Oakland Beach, Warwick

Oakland Beach is a City of Warwick saltwater beach on Oakland Beach Avenue, a bay inlet beach with restrooms, a summer lifeguard, restaurants nearby and a public boat ramp on Bay Avenue. Unlike Goddard Park's free beach, the city charges for parking during beach season. Warwick's parks are open dawn to dusk, and RIDOH's Beach Viewer map shows whether the water is open for swimming.

What Oakland Beach Is

The City of Warwick describes Oakland Beach as a bay inlet beach: a saltwater beach on the water rather than an ocean surf beach, with restaurants nearby. Its listing marks it as a public beach and waterfront attraction with restrooms, saltwater swimming and saltwater fishing, and with complete wheelchair access. The city's parks page calls it Oakland Beach Park, "a waterfront park that has a beach tended by a lifeguard during the summer".

Parking and Fees

The city lists "Parking Admission Charged During Beach Season". It does not publish the daily rate on its Oakland Beach page, so check with the city's Parks & Recreation department at (401) 738-2019 before you go.

If you want a free beach nearby, Goddard Memorial State Park's beach charges nothing for parking or entry — RI DEM says there are no fees to access beaches within state parks.

Lifeguards and Swimming

The city says the beach is tended by a lifeguard during the summer. When we checked in October 2026, the city's parks page said there were no lifeguards on duty "at this time". Swimming is allowed only when the water is open: the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) tests licensed beaches through the summer and recommends closing swimming areas when bacteria counts are high. Check RIDOH's Beach Viewer map (health.ri.gov/beaches) before you go; the city points visitors to the Department of Health for beach status.

The Boat Ramp

The City of Warwick lists a boat ramp on Bay Avenue at Oakland Beach. Saltwater fishing is listed too. Anglers 16 and older need a Rhode Island saltwater licence or one from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York or Maine; see the fishing guide for prices and exemptions.

Dogs

Oakland Beach is a city beach, so the city's rules apply rather than the state's April-to-September beach ban. RIDOH notes that town beach rules vary and are generally posted at the beach — read the signs before bringing a dog.

A Little History

Oakland Beach was one of the Warwick shore communities served by the trolley line that RI DEM's centennial history describes running from Auburn in Cranston along the Warwick shore to Rocky Point and through Oakland Beach to Buttonwoods; DEM credits those lines with playing an enormous role in popularizing Narragansett Bay. It also had a carousel: DEM's Goddard history notes that in 1958 Joseph L. Carrolo, the "Carousel King", ran carousels at Oakland Beach, Lake Mishnock, Goddard and Lake Nipmuc.

Oakland Beach or Goddard Park?

• Cost: Goddard is free; Oakland Beach charges for parking in season.
• Run by: Goddard is a state park (RI DEM); Oakland Beach is a city park.
• Around the beach: Goddard has picnic groves, golf and bridle trails; Oakland Beach has restaurants nearby and a boat ramp.
• Dogs: Goddard's beach bans animals April 1 to September 30; Oakland Beach follows posted city rules.

Compare every Warwick beach on the Warwick beaches guide.