Lapham
Nature preserve
126 acres3.4 mi of trail
Long Lot Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Photo: Timothy J. Quill · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in New Shoreham
38% of New Shoreham’s land is conserved: 2,256 acres
24 miles of mapped trail cross New Shoreham, 2.7 per square mile of land. 319 acres are parks and preserves, 410 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Lapham (3.4 mi), Rodman's Hollow (2 mi), Sachem Pond (0.9 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
38%
2,256 acres · of 9.1 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
319 ac
410 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
68%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
204 ft
Beacon Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
13 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is New Shoreham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New Shoreham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New Shoreham is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New Shoreham’s overall grade.
Conserved land38% of the land · typical RI town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · RI 1.1 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land410 acres of park per 1,000 residents (319 acres) · RI 21 · U.S. 13AParks close to home68% of residents within a half mile of a park · RI 72% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 97%
LessMore
Rhode Island towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so New Shoreham’s 38% is ahead of 97% of Rhode Island towns, while its trails per square mile lead 92% of them.
Water is more than half of New Shoreham’s area (100 of 110 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 3%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lapham, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rodman's Hollow
Nature preserve
114 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sachem Pond
Managed by Town of New Shoreham
130 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Clay Head / Lapham
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
13 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
West Beach
Managed by Town of New Shoreham
56 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Rodman's Hollow Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
50 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lewis / Dickens Farm
Nature preserve
42 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ocean View
Managed by Block Island Land Trust
16 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 52 parks & preserves
Lapham126 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRodman's Hollow114 acres · 2 mi of trail
Sachem Pond130 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsClay Head / Lapham13 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
West Beach56 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of New Shoreham
Rodman's Hollow Nature Preserve50 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Lewis / Dickens Farm42 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Ocean View16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Block Island Land Trust
DirectionsBlock Island National Wildlife Refuge131 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsFresh Pond24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Fresh Swamp32 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hemenway27 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Risom7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Nevas Greenberg Trail10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Town Beach40 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsMohegan Bluffs28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
DirectionsHodge Family Wildlife Preserve26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsGunners Hill9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Mansion Beach8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of New Shoreham
Wood4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Ball O'Brien Park13 acres
Lewis10 acres
Clayhead / Lapham8 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Bonnell Beach7 acres
Indian Head7 acres · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsMohegan Bluff7 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsClay Head Swamp6 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Clay Head / Whitman6 acres · Town of New Shoreham
Clayhead / Merck5 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Meadowhill5 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Spring Pond5 acres · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsMcCluskey5 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Beach Road5 acres · Block Island Conservancy
DirectionsPinney4 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Nevas-Gree4 acres · The Nature Conservancy
White3 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsJohn E's Pond3 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Payne Road3 acres · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsNorth Light3 acres · Town of New Shoreham
Clay Head / Attwood3 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Mohegan Bluff / Payne3 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsLocke2 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Old Harbor2 acres · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsVeterans Park2 acres
Ambrose Swamp / Drazen2 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Carrow-Blane2 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Great Salt Point1 acres · Town of New Shoreham
Murphy1 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Clayhead / Garden Pond1 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Rookery1 acres · Block Island Conservancy
Harbor Pond1 acres · Town of New Shoreham
DirectionsFaulkner1 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsWho protects it
2,256 conserved acres
38% of New Shoreham’s land. Water is left out: New Shoreham has 9.1 square miles of land and 100.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New Shoreham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,788 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service265 ac
State natural resources252 ac
State conservation182 ac
Town or city44 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)43 ac
Joint41 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,242 acPrivate Conservation · 953 acUnknown Easement · 308 acLocal Park · 220 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 219 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 701 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 234 of 356 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Block Island Macrosite Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 441 | Unknown |
| Block Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 219 | Restricted |
| Block Island State Park | Not recorded | 121 | Unknown |
| Lewis-Dickens Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 118 | Unknown |
| Logwood Cove Local Park | Not recorded | 90 | Unknown |
| North End Block Island Macrosite Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 70 | Unknown |
| The Nature Conservancy Private Conservation Fee Ownership Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 60 | Unknown |
| West Beach Local Park | Not recorded | 53 | Unknown |
| Sachem Pond Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 41 | Unknown |
| Fresh Pond State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 40 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
34 places to go in New Shoreham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in New Shoreham
Plus 10 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in New Shoreham
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Scenic views in New Shoreham
Edward S. Payne OverlookIn Mohegan Bluffs
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in New Shoreham
Beacon Hill204 ft elevation
DirectionsMouwneit Hill193 ft elevation
DirectionsCherry Tree Hill164 ft elevation
DirectionsPilot Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsPlover Hill138 ft elevation
DirectionsSwede Hill98 ft elevation
DirectionsBush Lot Hill85 ft elevation
DirectionsHarbor Hill85 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Sunset Hill52 ft elevation
DirectionsJobs Hill39 ft elevation
DirectionsSandy Hill39 ft elevation
DirectionsBluff Head23 ft elevation
DirectionsBeach Plum Hill13 ft elevation · In Block Island National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsGunners Hill0 ft elevation · In Block Island National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsCampgrounds in New Shoreham
3 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.8 mi
Long Lot Trail0.7 mi
Labyrinth0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Betty Pucky PondBoiling SpringContinental PondpondCooneymus SwampDee's Tug HoleDeep PondFresh PondpondHarbor PondpondJohn E’s PondpondLittle Sachem PondpondLong Lot PondLong PondMiddle PondpondMill PondMitchell's PondPayne PondPeckham PondpondRodman PondSachem PondpondSand's PondpondTrims PondpondWash Pond
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
5Tennis
1Basketball
1Baseball
1Softball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old Harbor Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About itBlock Island North LightBuilding · listed 1974
About itPeleg Champlin HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itUS Weather Bureau StationBuilding · listed 1983
About itBlock Island South East LightStructure · listed 1990
About itHygeia HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in New Shoreham: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 41 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 75 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 64 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in New Shoreham →
Questions about parks and trails in New Shoreham
Where can I hike in New Shoreham?
The longest trail networks: Lapham, 3.4 miles; Rodman's Hollow, 2 miles; Sachem Pond, 0.9 miles; Clay Head / Lapham, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New Shoreham is conserved land?
38% of its land, against a typical 19% for a Rhode Island town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on New Shoreham’s trails?
Lapham and Rodman's Hollow don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near New Shoreham?
729 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Shoreham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 347 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does New Shoreham have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from New Shoreham neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →