RI State Beach Season Opens Memorial Day Weekend

NARRAGANSETT, RI — Memorial Day weekend kicks off Rhode Island beach season with all state beaches, except Roger Wheeler, open daily with lifeguards, beach staff, concessions, and restrooms starting Saturday until Labor Day.

Roger Wheeler will open June 14 due to an upgrade project. To provide more options during the delayed opening, Scarborough Beach South will open for Memorial Day Weekend — earlier than its usual Father’s Day opening. Amenities will be available, though concessions will be limited on weekends for the next several weeks. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is encouraging beachgoers to buy their 2025 state beach season parking passes before heading to the beach.

"The first lady and I love beach season, and Rhode Island has the best beaches anywhere," Gov. Dan McKee said. "We look forward to welcoming all Rhode Islanders and visitors to our beautiful beaches to have a fun, happy, and safe summer!"

"Memorial Day weekend is the on-switch for summer, and we invite beachgoers to get out and enjoy our spectacular state beaches," DEM Director Terry Gray added. "There’s nothing like summer in the Ocean State, and any day at the beach is a good day!"

Reduce wait times by purchasing your parking pass online. DEM’s parking vendor, LAZ Parking, uses license plate recognition (LPR) for fast entry, so no physical pass is needed. Season pass holders can use express lanes for speedier access.

Online season parking pass sales can take up to 24 hours to validate but returning online customers with unchanged registration and contact information can now bypass the verification process. In-person purchases of season passes are now available at a new LAZ office at Fishermen’s Memorial State Park & Campground at 1011 Point Judith Road in Narragansett).

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