List of islands of Massachusetts explained

The islands of Massachusetts range from barren, almost completely submerged rocks in Massachusetts Bay (e.g. Abbott Rock, first on the list below) to the large, famous and heavily visited Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

The recent history of Massachusetts' islands includes creation by flooding, connection to the mainland and subsumption into new land. Several islands existed as hills in western Worcester County and eastern Hampshire County until the 1930s, when the Swift River was dammed amid controversy to create the Quabbin Reservoir to meet demand for water in the Boston metropolitan area. Castle Island, Deer Island and Nut Island, all in Boston Harbor, have been attached to the mainland and remain islands in name only. Castle and Nut Islands now form the ends of peninsulas due to land reclamation, while Deer Island was attached to Winthrop Peninsula by the New England Hurricane of 1938. Governors Island and Apple Island now constitute the land underneath the runways and tarmacs of Logan International Airport and are included in this list despite their disappearance. Many of the Boston Harbor islands that are located under Logan's flight paths are part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

Although most of the islands are in or near the Atlantic Ocean, several islands in western Massachusetts are found in the Connecticut River and a few others are surrounded by natural or man made lakes, ponds and wetlands.

Name	Municipality	County	Populated?	Terrain	Notes
Abbot Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Abiels Ledge		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Nantucket	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
Alden Island		Plymouth	inhabited?	residence	minor island / wetland
Aldridge Ledge		Suffolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Alleghany Rock	Tisbury	Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Allen Rock		Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Allen Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock / wetland
	Bourne	Barnstable	inhabited	residential area
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor island, privately owned
Anuxanon Island		Plymouth	uninhabited	heavily forested
	Boston	Suffolk	uninhabited	commercial use	part of the Logan Int'l Airport complex
Archer Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	uninhabited	forested	wetland
Babson Ledge		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Badgers Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bagwell Island		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
Bailey Flat		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor island
	Salem	Essex	inhabited	residential area	isolated community
Bar Rock	Westport	Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bar Rock		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor island
		Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor island
Barrel Rock		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Barstow Rock		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bartlett Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bartlett Rock		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	Marshfield	Plymouth	inhabited	residential area	wetland
	Gill	Franklin	uninhabited	forested	minor island
Bass Ledge	Nantucket	Nantucket	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bass Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bass Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Bass Rock^[1]		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	Bourne	Barnstable	inhabited	residential area	isolated community
		Worcester	uninhabited	forested	minor island
		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Norfolk	inhabited?	residence?	isolated (residence?)
		Plymouth	uninhabited	heavily forested	minor island
	Barnstable	Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Franklin	uninhabited	heavily forested
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Bristol	uninhabited	forested?
Big Quamino Rock		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	mid-size rock
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	wetland
		Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	abandoned settlement
		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor island / has tower structure
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor island / has beacon structure
Black Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Black Rock		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock / wetland
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Black Rock		Suffolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	Winchendon	Worcester	inhabited	residential area
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	(Boston Harbor)	Suffolk	inhabited		U.S. Coast Guard station / compilation of islands
		Middlesex	uninhabited	state forest	J Harry Rich State Forest
		Essex	inhabited?	residence?	wetland
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	large rock
Brant Island		Plymouth	inhabited	residential area
Brant Rock	Marshfield	Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	large rock
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rocks
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	abandoned	private conservation land (Trustees of Reservations)
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
		Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor island
		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	Gosnold	Dukes	inhabited?	residence?
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
		Plymouth	inhabited?	state park	ruins / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Gloucester?	Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rocks
			uninhabited	forested	minor island / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	state park	ruins / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	state park	ruins / compilation of islands / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	heavily forested
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	inhabited	thickly settled towns and villages, heavily forested, wetlands	forested, minor and major rock
		Essex	uninhabited	wetland	State Wildlife Management Area
			uninhabited	forested
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	mid-size rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	heavily forested	minor island / wetland
	Gosnold	Dukes	uninhabited	barren	minor island
			uninhabited	barren	minor island
			uninhabited	heavily forested
			uninhabited	barren
Channel Rock		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Channel Rock	(Nantucket Sound)		uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	barren
		Dukes	inhabited	residential area	large island
		Worcester	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	inhabited	Summer Camp, property of YMCA
			uninhabited	heavily forested	minor island / wetland
		Norfolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
	Essex
			uninhabited	barren	mid-size rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor island
			uninhabited	state forest	Tolland State Forest
			inhabited	residential area
				barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	heavily forested	minor island
