Dukes County High Point Trip Report
Unnamed point 1000' northwest of Peaked Hill (311 ft)
Date: October 12, 2000
Author: Michael Schwartz
Parking at Woods Hole is limited, and I ended up parking about five miles north of town at the well-
marked Steamship Authority lot on Palmer Street. Parking costs $8/day, and frequent, free, shuttle buses
run to the terminal in Woods Hole. On this off-season weekday, there were still hordes of people going to
the island. Ferries run to both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, a few miles east. Off-season (started this
date) the ferries only run to Vineyard Haven, which seems like the more convenient terminus for
highpointing. Cost to transport a car is $104 R/T from mid-May to mid-October, and $62 off season.
Taxi from Vineyard Haven to Peaked Hill is $26 one way. Shuttle buses don't run on Middle Road, and
their "schedule" is erratic. I opted to hitchhike. One block from the terminal, see a road sign for
Chilmark, and walk a few blocks uphill on State Road, past a major right fork, to a bank parking lot. This
is a popular hitching spot. I quickly got a lift to the north end of Middle Road, using a sign for Chilmark
(Middle Road would be the better choice for the sign). Middle Road is lightly traveled, but a woman
picked me up and took me right to the trailhead!
About halfway down Middle Road, turn right on Tabor House Road, and go uphill to the vicinity of the
crest, and go left onto a gravel road (not shown on topo) signed for Peaked Hill. The Martha's Vineyard
Land Bank owns the area, and there's a nice network of trails, with no access problems. Follow the gravel
road to its dead end at a parking area. A kiosk shows a somewhat inaccurate trail map, and sometimes
has maps available for loan. This area can also be accessed from the paved road shown on the topo, via
the yellow trail from the end of the road, which leads to the kiosk. That road is marked only by a
handmade "go slow" sign about 50 feet in from Middle Road. From the kiosk, hike the blue trail about
1/4 mile to high ground. The trail map shows spot elevation of 311 just past a junction with a yellow trail
from the left, but that trail is now blazed white. Spot elevation 311 is a little knob just to the left of the
trail, requiring a very short bushwhack, and I saw the beginnings of a use trail. Couple of boulders at the
top, and no markings. Hike past the high point a short distance to the Peaked Hill lookout shown on the
trail map for a lovely view over the ocean. I hitched back most of the way, using sign "ferry," then got
lazy and took a $7 cab ride the last couple of miles.