Beaches
Ballard's Beach: the social one
Steps from the ferry, food and drinks behind your towel, live music most summer afternoons. Ballard's Beach is Block Island's scene — here's how it works.
August 8, 2026
Outdoors, Beaches, Weather & Ferry
Kevin Harvester
Kevin has been fishing the island's beaches for two decades. He covers the outdoors, the weather, and the boat, and he checks the wind forecast before he checks his phone.
Latest from Kevin
Beaches
Black Rock Beach: the wild south shore
Named for the dark rock at the shoreline, reached on foot past Vaill Beach or through Rodman's Hollow — Black Rock is Block Island's rugged, unwatched, beautiful edge.
August 8, 2026
Beaches
Crescent Beach: the island's long, easy answer
Crescent Beach runs north from Old Harbor in one long sweep — with Fred Benson Town Beach at its center for lifeguards, showers, rentals, and parking.
August 8, 2026
Beaches
The beach at Mohegan Bluffs: 141 steps to the island's best arrival
Under 200-foot clay cliffs, down 141 wooden steps: the beach at Mohegan Bluffs is Block Island's showstopper. Parking, the stairs, and how to time it.
August 8, 2026
Beaches
The secret beaches of Block Island (and the etiquette that keeps them worth finding)
Grace's Cove, Dorry's Cove, Vaill, Charlestown, Andy's Way — the beaches islanders would rather we didn't list, with honest access notes and the rules.
August 8, 2026
Getting Here
Point Judith to Block Island: the ferry that does the heavy lifting
The Point Judith ferry from Galilee is the year-round workhorse: 55 minutes traditional, 30 high-speed, and the only boat that carries cars. The full playbook.
August 8, 2026
Getting Here
Parking at the Block Island ferry: the Galilee system, decoded
Ferry parking at Point Judith runs $15–$25 a day across a maze of private lots. Which lot fits your trip, when they fill, and the mistakes to skip.
August 8, 2026
Getting Here
Block Island ferry schedule: this season's boats, verified
The current Block Island ferry schedule across all four routes — updated each season from the operators' published timetables, with the booking links that matter.
August 8, 2026
Island Life
A short history of Block Island: Manisses, shipwrecks, and the island that stayed itself
From Manisses through Adriaen Block's 1614 map, the wreck of the Larchmont, and the 1972 conservation turn — the island's story, short and true.
August 8, 2026
Things to Do
Where to watch the sunset on Block Island
The island faces its best light west over the Great Salt Pond. The proven sunset spots, night by night, and the one most people miss.
June 12, 2026
Things to Do
Southeast Lighthouse: the landmark that moved back from the edge
Block Island's Southeast Lighthouse was hauled 300 feet back from a crumbling cliff in 1993. The history, the tours, and how to visit it right.
June 9, 2026
Getting Here
Flying to Block Island: when the 12-minute flight beats the boat
New England Airlines flies Westerly to Block Island in about 12 minutes. What it costs, how booking works, and when flying actually makes sense.
June 4, 2026
Island Life
Block Island in October: the quiet month worth the sweater
October on Block Island: gold light on the bluffs, empty beaches, and a shrinking-but-real list of what's still open. The honest shoulder-season guide.
May 19, 2026
Island Life
Block Island in September: the locals' month
September is when Block Island belongs to the people who love it: summer-warm water, no lines, and rooms you can actually book. Here's how to do it.
May 16, 2026
Things to Do
Hiking Block Island: the Greenway, Rodman's Hollow, Clayhead
Block Island hides one of New England's best small trail systems. The Greenway, Rodman's Hollow, and the Clayhead maze — where to start and what to skip.
May 13, 2026
Things to Do
Kayaking and paddleboarding the Great Salt Pond
The Great Salt Pond is Block Island's flat-water playground. Where to launch, where to rent, and the paddle routes that fit an afternoon.
May 7, 2026
Things to Do
Snorkeling Block Island: the coves worth the fins
Block Island snorkeling is better than it has any right to be — if you pick the right cove on the right tide. Where to go and what you'll actually see.
May 4, 2026
Things to Do
Mohegan Bluffs: the stairs, the parking, and why you go at 8
Mohegan Bluffs is the single best thing on Block Island: 150-foot clay cliffs, 141 steps down, and a beach that empties the moment the lot fills. Go early.
May 1, 2026
Getting Here
New London to Block Island ferry: times, tickets, parking
The New London fast ferry is the easiest route from NYC and Connecticut. Crossing time, tickets, parking at the terminal, and when it beats Point Judith.
April 28, 2026
Things to Do
Fishing Block Island: surf casting, charters, what's running
Block Island fishing without the guesswork: striper season from the beaches, the charter fleet, and where to get bait, licenses, and straight answers.
April 25, 2026
Getting Here
The Block Island ferry, explained: every route compared (2026)
All four Block Island ferry routes compared — Point Judith, Newport, New London, Montauk — with crossing times, car rules, and which boat fits your trip.
April 23, 2026
Things to Do
The Block Island Wind Farm: what those five turbines are
The five turbines off the southeast coast were America's first offshore wind farm. What they power, what changed, and where to see them best.
April 9, 2026
Things to Do
Whale watching near Block Island: what you can actually see
There are no whale-watch boats on Block Island, but there are whales. What passes through these waters, when, and how to improve your odds honestly.
April 7, 2026
Island Life
Great white sharks and Block Island: the honest answer
Yes, white sharks pass through Block Island waters — it's the Atlantic. What's actually been recorded, what the risk really is, and how to swim smart.
March 31, 2026
Beaches
Mansion Beach: the ruins, the surf, and why you go early
Mansion Beach is Block Island's most underrated swim — soft sand, a real surf break, and the foundations of a burned mansion behind the dunes.
March 8, 2026
Things to Do
Biking Block Island: the loop, the hills, where to rent
A bike is the correct Block Island vehicle. The classic loop, the hills nobody mentions, rental logistics, and the rides worth building a day around.
March 8, 2026
Things to Do
The Block Island day trip, hour by hour
One boat over, one boat back, zero wasted hours. The proven day-trip route: which ferry to catch, the bike loop, the beach window, and dinner before the boat.
March 5, 2026
Getting Here
Block Island without a car: how everyone actually gets around
You don't need a car on Block Island — most visitors are happier without one. Bikes, mopeds, taxis, and how to plan a car-free island day.
March 3, 2026