There's no need to break the bank: Picnic at these five beautiful public parks in Newport

Newport might be known for its Gilded Age glamor, its waterfront restaurants and its harbor full of expensive sailboats, but that doesn’t mean a beautiful day in the City-by-the-Sea needs to break the bank. Newport is full of lovely public parks to walk the dog, play sports, lounge around and have a picnic or even go for a swim at the beach.

From nature preserves with beautiful walking paths to pebbly public beaches to basketball courts with ocean views, there are plenty of ways to spend an enjoyable day in Newport without spending all the money in your wallet. Packing a picnic and spending the day exploring or relaxing in Newport’s plethora of parks is one of the best ways to do it.

For the truly thrifty beachgoer, a RIPTA ride into Newport only costs $2. Bus routes to Newport’s Gateway Center include the 60 line (from Providence through the East Bay) the 64 line (from Kingston through South County), and the 14 line (from Providence through Warwick and South County – including service to T.F. Green Airport).

After arriving at Gateway Center downtown, it should be known that Newport and RIPTA offer a free hop-on, hop-off service running until Oct. 31, 2023 for the local 67 and 68 lines, which service locations including Miantonomi Park, CCRI and other stops in the North End, First Beach (Easton’s Beach), Cliff Walk, Salve Regina University and the Newport Mansions. All of the parks listed below are easily walkable from the 67 and 68 lines and from downtown Newport.

Morton Park

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and donated to the city by Levi Morton, a man who would go on to become the Vice President of the United States and, according to the city of Newport’s website, drove one of the first rivets into the Statue of Liberty’s big toe as the Ambassador to France, this park includes a volleyball court, a large picnic area, a playground and some nice wide open fields suitable for team sports like wiffleball and ultimate frisbee.

Situated just beyond the southern end of Thames Street and around the corner from Ash Mart (which sells an excellent fresh falafel wrap), Morton Park is one of the easier places to find free street parking in Newport and also has a little trail through one corner which is nice for dog walkers. It is also a short and lovely walk away from the Newport Mansions.

King Park

King Park is the only one on this list with a public beach, and it connects to the Newport Harbor Walk. In addition to the beach, which features a beautiful view of Newport Harbor and the Pell Bridge, it also has a playground, a pavilion with some barbecue amenities, a gazebo and a kayak launch. There are a lot of public parking spots along Wellington Avenue, but they do fill up on nice days. Seasonally open restroom facilities are a huge bonus.

Braga Park

Braga Park, named after a veteran of the Vietnam War, is a dog-friendly place with parking on both Kay Street and Ellery Avenue. The Ellery Avenue lot is also the best place to access the Easton’s Pond Rim Trail. There is a little league field and as well as a playground, a nice grassy expanse and two basketball courts with sweeping views south over Easton’s Pond to First Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

Ballard Park

Tucked away in the quiet southern end of Newport just south of Rogers High School, Ballard Park is a former quarry site accessible from both Wickham Road and Hazard Road. The unassuming entrances give way to 13 spectacular acres, including some of the nicest nature trails in Newport.

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Although it has hosted many public events over the years, this park is still the closest on the list to a true nature preserve. Its trails feature huge, craggy cliffs and slabs of granite – the same granite used in the construction of some of Newport’s local streets and buildings. All of the trails are pretty easy for casual day hikers, but there are still three scenic overlooks to ascend to in Ballard Park, including one westward-looking vantage point that is particularly special to see in the autumn once the leaves have changed colors.

Miantonomi Park

Miantonomi Park is in Newport’s North End. Established as a World War I memorial park, it includes Miantonomi Hill, the highest point in Newport and once a seat of power for the Narragansett tribe. There are nice water views from certain vantage points in the park, and plenty of parking along Hillside Avenue or just up Dexter Street across from Pell Elementary School.

In addition to big, beautiful shade trees and rolling green expanses, the park has picnic tables and grills, a playground, volleyball and basketball courts, walking trails, and historic structures including a memorial tower which is sometimes open to the public during the Mondays in Miantonomi farmers market.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport parks offer woodland hikes, waterfront views and recreation