Quidnet Beach

A remote east shore beach where Sesachacha Pond nearly meets the ocean. Dramatic scenery where freshwater and saltwater worlds collide. Few visitors make it out here, which is the appeal.

Quidnet is the east side of Nantucket at its quietest — a windswept beach where Sesachacha Pond comes within a few yards of the open Atlantic, separated by nothing but a narrow strip of barrier dune. The town breaches the dune most springs to flush the pond; the rest of the year you stand on a sliver of sand with a freshwater pond at your back and the ocean at your feet. There's a small free lot at the end of Quidnet Road, no facilities, and almost never anyone here. Birding around the pond edges is excellent; surfcasters work the beach at dawn. Bring everything and stay for the quiet.