Sepiessa Point Reservation

The palmate Tisbury Great Pond — formed when the glacier melted and its water ran off in linear streams — is splendid. Almost 11,000 feet of shorefront are conserved here, much of which is visible from the trails along the Tiah’s and Tississa Coves. The beach at the southerly point is often broad and sandy (watch for oyster shells — razor-sharp!). Predominantly wooded, the reservation also includes grasslands and a savanna, restored by the land bank as part of a plan to increase foraging habitat for hawks and owls. Ocean swimming is available to visitors with boats; the trek over to the land bank’s Tisbury Great Pond Beach (property no. 56) is, however, longer than the eye would otherwise suggest and, during shorebird nesting season, it may be closed. At such times, paddlers are permitted to land at the Long Point Reservation, owned by The Trustees of Reservations; signs in the Sepiessa Point trailhead will advise.