Napatree Point Conservation Area - Watch Hill, Westerly, Rhode Island
Posted by: 
401Photos
N 41° 18.658 W 071° 51.745
19T E 260388 N 4577231
With more than 300 species sighted at this barrier spit, 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: WM17X75
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 04/15/2023
Views: 1
With more than
300 species sighted at this 86-acre barrier spit,
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 spit 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.
See also: "Birds of Napatree Point Conservation Area: A Checklist and Photo Guide" by Reynold Larsen (Last Revised: 12 July 2020)
The nearest public parking lot is about a quarter mile away at the eastern end of the spit by retail shops and the Watch Hill Yacht Club. There are also spots along both sides of Bay Street.