Menemsha Hills Reservation
Nature preserve
226 acres3.8 mi of trail
Nashawakemuck LoopHarris LoopBeach TrailBrickyard Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Beyond My Ken3 · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Chilmark
Chilmark has 1,456 acres of parks, 923 for every 1,000 residents
43 miles of mapped trail cross Chilmark, 2.3 per square mile of land. 29% of Chilmark’s land is conserved, about 3,541 acres. The biggest trail networks: Menemsha Hills Reservation (3.8 mi), Peaked Hill Reservation (2.7 mi), Middle Road Sanctuary (1.9 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
3,541 acres · of 19.0 sq mi of land
Trails
43 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,456 ac
923 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
311 ft
Peaked Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
7 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Chilmark?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Chilmark have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Chilmark is among the top 1% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Chilmark’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (43 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land923 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,456 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home87% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Chilmark’s 29% is ahead of 69% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% of them.
Water is more than half of Chilmark’s area (81 of 100 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Menemsha Hills Reservation, with 3.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Peaked Hill Reservation
Managed by Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission
145 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Middle Road Sanctuary
Nature preserve
101 acres1.9 mi of trail
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - RedMiddle Road Sactuary Trail - YellowMiddle Road Sactuary Trail - GreenMiddle Road Sactuary Trail - Purple+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fulling Mill Brook Cons. Area
Nature preserve
48 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brookside Ridge Preserve
Nature preserve
40 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Quansoo Farm
Nature preserve
138 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 15 parks & preserves
Menemsha Hills Reservation226 acres · 3.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPeaked Hill Reservation145 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission
DirectionsMiddle Road Sanctuary101 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Fulling Mill Brook Cons. Area48 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookside Ridge Preserve40 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
Quansoo Farm138 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCr #4156 acres
Mill Brook49 acres
DirectionsTown Forest37 acres
Wades Field35 acres
Roth Woodlands25 acres
Englander19 acres
Freeman Hancock Woodlot14 acres
Francis Newhall Woods Preserve11 acres
DirectionsTipson Pond Lot7 acres
Who protects it
3,541 conserved acres
29% of Chilmark’s land. Water is left out: Chilmark has 19.0 square miles of land and 81.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Chilmark’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,074 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1,224 ac
Town or city587 ac
Other state land182 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government52 ac
Regional agency26 ac
Joint12 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,384 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 1,224 acPrivate Conservation · 1,047 acLocal Conservation Area · 307 acAgricultural Easement · 254 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,451 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 14 of 194 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 1,224 | Restricted |
| Menemsha Hills Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 224 | Open |
| Squibnocket Farm Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 210 | Open |
| Quansoo Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 147 | Open |
| Waskosims Rock Reservation Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 123 | Open |
| Middle Road Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 112 | Open |
| Tiasquam River Reservation Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 85 | Open |
| Priscilla Hancock Meadow Private Conservation | Not recorded | 61 | Open |
| Fulling Mill Brook Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 52 | Unknown |
| Brookside Ridge Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 50 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
18 places to go in Chilmark
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Chilmark
Lucy Vincent Beach
DirectionsMenemsha Beach
DirectionsMenemsha Hills Reservation BeachIn Menemsha Hills Reservation
DirectionsSquibnocket Beach
DirectionsStonewall Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Chilmark
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Chilmark
Great Sand BankIn Menemsha Hills Reservation
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Chilmark
Peaked Hill311 ft elevation · In Peaked Hill Reservation
DirectionsProspect Hill256 ft elevation
DirectionsRidge Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsAbel Hill85 ft elevation
DirectionsSquibnocket Ridge62 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Chilmark
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.8 mi
Nashawakemuck Loop1.5 mi
Harris Loop0.9 mi
Beach Trail0.9 mi
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - Yellow0.9 mi
Holman Path0.8 mi
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - Red0.6 mi
Brickyard Trail0.6 mi
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - Green0.3 mi
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - Purple0.2 mi
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - White0.1 mi
1 more trails
Middle Road Sactuary Trail - Blue
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
18Tennis
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Barn HouseDistrict · listed 2011
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Chilmark: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 41 | 46 | 55 | 65 | 73 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 63 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (2.7 in) and the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Chilmark →
Next door
Chilmark and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilmark | 29% | 2.3 | 923 | 87% | A+ |
| West Tisbury | 43% | 2.8 | 877 | 74% | A+ |
| Aquinnah | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gosnold | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Chilmark
Where can I hike in Chilmark?
The longest trail networks: Menemsha Hills Reservation, 3.8 miles; Peaked Hill Reservation, 2.7 miles; Middle Road Sanctuary, 1.9 miles; Fulling Mill Brook Cons. Area, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Chilmark is conserved land?
29% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Chilmark’s trails?
Menemsha Hills Reservation and Peaked Hill Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Chilmark?
13,347 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Chilmark or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,481 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Chilmark have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Chilmark neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →