Sankaty Head Lighthouse

A beautiful and iconic spot on Nantucket! Sankaty Head Lighthouse offers stunning ocean views and a peaceful atmosphere. It’s a perfect place for a quick visit, photos, and enjoying the coastal scenery. A must-see if you’re exploring the island!

Beautiful light still standing in a breathtaking view. Due to coastline erosion the light has been moved back twice and the actual coastguard house removed completely from the site. I recommend grabbing sandwiches and drinks at Sconset Market down the road and taking them to the light to enjoy in one of the most picturesque spots on the Island.

Fabulous lighthouse in a very scenic point. We rode our bikes here from Nantucket marina in town. Easy ride.

Small parking lot for cars, about a dozen places for bikes. A bit of a walk to get to the actual lighthouse from there, but you get a really nice view just from the entrance. Is a long bike ride out from town with no shade in between so if you are cycling I suggest a brimmed hat, sunscreen, and adequate water for everyone. There’s unshaded low benches just up the pathway.

This is a classic New England lighthouse which is totally worth visiting! I wish you could get into the lighthouse, but apart from that, it is a great location! Also an amazing spot for a sunrise!

It’s a quiet place with a beautiful ocean view and tall grass for cool pictures. Very nice to visit.

Beautiful views and easy to access. The lighthouse is a short walk away from parking. I highly recommend waiting for sunset or making the early morning trip for sunrises. Well worth the effort! Highly recommend visiting.

Typical picture ask lighthouse. You can’t go inside.

About a 20-minute drive from the Nantucket Downtown District area. If you have access to a car while visiting Nantucket, stop by the Sankaty Lighthouse. It was nice that it wasn't crowded, and the walking path is easy to traverse. There's a fenced area over by the bluffs that has nice views of the beach and ocean. There's signage indicating some facts and history. You can't go inside the lighthouse, as expected, but you can't walk right up to the front door, which is kinda neat. Expect to spend about 30 minutes here, mostly with a smooth drive. AT&T cell service is limited so screenshot and directions in case you're out of range of internet coverage!

Sankaty Light were do I start what an awesome gem on Nantucket over looking the big pond. Also a golf course and a beach club all sharing the same name. Parking is scarce but people park on the side of the road to visit this wonder. I've seen wedding photos and little ceremonies being done here as well. My dog absolutely loves eating the daffodils when in bloom. Great place for a romantic picnic a sunrise proposal or just a romantic evening.

Anyone who is giving the Sankaty Lighthouse less than 5 stars is crazy. It's so beautiful. If you imagine the picture in your mind of a New England beach with a lighthouse this is it or better! It's stunning and surrounded by Siasconset which is a lovely area of Nantucket. So pretty!

Beautiful lighthouse. Easy to get to. Limited parking available. Nice drive through a cute Nantucket neighborhood. The walk from the parking area to the lighthouse is very short and pretty easy.

Had a lovely, windy walk out to Sankaty Lighthouse this past Saturday. Trails were a bit more crowded than expected but most people were respectful and social distancing the best they could. Also most had masks on too. Nice lighthouse w lots of history and fascinating that they moved it from the original site. Great experience overall.

Great spot to ride your bike to and take in the sweeping views - golf course in one side, all Atlantic Ocean on the other side. Photo Ops are amazing and it's free. About a 15-20 minute visit is all you need. Some posts to read on the lighthouse's history as well.

Our first lighthouse stop on the island. We could see the lighthouse from our Airbnb. Of course we had to see it in person. Beautiful location and such a stunning & historical lighthouse. It's unfortunate that there is so much sand and beach erosion reclaiming the shoreline and the property near the lighthouse. Definitely make the trip - very interesting to see the original Homestead and lighthouse location as well as the one standing today.

Stunning! Beautiful view of the island and the ocean. Super easy to get to as well. Great place to watch the sunset. Will be going back to watch the sun rise as well.

Pretty light house with a view. Take the bluff walk out from Sconset and you'll get your steps in and get to be a little voyeuristic and peek at the beautiful homes and back yards on the way to the lighthouse. The info they post about saving the bluffs from erosion is really informative and interesting--well worth the read because you can see the effects of climate change here close up. A great outing on Nantucket.

Nice large lighthouse, but no access to the interior. Some benches for a picnic and parking nearby. I would recommend this as a good Uber drop-off and then head back towards town along the Bluffs walk.

A light that moved Sankaty lighthouse is one of the three lighthouses on Nantucket and is located less than a mile north from the town of 'Sconset. It is about 60 feet tall, was built in 1850 and has a very distinctive red band around the middle of the tower. It was the first lighthouse in Massachusetts to receive a Fresnel Lens, and the lens can now be seen at the Whaling Museum in town. Visitors are not allowed in the actual tower and there is no museum or gift shop but there is parking and space to go right up to the light and take pictures from any angle. Of course the views from the rapidly eroding cliffs are spectacular since they stand over 100 feet above the ocean Like many lights, Sankaty was in danger of falling into the sea. Fortunately the Sconset Trust took matters into their own hands and got the money to move the light back 200 feet toward the golf course. The move was completed in 2007 and the light is now secure. The ancillary buildings were torn down except for one that was moved and is now used for housing for the elderly. Even though the light is safe for now, every large Nor'easter tears away tons of sand and clay from the cliffs. Perhaps in a relatively short period of time the light will once again be in danger of falling into the sea.

Absolutely gorgeous setting for a gorgeous lighthouse. The view from the top of the bluff it sits on overlooks a good portion of the island as well as the coast (where you'll see seals!). Well worth the trip up.

Iconic. Textbook lighthouse. . Beautiful setting. We walk up Baxter almost everyday to the lighthouse. It is just a stunning spot.

If the Ivy doesn't get you, the drop will. Hanging all around Sankaty Light you'll find signs like this posted on a fence barricading the completely stupid from killing themselves. Eerily enough, I noticed there was also a swing set on the other side of the fence last time I was there. Probably used before the sea decided to reclaim the land close to Sankaty. If you get a chance to venture out to Sconset, definitely make your way to Sankaty light. The tradition is to hug the lighthouse. Do it, you'll feel nice and warm after it. On the way there, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the dinosaurs roaming Nantucket's Serengeti.