Do I need to bring my own bike on the ferry?

No. Rentals, including e-bikes, are available in every port town and several shops offer island-wide delivery. For a long stay, the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop in Vineyard Haven usually has second-hand bikes for sale outside; check the brakes before you buy.

The down-island paths between Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown are mostly flat and paved. Up-island, through West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah, the roads roll and climb, which is where an e-bike earns its rental fee.

Which route is best with children?

The Correllus State Forest paths in the middle of the island: about fourteen miles of paved, shaded, car-free path. The State Beach path between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown runs beside the water and is about six miles, flat the whole way.

Can I put my bike on the bus?

Yes. VTA buses carry an outside rack for two or three bikes, first come first served. When the rack is full the bike waits for the next bus, which matters on summer afternoons from the beaches. Schedules are on our VTA bus page.

How do I get a bike to Chappaquiddick or Aquinnah?

The Chappy ferry from Edgartown takes bikes across the 527 feet of harbor to Chappy. For Aquinnah, the seasonal Menemsha bike ferry crosses the channel to Lobsterville, saving the long loop by road. The Aquinnah page has the details.

What should I watch for on the paths?

Road crossings that put you back into traffic without much warning, especially in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown; walkers and joggers on the same paths, so pass wide and call it out; and dusk, which comes early in the wooded stretches, so carry lights.

Martha’s Vineyard Biking Photos

← All galleries 31 plates · photographed on Martha’s Vineyard

Riding the island: paths through the state forest, Beach Road with water on both sides, and the climbs up-island.

Explore biking on Martha’s Vineyard →

Plate 01 Handlebar view over a calm tidal pond and sandy shore
Plate 02 Rider's view along a paved bike path through the pines
Plate 03 Mountain bike resting on a wooded trail near the water
Plate 04 Mountain bike parked on the rocks above open blue water
Plate 05 Handlebar view down a sandy singletrack through green woods
Plate 06 Long dirt trail stretching through scrubby pine terrain
Plate 07 Paved bike path curving left past trail signs
Plate 08 Paved bike path through green woods on a hazy day, a yellow trail sign at the right
Plate 09 Island bike route map with mileage between towns
Plate 10 Big bike sculpture on a stump in front of rows of rental bikes
Plate 11 Bike rental shop in a yellow building with a cupola, bikes parked out front
Plate 12 Bike rentals and free island maps in Oak Bluffs
Plate 13 Handlebars parked beside a stand of purple coneflowers
Plate 14 Two cyclists ride single file past stone walls and a 25 mph sign up-island
Plate 15 A cyclist on a quiet two-lane road under a green tree canopy
Plate 16 Rental bikes racked outside an Oak Bluffs shop
Plate 17 Two bikes on the VTA front rack: ride one way, bus the other.
Plate 18 A VTA bus with a bike on its front rack near the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal
Plate 19 Ride On Bike and Moped Rentals in Oak Bluffs
Plate 20 A road along a pond in low evening sun, one cyclist in the marked bike lane
Plate 21 Rental bikes lined up by Oak Bluffs harbor, Mini convertibles behind
Plate 22 The bike path at the turn for the airport, looking toward West Tisbury
Plate 23 Rental e-bikes in a Vineyard Haven shop
Plate 24 A rental e-bike parked in Vineyard Haven
Plate 25 A rental e-bike with rear rack and battery
Plate 26 The bike path over the Jaws bridge
Plate 27 Riding the Jaws bridge bike path
Plate 28 Riding the East Chop shore road
Plate 29 East Chop Lighthouse bike rack
Plate 30 A bike path past a park with old cannons
Plate 31 The Entering Oak Bluffs sign at the Jaws bridge

Martha’s Vineyard Biking Photos

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Martha’s Vineyard Biking Photos

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