Thanks from a grateful Island!
The view across the Allen Farm sheep pasture to Chilmark Upper Pond and the Atlantic Ocean is surely one of the most spectacular on the Island. In 1991 the family that protected the place for centuries and still raises sheep wanted to protect it forever from the prospect of being carved up like some God Forsaken Long Island potato field and the development rights now belong to the Land Bank.
(Don’t forget to stop at the store and get some lamb!)
From the Land Bank’s Page for the Preserve: One of the Vineyard’s most striking and well-known scenic vistas is the Allen Farm sheep pasture on the Chilmark Upper Pond. Visible is the pond, plus the moorland knoll overlooking the Lucy Vincent Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The entire length of the Chilmark part of the South Road once looked just like Allen Farm — development and brushy overgrowth have now eliminated the other fields and pastures — so the purchase of the development rights here preserved not only seaside farmland but a sense of history.
Getting there: 1.2 miles down New Lane from the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road, turn right onto the dirt road. The main trailhead, for hikers and canoes, is located a short distance down the road; the boat landing is located at the end of the road.
For more information, visit the official Land Bank Website. Also, be sure to check out their cool map.
