"Discover Nature on Napatree" - Watch Hill, Westerly, Rhode Island
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N 41° 18.668 W 071° 51.710
19T E 260437 N 4577247
With more than 300 species sighted at this barrier split, Napatree Point has been designated a Globally Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. The conservation area is the southwestern-most point of Rhode Island at Watch Hill, Westerly.
Waymark Code: WM17X71
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 04/15/2023
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With more than 300 species sighted at this 86-acre barrier split,
Napatree Point has been designated a Globally Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. The conservation area is the southwestern-most point of Rhode Island at Watch Hill in the Town of Westerly. The Napatree Conservation Area is jointly managed by the Watch Hill Fire District and
The Watch Hill Conservancy. From the top of the dunes at this public beach, you can see New York and Connecticut just a couple of miles across Little Narragansett Bay.
A pair of signs face Watch Hill Cove as you access the ecological preserve and wildlife refuge from the end of Fort Road. Mounted within a three-post display at the sand dune's base are "Discover Nature on Napatree" to the right and "Napatree Point: An Ever-Changing Landscape" to the left. The signboard on the right explains some reasons why this barrier split is so ecologically important for wildlife. Sections are dedicated to American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus), Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus), and wrack, the line of debris left on the beach at high tide which is full of insects and organisms important for shorebirds' foraging.
Separately, another sign posted at the entrance welcomes year-round visitors and presents guidelines for appropriate passive recreation activities "such as hiking, walking, sunbathing, birdwatching, and picnicking" along this 1.3 mile-long stretch of land. Regulations also cover mandatory use of walking paths, dog access (on leash, but with seasonal restrictions), and the prohibition of fires, camping, alcohol, hunting, vehicles including bicycles, and vessels of any sort which may not be anchored, moored, or beached on the property.