National Park Service A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States

SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT of the State's people live in Providence or its immediate environs. Rhode Island, the smallest State in the Union, is also the most densely populated (628 persons per square mile, 1936 State census). Approximately 92 percent of the population is urban and characterized by heavy industrial activity. Providence is the chief center of population, trade, transportation, and industry in the State. Trends show a slight decrease in total population since 1930.

The State's principal recreational resources are its 452 miles of coastal shore line, including fine stretches of sandy ocean beaches and its 413 square miles of tidal-water area. Its climate, scenic beauty, and fine coastal shore line attract thousands of summer residents and transient visitors to over 50 summer resorts (most important are Newport, Narragansett, and Watch Hill).

Its large low-income foreign population residing in congested urban sections is unable to travel much beyond its immediate neighborhood for recreation.

Of its 26,290 acres of public recreational lands, only one-third is within 25 miles of Providence. Hence, the greatest need is for additional park acreage near this city. There is also a need for additional public holdings on its ocean front and tidal waters. Additional facilities for bathing, picnicking, and camping are badly needed.

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