Tom Never Beach

The easternmost south shore beach, far from the main tourist areas. Strong surf and a remote, windswept character. Excellent for surf fishing and long, solitary walks.

Tom Nevers is what's left when you keep driving past everything else — the easternmost stretch of Nantucket's south shore, far enough from downtown that even on the busiest summer weekend you can usually walk for half an hour and not see another person. There's a small parking lot at the end of Tom Nevers Road (variously labeled Tom Never and Tom Nevers; locals use Nevers), a soft-sand path through dune grass, and then miles of open Atlantic beach. No lifeguards, no facilities, no shade. The fishing is good, the walking is better, and the rip currents are real. The adjacent Tom Nevers Field is the island's old Navy base, now a public open space with one of the best kite-flying meadows in town.