Paddling
Cape Poge Bay

Don’t be surprised if the only companions you find on this paddling excursion are gulls and the occasional person fishing for scallops. Located at the northern tip of Chappaquiddick, Cape Poge Bay offers the most remote paddling opportunity on Martha’s Vineyard.

“The paddling is really good,” Best says. “It’s quiet water with a really good chance of seeing interesting bird life and possibly otters and muskrats.”

After you put in at Dike Bridge and follow the coastline, you will see the 3-mile barrier beach of Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge. In the shallow water, you may spot a horseshoe, or king crab, searching for soft-shelled clams. This animal is related to the scorpion and has been on the planet since prehistoric times. It uses its long sharp tail at the end of its shell for digging into the sand and defending itself from predators.

As you continue along the shoreline, you will eventually reach a round inlet called Shear Pen Pond. Its name derives from the sheep herding that took place in the area 300 years ago.

You eventually reach Cape Poge Elbow, a slender strip of land inhabited by herring and black-backed gulls. These gulls subsist mainly on shellfish. To break open the shells, the gulls fly into the air with the crustaceans in their beaks and then fling them onto hard ground.
   
Fun fact: The Cape Poge Lighthouse, built in 1893, stands 63 feet tall and signals ships as far as 9 miles away.

Rating and Distance: Moderate, 4 miles

Directions: Take the ferry to Chappaquiddick and travel 2.5 miles on Chappaquiddick Road. After the road bends sharply right continue straight onto unpaved Dike Road. Follow Dike Road to the end at Dike Bridge and East Beach. Park on the west side of the lot.

PREVIOUS PAGE

1 | 2 | 3 | 4