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South-shore surf at sunset. This is the same open Atlantic that Long Point faces, photographed further along the shore; we have not yet photographed the refuge itself, so the film above is the truest picture of it for now.
Long Point Wildlife Refuge: 632 acres of rare grassland, Atlantic beach, trails, kayaking, and seasonal access in West Tisbury.
Long Point Wildlife Refuge is a 632-acre coastal sanctuary in West Tisbury, protecting one of the last significant tracts of globally rare sandplain grassland on Earth. Managed by The Trustees of Reservations since 1979, the refuge combines a wild Atlantic barrier beach, freshwater ponds, pitch pine–scrub oak forest, and open grassland. Roughly 85–98% of all sandplain grassland worldwide has been lost since the mid-1800s, and Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket together hold about 90% of what remains.
Filmed March 2024The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
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Summer (mid-June to mid-September): Turn south off Edgartown–West Tisbury Road onto Waldron's Bottom Road, then follow Scrubby Neck Road and Hughes Thumb Road to the staffed gatehouse. About 1.5 miles of bumpy dirt road. Expect ten minutes of slow driving.
Winter/off-season (mid-September to mid-June): Use Deep Bottom Road, West Tisbury off Edgartown–West Tisbury Road. Follow for 1.5 miles, always bearing left at forks. At the hanging "Long Point" sign, turn right onto Thumb Point Road and continue 1.3 miles. Free access, no reservation needed.
About 8–9 miles from the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal (20–25 minutes). If you're visiting without a car, the VTA bus runs along Edgartown–West Tisbury Road but doesn't reach the refuge entrance. You'd need a bike or taxi for the last stretch.
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Approximately 2 miles of flat trails cross the property over soft sand and packed dirt. The path winds through four distinct zones: pitch pine–scrub oak woodland, sandplain grassland and heathland, freshwater marsh and ponds, and barrier beach with dunes. Along the way you'll pass views across Long Cove Pond, Tisbury Great Pond, Big Homer's Pond, and Little Homer's Pond, plus an osprey nesting platform and a wildlife viewing blind.
Difficulty is easy: flat, suitable for families and beginners. The main challenge is soft sand near the beach (a sand wagon helps). The hike from parking to beach takes roughly 15–20 minutes. For the complete island trail guide, see our Martha's Vineyard Hiking Trails guide.
Long Point's beach is a sandy barrier beach on the open Atlantic, South Shore frontage with real surf. On the inland side of the dune, Long Cove Pond offers warm, calm, shallow water with a sandy bottom, making it especially popular with families and young children. Visitors report walking five or more minutes in either direction along the beach without seeing another person.
Swimming is at your own risk: no lifeguards. The ocean side can be hazardous with rough surf and undertow. The pond side is far gentler. Gray seals are regularly spotted offshore. For more beach options, see our every beach on Martha's Vineyard guide.
Long Point's eBird hotspot records 185 bird species, making it one of the most productive birding sites on the island. Confirmed breeding species include piping plover (federally threatened), least tern, American oystercatcher, and common tern. In 2025, Martha's Vineyard exceeded 100 pairs of piping plovers island-wide for the first time.
Osprey nest on a dedicated platform on the property. Northern harriers hunt the grasslands. The annual Christmas Bird Count tallies 120–130 species in a single December day. Beyond birds, the property supports the North American black racer snake (tracked via radio telemetry since 2014), diamondback terrapins (MA Threatened), red foxes in the dunes, and white-tailed deer managed through seasonal hunting. See our Wildlife guide for more on island species.
Sandplain grassland is a low, open, prairie-like plant community growing on nutrient-poor sandy soils deposited as glacial outwash roughly 15,000 years ago. Massachusetts ranks it S1: Critically Imperiled. The Wampanoag people sustained these plains for millennia through deliberate burning. Colonial-era sheep grazing expanded them further, with grasslands reaching their greatest extent around the mid-1800s.
Post-WWII fire suppression and development destroyed the vast majority. The dominant grass is little bluestem, with roots extending up to six feet underground. Look for butterfly weed, yellow wild indigo, and the globally rare New England blazing star in late summer. The Trustees conducts prescribed burns. In spring 2023, six controlled burns treated over 130 acres to keep this ecosystem alive.
Summer (mid-June to mid-September):
Winter: free, no reservation via Deep Bottom Road entrance.
Key rules: No dogs or pets year-round (no exceptions; this is a wildlife refuge). No bikes on trails or beach. No alcohol. Carry in, carry out. No trash receptacles. Beach sections may close during piping plover nesting season (April–August). Remember tick precautions. They're abundant here.
Check our live webcams to see current island conditions before you visit.
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Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. 
Step 2 · DaysDay-by-Day Trip PlannerMorning, afternoon and evening sketched for every day, events dropped in, emailed to you. 
Step 3 · CostTrip Cost CalculatorFerry, beds with the rooms tax, meals, getting around and activities in one honest range. In summer, mid-June to mid-September, turn south off Edgartown–West Tisbury Road onto Waldron’s Bottom Road and follow Scrubby Neck and Hughes Thumb roads about 1.5 bumpy miles to the staffed gatehouse. Off-season use Deep Bottom Road, bearing left at the forks, then Thumb Point Road for 1.3 miles. It is 8 to 9 miles from the Vineyard Haven ferry; the bus does not reach the entrance.
In summer the Trustees charge $25 a vehicle for non-members and Long Point needs an advance pass from mid-June to August; walking or biking in is free. Off-season access is free with no reservation.
Two choices. The ocean side is open Atlantic with real surf and no lifeguards. Long Cove Pond, on the inland side of the dune, is warm, calm and shallow with a sandy bottom, which is why families choose it.
About two miles of flat trails over soft sand and packed dirt through pine and oak woodland, sandplain grassland, freshwater marsh and the barrier beach. Parking to beach takes 15 to 20 minutes; a sand wagon helps.
Sandplain grassland is globally rare: 85 to 98 percent of it has been lost since the mid-1800s, and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket together hold about 90 percent of what remains. The refuge’s 632 acres have been managed by the Trustees since 1979.
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