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Tire tracks loop across a wide sandy beach, with green ocean water beyond. At South Beach, lifeguards cover the middle stretch and walkers have the far ends.
Complete guide to all 20 Martha's Vineyard beaches: parking costs, lifeguard schedules, dog rules, swimming safety, sticker requirements, and ADA access.
This guide covers 20 beaches on two very different coastlines: the Atlantic south shore with its surf and dunes, and the calm, warm Sound side where families tend to go. Parking runs from free to $35/day, some beaches need a town sticker, and dog rules change between summer and the off-season. Each listing gives the parking cost, lifeguard hours, dog rules, swimming conditions and who the beach suits.
Massachusetts posts current bathing-beach test results and any no-swim advisories on its public beach water quality dashboard, and the island's ponds are monitored for cyanobacteria through the MV CYANO program run with the local boards of health. Both change week to week, so they're worth a quick look on swim day, especially at pond beaches after heavy rain.
Table of contents [Show]
| If you want | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Young children (safest water) | Owen Park / Bend in the Road | Calm water; lifeguards at Bend in the Road only |
| Surfing and bodysurfing | South Beach / Wasque | Atlantic swell and big waves |
| Dogs in summer | Lobsterville | Dogs allowed on a leash; the Aquinnah beach for dogs |
| Zero cost / free parking | State Beach / Inkwell / Owen Park | Free parking, no sticker needed |
| Sunset views | Menemsha Beach | Faces west for the sunset, food steps away |
| Seclusion / remote | Cape Poge / Long Point | OSV or hike access, few people |
| Near Oak Bluffs ferry | Inkwell Beach / State Beach | Inkwell is a short walk from the terminal; State Beach starts about 1.5 miles down Beach Road |
| Near Vineyard Haven ferry | Owen Park / Eastville | Owen Park is about a 10-minute walk from the Steamship dock; Eastville is about 0.75 miles, across the drawbridge |
| Fishing (surf casting) | Wasque / Cape Poge | Striped bass and bluefish water |
| ADA / wheelchair access | South Beach / Inkwell | Beach wheelchairs on request |
The south shore faces the open Atlantic, so the water is cooler, the rip currents are stronger and the surf is real. Where there are flags, swimming between them is the safe choice, and a "no swimming" flag means out of the water. Water temperatures are mostly in the 60s in summer.
Filmed August 2025
Location: Edgartown, 3 miles south of downtown via Katama Road. Also reachable by VTA Route 8 from downtown Edgartown.
South Beach is the island's longest and most popular Atlantic beach, a long stretch of open Atlantic sand in Katama, with the Norton Point barrier beach running east from it. It's the only south shore beach with steady lifeguard coverage, which makes it the place for real waves with a lifeguard watching. Bodysurfers and boogie boarders come here a lot. The Norton Point breach that opened on January 1, 2026 cut the barrier beach off from Chappaquiddick, and the tidal current running through it is extremely dangerous, so it's best to stay well away from the opening.
Erosion has also reshaped the approach in 2026: the town reports the right fork (Herring Creek Road) side currently has more parking and usable sand, while the left fork (Katama Road) side is limited. Access and parking can change from day to day, so any beach report, this one included, is a snapshot; Edgartown posts beach updates you can check the day you go.
Moshup Beach from the top of the clay cliffs, with surf rolling in along the island’s western tip. The walk in is long and the lot fills by mid-morning.
Location: Aquinnah, at the end of State Road, beneath the Gay Head Cliffs. Named for Moshup, the giant of Wampanoag tradition.
Moshup Beach sits at the base of the multicolored clay cliffs, one of the most photographed spots on the island. The cliffs are Wampanoag tribal land and a National Natural Landmark, so climbing them and taking clay are off limits. The far western end has a clothing-optional stretch, a long-standing tradition. With no lifeguards and strong rip currents, it's a beach for confident swimmers.
Lucy Vincent, Chilmark’s best-known beach, with the low sun behind its tall clay rock formations. In summer it is resident-sticker only, which keeps it uncrowded.
Location: Chilmark, off South Road, about 2 miles from the town center.
