Lucy Vincent Beach

Dramatic clay cliffs, pristine sand, and powerful surf. Widely considered one of the most beautiful beaches in New England, but access is limited to Chilmark residents and renters. The south section is clothing-optional.

Lucy Vincent is the platonic ideal of a New England south-shore beach — and it knows it. Set below tall, eroding clay cliffs in a bowl of sand on the Atlantic coast of Chilmark, the beach has long, powerful waves, shifting sandbars, and an unmistakable wild quality that explains its perennial spot on 'best beaches' lists. Access is strictly gated: only Chilmark residents and seasonal renters with a town beach pass can enter from mid-June through mid-September. A gate attendant scans every car. The south end has been clothing-optional by tradition for decades, though the cliffs are eroding fast and 'Big Bertha' — the iconic standing rock — is gone. Bring everything you need: there are restrooms but no concessions, no lifeguards on most days, and the cliffs themselves are off-limits to climbers. The rip-current risk is meaningful in a south swell. Off-season (after Sept 15), the beach opens to all and is one of the best autumn walking beaches on the island.