Nantasket, Massachusetts — Grade C & Is It Safe to Swim?

Nantasket is a saltwater beach in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Across 70 bacteria samples collected between 2021 and 2025 at nearby monitoring stations, it earns a Beach Safety Grade of C — Fair.

About 7% of samples at Nantasket exceeded the EPA Beach Action Value of 104 CFU/100 mL for Enterococcus — the threshold at which water managers typically post a swimming advisory. In practice that means the safe-swimming limit was sometimes crossed here over the monitored period. Bacteria samples occasionally exceed the safe-swimming threshold — check the latest advisory before swimming.

The evidence behind this grade is deep for a beach page: 70 results from 2 monitoring stations, spanning 2021 to 2025. Enough sampling, from enough places, over enough seasons that one bad week can't drive the letter.

Nantasket is currently listed as inactive in the EPA beach-monitoring program, so it may no longer be routinely sampled. Its grade reflects the water-quality results collected while it was active — useful history, but confirm the beach's current status and any local advisory before you visit.

📍 42.2680, -70.8500 · Open in Google Maps. Coordinates mark the monitored shoreline, not a specific access point.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Nantasket earns a Beach Safety Grade of C (Fair), based on 70 bacteria samples where about 7% exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold. Always confirm the current advisory before swimming, especially after heavy rain.

Water samples near Nantasket are tested for Enterococcus, uploaded to the EPA Water Quality Portal. A sample above the Beach Action Value (104 CFU/100 mL) signals a higher risk of illness from swimming. BeachGrade summarizes multiple years of those results into one grade.

Nantasket is a saltwater beach in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

Beach inventory and advisory status from the U.S. EPA BEACON program; bacteria samples from the Water Quality Portal. The Beach Safety Grade summarizes multiple years of monitoring — see our methodology. Water quality changes quickly, especially after rain; always check the official state or county advisory before swimming. BeachGrade is informational and not a substitute for official public-health guidance.

Nantasket

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Frequently Asked Questions

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