Nantucket County, Massachusetts
Miacomet Beach
Miacomet Beach is a long Atlantic-facing beach on Nantucket's south shore, west of Tom Nevers and south of Miacomet Pond — one of the island's large freshwater ponds that runs nearly to the beach berm.
- Day use
- Island
About this place
Miacomet Beach is a long Atlantic-facing beach on Nantucket's south shore, west of Tom Nevers and south of Miacomet Pond — one of the island's large freshwater ponds that runs nearly to the beach berm. The clothing-optional tradition here is informal and low-profile: the beach is wide and open, access is lightly managed, and the C/O section occupies the less-trafficked western portion of the shoreline.
Nantucket is 30 miles offshore from Hyannis and accessible only by ferry or small plane. The island's beaches are uniformly exposed and Atlantic-facing on the south shore — strong surf, cold water early in summer (warming to the mid-60s Fahrenheit by July), and the particular quality of light and air that characterizes the outer New England islands. Miacomet is quieter than the heavily visited Surfside and Cisco beaches nearby.
The island's naturist tradition is informal across several south-shore beaches; Miacomet is the most consistently cited by visitors looking for C/O swimming on Nantucket. Getting there from Nantucket Town requires a bike ride of about 2.5 miles south or a taxi/Uber. Bikes are the preferred Nantucket transport and can be rented near the ferry dock.
Visitor notes
Contributed by ClothingOptional.org Editorial Team
Who visits
Nantucket summer visitors and residents — the island's crowd skews older and affluent. Naturists tend to be regulars who know which beaches have C/O tradition rather than first-time visitors.
How to find it
Ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket (Steamship Authority, about 2h15m slow ferry or 1h fast ferry). From Nantucket Town, bike or take a taxi south on Miacomet Road to the beach. The western end of the beach is quieter and is the C/O section by convention.
Things to watch out for
South shore surf can be strong; rip currents are possible. The Nantucket ferry books out entirely on summer weekends — reserve well in advance. Parking on Nantucket is limited and expensive; bike from town.
Last updated
Etiquette & ground rules
Entirely informal — no markers. The C/O section is the western end of the beach where foot traffic drops off. Keep distance from the main swimming zones nearer the parking access.
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