		Plymouth	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Worcester	inhabited	residence	isolated residence
	Falmouth	Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
Commissioners Ledge		Suffolk	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	abandoned	light growth, small salt marsh	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	light growth	minor island
			uninhabited	barren	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	mid-size rock
Cormorant Rock			uninhabited	barren	has beacon / minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	forested	minor island / wetland
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren
Cove Ledge		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Norfolk	uninhabited	heavily forested	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
Cross Island		Essex	inhabited	residential area	wetland / privately owned
		Bristol	inhabited	residence	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	abandoned	small pine forest	Trustees of Reservations property
			uninhabited		minor island
	Gosnold	Dukes	inhabited	residential area	large island
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren
		Essex	uninhabited	forested	minor island / wetland
Decatur Rock			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			inhabited?	commercial use?	minor island
	Boston Harbor		uninhabited		Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Falmouth		uninhabited	barren	minor island
			uninhabited	forested	minor island / wetland
			uninhabited	state park	minor rock / Dighton Rock State Park / Massachusetts' (official) state explorer rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Bristol	uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	nat. wildlife refuge	minor island / wetland / Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
			uninhabited	barren	minor rock
		Essex	uninhabited	barren	compilation of islands
		Barnstable	uninhabited	barren	minor island / wetland
	Newton	Middlesex	uninhabited	forested	minor island / wetland
	Salem	Essex	uninhabited	light growth	minor island
		Essex	uninhabited	very light growth	major rock
Elizabeth Island	Arlington	Middlesex	uninhabited	forested	minor island
	Waltham	Middlesex	uninhabited	forested	minor island
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Marblehead	Essex
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
		Essex	uninhabited	light growth	minor island
	Boston	Suffolk
					Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
		Barnstable	uninhabited		Great Island Trail ^[2]
		Essex	uninhabited/abandoned	nature preserve (Trustees of Reservations)	minor island
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Gosnold	Dukes
	Westport	Bristol
	Westport	Bristol
			uninhabited?	research natural area (The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts)	minor island
	Quincy	Norfolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Hog Island		Essex	uninhabited?	spruce forest, wetlands
		Essex
		Essex
	Manchester-by-the-Sea	Essex
	Hingham				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Hull				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Hull				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
		Essex
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	large rock
		Dukes	inhabited year round	residential/commercial	Well-developed summer attraction
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
		Essex
		Norfolk	uninhabited	training facilities	Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	forested	in Quabbin Reservoir; access not permitted^[3]
		Nantucket	uninhabited	dunes, marsh	2 buildings; inaccessible by most boats
		Nantucket	inhabited year round	residential, commercial	Well-developed tourist attraction
	Gosnold	Dukes	inhabited year round		Privately owned
	Gosnold	Dukes	inhabited year round		Privately owned
	Southborough
	Boston Harbor		uninhabited	granite rock	navigation aid / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Gosnold	Dukes
	Quincy	Norfolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Barnstable	Barnstable
	Hull				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Gosnold	Dukes
	Boston Harbor	Suffolk	inhabited	ruins	Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Gosnold	Dukes
		Essex	inhabited	residential, commercial and wildlife sanctuary	Plum Island State Park at southern tip
	Boston Harbor	Suffolk	uninhabited	gravel/rock
	Hingham		uninhabited	plants/trees	Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Boston	Suffolk			Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
		Essex	uninhabited	wetlands and trees	State Wildlife Management Area
	Hull
		Barnstable	uninhabited	scrub pine, oak, sand, marsh	Mass. Audubon wildlife sanctuary^[4]
	Westport	Bristol
	Hingham				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Seal Island	Mattapoisett
Seal Island	Newbury
	Plymouth (in Billington Sea)		uninhabited?	forested	minor island
	Boston				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Sheep Island^[5]	Weymouth				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			inhabited		Pleasant Bay, Cape Cod, private
Slate Island^[6]	Weymouth				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Winthrop				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Petersham
	Boston				Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Hull
	Petersham
	Rockport	Essex
	Chatham
	Gloucester	Essex
	Chatham
		Essex
			inhabited	barren	major rock / privately owned / aid to navigation / Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
			uninhabited	barren	Rock outcrop in the Dorchester Bay is the middle shaft of the old sewer tunnel under Dorchester Bay between Moon Island and Columbia Point^[7]
			uninhabited, used by Outward Bound	forested, marshland	Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
	Marshfield	Plymouth
		Essex	inhabited	sparse growth
	Bourne	Barnstable
			yes, summer	scrub oak/heath	~35 houses, no roads or electricity
	Gosnold	Dukes
	Gosnold
	Hardwick
		Barnstable
	Gosnold	Dukes
		Bristol
	Westport	Bristol
	Newburyport

See also

• Islands of the Northeast United States

Notes and References

1. Bass Rock is federally recognized and is designated as an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, referenced in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which is developed by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN), according to the USGS website. Bass Rocks designated number on the GNIS is either
   1. 617550
   ,
   1. 613293
   , or
   1. 614043
   .
2. https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/greatislandtrail.htm Great Island Trail
3. Web site: Quabbin Reservoir Watershed System. https://web.archive.org/web/20121005234654/http://www.mass.gov/dcr/watersupply/watershed/maps/quabsystem.pdf. 2012-10-05. 2020-05-20.
4. Web site: Sampsons Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
5. http://www.nps.gov/boha/historyculture/facts-shee.htm Island Facts: Sheep Island - Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
6. http://www.nps.gov/boha/historyculture/facts-slat.htm Island Facts: Slate Island - Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
7. Web site: Moon Island and the Old Boston Drainage System. Boston Harbor Beacon. 3 March 2018.