Tiasquam Valley Reservation
Size
115.8 acres
Description
Two streams — the Mill Brook and the Tiasquam River — flow out of Chilmark and unite in West Tisbury to feed the Tisbury Great Pond. In the 1980s and 1990s the land bank made a series of significant investments in the Mill Brook valley, chief among them the Waskosim’s Rock Reservation and the Square Field.
By 2000 opportunities were opening up in the Tiasquam valley; Tea Lane Farm resulted, as did the Tiasquam Valley Reservation. The reservation ranges from the river itself, crossed by a simple beam footbridge and including a wildlife blind at pond’s edge, up to a ridge some 175 feet above sea level and oriented out toward Tuckernuck Island.
Access
Trailheads are available on both the South and Middle Roads. For the South Road trailhead, start at the Chilmark/West Tisbury town line and proceed 0.6 miles into Chilmark; the trailhead is located on the right. On Middle Road both a main and an auxiliary trailhead is available. For the main trailhead, start at the Chilmark/West Tisbury town line and proceed 0.2 miles into Chilmark; it is located on the north side of the road. The auxiliary trailhead is less than 0.1 miles from the town line and is located on the south side of the road.
Historical Highlights
- a rock on the third rise north of the Middle Road is engraved with the name of farmer Allen L. Tilton and is dated either 1888 or 1889
- the farm eventually wound up in the hands of Ernest Correllus, who owned it for 43 years, and kept a herd of 45 head mainly consisting of dairy cows.
Trail / Property Map
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