Great Point Beach

A remote spit of sand at the northeastern tip of the island, accessible only by 4WD. A lighthouse, incredible fishing, and seals are the only company. This is Nantucket at its wildest.

Great Point is Nantucket at its rawest — six miles of barrier dune at the island's northeastern tip, accessible only by 4WD with a Trustees of Reservations permit ($250/season). At the top stands the squat granite Great Point Lighthouse, rebuilt in 1986 after the original 1818 tower toppled in a storm. The drive itself is half the adventure: air down at the gatehouse, follow the ruts north along the beach, watch the dune line narrow until you're driving on a sand bar with the Atlantic on one side and Nantucket Sound on the other. Plover closures shift the drivable area constantly through summer; the Trustees post updates daily. Striped bass anglers work the rip off the point at dawn and dusk; gray and harbor seals haul out on the bar in big numbers. There is nothing here. That is the point.