Features

Boats of all kinds can anchor off the sandy beach at the largest of the Weepecket Islands, where you’ll find unrivaled coastal solitude. (Image: Tom Richardson/New England Boating)

The Weepecket Islands are a string of three small, rocky islands less than a quarter mile off the northern edge of Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Island chain. The southeastern shore of the largest Weepecket features a beautiful sandy beach, where shallow-draft vessels can pull directly onto the sand. Larger boats can easily anchor close enough to the beach to take a dinghy, paddle, or swim ashore. There, you’ll find an untamed shoreline that seems straight out of a pirate adventure story, with clear waters perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The island’s sandy beach provides great beachcombing for sea glass and interesting shells like scallops and whelks. 

The remainder of the large island, and its two smaller neighbors, is composed of rocks and scrubby vegetation that serves as a home for many nesting birds. Visitors to the Weepeckets are asked to remain on the beach, both for your safety and to protect endangered roseate and common terns, who visit this island in the summer. Paddlers exploring the area will find the two smaller islands interesting features to circumnavigate, keeping an eye out for seals and birds.

Habitats & Wildlife

Gulls and cormorants rule the Weepecket Islands, settling in large flocks on these rocky shores. These rocks also host harbor seals and gray seals, especially in the winter. 

Marine life of all sorts flocks to the waters around the Elizabeth Islands thanks to its large, healthy beds of eelgrass. This eelgrass provides fabulous habitat for shellfish and fish, including famously large striped bass that attract fishermen from around New England. 

Property Owned By

Naushon Island Trust