Wealthy summer sanctuary limits tourists, hires patrol ‘docents’ to keep outsiders in check

Nantucket may be the perfect summer destination for its coastal New England vibes, but the island has seen an increase in tourist visitation — posing issues for residents. 

The Sconset Bluff Walk is a popular scenic footpath very close to the yards of various private cottages.

It attracts numerous tourists — and now has some neighbors complaining about overtourism issues.

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The Siasconset Civic Association, a nonprofit community advocacy organization, has proposed a series of new recommendations to try to curb the destruction of property and overcrowding by outsiders.

The Nantucket Select Board approved recommended hours of visitation this summer — allowing tourists to walk between 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on a trial basis for the months of July and August.

“Bluff docents” — called rangers in an earlier version of the proposal — were even approved for educating members of the public and keeping an eye on things, according to local paper Nantucket Current.

The Sconset Civic Association also proposed installing turnstiles or gate entrances, but this idea was shut down by the board.

Sconset resident and civic association member John Shea told the Nantucket Current that the overcrowding is a problem.

“I have neighbors on the Bluff Walk who told me they woke up one morning and a couple were making love on their front porch,” Shea told the publication. “We do feel like we are being invaded, particularly in the summer.”

The Bluff Walk has gone viral on social media, with travelers and influencers filming scenes of roses cascading over cottages and beautiful beach shore shots.

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“There has to be a balance here of public and private rights that I think was easy to strike when there were only 10,000 of us, peak summer,” said Matt Fee, a vice chair on the Select Board. 

“It’s hard to strike when there are 60 or 80 [thousand people], and there’s an internet, and they’re talking about the great walk, and everyone needs to go do it this weekend,” he also told the Nantucket Current. 

There were an average of 40,000 visitors on Nantucket during most days in July and August between 2021–2022 — with peak days welcoming above 60,000, according to Cape and Islands, a local publication. 

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Nantucket, with its myriad of charms, attracts celebrities, millionaires — and billionaires.

One neighbor said, “I am by no means somebody who advocates big restrictions — just control, or some sort of a filter,” according to Boston.com. 

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sold his Nantucket home in August for $4 million, as Fox Business reported recently. 

And former President Joe Biden and his family head up to the island almost every year to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family, according to multiple reports. 

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The Siasconset Civic Association is a member of the Nantucket Civic League.  It was formed in 1931 and incorporated in 1974. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Town of Nantucket for comment.