Insider's Guide to Nantucket

viedo by the Town of Nantucket

Nantucket Biking

Nantucket Island is just about 14 miles by 3-1/2 miles, and there are miles of bike paths to nearly every area.  This means that riding a bicycle one of the best ways to get around our island—far better than a car. You can rent bikes on Nantucket by the hour from Sandy Pedals, or by the day, the weekend, or the week, or longer from the other island bicycle rental shops.  Helmet and bike locks are supplied with each rental (definitely use both), and you can even bring your own bicycle over on the ferry for a small fee. 

In addition to the physical advantages of riding a bike and the benefits to our environment, there are many reasons to bike Nantucket.  When you ride your bike to one of our pristine beaches, you won’t have to worry about the limited parking for cars. With summer traffic, biking around the island is often faster than driving.  The island’s bike paths have scenic views, where you can stop to rest a bit and enjoy the natural beauty of Nantucket.  With the bike audio tours you can download from MoreNantucket.com, you’ll know just what it is you are riding past.

If you are riding your bike, but want to visit a part of our island that is a little farther than you are accustomed to riding, you can take the NRTA WAVE Shuttle for part of the way–all the WAVE Shuttle buses have bicycle racks so you can one way and ride the shuttle back. There are bike racks to park and lock your bike at all shuttle stops, at many spots around town, and at all the town beaches.

On this page you will find all the details you need to enjoy Biking on Nantucket Island!

Nantucket Bike Paths and Trails

Visit this section frequently as we add more bike paths and bike trails!

Displaying 13 of 13 routes.
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Amelia Dr

  • Distance 2211 ft
  • Time 2 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 26 ft
  • Peak 33 ft
  • Climb 10 ft
  • Descent 3 ft
August 15, 2022 4:45 pm
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Nobadeer Farm Road Path

  • Distance 2795 ft
  • Time 3 min
  • Speed 11 mph
  • Min altitude 49 ft
  • Peak 59 ft
  • Climb 7 ft
  • Descent 16 ft
August 15, 2022 4:28 pm
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Fairgrounds Road Path

  • Distance 4626 ft
  • Time 4 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 20 ft
  • Peak 26 ft
  • Climb 13 ft
  • Descent 7 ft
August 15, 2022 4:25 pm
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Dionis Path

  • Distance 4508 ft
  • Time 4 min
  • Speed 15 mph
  • Min altitude 7 ft
  • Peak 46 ft
  • Climb 23 ft
  • Descent 56 ft
July 18, 2022 5:45 pm
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Cliff Road Path

  • Distance 2 miles
  • Time 8 min
  • Speed 12 mph
  • Min altitude 13 ft
  • Peak 46 ft
  • Climb 112 ft
  • Descent 95 ft
July 18, 2022 5:43 pm
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Old South Road Path

  • Distance 1 miles
  • Time 7 min
  • Speed 12 mph
  • Min altitude 16 ft
  • Peak 46 ft
  • Climb 62 ft
  • Descent 43 ft
July 18, 2022 5:37 pm
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Sconset Bike Path

  • Distance 6 miles
  • Time 28 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 7 ft
  • Peak 66 ft
  • Climb 148 ft
  • Descent 154 ft
July 12, 2022 6:14 pm
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Cisco Bike Path

  • Distance 3 miles
  • Time 12 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 10 ft
  • Peak 46 ft
  • Climb 66 ft
  • Descent 92 ft
July 18, 2022 3:42 pm
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Miacomet Bike Path

  • Distance 2 miles
  • Time 9 min
  • Speed 12 mph
  • Min altitude 16 ft
  • Peak 36 ft
  • Climb 49 ft
  • Descent 52 ft
July 12, 2022 5:42 pm
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Polpis Road Path

  • Distance 8 miles
  • Time 38 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 0 ft
  • Peak 75 ft
  • Climb 331 ft
  • Descent 315 ft
August 15, 2022 3:05 pm
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Boulevarde Path

