Beavertail State Park, Jamestown, The Cliff Walk, Newport, Mohegan Bluffs, Block Island, Prospect Terrace, Providence

This is part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking -- and perhaps, underappreciated -- views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can truly treasure in your area.

PROVIDENCE − With Rhode Island being the Ocean State, it should come as little surprise that the sea plays a role all in four of the scenic views identified by USA TODAY as the most breathtaking in the smallest state in the union.

The ocean is an undeniably assertive presence in three of them:

Beavertail State Park, at the southern end of the island town of Jamestown, is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the sound of waves pounding against the rocky cliffs there, is a quintessential part of the experience there.
The Cliff Walk, in Newport, follows a path along the top of seaside cliffs − at one point, a branch even descends to water's edge − in the City by the Sea.
Mohegan Bluffs, at the southernmost point of another island community, Block Island, is known for its sweeping view of the Atlantic and the Southeast Light clinging to the top of clay cliffs there.

The sea even has a prominent role in the fourth one: the stunning vista of downtown Providence and the Rhode Island State House from the city park overlooking the city from Prospect Terrace. Rhode Island's capital city was founded when Roger Williams came ashore in Providence. An arm of the sea − the tidal Providence River and its tributaries, the Moshassuck and the Woonasquatucket − roll through and shaped the view laid out at the feet of visitors to Prospect Terrace.

Here's how to get to these spectacular sights and details about each of them:

Beavertail State Park, Jamestown

Beavertail State Park is popular with sightseers of every sort, from those who observe from their cars on a loop road through the park to hikers and picnickers to fishermen and others who scrambled down the rocky cliffs to water's edge.

One undeniable attraction is the granite lighthouse at the southern end of the park. Built in 1856, it replaced earlier structures dating to 1749, the third lighthouse in the United States, after ones in Boston Harbor and on Nantucket. The lighthouse now operates as a museum that is open to the public, including several dates from Memorial Day to Columbus Day when the tower is open to be climbed.

Before becoming a state park, the land was known as Fort Burnside, and installation that oversaw coastal defenses of Narragansett Bay and monitored marine traffic on the waterway. Several remnants of this military past can still be seen in the park.

How to get there: Reached by car at the southern end of Jamestown, on Beavertail Road, the state park can be found by GPS.

The Cliff Walk, Newport

The Cliff Walk is a 3.5-mile path of varying character, from wooded trail above the waves to skirting the lawns of Gilded Age mansions to scrambling across the rocky cliffs themselves. It can be taken in small chunks or the entire length can be walked, though a short section that collapsed into the sea requires a one-block detour on the edge of the Salve Regina University campus.

The Cliff Walk owes its existence to a 1639 act of the Rhode Island General Assembly making the "sea banks," from the top of the cliffs to the water, open to anyone. Unable to keep the public out, Gilded Age property owners tried to out do each other in making their section of the walk aesthetically pleasing, though one landowner, William K. Vanderbilt, ran the Cliff Walk through a tunnel under the lawn of Marble House so it would obscure his view of the sea. Modern walkers can still pass through Vanderbilt's tunnel.

A notable "side trail" is the steep stone stairway descending from the top of the cliffs to the water at a spot known as the Forty Steps.

How to get there: The Cliff Walk is not a single place, but a 3.5 mile path with more than half a dozen entrances along the route. For full details, including advice on where to park, consult the official website at https://www.discovernewport.org/things-to-do/cliff-walk.

Mohegan Bluffs, Block Island

Mohegan Bluffs is both a breathtaking sight and a physical challenge. The view from the top of the bluffs, including the Southeast Lighthouse is spectacular and the secluded, rocky beach at the bottom has been called the most beautiful on the island, which is far from lacking beautiful beaches. The physical challenged is getting to the beach, which requires climbing a more than 140-step staircase from the top of the bluffs to the sand below.

This staircase was closed because of erosion last year, but reopened the week of May 16 after repairs were made, according to state and town officials.

The Bluffs get their name from a 1590 battle between a Mohegan raiding party and the local Manisseans, who are said to have driven 40 Mohegans from the top of the Bluffs to their deaths.

How to get there: Get to the island by boat or airplane, including from Westerly State Airport and the Point Judith Ferry Terminal. From the town center, the Southeast Lighthouse and the Bluffs are about a mile and a half south on Spring Street, which can be walked, bicycled or driven.

Prospect Terrace, Providence

Prospect Terrace offers a birds-eye view of downtown Providence and the Rhode Island State House. It includes a statue of Roger Williams overlooking the city he founded atop a tomb where his "remains" are buried, though it's unclear how much could be found the second time he was reburied after his initial interment.

How to get there: Reached by car – or on foot – with limited parking on Providence's Congdon Street.