My suggestion, from several trips to Narragansett and Newport:
Leaving New London Ferry Terminal / Crossing the Gold Star Bridge
Exit the terminal parking lot, cross RR tracks and go straight onto Gov.
Winthrop Blvd. Make right onto Crystal Avenue and proceed to State Pier Rd.
Make left. You'll come to an unmarked right that goes under the parkway
(Olde Towne Mill on corner) Make the right and follow this street (Cole?)
to Williams Street. Make a right on Williams to Bailey Circle (Mr. G's
Pizza). Make left and you'll see the entrance to the pedestrian and bike
crossing.
At the far end of the bridge, you'll approach a T-intersection in the bike
path. There are two options here, only one of which I've done myself. That
is to take a left and follow the directions below. Somebody else sent me an
alternate a while back, and I've included that immediately after:
MY ROUTE: At the end of the bridge (STOP sign) you'll see a package store
across the street. Make a very sharp left onto Rt. 1 heading north. You'll
pass through some busy traffic areas in Groton if you go this way. I don't
mind traffic, so I use this route any time I make the trip.
ALTERNATE ROUTE, verbatim from another rider:
At the T intersection after the Gold Star, take a right. (Be careful, rain
runoff always leaves sediment across the path). At the end of the path,
take a right and climb up Riverview Ave, bear left ontoWalker Hill Road, and
take Walker Hill down to Rte 12 (Rte 12 is the same roadway as Rte 1, but
Rte 1 goes over the Gold Star). Landmark: The Fun 'n Food Clam Bar at Rte
12 and Walker Hill.
Cross Rte 12, and the road name changes to Toll Gate Road. Take Toll Gate to
it's end (approx 2 miles), the intersection of Rte 184 (also known as the
Gold Star Highway). Take a left on Rte 184, and the first right (approx 300
yards, Landmark: New England Power Products, a motorcycle/John Deere dealer)
onto Buddington Road. Take Buddington road past the resevoir approx 3 miles
to its end, the intersection of Rte 1. Take a left, and you're on Rte 1
north, past
the worst of the congestion.
CONTINUING ON TO STONINGTON:
Be sure to stop in Mystic, CT, one of the coolest little towns in the
northeast. There's a bike shop just on the outside of town, heading toward
Stonington. Also, check out the draw bridge in Mystic. It opens about
every hour or so for tourists.
There are some pretty good hills just outside of Mystic on Rt. 1 before
Stonington. You'll know to turn off Rt. 1 when you see a cemetery on the
right.
If you're feeling really ambitious, I'd continue all the way to
Narragansett, RI. below is a scenic route:
Continue on Rt. 1 to Westerly, Rhode Island. At the center of town in
Westerly, bear right and follow the signs to Rt.1A Scenic and head south.
At ~ ½ mile, you'll come to the fork of Union and Main. Bear right onto
Main. At 2.5 miles, make a left onto Winnapaug Rd (aka Airport Road.) At
1/10 of a mile, bear right to stay on Winnapaug. Continue 1.5 miles to the
waterfront (Atlantic Avenue). Make left and pass Misquamicut Beach area. At
Wawalcom (snack bar diagonally on the right) go straight ahead into
residential area on Weekapaug (uphill!). At the end of the public road,
which comes up shortly, make a left onto Noyes Neck Rd. Go about a mile,
pass a farm on your left, to STOP sign, which is Rt. 1A (no sign), and make
a right.
Follow Rt. 1A ~ 1 mile to the junction with Rt. 1. Continue northeast ~2.5
miles to the Texaco Station and convenience store. Fill up your water
bottles here, as there are no services for a while. Go about 7-8 miles,
pass Ninigret Park, look for sign that says "Rt. 1A Old Post Rd. NORTH" (it
's the 2nd one - don't get on Rt. 1 SOUTH!!!) Take it about a mile and
reconnect with Rt. 1 around Charlestown. ~ 8 miles to Wakefield and look
for sign that says "Narragansett/Point Judith." Get off here and make a
right onto South Pier Rd. Cross Rt. 108 and continue all the way to the
water. At the stone well, turn left and you're in Naragansett.
Have a great trip!