  • Distance 4980 ft
  • Time 4 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 13 ft
  • Peak 30 ft
  • Climb 26 ft
  • Descent 26 ft
February 13, 2024 4:03 pm
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Madaket Road Path

  • Distance 5 miles
  • Time 25 min
  • Speed 13 mph
  • Min altitude 0 ft
  • Peak 49 ft
  • Climb 190 ft
  • Descent 213 ft
July 12, 2022 6:02 pm
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Surfside Path

  • Distance 2 miles
  • Time 11 min
  • Speed 12 mph
  • Min altitude 10 ft
  • Peak 36 ft
  • Climb 75 ft
  • Descent 62 ft
July 14, 2022 1:28 pm
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Bike Trails

Nantucket Bike Tours

Town to Cisco

Biking Tour Brought to you by MoreNantucket.com

Milestone Rotary to Sconset

Biking Tour Brought to you by MoreNantucket.com

Biking Safely on Nantucket

Girls who were present from Girl Scout Troop 66120:
Carley Ray
Madison Tormay
Aliza Mansfield
Sara Dussault
Kaelee Hilbert-Hunt
Katie Klatt
Elissa Holdgate
Shelbi Harimon
Ashley Klatt
Sophia Yelverton
Marin Mooney
Hildee Medeiros
Emery Bouchard
Lil WullschlegerTroop Leaders:
Crystal Ray
Andrea Mansfield
Lynn MedeirosSpecial Thanks to:
Sergeant Kevin Marshall
Jason Bridges
Bonnie Syliva
Darlene Hull
Joe Conway from Nantucket Bike Shops
Chris Wendzicki, Jr., Mark Pommett and Lisa Frey from Nantucket Community Television

Bike Safety is taken very seriously here on Nantucket. You should always wear a helmet whenever you are biking, especially children. The most important thing to do before riding your bike is to make sure your helmet is fitted properly, as well as worn the correct way.

  • If you are driving downtown, drive on the street. It is forbidden for bikers to ride on the sidewalk.
  • Always follow traffic flow! Do not ride on the wrong side.
  • When you are on a bike path, ride slowly. Most of Nantucket’s paths are multi-use paths and are shared by riders and pedestrians alike.
  • If you are biking at night, remember to have a light on at the front and bike reflectors on the rear.
  • It is obligatory for any person 12 years or younger to use a helmet while riding a bike. Nonetheless, everybody should wear a helmet!
  • Stay alert! Do not use headphones.
  • Always stop at the Stop signs.

For more information on Biking on Nantucket Regulations, click HERE.

Tips for Biking Nantucket

  • Bring water to drink and stay hydrated.
  • Wear a bike helmet.
  • Stop at all crosswalks.
  • Bring a bag: you might want to shop!
  • Do not ride your bike on the sidewalks.
  • Don’t ride the wrong way on Nantucket’s many one-way streets.
  • Account for time, don’t miss your ferry!
  • Be sure to lock your bike!
  • Ride single file on the bike paths.
  • Stop at all the bike path stop signs.
  • Wear sunscreen.
  • Slow down: you’re on vacation!
  • AND HAVE FUN!

Water Stations

Nantucket is a BYO(W)B (Bring Your Own Water Bottle) Kind of Island!

On June 1, 2020, the ban on single-use plastics including single-use bottled water became effective on Nantucket. Bottled water are no longer sold in sizes smaller than one liter (34 ounces) in island groceries, delis, and cafes. Nantucket is implementing these pro-active measures to support your use of your own water bottle around town, on the bike paths and at the beaches:

  • Nantucket’s tap water is safe and reliable and tastes great! Wannacomet Water Company produces an annual water quality report to document the cleanliness and safety of Nantucket’s public water supply.
  • These are the the locations for water bottle refilling stations in the downtown area
  • Water refills are also available at Dionis and Surfside Beaches, and along the island’s bike paths.

Things to Know a Biking Blog