The Cliff Walk runs 3.5 miles along the rocky Atlantic coast of Newport, between the mansions of Bellevue Avenue (whose gardens back up to the path) and the open sea. It is one of the finest coastal walks in New England: the northern section is paved and easy; the southern section beyond the Forty Steps becomes rougher, with scrambles over rock outcrops and occasional wet patches. The views of the Atlantic from the edge of the cliff, with the mansion lawns on one side and the open sea on the other, are exceptional.
The path is a National Recreation Trail and is free and open daily. The Forty Steps, a stone staircase descending to the shore midway along the walk, is worth stopping at for the drama of the wave-cut rock below. The full walk takes about two hours at a gentle pace; the northern section between Easton's Beach and the Rosecliff mansion is the most spectacular and can be done as a shorter loop. In spring and fall, before and after the summer crowds, the Cliff Walk is one of the genuinely great free experiences in New England.