Weekend in Newport, RI with a dog

Last Updated on June 22, 2023

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Newport is a beautiful seaside town in Rhode Island, the smallest state in USA and one of the most dog friendly places in the state. It’s home to lavish mansions, beautiful coastline and great seafood, which makes it one of the top destinations in New England. Just 70 miles from Boston, Newport makes for an easy day trip, but I think it deserves at least a couple of days to enjoy everything at a much slower pace. If you ever thought of bringing your dog along and wondered, is Newport, RI dog friendly, the answer is YES!

I have visited Newport as a day trip a few times over the years, but this time I decided to spend the weekend there with my friend and brought my dog along. I knew that between the beautiful and dog friendly Cliff Walk and strolling through town, Penny will get plenty of opportunities to join in the fun. Once there, I was actually pleasantly surprised, that Newport, RI turned out to be more dog friendly than I thought.

For tips how to have a great road trip with a dog, click here.

Newport, RI – dog friendly hotels

Mill Street Inn – this is a charming hotel located in a 19th century mill. Some of their rooms are pet friendly and they accept 2 dogs per room ( up to 80 Ibs ). There is a $50 non refundable pet fee.
Bellevue Manor – beautiful Inn in a perfect location. Some rooms are pet friendly and there’s a $50 non refundable pet fee.
America’s Cup Inn – located on the historic Thames Street, in the heart of Historic Downtown Newport.
Beech Tree Inn & Cottage – beautiful Inn in a Victorian home. There’s an extra pet fee of $25 per day.

Finding a dog friendly accommodations in Newport is not a problem, but hotels are on the expensive side. Ideally, you want to be in the Historic District, close to everything, which is especially helpful if you are visiting Newport with a dog. But these hotels come with a rather hefty price tag. If Newport hotels are out of your price range, a good alternative is staying in Middletown, right next door.

Dog friendly activities in Newport, RI

Cliff Walk

This beautiful and scenic 3.5 mile walk with stunning ocean views on one side and famous mansions on the other, is not to be missed when you visit Newport, RI. It also happens, that dogs are welcome making it one of the most popular dog friendly activities in Newport, RI. Expect it to be crowded, with both people and dogs, especially if you visit on a nice day during the weekend. Dogs need to be leashed and obviously picked after.

The Cliff Walk is a National Recreation Trail, and it was the first one to be declared as such in the United States. It stretches from First Beach at Memorial Blvd to Bellevue Ave. It starts on a nicely paved path, but becomes more rocky further down. There are several entrances/exits along the way, which makes it easy to join or leave, if you are not up for doing the entire 3.5 miles. There is no shortage of benches to stop and rest, or just take in the view.

A good place to start the walk is the entrance at Narragansett Avenue, where the Forty Steps are located. It’s a stone staircase, that extends down to the ocean and it’s a great landmark. Some of the most beautiful scenery can be seen between 40 steps and Ruggles Ave.

Many of the famous homes of Newport can be seen along the walk, the Breakers being one of them. Built in 1893 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II with “only” 70 rooms, it’s definitely one of the most lavish ones. Even though dogs are not allowed on the actual property of the Breakers ( neither the house, nor the grounds ), you can get a good look at it as you pass it on the Cliff Walk.

**Forty Steps – a good starting point of the Cliff Walk**

Newport Harbor Walk

The 2.5 mile Harbor Walk, passing by many historic wharves, is one of the best things to do in Newport, RI and one, where your dog can tag along. The walk is divided into two parts: Harbor Walk South, also known as the Main Harbor and Harbor Walk North. The Main Harbor is where all the waterfront activity is, from boating, shopping to nightlife. It’s a nice 2 mile walk, that starts at Stone Pier and ends at King Park. Just keep in mind, that if you decide to walk the entire length of it, it will be 4 miles round trip.

Ocean Drive

This 10 mile drive is often described as one of the most scenic drives in the country. The road takes you along the southern coastline of Aquidneck Island with some amazing views, of both the ocean and homes of the wealthy. There are quite a few opportunities to pull over and take in the views. The day we visited was less than perfect weather wise, but the stormy conditions actually made everything more dramatic and beautiful in a way.

Castle Hill Lighthouse

Not the easiest to find, but definitely worth the extra effort. The Lighthouse is located not far from the famous Castle Hill Inn. We were directed to park at the parking lot down the street from it, by the marina. Then walked across the street and followed a trail for about 5 minutes before reaching the lighthouse. The path is not very well marked, so you just kind of follow the sound of waves crashing.

The lighthouse itself is not open to public, so the biggest attraction are the views of the lighthouse and the Narragansett Bay.

Dog friendly beaches

Newport has many beautiful beaches, but like much of Rhode Island’s coastline, they are not particularly dog friendly. There are however a couple, that are welcoming to dogs, with some restrictions.

Easton’s Beach ( First Beach ) – it’s a 3/4 mile long beach, located at the beginning of the Cliff Walk. Dogs are not allowed during the high season, but are welcome from after Labor Day weekend through Memorial Day weekend. They must be on leash at all times, and of course picked after.
Sachuest Beach ( Second Beach ) – in the high season, from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, you can bring your dog to the beach between 5 am – 7:45 am only. The rest of the year, they are welcome anytime ( on leash ).

Newport Vineyards

As we were heading out of Newport, a sight of grape vines caught our eye, and we decided to pull over to check it out. That’s how we ended up at this beautiful winery. After finding out dogs are welcome on the grounds, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore it. There is a nice, spacious patio overlooking the vineyard and plenty of seating to enjoy a glass of wine in a nice setting. We cheered to great weekend, and agreed, that Newport is in fact a very dog friendly destination.

909 East Main Rd ( Rt 138 ), Middletown, Rhode Island

Newport, RI – dog friendly restaurants

If you visit when the weather is nice and restaurants have outdoor seating, there is a good chance you will be able to sit there with your dog. Obviously, it’s all up to the restaurant’s discretion, but we had no problem finding a few. And of course, your dog needs to be leashed and well behaved. A couple of restaurants we tried and liked were O’Briens Pub and Diego’s. I found both to be very welcoming to dogs in their outdoor seating area.

O’Briens Pub : 501 Thames Street, Newport

Diego’s : 11 Bowens Wharf, Newport