Many people call Lucy Vincent the most beautiful beach on Martha's Vineyard, with tall bluffs, clean sand, heavy surf and nothing built on the horizon. During the day it is limited to Chilmark residents and their guests, which keeps it quiet. There are no lifeguards, even though the surf is dangerous. The far east end is clothing-optional. Chilmark posts the beach as open 9 AM to 7 PM, and from June 1 to September 15 no one goes past the gate without a sticker or walk-on pass.
Location: Chilmark, at the end of Squibnocket Road, near the western Chilmark border.
Squibnocket is a smaller Atlantic beach that Chilmark people mostly keep to themselves. Its cove shape and rocky headlands make for good tidepooling at the east end. The surf can be powerful, and the bottom drops off quickly, so the shore break catches people off guard. There are never lifeguards, and daytime access in season (June 15 through Labor Day) is limited to Chilmark residents and their renters with a town sticker or pass. Chilmark posts beach hours of 9 AM to 5 PM, and the posted signs have the last word.
Rocks along the waterline and a wave for the surfers on a Chilmark beach.
Location: West Tisbury, end of Waldron's Bottom Road, managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
Long Point is one of the few beaches where you can swim in the Atlantic and in a calm pond, Long Cove, on the same visit. The summer lot sits a few hundred yards behind the dune, and the advance-pass system keeps crowds lower than at the town beaches. It's a wildlife refuge, so dogs are never allowed, and there are no lifeguards. The pond side is calm and warm; the ocean side is open Atlantic. Trustees members pay less: $15 a car at the Household level, and free from the Contributing level up.
A Chappaquiddick beach under an orange sky, with tire tracks in the sand, a long line of seaweed and low dunes alongside.
Location: Chappaquiddick Island, end of Wasque Road, managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
Wasque (pronounced "WAY-squee") sits at the far southeastern tip of Chappaquiddick where Nantucket Sound meets the Atlantic, and the currents here are the strongest and least predictable of any beach on the island. Surf casters know it for striped bass and bluefish, especially in the fall run. Swimming is only for very experienced ocean swimmers. You get to Chappaquiddick on the On Time ferry ($5 round-trip for walk-ons).
Location: Chappaquiddick Island, northern tip, accessible only by OSV (over-sand vehicle) or a very long walk/bike ride. Managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
Cape Poge is the most remote beach on Martha's Vineyard, a seven-mile barrier beach and spit you reach by 4WD with an OSV permit or on a very long walk. Terns and piping plovers nest here in summer, and some areas are roped off. The lighthouse dates to 1893. There is nothing out here, so food, water and everything else come with you.
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The north shore faces the Sound, which is sheltered from the open Atlantic. The water is a good deal warmer (upper 60s to mid-70s °F in peak summer), the waves are gentle and the currents mild, so these are the island's safest beaches for children and non-swimmers. You give up the surf: there are no waves for bodysurfing.
Beach Road in low golden light, crossing one of the bridges along State Beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The Sound water is warm, shallow and flat, parking is free the whole way along, and families like it.
Location: Between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown along Beach Road, 2 miles of Sound-facing beach along the main road.
State Beach is the easiest public beach on the island to get to. It runs right along Beach Road with a wide bike path beside it, so you can ride there from Oak Bluffs or Edgartown. The famous "Jaws Bridge" (the American Legion Memorial Bridge) crosses the inlet at the Oak Bluffs and Edgartown town line. Posted signs prohibit jumping and diving, and the tidal current through the channel is strong. Parking can be tight, but the beach is long enough that there's almost always a spot somewhere, and a quieter stretch a short walk away.
Location: Oak Bluffs, on Seaview Avenue about a quarter mile south of the Oak Bluffs ferry terminal.
Inkwell Beach is one of the country's historic African American beaches. Through the Jim Crow era and the whole 20th century it was the gathering place for Black families, intellectuals and civil rights leaders. Spike Lee has a home on the island today. Today it is a calm, friendly town beach, and its history is worth knowing before you spread the towel.
An Oak Bluffs beach on a busy August day, with people lined up along the seawall path above it.
Location: Oak Bluffs, adjacent to Inkwell, along the Oak Bluffs esplanade.
Pay Beach is the more built-up part of the Oak Bluffs town waterfront. Despite the name, there's no fee anymore; it is free and public. With the esplanade and the restaurants nearby, it's easy to pair a swim with lunch or dinner in Oak Bluffs.
