East Bay Bike Path Guide

The East Bay Bike Path is a true Rhode Island treasure. There are several bike paths throughout the state, part of an emerging East Coast Greenway (for more on that, see page 5), but this 14.5-mile path from Bristol to India Point Park in Providence is the first and generally considered the finest. Popular with locals and tourists, bikers and runners, old and young, the path is not simply a place to ride a bike or exercise – it’s a true community resource. Visitors bike it to avoid street traffic during Bristol’s Fourth of July celebration. Runners use it as a training ground for marathons. Photographers find ample inspiration along its coastline. Commuters to Providence use it as a fun and healthy alternative to driving 195 everyday. Even cross-country skiers use it in the winter.

As an East Bay resident, you likely have some experience with the bike path. Perhaps you take your children there on weekends for a leisurely bike ride. Maybe you rode out to have a romantic picnic with a special someone on a beautiful summer day. The serious cyclists among you probably run out and cover its entire stretch just on a whim. What we want to do is not so much remind you of its existence – you probably pass it every day in some form or another – but encourage you to enjoy its benefits, celebrate it and perhaps experience it in a new way.

By linking five towns and, in the process, eight parks, the East Bay Bike Path provides endless possibilities for both active enthusiasts and casual users alike. And in the future, it’s going to provide even more. The ongoing East Coast Greenway project will one day enable East Bay residents to ride out to South Coast Massachusetts and beyond to Cape Cod. The existing link to Providence over the Washington Bridge is being revamped and improved. There is no better time than now to get out there and ride, and (re)discover the East Bay Bike Path.