NANTUCKET ISLAND BEACHES

North Shore And Harbor Beaches

40th Pole: Great for families and young children, but no lifeguards. On Nantucket Sound; warm water during July, August and September inspired nickname “The Bathtub” for area nearby. Parking. Best access via 4WD vehicle.

Dionis: 3 miles from town by bike on the north side of Eel Point Rd off Madaket Road. Look for the boulder marked “Dionis.” Sheltered by dunes, calm waters for swimming, safe for children; restrooms, & parking. Beachgoers can take NRTA shuttle bus to Eel Point Rd stop & walk.

Steps: Between Dionis and Jetties beaches; access from Cliff Road. No lifeguard, no facilities, very little parking. Gentle surf; sandbar. Many steep steps must be descended to get to the beach.

Jetties: Easy bike ride from town, or take the shuttle bus. Great beach for families. Lifeguards, changing rooms, playground, volleyball nets, restrooms, showers, public phones, restaurant and take-out food service. Concession and restrooms handicap accessible; boardwalk to the beach. Tennis. Windsurfing, sailboat, and kayak rentals. Shuttle service from town to Jetties Beach is available seasonally.

Brant Point: Easy walk or bike ride from town. No lifeguard. Strong current; experienced swimmers; beach drops off suddenly under the water. Scenic beach with Brant Point Lighthouse; nice to sit and watch the boats rounding the point. Here is where to go to wave goodbye to friends and family departing on the Steamship.

Children’s: Harbor Beach, an easy walk from town down So. Beach Street and off Harbor View Way. Flotation devices are not permitted within the guarded area. Ideal for small children; park, playground, and bandstand; lifeguard, restrooms, showers, food service, picnic tables. Food, playground, and rest room are all accessible. Activities sponsored by Park & Recreation Commission are often held at this beach during the summer.

Francis Street: Five-minute walk from Main Street. Calm harbor waters for swimming; no lifeguard. Jungle gym, kayak rentals, bathroom.

SOUTH SHORE - OCEAN BEACHES

Cisco Beach: Four-mile bike ride to end of Hummock Pond Road. Heavy surf; lifeguard. No facilities. Parking. Rip currents can be strong.

Ladies Beach: To access, turn left at the end of Bartlett Farm Road. No facilities; no lifeguard. Limited parking. Rip current can be strong; heavy surf.

Miacomet Beach: at the end of Miacomet Road. Surf and rip currents can be dangerous. Parking. No facilities or food service. Families with very young children may prefer Miacomet Pond.

South Shore Beach: at the end of South Shore Rd. Limited parking; difficult to access beach, 4WD is advisable. No lifeguard; no facilities.

Surfside: Located at the end of Surfside Road, a three-mile ride on paved bike path or take the shuttles. Easy to park. Plenty of surf, wide beach is good for picnics, beach games, and surfcasting. Kite flying west of Surfside Beach is acceptable; for safety reasons, please do not fly kites east of Surfside toward the airport. Due to the number of people who frequent Surfside Beach during the day, it is inadvisable to fly kites during the peak beachgoing hours. Lifeguard, restrooms, showers, public phones, food service. Shuttle service from town to Surfside Beach is available seasonally.

Fisherman’s Beach: Located between Surfside Beach and Nobadeer. No parking; Beach access via steep wooden steps. Plenty of surf, wide beach is good for picnics, beach games, and surfcasting. No lifeguard; no facilities.

Nobadeer: Located near the airport. Limited parking; difficult to access beach. Plenty of surf, wide beach is good for picnics, beach games, and surfcasting. No lifeguard; no facilities.

Madequecham: Land Bank property at the end of Madequecham Valley Road; rough sand road. Parking. No facilities; no lifeguards. Rip current can be strong; heavy surf.

Tom Nevers (“Pebble Beach“): Surf can be heavy; very coarse sand. No lifeguard; no facilities. Good for fishing. Strong rip currents; heavy surf. Access to the beach can be difficult.

WESTERN SHORE - OCEAN BEACHES

Madaket: As far west as you can go, six-mile bike ride on scenic, paved bike path, or take the shuttle bus. Heavy surf, lifeguard, restrooms. Famous for its incredible sunsets.

EASTERN SHORE - OCEAN BEACHES

Siasconset: Regular shuttle bus service or seven-mile ride on paved bike path. Surf can be heavy; lifeguard. Food available in nearby village of ’Sconset. Low Beach: 4WD access. Surf can be heavy; no lifeguard.

BAY & POND BEACHES

Miacomet Pond: Fresh water pond on Nantucket. Good for young children. Parking; no lifeguard, no facilities. Snapping turtles may be encountered.

Pocomo Beach: Great for kayaking and to learn to windsurf. Just west of the Head of the Harbor. Good for children. No lifeguards, no facilities.

Eel Point: Good for fishing and watching the sunset. No lifeguard; no facilities. Limited parking. Rip currents can be strong.

Coskata-Coatue and Great Point: at the end of Wauwinet Road, past The Wauwinet Inn. Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge managed by Trustees of Reservations; beach sticker required for vehicles from Trustees of Reservations. Great for fishing and for seeing Great Point Lighthouse up close. Rolling dunes, bayberry, beach plum, heather, and beach grass. Salt marsh and maritime shrubland. The largest red cedar savanna and woodland in New England. Gray and harbor seals. Public restrooms available at the lighthouse Memorial Day-Columbus Day. Sections of the refuge are sometimes closed to protect nesting shorebirds. Dogs permitted only from Sept. 16 thru March 31 and must be leashed at all times. Guided tours with Trustee naturalists offered in-season. Seasonal hunting permitted. For more details, go to www.TheTrustees.org Property Lookup.

Sesachacha Pond: off Polpis Road. Great for families; warm water; no facilities; no lifeguard. Parking. Near the Audubon Sesachacha Heathlands and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Beach Safety

•Learn to swim. If you can’t swim an overhead stroke for at least 15 minutes you should not be in the ocean. •Never swim alone. Always swim with a buddy, and swim near a lifeguard whenever possible. •Stay out of the “surf zone” where the waves break at the shoreline. Waves are at their greatest force here, and even a small wave can lift you up and throw you headfirst into the sand. •Never run from the beach into the water and dive headfirst into the waves. Sandbars that cannot be seen from the surface may be present and/or the water may be too shallow. •Don’t jump or dive into the water from a pier or rock jetty. From a pier or jetty, water appears much deeper than it really is. What looks like 10 or 20 feet of water may only be 2 to 3 feet deep. Diving in could be fatal. The same applies for jumping headfirst into the ocean or a wave from a surfboard – don’t do it! It’s not a risk worth taking. •If you are body surfing or boogie boarding, always keep your arms out in front of you to protect your head and neck. •A rip current will pull you away from the shore, but it will not pull you under. If you’re caught in a rip current, do not swim toward the shore! Instead, swim parallel to the shore, until you’re out of the rip current. Then, swim in to shore. •Never drink alcohol or use drugs at the beach. It clouds your ability to make wise decisions, and that could be fatal! •Take direction from lifeguards at all times.