Expect to see plenty of stone walls on your Block Island bike travels. (Bike shown REI Co-Op ADV 2.0,; click on image for more information.) Photo Austin Pacheco
Block Island is an ideal biking destination, with beautiful vistas and intriguing sights at every turn. Plus, you don’t have to be an experienced cyclist to tackle the island terrain.
You can rent bikes on-island at several locations, or bring your own on the ferry. Either way, you’ll want to check out the Self-Guided Bike Tour, which consists of 12 stops, or stations, each positioned at an island highlight and marked with a circular signpost with a QR code in the center. Shoot the QR code on your phone to access minute-long videos at each station that tell you about what you’re seeing or the history of where you’re standing.
Visitors can easily bring their own bikes to the Block, either on their vehicles or by walking them onto the ferry.
Stations Include:
The full route is about 16 miles, and includes a long, flat section along Corn Neck Road to the North Lighthouse at the island’s northern tip. Families and novice cyclists may want to opt for the shorter 7.5-mile loop that leads south along Spring Street to Southeast Light and then circles back to town via Mohegan Trail and Lakeside Drive. This route features a few hills, but nothing extreme. The tour ends at Water Street in New Shoreham, where you can reward yourself with something to eat or drink.
If you don’t want to bring your cell phone, wallet-size maps of the route with short descriptions of each station are available free at the Welcome Center (off Water Street, across from the ferry docks) and at most of the rental companies in town.
Looking for more great ways to explore Block Island? Check out the following short films and features!
