Nantucket, Massachusetts — Things to Do

Great Point & the Lighthouse by 4WD

Nature

Getaway Unpacked Edit

A remote barrier-beach outing reached by an appropriate four-wheel-drive vehicle with the required oversand permit, or more simply through a guided tour.

Why It’s Worth Your Time

Great Point is rewarding but not a casual rental-car excursion. Self-drivers need an eligible four-wheel-drive vehicle, the correct oversand permit, tire-deflation equipment, and current knowledge of beach-driving rules. Nesting birds, storms, erosion, and sand conditions can close or alter access without warning; inexperienced visitors should choose a guided outing.

What Stands Out

  • The wildest and most remote accessible point on Nantucket
  • Great Point Lighthouse: working lighthouse at the tip of the three-mile barrier spit
  • Harbor seals on the sandbar: reliable sightings from late fall through spring
  • Nantucket Sound on one side, open Atlantic on the other: the most dramatic geography on the island
  • Guided Jeep tours available from Town — the easiest way to access without a permit
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