Goddard Memorial State Park

Came here for the first time recently and impressed overall. The park is clean, incredibly spacious, has some very cool sights, and a great place to run a 5k!

Goddard Park holds a very dear place in my heart. I grew up in the neighborhood next to the park, so I spent lots of time here as a kid. It is a beautifully kept park with green fields, a sandy beach, horseback riding, and lots of trails through the woods. The park is always beautifully kept and very clean. I have rarely ever seen trash or debris anywhere in the park. There are two sets of horse trails through the woods. One that leads deep into the woods and to a beautiful pond, and the other goes along the beach toward the horse barn. I love the tall canopy of the trees and well kept paths. There is also tons of camp stove and picnic tables available to rent for the day. I’ve been to many a child’s birthday party and family reunion here. From time to time there is events held at the park, which can get a bit crazy, but the park is big enough that you can find some space to hang out.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about Goddard Park. It’s a great place for families and friends to spend a beautiful day outside!

One of my favorite spots and great for dogs, some nice trails and secluded beach walks

Beautiful place — the weekend are a bit much but during the week less people
Farmers market is great there to!

This park is amazing. It’s free to enter and it’s huge. Lots of open fields and picnic tables, but also so trails through the woods. There’s a whole horseback riding area and sometimes there are horses on the trails. Lots of waterfront also. There’s a sandy beach area where you can swim. Plenty of beach access other places too though. There’s a little boat launch where you can put a kayak in. Even when it’s «crowded» this place is so huge that there’s plenty of space. Sometimes kids have birthday parties with bouncy castle things. Lots of runners too. Part of it is a golf course, but I just avoid that part. Plenty of space for non-​golfers.
A couple things to know: 1) The «carousel» is just a historical artifact at this point. It’s not actually a carousel, just an old building. 2) there are no trash cans, so if you bring your dog, you have to cary out the dog poo.

One of the jewels of Rhode Island. A beach, walking trails, areas for golf, football, BBQ, any outdoor fun really. You could easily spend an entire summer’s day here just relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

Perfect park to go to if you want to spend the day with your family and friends. The water is so warm! Caught me by surprise. The whole place is pretty well kept besides horse poop here and there throughout the trail. You can camp here, have a bonfire, cook out, golf and relax! There’s not a lot of people and there’s plenty of parking everywhere. Definitely a hidden gem.

Best park in the area by a long shot! I grew up going to Goddard Park and rediscovered it as an adult. It’s a special place in the West Bay Area that has something for everyone.
Pros:
–awesome trails that weave all over the park… never crowded and perfect for running, walking, dog adventures, and more
–beach that offers views of the bay, boating action in the bay, and great sunsets. Lifeguards there in summer months and there’s a small area roped in. Not usually too crowded and saves you from the drive down to Narragansett or Newport. There’s also plenty of benches lining the beach area you can use to enjoy the view
–bathrooms open (seems to be seasonally mostly) at a few locations around the park
–tons of picnic area/​spaces/​grills which are great for birthday parties, family gatherings, and other get togethers
–free free free! No entry, parking, beach, or bathroom fees
–gazebo carousel can be rented for parties (graduation parties and birthday parties seem to be the most popular) at reasonable rates with pretty awesome views of the bay and nature all around
–there’s space for every sort of outdoor adventure… cross country teams practice and race here, you’ll usually find a soccer or volleyball practice or pick up game, a group of friends playing whiffle ball or frisbee, and more. Triathlon groups often practice here due to the ease of doing all three sports at one site
–farmers market on Fridays during the summer! So many great produce and local items for sale
–golf course on site (public)
–horseback riding available (you’ll often see horses on the trails)
–popular spot for engagement or family photos due to ability to get both nature background and beach background in your pictures!
Cons:
–sometimes the beach water isn’t swimmable due to bacteria
–so much horse poop on some of the trails… keep an eye out!
–some summer weekends there are a few groups who can get a little loud with their music… luckily this park is so large you can find a spot far enough away from them to enjoy the beauty of it all

Stay away from the beach. Ewwww. Anyways beautiful park close by! Great for cookouts and parties. A treasure in the morning and in winter.

Perfect little beach to stop at and get some color. Also not as long as the drive to Narragansett, Newport, Jamestown ect. Also you don’t have to deal with beach traffic. The waves are almost nonexistent but enough to help you relax. The beach is quiet, clean and convenient.

Absolutely stunning. I’m from Pennsylvania, and I usually go to the local beaches, but I have to say, this is the best beach trip I’ve ever been on. Free parking, beautiful little beach, with a view of sailboats and forest and a big beautiful bathhouse to wash up in for free! Picnic tables and grills… I could go on and on. I love being able to sit in the shade under a tree and look at sailboats on the water. My boys had an absolute blast collecting crabs and playing in an area that really wasn’t overcrowded at all. I won’t even describe what going to the Jersey shore today would be like! Okay, I will. Overpriced parking that’s really far away, hot beaches with no shade, cheesy boardwalk with the bathroom half a mile away… Looks like I will be making the long drive more often!!!

