Middle Moors
Nature preserve
2,351 acres35.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: The original uploader was Bobak at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Nantucket
More than half of Nantucket’s land is conserved: 53%
53% of Nantucket’s land is conserved, about 15,813 acres. 208 miles of mapped trail cross Nantucket, 4.5 per square mile of land. 8,696 acres are parks and preserves, 600 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
53%
15,813 acres · of 46.2 sq mi of land
Trails
208 mi
4.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
8,696 ac
600 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
37 mi
1.3 mi lanes · 36 mi paths
Highest peak
108 ft
Folger Hill
Lakes & rivers
16
38 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Nantucket?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Nantucket have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Nantucket is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Nantucket near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Nantucket’s overall grade.
Conserved land53% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (208 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land600 acres of park per 1,000 residents (8,696 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)#3 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Nantucket’s 53% is ahead of 99% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 93% of them.
Water is more than half of Nantucket’s area (59 of 105 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 24%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Middle Moors, with 35.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Milestone Cranberry Bog
Nature preserve
773 acres15.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Great Point
Nature preserve
914 acres12.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ram Pasture
Managed by Nantucket Conservation Foundation
755 acres8.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Tom Nevers
Nature preserve
1,491 acres7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sanford Farm
Managed by Nantucket Land Bank
544 acres6.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sesachacha Heathlands Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
860 acres5.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Windswept Cranberry Bog
Nature preserve
244 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 83 parks & preserves
Middle Moors2,351 acres · 35.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMilestone Cranberry Bog773 acres · 15.2 mi of trail
Great Point914 acres · 12.6 mi of trail
Ram Pasture755 acres · 8.7 mi of trail · Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Tom Nevers1,491 acres · 7 mi of trail
DirectionsSanford Farm544 acres · 6.7 mi of trail · Nantucket Land Bank
DirectionsSesachacha Heathlands Wildlife Sanctuary860 acres · 5.6 mi of trail
Windswept Cranberry Bog244 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHead of the Plains459 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Nantucket Conservation Foundation
DirectionsGardner Farm144 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMadequecham Valley486 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
Squam Farm168 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLost Farm Wildlife Sanctuary75 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsBeechwood Farm Conservation Area99 acres · 2 mi of trail
Norwood Farm Conservation Area142 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Sauls Hills80 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Squam Swamp346 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsStump Pond Conservation Area102 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Long Pond78 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Nantucket Land Bank
DirectionsTrott's Hills Conservation Area94 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
University of Massachusetts Boston - Nantucket Field Station110 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSmooth Hummocks170 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Coatue45 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Millbrook Woods & Heritage Orchards24 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Neck21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Haulover93 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Madaket Road67 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Cisco37 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPolpis Road Conservation Area44 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCoffin Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Fishers Landing17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Masquetuck Reservation13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDead Horse Valley7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLily Pond Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsToupchue Valley20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Water Department Land19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNantucket National Wildlife Refuge17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Shimmo Property14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Miacomet Beach12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Nantucket Land Bank
South Pasture10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Miacomet7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Willfield6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Nantucket Conservation Foundation5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiacomet Heath Natural Heritage Area4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sankaty Head Historical Site4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPolpis Harbor2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Labyrinth Nantucket Land Bank1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCamp Richard99 acres · Camp Richard Campers Association