Location: Oak Bluffs, just across the drawbridge from Vineyard Haven, where the outer harbor meets the channel into Lagoon Pond, about 0.75 miles from the Vineyard Haven Steamship Authority terminal.
Eastville is a small harbor beach close to the Vineyard Haven ferry, handy for an early arrival or a last swim before the boat home. The water is calm along the beach itself, but the channel nearby carries a lot of boat traffic and tidal current, so the channel opening is no place to swim.
Location: Vineyard Haven, Owen Park off Main Street, about a 10-minute walk from the Steamship Authority ferry terminal.
Owen Park is the easiest family beach near the Vineyard Haven ferry: a small, calm harbor beach with good facilities, a playground next to it, no lifeguards, and a town bandstand for summer concerts. The water is very calm and shallow, which suits toddlers and non-swimmers, and with the park around it you can easily spend half a day here. The coalition survey found no beach wheelchair here; the floating chair in Tisbury is at Owen Little Way Beach.
The lifeguard stand at Menemsha Beach, with the swim buoys strung out in calm water. The beach faces west, so it fills up before sunset.
Location: Chilmark, at the working fishing village of Menemsha, end of North Road.
Menemsha Beach may be the island's favorite. It's small, but it has calm Sound water, the fishing harbor beside it, lifeguards, and food closer than at any other beach on the Vineyard: Larsen's fish market Temporarily closed Closed for the season until May 2027, per its own site and Home Port Restaurant are steps away. It is also the island's sunset spot. The beach faces due west, and crowds gather every summer evening to watch the sun drop into the Sound, so on weekends it pays to come early for parking.
Location: Aquinnah, along Lobsterville Road on the north side of the island, facing Menemsha Pond and the Sound.
Lobsterville matters most to dog owners: it is the Aquinnah beach where dogs are allowed, on a leash. The beach is long and fairly uncrowded (the roadside parking is for Aquinnah permit holders only), and it faces the calm Sound. Many visitors bike in. The water is shallow and calm enough for families, and the open shore catches a breeze on hot days.
Location: Vineyard Haven (Tisbury), at the end of Owen Little Way off Main Street, on the harbor.
A small, calm town beach on Vineyard Haven Harbor next to the yacht club. It's sheltered, warm and calm, which suits children. Local families use it a lot, and it sees fewer visitors than the Oak Bluffs beaches or State Beach, so it's a good low-key spot if you're renting near Vineyard Haven.
A beach under a heavy gray sky, with one big rock just offshore. Lambert’s Cove is sticker-only by day once summer starts (residents and in-town renters).
Location: West Tisbury, off Lambert's Cove Road.
Filmed June 2026
Lambert's Cove is often called the prettiest calm-water beach on the island: a crescent of white sand between pine-covered bluffs on the Sound side. From June 15, parking is limited 7 AM to 5 PM to West Tisbury sticker holders (residents, and people renting a house in town), but anyone can come before 7 or after 5, and evening is a good time to go (the light is low, the crowd is gone, and the water is still warm). For summer residents, the $75/season sticker is an easy way in. Dogs are allowed only 7 to 10 AM in summer, and since sticker hours start at 7, that morning window is really for sticker holders.
Moored boats on calm water at sunset, seen from a small sandy beach on Lake Tashmoo. The pond side is the place to swim, away from the channel.
Location: Vineyard Haven, end of Herring Creek Road where Lake Tashmoo meets the Sound.
Tashmoo Opening is the one spot where Lake Tashmoo, a calm, warm tidal pond, meets Vineyard Sound through a narrow, jetty-lined opening. You can swim on the lake side or on the Sound side; the channel between them has strong currents, and Tisbury doesn't allow swimming or diving in it. Local families love it on hot days. Parking is very limited, so most visitors walk or bike.
Location: Edgartown, along Edgartown-Oak Bluffs Road, immediately north of downtown Edgartown.
Bend-in-the-Road is a small, calm Sound-facing beach right off the main road between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. With summer lifeguards, calm water and an easy location, it's a good pick for Edgartown visitors who'd rather skip the South Beach crowds, and handy for families, quick swims and anyone riding the main bike path.
Location: Edgartown, end of Fuller Street, near the Edgartown Lighthouse and the harbor narrows to Chappaquiddick.
