Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge - Wonderful change of pace along the coast of Rhode Island

November 19, 2014

Grasslands near the sea - Sachuest Point, Rhode Island

There is a great little natural preserve on finger of land that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean at the bottom of Rhode Island. This preserve is known as Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. When I visited this place I had been driving for awhile and I wanted to get out and stretch the legs so I was pleased to find a good little trail network here. There is the 1.2 mile “Flint Loop Trail” or the 1.5 mile “Ocean View Trail”. I opted for the longer one and here are some of the things I saw. The trail was a pretty footpath with green foliage and pretty little flowers. It had been grey and raining but the clouds lifted a little bit. Birds were singing, chattering and chirping and there was a light rain so it was kind of cool. The bushes on the sides of the trail were tall and thick in areas but at some points there were breaks where you could get through to the rocks and the ocean. Sachuest Point is a finger like “claw” of land that juts out into the ocean from the bottom of Rhode Island near Middleton and Newport. Speaking of Middleton, there is another great trail there called the “cliff walk” trail that passes by some of the most incredible mansions of Newport as it follows along the top of the cliffs with the crash of the waves against rock below ever audible along its length…………but I digress………back to Sachuest. Noticed some weird snails with pretty yellow shells…..oozing along the wet grass. Noticed a beautiful white tailed deer. We stood motionless and looked at each other for quite some time.

White Tail Deer - Sachuest Point, Rhode Island

What a beautiful animal. Large, dark and ominous clouds were piled up over Newport but shafts of sunlight were shining through as if searchlights in a darkened night sky. The noise of the waves on the rocks was ever present as the endless assault by the Atlantic Ocean on the North American continent continued. At various points along the trail there were strategically positioned wooden benches that faced out to sea. I thought of how nice it would be to just be able to sit on one of those benches, listen to the waves, look out upon the ocean and contemplate life and God’s creation. I took tons of pictures of plants, leaves and flowers – species that I never see out West in the Great Basin Desert of Utah. Lots of people use this trail for exercise and running. It is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and observe nature in peace. If you go out to Sachuest Point, there are several things to keep in mind – first, stay on the trails! There is an abundance of poison ivy about and there are ticks as well. Second, like the interpretive sign says – Slippery Rocks and Unpredictable Surf can be deadly……..NEVER turn your back on the Ocean when you are on the rocks. The Refuge consists of 242 acres of mostly grassland and rocky coastline. There are 200 species of birds that frequent the area and mammals and reptiles also call Sachuest Point home. Fishermen love this place and catch striped bass, flounder, cunner, eel and bluefish from the rocks by casting out into the ocean. I thoroughly enjoyed my relaxing little 1.5 mile walk and visit with nature along the coast of Rhode Island, if you are ever in Newport, make a small detour and refresh your soul at Sachuest Point.

Jaromy D. Jessop

For more information contact:

Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center
769 Sachuest Point Road
Middletown, RI, 02842
(401) 847- 5511

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/sachuest_point/