Two island ecosystems, a shrub swamp wetland and island moors dotted with kettle holes makes for fascinating hike through a section of the island molded by 500 feet of ice bearing down on it 21,000 years ago. A trail meanders along the edge of the Stump Swamp offering views of water and the birds that reside here. Connecting with Almanac Pond Road, the trail continues past Almanac Pond, a kettle hole itself, and over into the Nantucket Islands Land Bank’s portion of Norwood Farm, the result of a joint purchase of 207 acres with the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.
Norwood Farm is a unique mashup of much of the island’s terrain including forest, upland meadows, small ponds, a former cranberry bog and one of the island’s true flowing streams. This dual property hike can last 90-120 minutes depending on the group’s interest in seeing more or less of the area.
Logging your steps and counting the miles.
If you’re counting your steps with a fitness/activity tracker, this hike offers around 4,100 steps and is 2.1 miles in length.
Hiking fees
This hike costs $65 for adults and $30 for children under 13. Nantucket Walkabout offers a 20-percent military discount to active and retired military personnel, and their spouses. When booking your hike, please enter the promo code, MILITARYDISCOUNT when prompted to do so. If you’re booking a hike with non-military hikers, please book for yourself or, yourself and your spouse in a separate booking from your friends and family. Also, please present your military ID card to our guide at the time of pick up. Check the Hike Calendar to see when we are hiking the Stump Swamp/Norwood Farm trail and to book it. To arrange for a private hike on this route, call or email us for our rates and to discuss your hiking needs.
Continuing your island discovery!
We encourage you to explore Nantucket on your own! There are more than 15,000 acres open for exploration on land owned by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, the Nantucket Islands Land Bank, the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, The Trustees of Reservations and The ’Sconset Trust. After your hike with Nantucket Walkabout, ask your guide for a package of maps from most of these conservation organizations.