Fishermens Memorial State Park Campground

Fisherman’s Memorial State Park is a large 182 site campground in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

I booked this campsite by happenstance- ordinarily I’m very particular about where we park because we really like our privacy (our dog doesn’t like other dogs which can make camping difficult).

We wanted to visit Newport on our trip and Fisherman’s Memorial State Park was the closest (affordable) park to the island, so we opted to stay there- I lucked into grabbing somebody else’s cancellation. I had absolutely no idea what our site would look like and wasn’t expecting much.

We were very pleasantly surprised to find that we had ended up with one of the best sites in the park! Site 175- it is too small for a big rig, but fit our 20ft converted Sprinter van perfectly. We had tall, thick bushes on both sides of the van and could only see our neighbor across the way- and even then, when we covered our windows, it seemed like we were completely alone!

This park, and site, is close to the main road so there was a significant amount of road noise, but we thought given the price and the proximity to visiting Newport and Block Island, this one deserved four stars.

The bathrooms and showers were also clean, though we really didn’t use them as our site was quite far from them.

Definitely would visit this one again.

Worth mentioning: the park is staffed late, sometimes 24 hours a day, and they want you to check in when you get there, even if it’s after midnight. We didn’t know this and didn’t check in until the next morning, which the park employees were not happy about- they cited liability reasons.

Love this campground, very clean grassy sites. Brand new bathrooms and GREAT location to the beach (3 min ride or short bike trip), block island ferry, restarants and shopping. Yes you can hear traffic, this is not a remote camp, if you want remote go somewhere else like Burlingame. Downfalls: tough to get reservations, you MUST book really early. We stayed in Area 2 site 33. The septic connections are a bit higher than the paved parking spot for your RV which makes it very difficult to dump on your site. We had the keep raising the hose the get it to empty which took a long time. Had I realized how tough it would be I would have just dumped at the dump station on exit. Many of the sites in area 2 are like this, so you need a really high RV to dump normally. Also the last row in area 2 is very slanted (sites 54 thru 64). Most sites have shade in this area and shrubs to give privacy between sites. Not alot of activities but they have tennis a d basketball courts, horseshoe pits, volly all net and playground area. The rangers are very nice, we locked our keys in the camper and they brought a ladder for us to crawl through our slideout window. Staff was very friendly. We will definitely be back

This state campground is great for those that like to stay at the beach all day. With only a 5-6 minute drive to beautiful beaches this campground is worth the stay. The grounds have 4 loops, we stayed on loop 4 which was by the main entrance, had water an electricity, plus the majority of sites were private with shrubs and trees in between. There is one loop dedicated to primitive camping and the too others have electric, water and sewage. WiFi worked great too! Bathrooms were cleaned daily right around 7am and the grounds were very well maintained. There is also the Sunday farmers market hosted in the front lot of the park, a plus for buying fresh food to cook while camping. If you like an event planner to fill your days with activities or a pool this is not the place for you. This is a more traditional campground where talking by the campfire or running around the playground is preferred. Lastly, if you are a light sleeper the local road & wind turbine noise maybe bothersome, it didn’t bother me.

I read the reviews and was excited to be in a state park near the water for such a reasonable price. Imagine my surprise when we found out that a water/electric site for an out of state camper was $45 per night! This was our first visit to a Rhode Island State Park so not sure if they are all like this but this one definitely caters to Rhode Island residents who camp in large RVs! The sites with the best views are the full hookups (water/electric/sewer) and the rates for out of state campers are significantly more than for residents. I’m used to paying $5 or even $10 more for being from out of state but here the fee is double or more for out-of-state campers. Geez– way to make us feel welcome! 

There are four areas, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Area One has the best views and full hookups but there is no bathhouse; Area Two also has full hookups, no view and some of the sites (55-65) are decidedly not level; Area Three is for tents only with no hookups but is close to the bathhouse; Area Four has water and electric hookups, the pads are not paved (as in the others) but most of the sites have more separation than in the other sections. See the photo below to understand the different areas. 

No matter where you camp, there are noise issues. Road noise continued throughout the night and there is a wind turbine on the property. I’ve never been this close to one and yes, there is noise, although the road noise bothered me more. Alcohol is prohibited throughout the campground. There are pay showers available. There are the remains of two bunkers but other than walking by them, you cannot go inside. One (in Area One) is a grassy knoll with stairs to a lookout. 

On the plus side: The bathrooms were clean, there is excellent cell service, Judith Point lighthouse is nearby, it is close to the ferry to Block Island, and there are numerous recreation options available (playground, tennis courts, volleyball net, and basketball courts). Also, the grouchy staffer I read about in reviews was not there the night we arrived and, in fact, the two staffers were very friendly and even recommended a good restaurant in the nearby town.

I would really like to break the review down into separate categories. The good news first. The location is amazing. You are close to the ocean beaches, ferry to Block Island, excellent dining, Narragansett activities, fishing boat harbors and some nice sites. There are a few sites that are booked 365 days ahead in the summer. Those are the sites on the pond. Those sites feel more private and are never available for more than a night or 2 because of the early booking option. I'm sure you could diligently search throughout the year for a cancellation. The majority of sites are fairly level pull through sites with hookups, not a lot of privacy and too close for my comfort but we survived and did have nice neighbors. We went on weekdays when you see a lot of seniors like ourselves. When we return, I will take a site Area 4 which is closer to the main road but also has more trees and privacy. The not so good… they strictly adhere to a no early arrival policy. I know the staff needs to clean the sites after departures. We sat in the parking line with several other folks for a few hours. Policy is policy but there is one woman who works there who is downright rude. Other campers complained about her and even some of the staff said "I know who you mean." They said even they were afraid of her. Management may be smiling to read this but she was really too sour of a person to work the desk. Other rangers deliver the same information nicely. I am attaching a photo from beautiful Scarborough Beach, just a mile from the campground. You can park in a grassy are and walk just behind the photo to the beach. Picnic tables are behind the trailer as well and this was our departure day when we parked for the day, before the drive home.