Joseph Sylvia State Beach

This is a 2 Mile barrier beach that separates Vineyard Sound from Sengekentocket (tidal pond). The sand is much courser than the south shore and not as ideal for sand castles, but the bay current and shallow grade is much better for small children.
This beach was made famous in Spielberg’s Jaws for the «In the pond! In the pond! Shark! In the pond!» line, but don’t let that sway you! Lots of kids jump off of memorial bridge In the summer, but shifting sands have made the channel quite shallow as if late!
Enjoy windsurfing, kitesurfing, sea kayaking, and some of the best shell fishing (permit only) on the island around here! There is lifeguards at the southern most end, but the remainder of the stretch is unguarded! Parking is limited, but free!

This is a popular beach on the Vineyard. It is located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The water is great the beach calm, quiet even when it is crowded it is very nice. One of my favorite beaches on the Vineyard.

Perfect beach for families. Young kids (and parents) will enjoy the calm water. Older kids and the young at heart will get a kick from jumping off the Jaws bridge. Its a few miles long, so plenty of open space to set your chairs down unless you get there at 11:30am in the high season. Then you will be out of luck. We got there at around 10am and we were able to enjoy relative peace for 45 minutes.

A great place to bring the family. Not to rough and is generally clean. Carry in carry out!

This is a perfect New England beach. Calm and convenient, this long stretch of beach looks out onto The Sound and I could stay here all day long… really. You can wade out into the water that is never too cold or too choppy, stretch out on the sand and soak up the sun, and people-​watch to your hearts delight.
About a 5 minute drive from the center of Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, it’s also quite popular and thus, quite populated. But here’s the thing: since there isn’t a parking lot, you have to park on the road, and since there are only a certain number of spots one can park in on said road, only a certain number of people can get onto the beach. So, it’s never quite as crowded as, say, Nauset Beach on the Cape — it’s quite pleasant, even on its busiest day.
My one complaint: they keep dredging the sand, resulting in very sharp, uncomfortable shores to walk on. I understand it’s part of their way of preserving the beach, but day-​um!
No bathrooms, and no food options — so bring your lunch and tinkle in the ocean, kids!

After 31 years of swimming this stretch of paradise, I have to thank the glaciers that arose way back when only to deposit a faithful beach for so many land lubbers to enjoy and a solvent town government that maintains the grounds, the free parking, and the spirit of State Beach. Calm waters, cool breezes in summer, a constant recirculation of moisture — which brings up a lot of seaweed, but it’s important to the ecosystem — all equal one major ingredient to your Martha’s Vineyard vacation. It’s wonderful.
Tip: During peak season, stay home and read until about 4:00 PM. That’s when you get the whole place to yourself. See you then!

One of my favorite things to do during my honeymoon in June was rent bikes in Oak Bluffs and head to Edgartown in perfect weather for lunch and shopping. On the way back, we stopped at the beach and the water was too cold for me. Little kiddies were swimming and my husband took a dip, but I decided this would be my ideal spot for a nap. Everything was so quiet and calm, although I’m sure it does get crowded at times and we were lucky.

We brought a picnic, went at an off-​time, and had a great time. The water is pretty and calm and it’s just kind of cool to swim where they filmed «Jaws». It just is.

This beach is along one of the routes between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Do yourself a favor and drive, bike, roller blade or walk along this expansive area of coast line for a very lovely experience… unless it is around noon on a hot day in August and people are going ballistic about parking spaces along the side of the road. This beach does get crowded on hot summer days, especially weekends, but it is a very long beach so you should find some room. Personally, I like my space and find this place way too crowded in August. The rest of the year, I love it.
There’s not a lot of waves or undertow so it’s popular with families and little ones. Across the way is Sengekontacket Pond, a 750 acre coastal pond that is particularly awesome for kayaking. The bright pink beach roses and swampy marsh areas on this side of the street add to the beauty of the experience. And there’s a bike path all along the route.
There are a couple of food trucks at one of the parking areas on the pond side but it’s best to bring what you need– and bring it off again, please.
Best times– off season, of course, but also early in the morning and later in the evening. The colors here are so stunning that you will want your camera or your oil paints. Watching the sun go down over the pond is glorious. And if there is a meteor shower, do come here. Best view in town.

The «State Beach» as locals call it is a great place to bring out a picnic basket and just hang out for a few hours to take in the views. On weekends the street parking can be a little tight but there are always parking spots freeing up.
I you have ever seen the movie «Jaws» which was filmed back in the seventies this was one of the primary filming locations. If I remember the movie correctly a kid and a boater were eaten by the shark in this location.
If you are staying on the either Edgartown or Oak Bluffs the State beach is one of the best spots for stargazing. I you have never seen the Milky way then stop by the beach on a clear night, park you car and look up. You will be amazed.

State Beach is a long narrow beach that spans Oak Bluffs to Edgartown–
the good: the water is pretty mellow, so it’s great for kiddies, reluctant swimmers (how’s that for euphemism?) and people who don’t want to be pulled into the Atlantic.
the bad: it’s a narrow beach. There are portions of it where it feels like there’s only four or five feet of sand.
the ugly: there’s seaweed. A lot of it.
If you’re a sunbather, I’d recommend South Beach (Edgartown) which has a pretty ferocious undertow, but is just a glorious, beautiful beach.

A big
beach
with lots
of people
One of the most popular beaches on the Vineyard, it is over 100 acres and 2 miles long. It splits Nantucket Sound and Sengekontacket Pond (did I spell that right?) and so it’s actually two beaches in one. There is great fishing in the area and a choice of kayaking in the pond or ocean.
Beach Rd goes right through the park and is the main road from Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. It makes a great bike trip with gorgeous views in every direction and cooling breezes even in the summer. On a bike you can stop just about anywhere along the beach but in a car you better get there early if you plan to park, because it gets crowded and becomes almost impossible to find a parking spot. Even though it gets busy in the summer and has tons of people you never really feel crowded like on many other beaches, probably because it is so long.
Unfortunately because the beach is so narrow it gets hammered during storms and is subjected to a lot of erosion. I believe the town is engaged in a constant battle trying to keep the beach from totally disappearing.