Near Rough Point the Cliff Walk turns rocky and uneven, with ledges, narrow cuts, and splash zones that keep many visitors from pressing on. Take your time and wear sneakers, because the payoff is wide Atlantic views and a long sweep of coast with fewer people around. Rough Point sits beside the path, a Gilded Age mansion by Peabody and Stearns for Frederick William Vanderbilt, later the summer home of Doris Duke and today a museum run by the Newport Restoration Foundation. This stretch feels ra

Near Rough Point the Cliff Walk turns rocky and uneven, with ledges, narrow cuts, and splash zones that keep many visitors from pressing on. Take your time and wear sneakers, because the payoff is wide Atlantic views and a long sweep of coast with fewer people around. Rough Point sits beside the path, a Gilded Age mansion by Peabody and Stearns for Frederick William Vanderbilt, later the summer home of Doris Duke and today a museum run by the Newport Restoration Foundation. This stretch feels ra

The farther you follow the Cliff Walk to the south, especially beyond Marble House, the crowds thin and the route turns rough. Paved sections give way to packed dirt, then to ledges and broken stone where you pick your line between tide spray and dry rock. The pace slows naturally and the soundtrack becomes waves on the cliffs with long views toward open water. Fewer people commit to these stretches, which is why the coast feels wide and quiet here. Wear sneakers with good grip, watch recent sur

The Cliff Walk opens to one of its most iconic scenes at Forty Steps. From the path you look down on a long staircase of stone and cement that drops to a rocky perch where the ocean takes over the soundtrack. Swells roll in, spray lifts across the ledges, and mansions sit back from the cliffs like a backdrop. It is a simple structure with a grand view, a place that makes you stop and watch the water work the shoreline. Is this your favorite sight on the walk, or do you have another go to view? |

Here is another Cliff Walk moment at Forty Steps. From the path the staircase drops to a rocky perch as Easton Bay spreads out in front of you. Waves fold over the ledges and spray drifts in the air. Mansions sit back from the cliffs and the coastline runs long. It is a view that makes you slow down and listen to the water. Is this where you would stop for a few minutes? At the bottom of Forty Steps the ocean takes center stage. Swells push in close, water thunders on the rocks, and cool mist fl