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A bicycle ride through Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard. Scenic harbors, historic homes, and the island's year-round port town by bike.
Join us for a bicycle ride around Vineyard Haven, filmed from the handlebars. The ride winds through the town's residential streets, with extra time on Franklin Street.
A road sloping down toward the water in summer, a ferry out on the Sound.
This casual cycling route circles through Vineyard Haven's harbor area and residential streets, covering roughly 4 miles on mostly flat terrain. The route passes through Franklin Street, one of the prettiest residential streets in town, with views of the harbor through gaps between the historic homes.
A bike left on the rocks at the water’s edge, the water calm and blue behind it.
You'll ride past the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club and the town's working boatyards, then out along Beach Road toward Oak Bluffs. The in-town loop is the easy, family-friendly part. Past town, the leg to Oak Bluffs is an on-road ride with summer traffic and no separated bike path, so families with young kids may prefer to stay on the Vineyard Haven streets.
Boats on their moorings in Vineyard Haven Harbor.
Several bike rental shops near the Steamship Authority terminal rent everything from beach cruisers to e-bikes. Standard bikes typically run about $25-35 per day and e-bikes $70-90; confirm with the shop. Massachusetts law requires helmets for riders 16 and younger, and they are a good idea for everyone. For longer rides, dedicated paths run from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown along the coast; note there is no separated path between Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, so that leg is an on-road ride with summer traffic.
A stop at the Lake Street landing on Lake Tashmoo, about 2 miles from the ferry terminal.
Safety note: the dedicated bike paths are the more relaxed ride wherever they go, since Martha's Vineyard roads can be narrow with limited shoulders, especially up-island.
Filmed June 2023The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
Inside the Black Dog Bakery Cafe, the counter and the drinks case: the mid-ride stop.
Safety Notice: Martha's Vineyard roads, especially up-island, can be narrow and heavily trafficked during summer months. We strongly recommend sticking to the island's dedicated bike paths rather than riding on roads shared with motor vehicles. If you must ride on roads, wear a helmet, use lights, and exercise extreme caution. Cycling conditions change seasonally; always check current trail and road conditions before your ride.
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.
Cycling Martha's Vineyard in 2026: about 38 miles of bike paths, 5 routes from easy family rides to the 60-mile island loop, rental prices, and e-bike rules.
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.
A bicycle ride from Edgartown to Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard: the full route between the two towns, filmed in 4K.
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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