This is a fun running tour of the island of Nahant. We love it because it is a relatively traffic-free road run, and offers great variety: water and Boston skyline views, pretty homes, parks, and hills. The full tour as we’ve mapped it is 7 miles, but there are options to make it shorter. Tides Restaurant is a good starting point. Run for about 1/2 mile on Nahant Rd. onto the island. The route then hugs the water around the island. Take Castle Rd. for 3/4 mile, RIGHT on Gardner Rd. and LEFT on Bass Point Rd. Follow through the lovely Baileys Point, onto Willow Rd., for 1.2 miles, which turns into Cliff St. near the Village Church. Optional: jaunt out to East Point, 1 mile out and back. For the back half, LEFT on Nahant Rd., RIGHT on Pleasant St., and then follow Marginal Rd. & Maolis Rd. to the end, forced LEFT on Pond St. to Nahant Rd., with a quite dramatic hill down, coming off the island.

Options for Shorter: Eliminate the 1 mile East Point out and back, or start start on Castle Rd., eliminating the first 1/2 mile on Nahant Rd. each way.

Option for Longer: Continue on Nahant Rd. west/north of Tides, for up to 3 lovely waterfront miles to Swampscott Center. See our route.

Essentials
  • 7 mile (11.2 km) loop; Options for shorter/longer
  • 219 feet
  • Tides Restaurant, Nahant Rd. For shorter run, park on island.
  • Parking: In season, can be tricky - might have to park at one of the paid lots for Nahant Beach

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Essentials
  • 7 mile (11.2 km) loop; Options for shorter/longer
  • 219 feet
  • Tides Restaurant, Nahant Rd. For shorter run, park on island.
  • Parking: In season, can be tricky - might have to park at one of the paid lots for Nahant Beach