Block Island What Is Known For

Bluefin and yellowfin tuna are the featured attractions offshore during the last half of the summer, but for surf-fishermen looking for bluefish and striped bass, the shores of Block Island have a siren's call all their own. Both bluefish, the gamest of Atlantic gamefish, and stripers (some in the 40 pounds-plus range) run from about May through November. Depending on wind conditions, the western beaches, from Southwest Point to the Great Salt Pond.

Get a trail map from the Chamber of Commerce, and then, after exploring the Greenway, go north to Corn Neck Road, where a dirt road leads to the Clay Head Trails. The main path here along the northwest coast leads from the Clay Head Bluffs to Settler's Rock, a stone that commemorates the arrival of the island's first settlers in 1661. And the path itself is a favorite with birdwatchers during fall migrations.

More than 150 bird species – among them, peregrine falcons, tanagers, and warblers – have been recorded on the island, many of them younger birds passing through during their first fall and spring migrations on the eastern coast flyway. There are two Audubon sanctuaries on the island, but some of the best birding takes place on the bluffs at the northern and southern ends of the island.