Shawkemo69 acres
Water Dept. Land51 acres
DirectionsCapaum Pond33 acres
Hither Creek27 acres
Pocomo Road25 acres
Milestone Road Conservation Area24 acres
DirectionsAlter Rock Conservation Area18 acres
Milestone Rd18 acres
Quaise16 acres
Sturgis Pines13 acres
Squam13 acres
DirectionsQuidnet Road12 acres
Medouie Marsh12 acres
Warrens Landing9 acres
Polpis Road8 acres
Monomoy5 acres
DirectionsJackson Point5 acres
The Creeks5 acres
Pesthouse Pond5 acres
Tom Nevers Pond4 acres
Surfside4 acres
DirectionsWest Chester Street3 acres
DirectionsNorth Beach Street3 acres
Fisher Land3 acres
Grove Lane2 acres
Sesachacha Pond2 acres
Polpis Rd.2 acres
Winter Park1 acres
DirectionsHead Of Hummock Pond1 acres
Pesthouse Rd.1 acres
Town Dock1 acres
DirectionsFolgar Property1 acres
DirectionsConsue Springs1 acres
Mill Hill Park1 acres
Low Beach1 acres · Nantucket Conservation Foundation
Who protects it
15,813 conserved acres
53% of Nantucket’s land. Water is left out: Nantucket has 46.2 square miles of land and 59.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Nantucket’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,415 ac
Town or city395 ac
Joint248 ac
Regional agency236 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government127 ac
Other state land123 ac
Private owners54 ac
Private Conservation · 10,993 acConservation Easement · 3,103 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,709 acLocal Other or Unknown · 711 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 514 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,686 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 111 of 578 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Moors Private Conservation | Not recorded | 2,173 | Unknown |
| South Pasture Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,059 | Open |
| Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge Private Conservation | Not recorded | 993 | Open |
| Milestone Cranberry Bog Private Conservation | Not recorded | 773 | Open |
| Ram Pasture&The Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 634 | Unknown |
| Sesachacha Heathlands Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 612 | Unknown |
| Nantucket Island Land Bank Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 515 | Open |
| Squam Swamp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 475 | Unknown |
| Madequecham Valley Private Conservation | Not recorded | 468 | Open |
| Head Of The Plains Private Conservation | Not recorded | 404 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
62 places to go in Nantucket
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Nantucket
Childrens Beach
DirectionsCisco BeachIn Cisco
DirectionsClean Shore
DirectionsCliff Beach
DirectionsCoatue Beach
DirectionsCoskata BeachIn Great Point
DirectionsDionis Beach
DirectionsFisherman's Beach
Directions16 more beaches
Jetties Beach
DirectionsLow Beach
DirectionsMadequecham Beach
DirectionsMonomoy Beach
DirectionsNobadeer Beach
DirectionsNobadeer Beach
DirectionsPebble Beach
DirectionsPest House Shore
DirectionsQuidnet Beach
DirectionsRest House Shore
DirectionsSiasconset Beach
DirectionsSouth Beach
DirectionsSouth Shore
DirectionsSteps Beach
DirectionsSurfside Beach
DirectionsWashing Pond Beach
Directions38 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Playgrounds in Nantucket
Siasconset Playground
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Nantucket
Children’s Beach Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Nantucket
Capt. Tom's Charters
DirectionsPeaks in Nantucket
Folger Hill108 ft elevation · In Middle Moors
DirectionsShawkemo Hills85 ft elevation · In Middle Moors
DirectionsSauls Hills75 ft elevation · In Middle Moors
DirectionsPopsquatchet Hills72 ft elevation
DirectionsMacys Hill62 ft elevation
DirectionsFudge Hill59 ft elevation
DirectionsSwain Hill52 ft elevation
DirectionsTrots Hills52 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Sunset Hill39 ft elevation · In Coffin Park
DirectionsCains Hill30 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill20 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Nantucket
Camp Richard LodgeIn Camp Richard
DirectionsDisc golf in Nantucket
Nantucket Disc Golf Course
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 88.0 mi
Outer Loop Trail1.4 mi
'Sconset Bluff Walk0.9 mi
Tupancy Links Trail0.7 mi
Beach Path0.5 mi
Ropes Course0.2 mi
Equestrian Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
37 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
36 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
80Tennis
21Pickleball
6Basketball
2Beach volleyball
2Softball
2Baseball
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Nantucket: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 40 | 44 | 52 | 61 | 70 | 76 | 76 | 71 | 62 | 53 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
July is the driest month (2.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Nantucket →
Questions about parks and trails in Nantucket
Where can I hike in Nantucket?
The longest trail networks: Middle Moors, 35.4 miles; Milestone Cranberry Bog, 15.2 miles; Great Point, 12.6 miles; Ram Pasture, 8.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Nantucket is conserved land?
53% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Nantucket’s trails?
Middle Moors and Milestone Cranberry Bog don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Nantucket?
37 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of painted or protected lanes and 36 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Nantucket?
10,592 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nantucket or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,008 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Nantucket have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #3 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Nantucket neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →