There are 10 public shore access points, or rights-of-way (ROWs), in Middletown, Rhode Island, that have been designated by the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). Click on the blue location markers in the map below to view the location of each ROW.
The map, below, takes its information from the CRMC map of ROWs in Middletown.
CRMC Access Points in Middletown
Public and Private Rights to Coastal Access in Rhode Island
The shoreline can be defined as that part of the shore that is regularly covered by the tide. It is considered by common law to be public land, held in trust for the public by the state. The Rhode Island Constitution specifically protects citizens’ rights to fish from the shore, to gather seaweed, to leave the shore to swim in the sea, and to walk along the shore.
Access along the shore has been a common expectation and legal right for generations of Rhode Islanders. Trespassing across private property to reach the shore, however, is illegal. Since most waterfront property in Rhode Island is privately owned, those seeking to reach the shore without trespassing must rely on the various public lands and designated rights-of-way along the coast.
Rhode Island’s shoreline access bill was signed into law on June 26, 2023, and clarifies the public’s right to laterally access the shore up to 10 feet landward of the visible high tide line – the line that is recognized by seaweed, shells, or other debris left by the tide. Previously in Rhode Island, the public had access up to the mean high tide line, as defined by case law in 1982 (see State vs Ibbison). This boundary was impossible to visually determine, and required scientific instrumentation to precisely locate. This new law defines this boundary more clearly, stating that the public has the right to access 10 feet above the last high tide seaweed line (the line closest to the water, if there is more than one) or, if there is no seaweed line, the line of wet beach. More information about Rhode Island’s Shoreline Access Law is available at the RI Coastal Resources Management Council website: https://www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess/shoreandlateral.html
Role of CRMC and the CRMC Public Right-of Way Designation Process
CRMC has the authority to designate public rights-of-way to the tidal waters of the state (R.I.G.L. 46-23.6). A CRMC public right-of-way designation clarifies the status of a public right-of-way and provides shore goers with clear and legally defined pathways to the shore. The designation of public rights-of-way also ensures the preservation and protection of these access sites for subsequent generations of Rhode Islanders. CRMC carries on a continuous process of discovery and designation of rights-of-way using a standing right-of-way subcommittee. For more information on the CRMC right-of-way designation process, see CRMC’s “Guide to Public Access to the Rhode Island Coast” — https://www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html
MIDDLETOWN COASTAL ACCESS ALLIANCE 