State beaches now open weekends

The Department of Environmental Management announced that state beaches in South County are now open weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Scarborough North, Roger Wheeler, and Misquamicut state beaches will be open Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting, until Memorial Day to accommodate early beach-goers and advance season pass sales. The beaches will be open on a daily basis from Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer outdoor recreation season, until Labor Day.

Parking fees are based on the registration of each car. All RI-registered vehicles will be subject to resident rates for parking and all other vehicles without Rhode Island plates will be subject to the non-resident rates. The regulations define vehicle as any street legal equipment, motorized or non-motorized, properly registered for over the road travel.

The daily beach parking fee for Rhode Island residents is $6 on weekdays and $7 on weekends and holidays. The non-resident beach parking fee is $12 on weekdays and $14 on weekends and holidays. A season pass is $30 for Rhode Island residents and $60 for non-residents, and freshwater beaches at state parks remain free of charge for all.