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Fisherman at Beavertail State Park
Dense fog, windy, very high waves and lots of salt water fisherman. This was my first impression of Beavertail State Park located at the southernmost end of Conanicut Island in Rhode Island. It was early morning and cool. The air was literally dripping moisture from the thick fog.
I had never been here before. After parking my car near the lighthouse, I walked over to the eastern shore which looks out into Narragansett Bay and saw some of the most rugged coastline I had seen south of Maine. It was hard to see in the fog, but the rocks sparkled with moisture; blacks, grays and shades of browns.
It seemed to be a popular day for fishing. I saw several dozen fisherman casting into the 6 – 8 foot waves pounding the rock shore.
Lone Fisherman
My goals were many today; to explore this park, do some hiking in the fog, look for geocaches and do some photography. I was rewarded by miles of trails through pristine areas.
The area also has a lot of history; colonial shipping, World War II bunkers that were used to defend against seaside attacks and Indian settlements. In fact, Conanicut Island is named for Chief Canonicus who once resided here.
The park and some areas just north of it in Fort Wetherill has some interesting geology. Most of the rocks here are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. You can find large quartz veins when walking along the rocky shore. Fort Wetherill probably has the largest and longest in the area. I was surprised to learn that New England and parts of New York are more closely related to Africa when examining the fossil and geological record. Apparently, many millions of years ago, Africa broke off from North America and left a little piece behind.
If you visiting Rhode Island, take the time to travel south and visit this park, Jamestown and Newport across the bay. You won’t be disappointed.
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Beavertail State Park on Rhode Island State Parks
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