The Watch Hill Lighthouse, located in Westerly, Rhode Island is worth a visit when you are traveling to the Ocean State. You have to take a short walk to get there from the main part of town, but it is just a quick hike.

Currently, it is not possible to go in the lighthouse itself, however, the views of it are truly exquisite, and there are nice vantage points of the ocean surrounding it. I would recommend going there during the summer months on your travels. It is also free to visit, which is pretty amazing!

It is located at 14 Lighthouse Rd, Westerly, RI 02891. When you are trying to find parking, I recommend going right on Bay Street. (As of right now, during the summer months, there is a two hour parking limit.) The town of Westerly itself also has a history of being a home to many celebrities, including the very popular Taylor Swift!

Ever since by happenstance when I visited Rhode Island on a work trip several years ago, I have been drawn into the sweeping beauty of the area. There is something about the mist of the invigorating sea air drifting through rugged nature areas and historic buildings that has fascinated my mind since that time, and my husband and I knew that we absolutely had to return. It made sense for our first stop within the state to be Westerly, since it is right on the southwestern coastline as you travel north into the state. (We were coming up from Philly.)

If you are driving up to Watch Hill from the Philadelphia area, I would expect it to take you about 5 and a half hours to get there. I believe it took us about 7 hours, but that includes rest stops along the way. It is a bit of a longer drive, but I do think its possible to get there within the same day.

We arrived in Westerly right before sunset, and we knew that we had to hustle to make it to the lighthouse right away. It is open from 8 a.m. to sunset daily, and there are gates that close if you get there too late, so we made our hike a quick one to get there in time!

(When you are walking to the lighthouse from Bay Street, you will want to take Larkin Road to the path which will meander about various mansions on the way to the lighthouse.)

As we walked through a winding path around some of the most enchanting mansions I had ever seen, I truly felt enthralled with their elegance. After following it for a bit, it then opened up to a longer one, that lead us to the lighthouse.

Night was quickly approaching as sunset was pulling towards us ever faster time wise. The hazy cloudy atmosphere did not slow this down at all. The gates were open, and we noticed one truck left next to the building with its lights on. We ran so quick in a rush, just to catch a glimmer of beauty in this landscape. The light beamed around the historic place, and it was truly a sight to behold.

The waves lapped onto the rocks and the brightness of the building stood out boldly against the darkening sky. As quickly as we arrived, we left, as night enveloped the skies ever closer in this coastal place. I did not realize it at the time, but we would be back to this spot once more.

Fast forwarding to the end of our Rhode Island travels (not to worry, there are more blogs to come in this series) we knew as we were leaving the Ocean State that it would be amazing to see Watch Hill Lighthouse in its grandeur with full light of day.

As we were preparing our drive home from our travels, I was extremely surprised to find out that the famous singer Taylor Swift has a summer house right next to the lighthouse! Thinking back to our first visit, I did remember a gorgeous white mansion on a hill close to it, and felt slightly in shock that we had seen it! I can honestly understand why she would want to live here, given the beauty and whimsical charm of the area.

She has written a song pertaining to this particular place called “The Last Great American Dynasty”. The song alludes to the past of socialite Rebekah Harkness who had resided in the dwelling before Taylor Swift.

I am going to put a disclaimer here, if you are traveling to Westerly, please be respectful of her property and her, and do not attempt to go onto it.

The Watch Hill Lighthouse also has an interesting history. The beginnings of this lighthouse in the 1700s served mostly as warning system for naval attacks such as during King George’s War from 1744 to 1748. Unfortunately the first building was destroyed in a turbulent storm in 1781. Later, in 1806, President Thomas Jefferson and Congress signed and approved into law ‘An Act to provide for lighthouses in Long Island Sound.’

This prompted for the construction of a lighthouse on Watch Hill Point in Westerly, Rhode Island. During the 1800s, as technology improved for lighthouses, it has gone through several variations and improvements, including the use of the revolutionary ring like lens called the Fresnel lens.

If you are interested in checking out one of these historic lens in person, they do have one of their original ones in the museum on the property. The museum also has a nice array of historic photos, documents, and paintings which depict its beginnings more in depth. It is currently free of charge to visit, and their hours are 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays July through Labor Day.

Currently, the lighthouse is also being protected and maintained by the Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association and holds a license and mandate from the United States Coast Guard. Their mission is to protect and preserve this lovely historical landmark, which is so important so that many generations to come will be able to enjoy it as much as we do now!

When you travel to Rhode Island, this is one of those spots that you have to put on your itinerary. It is such a fascinating lighthouse, and the landscape with the ocean is absolutely delightful. If you have extra time, make sure that you check out Westerly too, because there are some really cute shops in the town, and it exudes elegance and charm!

I am so excited to dive right into this Rhode Island series with you all, and there are so many places that you will want to check out as you are planning a trip there. (Or if you are a local, hopefully some new areas that you can visit!) I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

-Hiking Boots

The more that we explore new places, the more important it is to wear safe hiking gear, and of course hiking boots. I really love my hiking boots because they feel super cozy, warm, flexible, and of course the most crucial element of all for safety is that they are non slip! When I have gone hiking for hours at a time, they are really comfortable, which is great when you are traveling on the road.

For more information regarding these boots, check out the Amazon Affiliate link below!

https://amzn.to/4hgAqSX

-Additional Related Articles

https://watchhilllighthousekeepers.org/

Bandstand At Roger Williams Park

Japanese Garden At Roger Williams Park

Green Animals Topiary Garden Portsmouth Rhode Island

WaterFire In Providence Rhode Island

The Best Landmarks To Visit In Boston Massachusetts

YouTube-

NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

See Full Bio