Blue Shutters Beach

Blue Shutters Beach, officially the Sam Ferretti Blue Shutters Beach, is a Town of Charlestown beach at 469 East Beach Road. It is the one town beach that accepts non-resident passes. In 2026 the daily fee was $30 per car on weekdays and $45 on weekends and holidays, or $150 for a non-resident season sticker. The beach ran from May 23 to Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Who Can Use It

Charlestown runs two town beaches, and they have different rules:

• Blue Shutters Beach accepts resident and non-resident passes, and sells non-resident passes on site.
• Charlestown Town Beach, on Charlestown Beach Road, does not accept non-resident passes.

So if you are staying at Burlingame or visiting from out of town and want a season sticker, Blue Shutters is the only town beach where a non-resident sticker works. The state beaches nearby, East Beach and Charlestown Breachway, are open to everyone for a state parking fee.

2026 Fees

Daily entrance, per car (residents and non-residents):

• Weekdays: $30 (seniors 65 and older: $25)
• Weekends and holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Victory Day, Labor Day): $45 (seniors: $40)

Season stickers:

• Non-resident: $150 (accepted at Blue Shutters only)
• Non-resident senior, 65 or older at purchase: $75
• Resident: $75; resident senior: $35
• Cottage pass: $475

No refunds. At $45 a weekend day, four weekend visits ($180) already cost more than the $150 non-resident sticker.

Walking or biking in: the town ordinance says no fee, beach pass or cottage pass is needed for walk-ons who arrive without a motor vehicle.

Where to Buy a Sticker

Season stickers go on sale in spring; in 2026, sales started April 28. Buy them at the Town Clerk's office in Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with your current vehicle registration and the fee. Non-resident passes can also be bought at Blue Shutters. Mail-in requests need copies of your licence and registration, payment and a stamped return envelope; call the Clerk at (401) 364-1200 for details. The sticker is permanently attached to one car and is not transferable.

Hours

• Season: in 2026, from Saturday, May 23, through Labor Day.
• Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Weekends and holidays: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The beach closes at 5 p.m. Cars still in the lot after 9 p.m. may be ticketed or towed.

Beach Rules

From the Town of Charlestown's beach ordinance:

• No animals on town beaches from Memorial Day to Labor Day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.; at other times they must be leashed or restrained, and owners clean up.
• No alcohol and no glass containers.
• No fires without permission from the Parks and Recreation director and the fire district.
• No smoking on the beach, except in designated areas by the parking lot.
• No fishing between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• No skim boards, surfboards, kite surfing, flotation devices or boats in the swim area. Boogie boards and sand pits are allowed only at the lifeguards' discretion.
• No RVs, campers or trailers in the lot. If you are camping at Burlingame, leave the camper at your site.
• No nude sunbathing, no loitering, and no selling goods without town permission.

Getting There From Burlingame

Blue Shutters is on East Beach Road, south of Route 1, a short drive from Burlingame. East Beach Road also leads to DEM's East Beach, so if one lot is full the other is close by.

Compare Charlestown's Beaches

Blue Shutters is the pick for non-residents who want a town beach with set hours. For a state beach at a lower daily rate, try the Breachway or East Beach. For calm fresh water with no fee, the Burlingame Picnic Area beach on Watchaug Pond is free. Side-by-side details: Charlestown RI beaches.