Fuller Street Beach, a short walk from Lighthouse Beach, is a narrow strip of sand at the Edgartown harbor mouth, within easy walking distance of downtown Edgartown's shops and restaurants. The beach faces the harbor and the Chappaquiddick shoreline. The harbor current near the point can be strong, which makes the point itself a poor spot for children and dogs.
A sandy path through beach roses down to calm pond water, posted for shellfishing access. Sengekontacket Pond, behind State Beach, is calm and shallow for kids and kayaks, and the Felix Neck bird sanctuary is on its far shore.
Location: Between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. The pond is accessible from multiple points along Beach Road and near the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sengekontacket Pond is a large, warm brackish pond separated from Nantucket Sound by the State Beach barrier. The pond is warmer than the Sound and very shallow, so young children can splash around with no waves to worry about. The Jaws Bridge spans the narrow connection between the pond and the Sound. Signs prohibit jumping and diving, and the current through that gap is stronger than it looks. You get to the pond from pull-offs along Beach Road.
Several of the island's best-loved beaches are limited by day to town residents with seasonal stickers.
| Town | Beach | Sticker cost | Non-resident access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilmark | Lucy Vincent, Squibnocket | $100/season (Lucy Vincent) · $65/season (Squibnocket) | Pass needed in season (Lucy Vincent June 1–Sept 15, open 9–7; Squibnocket June 15–Labor Day, open 9–5) |
| West Tisbury | Lambert's Cove | $75/season | 5 to 9 PM in summer (posted hours) |
| Aquinnah | Moshup Beach (parking) | $35/day (day-use) | Day-use fee applies |
If you're not a resident, Lambert's Cove is open to everyone from 5 to 9 PM in summer, after its posted sticker hours, while Chilmark's Lucy Vincent and Squibnocket stay pass-only in season (posted hours 9 AM to 7 PM and 9 AM to 5 PM), so the posted signs decide. Lambert's Cove in the evening light, free and with no sticker, is one of the island's better bargains.
The Trustees of Reservations manage three beaches on the south shore and Chappaquiddick. Day fees add up, and a Contributing membership ($140) pays for itself after about six visits by car.
| Beach | Day fee (non-member) | Member fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Point | $25/vehicle | $15 Household, free Contributing+ | Short walk to beach from the summer lot |
| Wasque | $25/vehicle | $15 Household, free Contributing+ | Via Chappaquiddick On Time ferry |
| Cape Poge (OSV) | Season OSV permit, bought online in advance | Included with permit | 4WD required, OSV permit |
Trustees Individual membership is $60 a year and Household $80, but free beach parking starts at the Contributing level ($140); Household members pay $15 per vehicle. Current prices are at thetrustees.org, where you can also buy online before the trip.
The full treatment, with the 2026 incidents, rip current technique, sharks, water quality and ordnance, is our beach safety guide.
Posted rules at a Land Bank beach entrance: daylight hours only, swim at your own risk, no campfires, keep off the dunes.
| Conditions | Beaches | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous | Wasque, Cape Poge, Squibnocket, Lucy Vincent | Violent rip currents, no lifeguards, powerful surf |
| Take care | South Beach, Moshup Beach, Long Point (ocean), State Beach (near bridge) | Rip currents possible; the flags tell you the day |
| Calm | Owen Park, Inkwell, Pay Beach, Menemsha, Tisbury Town, Bend-in-the-Road, Lambert's Cove, Long Point (pond), Sengekontacket Pond | Calm Sound water, gentle entry |
| Careful near the channel | Eastville Beach, Fuller Street, Tashmoo Opening | Safe on beach side, dangerous near channel/tidal opening |
Dog rules on Martha's Vineyard are enforced, they differ by town, and they change between summer and the off-season. There is no single dog season, and many limits start well before Memorial Day. State Beach, Norton Point and Eastville Point close to dogs on April 1 for nesting birds (State Beach stays dog-free 9 AM to 5 PM through September; Norton Point and Eastville Point through September 15). Oak Bluffs town beaches are dog-free 8 AM to 5 PM from May 15 to September 15 (Inkwell from 7 AM). Wasque on Chappaquiddick is closed to dogs April 1 through September 30. Each beach's listing above has its own rules. Lobsterville (Aquinnah) allows dogs on a leash; for Fuller Street (Edgartown), check the town’s posted rules. For a complete guide to traveling with dogs, see the Pet-Friendly Martha's Vineyard guide.
