The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts

Hoft Farm Preserve

Why You Should Visit
Located on Martha's Vineyard, this parcel of pitchpine and oak woods, freshwater ponds and scenic open field has some of the most intact and healthy morainal woodlands found anywhere from Long Island to Cape Cod.

Location
West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard

Hours
Open year round

Size
90 acres

Conditions
Explore an expansive field of wildflowers, or follow the dirt driveway up to the restored farmhouse and enjoy a walk along a wide and well-maintained trail that winds through pitch pine and Dry Oak Forest.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
For ferry reservations call (508) 693-9130. If you have any questions while planning your outing, please contact our Boston office at (617) 227-7017.

Directions
Download directions to Holt Farm here (pdf, 12kb). Directions include starting points from ferry landings in Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven.

What to See: Plants
Woodland, field and bog plants typical of the moraine

What to See: Animals
Box turtles, neotropical migrants and cooper's hawks

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The Hoft Farm property offers a unique perspective on the history of Martha’s Vineyard’s natural landscapes and the impact of humans on these landscapes. The 90 acres include a number of parcels of land in various stages of use and recovery.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
A farmhouse on the property will be used as a field station to support ecological research and to house burn crews. The burn crews will conduct prescribed burns on the islands each spring and fall. A three-story barn will be converted into a laboratory for ecologists and wildlife biologists.