Goddard Park is amazing. Free to get in, free to park, great place for families and a great place just to go relax. There’s hardly ever any crowds and the beach is perfect for kids to swim at, little or no waves and the water is pretty clean. The day we went it was 85 degrees and sunny and there was only a few dozen people at the beach. Every other beach in the state was probably mobbed, I highly recommend this park if you’re looking to escape the crowds and have fun..

I planned a picnic at Goddard Park early this fall for a group of old college friends to get together. It was a perfect location for the group of 15 or so of us to gather some beach chairs and a couple folding tables and just hang out by the bay. The sun was glistening perfectly over the water as sail boats drifted by. There are little gazebo coverings for people to set up their picnics. It is free to the public year-​round. The bathroom facilities are convenient and clean.
The area makes for interesting people watching, as well. There are benches and little areas along the beach to nestle in and enjoy a good book on a random afternoon. I also find it a convenient location to meet friends and go for a walk around the grassy park and picnic areas. The park roads become busy on the weekends, so recommend walks limited to weekdays.

I used to run here every year in high school for the Brown Invitational… and now I live 15 minutes away from it! One of the best perks of living in PVD.
Goddard has a great mix of everything: golf, stables, trails, beach, and picnicking. You can easily spend an afternoon here. The park is well-​maintained and offers plenty of parking. Most days there are no entrance fees or parking fees. Definitely a place to check out.

Just did a quick hike on the trail and walk on the beach. A great getaway without going far. A great way to connect with nature if you are in East Greenwich and need a walk on the beach.

Beautiful park with nice trails for exploration. Great place to take pictures.
However, I’m not a big fan of the (rocky) beach.

I’ve come here many a time for dog walks, horseback riding, trail running, and surreptitious high school drinking.
I lived very close by in my childhood and the parental units’ dogs prefer a horse trail over asphalt roads for their daily walks. The trails have loose sand and can be filled with horse poop (which the dogs seem to love, I don’t get it). Wear poop resistant footwear.
Wintertime is awesome here. A Christmas afternoon dog walk with my parents and the dogs is tradition. They do close off the middle section of the park, but you can still park at the beach or boat ramp.
I’ve never been on a horse and for $ 30 dollars for an hour of riding, I said what the hay. I went with my sister and my mother, both of whom have never been on a horse. I think I was more scared than my mom. Still, it was quite an enjoyable experience. The staff at C&L Stables is friendly and informative.
The same trails are great for trail running. Mud running has nothing on poop running.
It’s summer vacation. You are a high school senior next year. There’s nothing good on TV. What do you do? Grab a friend and some booze, and walk over to the park to sit on the rocks. Yea, you’re cool.
I have learned to skip coming here on major cookout holidays (e.g. Memorial, Labor, 4^th). There are flocks of people (yes, flocks) that descend on the park to have 100 person cookouts. It seems like every car has a soundsystem and tries to outdo their neighbors. Stay out of the trails those days too. On two separate occasions, I unwillingly had to walk past some very active teenage hormones.
I don’t know if it would draw people from across state. The beach is poor and there isn’t anything overly unique about it. But as a local, I love this place. Great place to visit if you are in the area. Bring a frisbee.

Always great fun for the family. The beach front, while small, provides for a nice intimate area and the water is calm so the kids can enjoy. The only down side is that the walking area can get cluttered with debris. I am not sure if it is washing ashore or it is fellow beach goers that do not know how to clean up after themselves.
Great places to let the kids and dogs run and picnic.

I’ve been here before off season, but this was my first time during the summer months — during a weekend, no less — and wow is it a different experience.
This park is definitely used to its full potential, which I’m really happy to see. There were families throughout the park cooking out, a wedding happening in the carousel building, and people strewn about the beach. Everyone looked to be having a great time — including myself. It’s a big enough park that there can be crowds of people but it’s still possible to find your own space.
Goddard park offers a lifeguarded beach — but they also don’t seem to mind if you swim outside of the designated area (or build a bonfire on the beach — a little weirded out by that one) and hiking and riding trails (watch out for horse poop). I haven’t and was not really all that tempted to go swimming here, but if you don’t want to drive all the way to the beaches and you want to cool off, I can see it as an option.
I was pleasantly surprised by the food served at the snack stand, though I do have to say it took a long time for it to come out and the ketchup was not so good.
The best part about the whole thing is that it’s free.

Goddard Park is less than desirable for a beach location. The park is okay, but Colt State Park and Brenton Point State Park (among others I’m sure) offer a greater «ocean view» for the amount of park. As far as the beach is concerned, it’s dirty. The sand is gross and filled with crap, and the swimming area is only a small sectioned off area.
I saw a bridal party taking photographs here and can’t imagine ever choosing this location myself. It may be more convenient to get to than Bristol, Newport, or Narragansett, but it’s not nearly as nice as the others.