The Mohegan Bluffs are large clay cliffs about high, located on the southern shore of

Block Island Block Island is an island of the Outer Lands coastal archipelago in New England, located approximately south of mainland Rhode Island and east of Long Island's Montauk Point. The island is coterminous with the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Isl ...

. They got their name because the battle of the

Niantic Niantic may refer to: * Niantic people, tribe of American Indians * Niantic, Inc., mobile app developer known for the mobile games ''Ingress'' and ''Pokémon Go'' * Niantic Correctional Institution, now known as York Correctional Institution ...

and the

Mohegan The Mohegan are an Indigenous people originally based in what is now southeastern Connecticut in the United States. They are part of the Eastern Algonquian linguistic and cultural family and historically shared close ties with the neighboring ...

took place here in the mid 16th century. The battle was over supremacy of the island, and the Mohegans were forced over the cliffs to their death by the native Niantic. These cliffs are a beautiful site, and can be observed from the top, where visitors can look out for miles on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

or visitors can climb down the steep staircase of over 100 steps and view them from the beach (also known as Corn Cove). The visiting times are from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Visitors usually spend the day here tanning on the beach, swimming in the ocean, walking their dogs, or simply admiring the cliffs. Through the years, the Mohegan Bluffs have eroded, receding about , and because of this, the Block Island Southeast Lighthouse had to be moved back about to keep it from tumbling into the ocean.USA Today; Block Island: The 'Bermuda of the North'
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References

New Shoreham, Rhode Island Landforms of Washington County, Rhode Island Cliffs of the United States {{RhodeIsland-stub