Beaches · Martha's Vineyard
Every beach, by shore
The shore you pick sets the surf and the water temperature, and town permit rules decide who can use the sand in summer.
The South Shore · open Atlantic
Open Atlantic surf and dune, the island's main surf beach. Lifeguards in season, and a strong undertow.
The over-sand barrier beach running east from South Beach toward Chappy. Walk in free; a Town of Edgartown permit to drive.
Atlantic surf on one side of the dune, the warm water of Long Cove Pond on the other. Summer parking is by reservation; walking or biking in is free.
Clay cliffs and a sea stack, west-facing light. Chilmark resident or renter permit in summer.
Stones underfoot and a well-known surf break offshore. Chilmark permit June 15 to Labor Day; the town publishes no after-5 opening, so check the sign at the gate.
The Land Bank beach below the clay cliffs, which are Wampanoag land and off limits. The town lot is $35 a day; walk-ins free.
The North Shore and the Sound · calmer water
A boardwalk through the woods to warm, almost surfless water. Opens to everyone after 5 PM.
Small and warm, where the pond meets the Sound; the boats launch at the Lake Street landing, and the channel is no place to swim.
A calm harbor beach beside the bandstand and the town pier, about ten minutes on foot from the ferry, with no lifeguards.
In-town swimming between two stone jetties, five minutes on foot from the Oak Bluffs ferry, and a century of history on the sand.
The two-mile family stretch between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, shallow and warm, the Jaws Bridge halfway along.
Edgartown Harbor and Chappaquiddick
The sand around Edgartown Harbor Light, about a 15-minute walk from Main Street; harbor water and a tidal current at the mouth.
Remote Trustees sand from Wasque Point to the Cape Poge light, reached by the On Time ferry. Walkers and cyclists come in free.
A 
B 
C A: a long sandy beach at dusk. South Beach, on the Atlantic side, has strong surf and rip currents. B: the clay sea stack on the sand at Lucy Vincent. C: flat water off a beach below a bluff, calm enough to swim out into.
Know Before You Go
Which shore, and who is allowed in
South Beach, Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket take open Atlantic surf, with bigger waves and rip currents.
State Beach, the Inkwell and Lambert’s Cove stay calmer and warmer. This is where families end up, and where a toddler can stand.
Some up-island beaches are permit-only through the summer, so it's worth checking before you drive out.
Lambert's Cove in West Tisbury opens to everyone after 5 PM. Chilmark's beaches publish no after-5 rule, so the posted sign at the gate is the one that counts.
The calm side of the island: no surf, warm water, and open to everyone after 5 PM in the permit season.
All 34 public beaches on the county list
The guide above covers the twenty beaches most visitors use. Dukes County keeps the full list of the island's public beaches. It has 35 entries, because State Beach appears under both Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, which makes 34 beaches. Here they are by town, with the water and the one access rule worth knowing before you go. Permit rules and fees change, so the town or the property owner has the final word each summer.
Aquinnah
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Lobsterville Beach | Vineyard Sound, small waves | Parking is for town residents |
| Moshup Beach | Atlantic, usually big waves | Free to walk on; the town lot nearby charges for parking |
| Philbin Beach | Atlantic | Aquinnah permit needed for all access |
| Red Beach | Menemsha Pond, calm | Aquinnah permit needed in season |
Chilmark
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Chilmark Pond Preserve | Atlantic | Reached only by your own canoe or kayak from the Land Bank canoe drop |
| Great Rock Bight Preserve | Vineyard Sound | Limited parking and a long, steep walk down |
| Lucy Vincent Beach | Atlantic, often heavy surf | Chilmark permit needed in summer |
| Menemsha Beach | Vineyard Sound, next to Dutcher Dock | Open to all, free town parking, lifeguards in season |
| Squibnocket Beach | Atlantic, often heavy surf | Chilmark permit needed from June 15 to Labor Day |
Edgartown and Chappaquiddick
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Bend in the Road Beach | Nantucket Sound | Open to all, lifeguards in season |
| Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge | Atlantic side of Chappaquiddick | Trustees property, entry fee in season |
| Chappy Point Beach | Edgartown Harbor, by the Chappy ferry | Open to all; swift currents and a quick drop-off |
| Edgartown Great Pond Beach | Atlantic barrier beach | By boat only, launched from Turkeyland Cove |
| Fuller Street Beach | Nantucket Sound | Open to all, very little parking |
| Lighthouse Beach | Edgartown Harbor, by the lighthouse | Open to all, a short walk from town |
| Norton Point Beach | Atlantic and Katama Bay | Open to all; over-sand vehicles need an Edgartown permit |
| South Beach State Park | Atlantic, often heavy surf | Open to all, lifeguards in season |
