The rough corner of Chilmark
Squibnocket Beach, in the town of Chilmark, Massachusetts, is the roughest beach on Martha’s Vineyard: Atlantic waves, steep dunes, stones underfoot and an open horizon.
There are no concessions, no boardwalks and no comforts: wind, waves, surfers and space. This is the end of the island the Atlantic still shapes.
Stones underfoot instead of soft sand, fog that arrives without warning, and the most consistent surf break on the island just offshore.
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Features and Activities at Squibnocket Beach
It draws people who want open space and strong surf. What people do here:
A
B
CA: low sun on the boulder field that gives the beach its footing; B: a lone surfer working a line beyond the shorebreak; C: the causeway in fog, which is how a good share of the year actually looks here.
Surf Culture at Squibnocket Beach
Squibnocket faces the open Atlantic, which is why island surfers watch it. On the right days the waves are big and well shaped, and the people on them know what they are doing.
Dining and Shopping Near Squibnocket Beach
There are no dining or shopping facilities directly at Squibnocket Beach. Visitors should plan ahead and bring water, food, and all essentials.
Nearby areas such as Menemsha, Chilmark, and West Tisbury offer small markets and local dining options. Most people bring a picnic.
Know Before You Go
Before you go
There are no lifeguards at Squibnocket. Currents, rocks and a steep shore break make this a beach to read carefully before you enter the water.
Roughly June 15 through Labor Day a Chilmark beach sticker is required, or an authorized walk-on or guest pass. Outside peak season access is less restricted.
Surf, swell and wind change quickly here. Assess before you commit.
No services on site. Water, food, sun protection and layers.
Stay off them, pack out everything, and leave the protected coast as you found it.
Squibnocket loses ground to the Atlantic every year, and the old stone revetment and parking lot were crumbling into it. In 2017 and 2018 Chilmark took the revetment out, restored the barrier beach and rebuilt the lot about 100 feet farther back toward Squibnocket Pond; the beach reopened in May 2018. The walk down is over that restored beach, so keep to the path.
Questions
Questions about Squibnocket
Is Squibnocket Beach open to the public?
It is a Chilmark town beach. From mid-June through Labor Day, access is restricted to Chilmark residents, renters and their guests with a valid sticker or walk-on pass. Outside peak season access is more flexible but still governed by town rules.
Are there lifeguards?
No. There are no lifeguards at Squibnocket, and ocean conditions here can be hazardous.
Is it family-friendly?
Strong surf, rocks and no facilities make it better suited to strong swimmers who know the ocean than to young children.
Squibnocket is the rough side of Martha’s Vineyard: open, loud and uncompromising. Respect the water, the sticker rules and the dunes, and it is a stretch of coast you will remember.
No concessions, no boardwalk, no lifeguard chair. Whatever the Atlantic is doing that day is the whole program.
Keep Reading
Keep exploring
More photos: our Squibnocket Beach gallery.
From Our LensStone, fog and the island's best break.10 photographs · View the beach galleries
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