Dune grass gone gold beside the road, under a gray sky.
| Beach | Dogs in summer | Dogs off-season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Beach | No | No | No dogs at any time of year |
| Lobsterville | Yes, on leash | Yes, on leash | The reliable summer dog beach on the Sound |
| Fuller Street | Check the sign | Check the sign | Edgartown sets the rules |
| Lambert's Cove | 7 to 10 AM only (from June 15) | Yes, no time limit | Town rule: dogs only 7 to 10 AM in season |
| Long Point | No | No | Wildlife refuge, no dogs all year |
| All other Sound beaches | No (dates vary by town; see above) | Generally yes, on leash | Each town sets its own; worth confirming |
Beach access has improved on the island, though the options are still limited, and equipment changes from season to season, so a call ahead helps.
The island's 2025 beach accessibility survey, the beach wheelchair phone numbers and the accessible ferries and buses are all in our accessibility guide.
Benches on the walk, a mat across the sand, and a beach wheelchair and a balloon-wheeled chair by the lifeguard stand, with the jetty just beyond.
The Trustees offer beach wheelchairs and mobility transport at Long Point (ask at the gate), and Long Point's number is 508-693-7662.
Norton Point closed in February 2026. The over-sand beaches open and close with nesting birds and storm damage, and the Town of Edgartown has the current status.
A Route 2 VTA bus at a grassy corner in West Tisbury. Route 8 runs from Edgartown to South Beach in season, and every ride is free through June 30, 2027.
Every public beach has a regulations board at the entrance, and the rules on it differ from beach to beach. Our island rules and etiquette guide sorts the beach, road, dog and noise rules into law, bylaw and custom, with the fines that go with them.
Plenty of good beaches are easy to reach without a car, which helps, given the parking and the cost of bringing a car on the SSA ferry:
Our Martha's Vineyard Budget Guide has more ways to save, including leaving the car on the mainland.
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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 price range. Bend in the Road in Edgartown, with calm Sound water and summer lifeguards, or Owen Park in Vineyard Haven, with calm harbor water but no lifeguards. State Beach is just as calm, but it has no lifeguards. South Beach and Wasque are the surf beaches, with Atlantic swell and powerful waves.
State Beach, Inkwell and Owen Park have free parking and need no sticker. Parking elsewhere runs from free to $35 a day at Moshup, and some beaches need a town sticker.
Lobsterville in Aquinnah allows dogs on a leash. Most others limit dogs in summer and relax the rules off-season.
Yes. Massachusetts posts bathing-beach test results and no-swim advisories on its public beach water quality dashboard, and the island’s ponds are monitored for cyanobacteria through the MV CYANO program. Both change week to week, so check on swim day, especially at pond beaches after heavy rain.
A breach opened on January 1, 2026 and severed the barrier beach connection between South Beach and Chappaquiddick. The tidal current running through it is extremely dangerous, so it's best to stay well clear.
Beach rules, parking fees and dog policies can change each season, and the town beach departments or the Trustees of Reservations have the current ones. This guide reflects 2026 season policies as we understood them in April 2026.
Rip currents, tidal channels, sharks, bacteria closures, wartime ordnance and cold water: the Martha's Vineyard beach safety guide, with the 2026 incidents (the Long Point drowning, the Norton Point possible shark bite, the Lucy Vincent sighting), which beaches have lifeguards and when they leave, how to escape a rip, and where the hospital is.
Which Martha's Vineyard beaches are open to visitors, which need stickers or permits, and what everything costs in 2026: town by town, gate by gate.
Every Martha's Vineyard beach ranked by vibe for 2026: family picks, best surf, sunset spots, quieter sands, parking, access, and dog policies.
State Beach on Martha's Vineyard is known for calm waters and a family-friendly atmosphere. Activities, amenities, and tips for a perfect beach day.
South Beach (Katama Beach) is Martha's Vineyard's top Atlantic surf beach: free parking, lifeguards, a long stretch of sand and powerful waves in Edgartown.
Sengekontacket Pond in Oak Bluffs is a 745-acre coastal pond on Martha's Vineyard and a favorite spot for kayaking and birding.
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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