Nantucket Bike Paths > Biking To Madaket

Why bike to Madaket?

Madaket (pronounced Mad-ah-kit) is a great bike ride destination for a few reasons:

  • Heading to the western end of the island offers the chance to see the sun set over the water.
  • You'll pass vast open spaces, ponds, and plenty of scenic views that make for worthy pit stops.
  • You can get to the bike paths that lead to Madaket without having to ride through the busiest streets in town.
  • The ride is a nice distance (about 6 miles each way) that feels like you really got out there and had an adventure without taking the whole day.
the Madaket bike path takes you to the western end of the island where you can enjoy quiet beaches and beautiful sunsets

Important Logistics

📍 How far is it:

~12 miles roundtrip

🕘 How long does it take?

~2 hours roundtrip

🚽 Bathrooms:

Porta potties are available at Madaket Beach in-season

🚰 Water:

There are two water fountains on the Madaket Road bike path that operate in-season

🍽 Food:

Food can be purchased at the end of the bike path at Millie's restaurant or Millie's market (when they're open)

Points of interest

Young's Bicycle Shop map of Madaket

Download our famous map of Nantucket

Madaket is a small community that has one in-season commercial business and a ton of natural beauty and quiet roads to explore.

Here are some of the must-do's in Madaket:

  • Catch a sunset at Madaket Beach
  • Have a proper meal and drinks at Millie's restaurant or grab some snacks and ice cream at Millie's Market
  • Ride over the bridges on Ames Ave and South Cambridge St for great views of the harbor and Long Pond

How to get to Madaket on a bike

Via Upper Main Street (6.2 miles, ~ 1hr)

There are two popular ways to get to Madaket from Town. One way takes you through some of the quieter streets in Town and heads west to Upper Main Street where the Madaket Road bike path begins.

You might choose this route if:

  • You're looking for a slightly shorter and flatter route (note that both route feature hills small hills).
  • You'd prefer to ride through Town, where you can see more historic homes and monuments.

Click to open map

Directions to Madaket via Upper Main Street

  1. From our shop, head up Broad Street and take your second left onto Federal Street.
  2. Turn right on Chestnut Street, cross Centre Street at continue up Hussey Street heading in the same direction.
  3. Follow Hussey Street as it veers left and at the end of the road go left onto Gardner Street.
  4. Gardner Street will lead you to a four way intersection with a Civil War monument, where you'll take a right onto Main Street.
  5. When you come to the intersection with the small rotary, you've made it to the start of the Madaket Road bike path. Carefully cross over to the left side of Madaket Road and hop on the bike path.
  6. Take Madaket Road bike path all the way to Madaket!

 

Recommended stops and quick detours on this route:

  • Greater Light - Originally a livestock barn and later converted into a summer home and art studio by eclectic Quaker sisters Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan in the 1930s.
  • Fire Hose Cart House - The last of the neighborhood fire houses on Nantucket.
  • Hadwin House - The Hadwen House is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1846 by whaling merchant and silver retailer William Hadwen. It's also the only publicly accessible mansion of its age in the area.
  • Mariah Mitchell Museum and Observatory - A great stop for science enthusiasts. Mariah Mitchell was the first female astronomer in the United States.
  • Old Gaol - The old jail, open to the public and accessible during daylight hours.
  • Sanford Farm - A large conservation area with trails that stretch all the way to the south shore.

Via Cliff Road (6.4 miles, ~1hr)

Another option is to head out on Cliff Road, which starts just north of Town and eventually intersects with Madaket Road.

You might choose this route if:

  • You'd like to get out of Town a bit faster.
  • You'd like to ride past more scenic vistas and have the option of taking a quick detour to the north shore.

Click to open map

Directions

  1. From Young's, start by taking a quick right and riding up South Beach Street.
  2. At the first four way intersection, turn left onto Easton Street.
  3. Just past the Nantucket Hotel, turn right onto Cliff Road.
  4. Ride for about a half mile then hop on the Cliff Road bike path.
  5. The Cliff Road bike path runs for about a mile and a half and eventually intersects with Madaket Road. Carefully cross Madaket Road and turn right onto the Madaket Road bike path.
  6. Follow the Madaket Road bike path all the way to Madaket!

 

Recommended stops and quick detours on this route:

  • Brant Point Lighthouse - instead of turning left onto Easton Street, you could turn right and ride a short 2 minutes to Brant Point at the entrance of Nantucket Harbor and watch boats and ferries sail by.
  • Something Natural - A great place to stop for sandwiches,  snacks, and drinks. It'll be on your left after a minute two once you turn onto Cliff Road. Look for the sign on the rock next to the wide gravel driveway.
  • Jethro Coffin House - The oldest home on Nantucket still in it's original site.
  • Steps Beach - A great photo opportunity, Steps Beach has a tall wooden staircase that brings you down the dunes to the shore of the Nantucket Sound.
  • Tupancy Links - What used to be a 9 hole golf course is now a large conservation area with a nice walking trail that leads to a cliff with views of the water.

Ready to ride?

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