Nomans Land, Military training island near Chilmark, US
Noman's Land is a 612-acre island located roughly 3 miles off the southwest coast of Martha's Vineyard in the Atlantic Ocean. It sits in protected waters and remains closed to public visitation.
The US Navy operated an airfield on the island from 1943 to 1996, using it as a military training and bombing range. Following the military's departure, the land came under protective management.
The name comes from Tequenoman, a Wampanoag leader who ruled the island before English colonists arrived in the 1600s. This Native American heritage remains part of the island's identity today.
The island remains closed to visitors because unexploded ordnance from its military past is scattered across the grounds. You can view it from a distance but should not attempt to land.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has successfully established a population of New England cottontail rabbits on the island to preserve this declining species. These rabbits thrive in the undisturbed environment, making it an important conservation project.
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