Lincoln Woods Beach

The beach at Lincoln Woods State Park is Frank Moody State Beach, a freshwater swimming beach on Olney Pond in Lincoln, Rhode Island. RI DEM dedicated the swimming area under that name in 1977. It is free: Lincoln Woods charges no entry or parking fee and is not one of the state's paid ocean beaches. Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in season, as staffing allows, and the beach has a bathhouse, food stand, first aid station and restrooms.

Where the Beach Is

DEM's map puts the beach at the south-west end of Olney Pond, between the water and Route 146. Two parking lots sit beside it. The nearest gate is the Twin River Road entrance off Route 146; from the main entrance on Route 123, follow the Les Pawson Loop round the pond. A RIPTA stop on Louisquisset Pike connects to the beach area by a footpath under the highway. See parking and directions.

Lifeguards and the Swimming Season

Rhode Island sets the state bathing season from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend until 6 p.m. on Labor Day. DEM says lifeguards are on duty at Lincoln Woods from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seasonally and as staffing allows. State rules require every bathing area to post its lifeguard hours, and when no lifeguard is on duty, signs must read "No Lifeguard on Duty – Swim at your own Risk", warn that anyone under 18 should be with an adult, and say no one should swim alone. Check the posted board when you arrive.

Facilities

The map groups the beach facilities together at the south end: a bathhouse, a food stand, a first aid station and restrooms, with Field E and picnic site 76A beside them. DEM's history describes changing rooms for swimmers and a snack bar. DEM lists restrooms as open from May 1 to October 31.

Is It Free?

Yes. Rhode Island charges daily and season parking fees at its eight state ocean beaches, Charlestown Breachway, East Beach, East Matunuck, Misquamicut, Roger Wheeler, Salty Brine and Scarborough North and South. Lincoln Woods is not among them, and its own map says "None for Entry". You pay only if you reserve a picnic table or shelter.

Beach Rules

• No animals on the beach from April 1 to September 30, except service animals. Leashed dogs are fine elsewhere in the park.
• Swim only in the designated area and only at posted times.
• Leave the water in a thunderstorm. State rules prohibit swimming during electrical storms.
• No alcohol. State park rules do not allow it.
• No motorboats in the swimming area. State rules keep power boats out of bathing areas.
• Carry out your trash.

Swimming Safety

Olney Pond is a freshwater reservoir with boulders along its shore, and the Blackstone Heritage Corridor warns of submerged rocks near the shoreline that show more or less as the water rises and falls. Swim where the lifeguards can see you, keep children within reach, and check DEM's news page before you go: like other Rhode Island waters, a beach can be closed for water quality or safety reasons, and state rules let DEM close any bathing area in an emergency.

Picnics Near the Beach

Picnic site 76A sits by the beach, and the groves along the west shore are a short walk away. From the second Saturday in April to October 31 you need a permit to use a picnic table ($5 a day). See picnic areas.

Who Was Frank Moody?

DEM's history records only that the swimming area was dedicated as the Frank Moody State Beach in 1977; it does not say who he was, so neither does this page.