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A scenic running route from Franklin Street to West Chop in Vineyard Haven. Video tour past harbor views and classic New England homes.
A run through Vineyard Haven, from Franklin Street out to West Chop, filmed start to finish. Filmed by MrFelix. If you enjoy the run, his channel is here: MrFelix on YouTube.
A picnic table on the beach with a ferry passing offshore, near the far end of the run.
West Chop Light over the keeper’s red roof, at the turnaround point of the run.
This 3-mile out-and-back run starts on Franklin Street in Vineyard Haven and heads north along Main Street toward West Chop. It's mostly flat, with a gentle climb as you get near the West Chop neighborhood, so runners of any level can manage it.
Vineyard Haven Harbor is on your right on the way out, with sailboats and now and then a Steamship Authority ferry crossing Vineyard Sound. You also pass sea captains' houses from the 1800s, many with cedar shingles the salt air has turned silver-gray.
The turnaround is at West Chop, where the West Chop Lighthouse, built in 1891, is still active. On clear days you can see across to Woods Hole on Cape Cod. The lighthouse is Coast Guard housing and the grounds are closed to the public, so the view is from the road; the West Chop overlook nearby, above the Sound, is a nice spot to catch your breath and stretch before heading back.
Early morning is the coolest time to run in summer and has the lightest traffic all year. The Main Street sidewalk ends after the shops, so much of the run is on the road shoulder, where it pays to watch for cars. We did not see a public water fountain along the route, so carrying water helps in summer. For more car-free running, the island's bike paths work well too.
Filmed May 2024The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
The tree-lined road out to West Chop, double yellow line and no traffic.
Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. 
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Joshua Slocum, first to sail alone around the world, spent his last years farming in West Tisbury and vanished from Vineyard Haven harbor in November 1909. The voyage, the farm called Fag End, the last departure, and what a visitor can actually see: the harbor, a marker stone by a country road, the museum's Slocum papers, and the book itself.
The red bus that gets the loudest cheer in the Edgartown Fourth of July parade belongs to Camp Jabberwocky, a tuition-free summer camp for people with disabilities that has run on the Vineyard since 1953. An islander's account of where it came from and what it is. For anything official, the camp's own site is the source.
Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Haven hides a century of stories: the 1887 waterworks that watered the town, a golf course where a bull was a hazard, town baseball and the frozen winters when islanders raced ice boats.
Take a guided Jaws tour of Martha's Vineyard with local guide Mike Currid. Walk the real Amity Island in Edgartown and book the “Amity” Walking Tour.
A first-hand look at the Edgartown Historic Walking Tour and “Amity” Jaws Tour with Mike Currid of the Edgartown Tour Company: what to expect, what you'll learn, and how to book.
The complete guide to Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard's year-round port town. Main Street shopping, Black Dog Tavern, Owen Park, and ferry terminal.
Island tip of the day Timing No. 61 of 79 New tip at midnight, island time
Visit Edgartown on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Same beautiful town, maybe 30% of the weekend crowds. Most restaurants have availability without reservations.
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