Plan Your Visit

To plan a visit to Colt State Park, you need very little: entry and parking are free, the park is open sunrise to sunset every day, and DEM's map shows restrooms in each of its three picnic areas. Bring your own food and drink (there is nothing sold in the park), a leash of six feet or less for the dog, and a $5-per-table permit if you want a reserved picnic table between April and October.

Getting There

The park is on Hope Street (Route 114) in Bristol; the entrance is a traffic circle in the north-east corner, near Asylum Road and the East Bay Bike Path. The parking guide shows where each lot is, and the park map matches lots to picnic site numbers. If you are coming by bike, the East Bay Bike Path crosses the park by the entrance.

Restrooms

DEM lists restroom facilities among Colt's amenities, and its park map places a restroom building in each picnic area: Area 1 on the west shore, Area 2 in the middle of the park, and Area 3 by the entrance. DEM does not publish which restrooms stay open in winter, so on a cold-weather visit plan for the possibility that some are closed.

Accessibility

DEM's map marks two places with the universal-access symbol: the fishing pier at the north-west corner and the boat ramp on the north shore, each with parking beside it. DEM lists the park's four miles of paved paths as stroller-friendly. Rhode Island's state park rules waive parking and admission fees at state facilities for people with disabilities, though Colt charges neither. For anything specific, call the park office at (401) 253-7482.

What to Bring

• Food and water. DEM lists no food concession at Colt.
• A picnic permit, if you reserved a table, shelter or field for April–October.
• A leash six feet or shorter for any dog.
• A kite. DEM points to the park's open fields for kite flying.
• Layers. The park's whole western border is on Narragansett Bay.
• A Rhode Island saltwater fishing license (or a reciprocal state's) if you plan to fish and are 16 or older. See fishing.
• Your own trash bags if an area is posted carry in, carry out.

What to Leave at Home

Alcohol (not allowed in state parks), drones (written permission only) and anything you would want to swim with: DEM does not list a designated swimming area at Colt. The full list is on the rules page.

Things to Do, by Season

• Spring: walk the paths and lawns; reservations for picnic tables begin the second Saturday in April. Blithewold's Daffodil Days run from late March through early May nearby.
• Summer: picnics, fishing from the pier, kayaking, and biking the East Bay Bike Path. Bristol's Fourth of July parade closes Poppasquash Road from 8 a.m. on July 4.
• Fall: reservations end October 31, and tables become first come, first served and free.
• Winter: DEM says winter snow brings a rare chance to cross-country ski and snowshoe by the sea. The bike path is not plowed.

Picnics, Weddings and Groups

Reserve tables and shelters by calling the park office (picnic areas); ceremonies use the open-air Chapel by the Sea. Organized group events may need a Special Use Permit.

Construction, 2026–2027

DEM is building a new visitor center and operations facility at Colt from spring 2026 to late 2027. DEM says the park and the bike path stay open, with traffic and safety measures in place around the work. Questions about the project go to DEM.projects@dem.ri.gov.

Combine Colt With

• Coggeshall Farm Museum, inside the old Colt estate (own entrance on Poppasquash Road; no dogs)
• Bristol Town Beach, next door on Asylum Road (town-run, paid parking in summer)
• Blithewold, the mansion and gardens on Ferry Road
• Herreshoff Marine Museum and Linden Place in town
• More in things to do in Bristol