Hours & Fees

The Burlingame Picnic Area is open from sunrise to sunset, and its beach on Watchaug Pond is free. The campground runs on its own clock: check-in from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., check-out by 11 a.m., and quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. A campsite costs $18 a night for Rhode Island residents and $36 for non-residents. DEM has not announced 2027 campground dates.

Day-Use Hours

Rhode Island's state park regulation says no person or vehicle may be inside a state park or beach area between sunset and sunrise, unless they have official written permission or an area is designated otherwise. For the Burlingame Picnic Area, that means sunrise to sunset. Check the sunset time for the day of your visit and be back at your car before dark.

At the picnic area:

• Lifeguards are on duty seasonally from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., as staffing allows.
• Restrooms are open from May 1 to October 31.
• The pavilion needs a reservation and fee from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

Campground Hours

The campground is a permitted overnight area, so its hours are about arrivals, departures and noise:

• Check-in: 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. No check-ins before 1 p.m., including pre-checked campers. For arrival after 10 p.m., call the park first.
• Check-out: 11 a.m. sharp. Anything left after 11 a.m. may be treated as abandoned.
• Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. only.
• Visitors: out by 10 p.m.
• Same-day bookings: online until 12 p.m.; after that, at the campground only.

Campground Season

DEM does not publish a fixed season for Burlingame. In 2026 the restroom construction pushed the start back: DEM opened reservations on June 10, 2026, and the first bookable night was Friday, June 12. DEM's peak-season rules apply from the Thursday before Memorial Day to the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. For 2027, reservations are on hold while DEM picks a new booking provider, and construction should be finished by April 2027. Watch reservations for updates.

Construction hours: through the end of the project, work runs on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no work on weekends or holidays.

Fees

Day use

• Picnic area entry and beach: free (DEM charges no fee at beaches inside state parks)
• Pavilion (six tables), in season: reservation and fee required; the state fee table lists a six-table shelter at $75 a day
• Picnic table, where a permit applies: $5 a day (state fee table)

Camping, per night

• No-hookup site: $18 resident, $36 non-resident
• Primitive cabin: $50 resident, $75 non-resident
• Reservation fee, online or by phone: $8.75, non-refundable

Vehicles and services

• Visitor pass: $8 per vehicle per day
• Second car pass: $12 per reservation
• Septic dump station, non-campers: $20 per vehicle
• Showers: coin-operated, as metered

Fees at Nearby Beaches

The ocean beaches south of Route 1 charge for parking in summer:

• State beaches (Charlestown Breachway, East Beach): residents $6 weekdays and $7 weekends and holidays; non-residents $12 and $14; season passes $30 resident, $60 non-resident. In 2026 the amenities opened May 23 and the off-season began after Labor Day.
• Town beaches (Blue Shutters, Charlestown Town Beach): $30 weekdays and $45 weekends and holidays per car in 2026, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends.

Details: Charlestown beaches.

Who to Call

• Campground stay questions: (401) 409-1138
• District office (general inquiries, picnic area, Breachway, East Beach): (401) 322-8910
• Reserve America: 1-877-742-2675
• RI State Parks headquarters: 401-667-6200

See plan your visit for what to bring and rules and regulations for what is not allowed.