Localizado a oeste da Bellevue Avenue, Ballard Park é a única reserva natural de Newport. Em sincronia com seus prósperos arredores residenciais, o parque de 13 acres é um oásis elegante, rodeado por uma densa floresta com muitos pontos verdes para sol e sombra. É também o local de muitos eventos (por exemplo, ioga no parque), piqueniques e outros encontros festivos.
Dentro do parque, os visitantes descobrirão um refúgio natural diversificado, com trilhas para caminhada, duas pedreiras do século 19 e uma variedade de flora e fauna - pássaros, tartarugas e veados brincam em seus gramados e árvores. O parque também abriga riachos, um lago primaveril, saliências rochosas e ravinas arborizadas. Partes do parque oferecem até vistas do Oceano Atlântico.
Carol Ballard donated Ballard Park to the city in 1990. It has since become a beloved green space where both locals and visitors enjoy bird-watching, hiking, dog walking, and outdoor recreation. Pack a lunch and a blanket and spread out in the meadow for a picnic, or keep an eye out for birds, turtles, and deer while walking the nature trails. The park also hosts numerous events throughout the year, including movies and concerts in the summer months and an illuminated garden in the winter.
Ballard Park is located at the intersection of Hazard and Wickham roads and Ruggles Avenue. To get here, head west on Ruggles Avenue from either Bellevue Avenue or Carroll Avenue. Most people arrive by car or on foot, but public buses stop within a mile of the park for those who prefer public transportation. Parking is available in the Rogers High School lot.
The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It tends to be at its busiest on summer weekends. Plan to visit when the sun is shining to make the most of the park’s outdoor attractions.
Newport is the kind of city best experienced outdoors, and there are numerous worthy places to do so. No trip to the region would be complete without taking a stroll along the spectacular coastal Cliff Walk, and the views continue at Brenton Point State Park, which overlooks the spot where Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic. For a picnic by the water, try the small and scenic Battery Park, or enjoy a day at lively Easton’s Beach or kid-friendly Gooseberry Beach.
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