| Wasque Reservation | Atlantic | Trustees property, entry fee in season |
Oak Bluffs and Edgartown (shared)
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Sylvia State Beach | Nantucket Sound, small waves; calm pond side | Open to all, no county lifeguards (the Edgartown end at Bend in the Road has town guards) |
Oak Bluffs
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Eastville Point Beach | Outer harbor and the Lagoon channel | Open to all |
| Little Joseph Sylvia State Beach | Nantucket Sound, shallow | Open to all |
| Marinelli Beach | Nantucket Sound, by the harbor channel | Limited parking, footpath in |
| Oak Bluffs Town Beach | Nantucket Sound, downtown | Open to all |
| Sailing Camp Park | Lagoon Pond, calm | Open to all |
Tisbury (Vineyard Haven)
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Herring Creek Beach (Tashmoo Beach) | Vineyard Sound and the Tashmoo channel | Lifeguard in season; strong currents in the channel |
| Hillman's Point Preserve | Lake Tashmoo, calm | Land Bank property, open to all |
| Lake Street Beach | South end of Lake Tashmoo | Small beach by the town docks |
| Owen Little Way | Outer harbor, by the yacht club | Small beach, open to all |
| Owen Park | Vineyard Haven Harbor, by the town dock | Open to all, no lifeguards |
| Wilfred's Pond Preserve | Vineyard Sound | Short trail from the parking spaces |
West Tisbury
| Beach | Water | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Lambert's Cove Beach | Vineyard Sound, calm | Town residents only from mid-June to Labor Day, open to all after 5 PM |
| Long Point Wildlife Refuge | Atlantic and freshwater Long Cove | Trustees property; summer car passes are reserved ahead |
| Sepiessa Point Reservation | Tisbury Great Pond, calm | Short trail from the parking spaces |
| Seth's Pond | Freshwater pond | Very little roadside parking |
Source: Dukes County Beach Management list of Martha’s Vineyard beaches, checked October 2026, with the State Beach lifeguard note from the county’s State Beach rules.
Questions
Beach questions, answered
Which beaches are free and open to everyone?
Most of them. South Beach, State Beach, the Inkwell, Owen Park, Menemsha, Lake Tashmoo and Lighthouse Beach have free public parking or none at all. Moshup Beach in Aquinnah is free to walk onto; the town lot charges $35 a day in season. Norton Point is free on foot and needs a Town of Edgartown permit to drive on. Two Trustees beaches, Long Point and Wasque, charge $25 a car in season, Cape Poge needs a Trustees permit to drive onto the sand, and all three are free if you walk or bike in. Our beach parking and access guide has the full list.
Which beaches are residents-only in summer?
Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket in Chilmark and Lambert's Cove in West Tisbury need a town permit in the summer season. Lambert's Cove opens to everyone after 5 PM, which is also when the light is best. Chilmark publishes no after-5 rule for its beaches, so go by the sign at the gate. Outside the summer season all three are open.
Where is the calmest water for small children?
The north shore and the Sound side: State Beach, the Inkwell, Owen Park, Menemsha, Lake Tashmoo and Lambert's Cove. Waves are small and the water is warmer. The south shore (South Beach, Lucy Vincent, Squibnocket, Moshup) faces the open Atlantic, with surf and a real undertow.
Which beaches have lifeguards?
In season: South Beach, Menemsha, Bend-in-the-Road, Lambert's Cove and Herring Creek at Lake Tashmoo. Oak Bluffs posts that its town beaches have no lifeguards on duty. Most up-island and Trustees beaches do not, and the surf beaches get rough on windy days.
Can I bring a dog?
In summer most town beaches ban dogs during the day. Lobsterville in Aquinnah allows them on a leash, and most seasonal limits end in mid- to late September. Check the sign at the entrance, as each town writes its own.
Is there a clothing-optional beach?
The far end of Moshup Beach, below the Aquinnah cliffs, has long been used that way, and part of Lucy Vincent (residents only in summer) as well. Neither is formally designated, and people keep it to those stretches, away from families.
Keep Reading
More on the island beaches
Free download · 2026 edition
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach Guide
Twenty of the island’s best-known beaches (parking, stickers, dog rules, lifeguards and safety) in a ten-page guide you can keep on your phone, with a printable cheat sheet and a phone field card inside. Checked for the 2026 season.
It lands in your inbox too, with one useful island letter now and then. Unsubscribe in one click.
What each beach looks like
Filmed on quiet mornings and busy afternoons, so you can judge the crowd for yourself.
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West Tisbury Beach, Relaxing Ocean Waves -
Lake Tashmoo Town Beach, Martha's Vineyard -
Oak Bluffs Inkwell Beach Walking Tour -
Lucy Vincent Beach Walking Tour on Martha's Vineyard -
Lambert's Cove Beach West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard -
Oak Bluffs Summer Day Sunset at Lobsterville Bar and Grille and A Car Ride To Vineyard Haven
