Colt State Park FAQ

Yes. RI DEM's park map says "No Fee for Entry," and parking is free. You pay only to reserve a picnic table ($5 a day), a shelter ($75–$150), a field ($20) or the Chapel by the Sea ($50–$100) between the second Saturday in April and October 31.

Sunrise to sunset, every day of the year. Rhode Island's state park rules do not allow people or vehicles in a state park between sunset and sunrise without written permission.

On Hope Street (Route 114) in Bristol, Rhode Island, on Poppasquash Neck between Narragansett Bay and Bristol Harbor. The entrance is a traffic circle in the north-east corner of the park, near Asylum Road.

Yes. DEM lists the park as pet-friendly. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet and under control at all times, and owners must clean up. Bristol Town Beach and Coggeshall Farm next door do not allow dogs.

DEM does not list swimming, a designated swimming area or lifeguards at Colt, and state rules allow swimming only in designated areas. Bristol Town Beach, next door on Asylum Road, is the nearest beach; the Town of Bristol charges for parking there in summer.

No. Colt is a day-use park that closes at sunset, and DEM lists no campsites there. Rhode Island's state campgrounds are elsewhere in the state.

Yes, from the accessible fishing pier at the park's north-west corner or the shore. Anglers 16 and older need a Rhode Island saltwater license ($7 resident, $10 non-resident) or a license from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York or Maine.

Yes. DEM lists a state-owned concrete ramp off Hope Street (Route 114) with 4 feet of water at mean low tide, on the park's north shore, plus a canoe and kayak launch.

Call the Colt State Park office at (401) 253-7482 or go in person. Pay within 10 business days by cash, check or money order to get your permit. Fees are non-refundable, and reservations are needed from the second Saturday in April to October 31.

Yes. The open-air Chapel by the Sea costs $50 for 3 hours or $100 for 6 hours; book it through the park office. Alcohol is not allowed.

Yes. DEM lists bicycling and rollerblading at Colt, and the park's four miles of paved paths connect to the East Bay Bike Path, which runs about 14 miles to Providence.

DEM gives 13.8 miles and RIDOT gives 14.5 miles, from India Point Park in Providence to Independence Park in Bristol.

No. Rhode Island's state park rules prohibit alcoholic beverages, except at certain licensed fundraising events.

Only with official written permission from RI DEM.

Yes. DEM's map shows a restroom building in each of the three picnic areas.

Yes. It is open year round, and DEM says winter snow is good for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The paved paths and bike path are not plowed.

464 acres, according to RI DEM, with four miles of paved paths and a shoreline along the whole western edge of the park.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's Division of Parks & Recreation. The park office is at (401) 253-7482.

It sits on land that was part of the Colt estate, but Coggeshall Farm Museum is run separately, by Old Sturbridge Village, with its own hours, admission and entrance from Poppasquash Road.

Yes. DEM says the park and the East Bay Bike Path stay open while the new visitor center and operations building is built, from spring 2026 to late 2027.