70 rooms (The Breakers), 500,000 cubic feet of marble (Marble House), and a large ballroom (Rosecliff).