You call it Manaquayak, We call it Ice House Pond
Serious fresh water swimmers, this is for you. But there’s hardly any parking and no shallow water for kids.
From the Land Bank’s description: From 1908 to 1953 the Vineyard Ice Company operated an ice-harvesting business in this freshwater pond, complete with gantries and conveyor belts and storehouses. Its industrial era now behind it, this kettle pond and its surrounding woodlands are today quiet and scenic. Unlike most Vineyard swimming spots, this property lacks a beach; it is therefore a place less suited to families with children and more suited to experienced swimmers who wish to exercise — families will find Seth’s Pond and other nearby beaches to be more attractive. Because wading and jumping aren’t appropriate here — swimmers enter the pond by slipping off a designated perch directly into five feet of water — visitors will find this preserve, supervised as it is by daily attendants, to be rather sedate.
Getting there: 1.2 miles in from the Lambert’s Cove Road’s upper entrance turn right onto the Manaquayak Road. Stay on the Manaquayak Road 0.5 miles and turn right onto Wintergreen Lane; the Land Bank driveway is on the left at the bottom of the hill. Pay no attention to your google map that calls the pond OLD House, not ICE House.
For more information, visit the official Land Bank Website. Also, be sure to check out their cool map.
