Cape Cod Trails Conference Home Page
Long Walks on Cape Cod
Copyright l998 Cape Cod Trails Conference
Location: Head of the Meadow
USGS Maps: North Truro, Provincetown
Trailheads 1.
Parking lot for Race Point Beach, at the end
of Race Point Road, north of Route 6 in
Provincetown.
2. National Seashore parking lot at the end of
Head of the Meadow Road, east of Route 6 in
Truro. Follow brown Seashore signs.
3. Province Lands Visitors Center on Race Point
Road, north of Route 6 in Provincetown.
4. Highland Light parking lot, east off Highland
Road in Truro. Follow green signs to Cape Cod
Light.
The ten mile walk between trailheads 1 and 2
is best done
as a shuttle, off season. During the summer months, both
beaches are
crowded, and there are parking charges at each parking lot.
You can
avoid the charges by parking at the Province Lands Visitors Center
at
the north end, and Highland Light at the south end, trailheads
3 and
4, adding three miles.
You can walk in either direction, but this guide
will describe
walking north from Head of the Meadow Beach. From the
parking lot,
walk back to the entrance to where the bicycle trail begins, marked
by
a sign. It is a two mile, paved path that ends at High Head
Road.
Walk along the edge of the path. Grass is easier on the legs,
and it
feels more like a hike. A detailed map of the bicycle trails
is at
Map of National Seashore Bicycle Trails
in Eastham and Truro
At the end of the bicycle trail is a small parking
lot. You can
use that as a trailhead if you only wish to walk the beach north
to
Race Point Beach or to the Province Lands Visitors Center.
Just above
you is the bluff called High Head, which affords a spectacular
lookout
to Provincetown Harbor, Province Lands, and Peaked Hill Bar on
the
ocean.
To reach it, you will have to walk south on High
Head Road, then
make a sharp left to climb the hill on the paved road to the houses
at
the top. Stay to the left and follow a seashell road to a
foot path
leading out to the bluff. Reverse to return.
Walk north on High Head Road to the beach.
Notice the dune path
heading south. The latter curves back to the bicycle trail,
which can
be used for a quick return if the weather turns foul.
But if the day is good, with not too much wind,
walk the beach
to Race Point Beach. This is a magnificent six mile walk
along
the northernmost shore of Cape Cod. Find firm footing on
the
sand where it is still damp, but not mushy.
On your right is Peaked Hill Bar, site of many
a shipwreck,
including the H.M.S. Somerset during the Revolution. At unusually
low tides, timbers of the ship have been visible on the bar.
You may
also see whales in early fall, for their feeding ground at Stellwagen
Bank is just to the north. Later, seals appear, swimming
along the
shore.
If you get tired of walking the beach, walk up
to the oversand
vehicle route, where it is permitted. You may pass the famous
Provincetown artists' shacks, which have been preserved by the
National Seashore, and are used during the summer.
As you curve around toward Race Point Beach,
the visible landmark
will be the Old Harbor Lifesaving Station. It is a weathered
old
building with an observation tower. Walk up toward the parking
lot
on the path just east of the station. Pause at the boardwalk
to read
the placards telling you about whales, shipwrecks, and lifesaving.
We warn you to very careful of the weather on
this walk. Be sure
that the forecast calls for clear conditions and little wind, with
no
possibility of a storm. Once committed to the beach walk,
there is
no bailout option save turning back, which may be as bad as
continuing. Between the two trailheads is a ten mile walk,
which
will take a small group about five hours, plus a lunch stop.
For a shorter walk, turn right
at the end of High Head Road,
and walk the beach to the southeast. After one mile, a high
knob
appears. Climb to the top, if you wish, for a spendid view.
Continue
down the beach for a bit until the terrain is more level.
Walk inland to the path
along the edge of the Salt Meadow.
Soon you will see the parking lot for Head of the Meadow Beach
dead
ahead. This loop is four miles, and will take a small group about
two
hours.
Continuing south on the
beach for about one-half mile, you
will pass a parking lot with a vehicle barrier. This is at
Highland
Beach, at the end of Coast Guard Road. For a walk of an additional
two miles, walk up to the road and inland for about one-quarter
mile.
Where the road curves
south, look for a deep track on the
right heading west into the scrub. In about one-quarter mile,
it
joins a remnant of Old Kings Highway heading northwest. Follow
that
for one mile to come out at Head of the Meadow Beach.
Or continue walking south
on Coast Guard Road and Highland
Road, another 0.8 mile to trailhead 4, and visit Highland Light,
or
Cape Cod Light, as it was originally named. Reverse to Old
Kings
Highway to return to Head of the Meadow Beach.
We should also describe
the one mile walk from Race Point
Beach to Provincelands Visitors Center. Turn inland past
the old
life-saving station at Race Point Beach. Walk south through
the
parking lot to the end of the bicycle trail. Follow it directly
to
the Visitors Center, a little over one mile.