Day hikers can walk a beach to a 150-year-old lighthouse on Cape Cod’s northwest tip.
The 3.2-mile round trip hike on the Race Point Lighthouse Trail runs just north of Provincetown, Massachusetts, in Cape Cod National Seashore. Several maps refer to the trail as Pole Line Road.
To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy. 6 in Provincetown, take Race Point Road northwest. After passing the municipal airport, park in the lot for Race Point Beach. Walk past the ranger station to the Race Point Over Sand Station and turn back onto Race Point Road. Take the first right/west onto a wide sand road.
The sand road curves southwest through the dune-portion of Race Beach. It is an off-road vehicle route, so be alert for motorized vehicles.
At 1.6 miles, you’ll reach the Race Point Light Station, which consists of a lighthouse and a former home for the lightkeepers.
The lighthouse rises 45 feet high. Every 10 seconds, the station flashes a white light that is visible for 16 nautical miles. The lighthouse overlooking Cape Cod Bay is built of cast-iron and lined with brick.
Race Point has been home to a lighthouse since 1816 when a 25-foot tall rubblestone tower was erected. Two lightkeeper’s homes were built next to it during the ensuing decades. By 1876, the lighthouse was falling apart and so was replaced with the current tower.
The Coast Guard electrified the lighthouse in 1957 and tore down the first of the two lighthouse keeper’s homes three years later. The home hasn’t been occupied since 1978.
If hiking on the first and third Saturday of each month during the summer, you’ll also have the opportunity to go inside the lighthouse when it opens to the public for tours. The Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation oversees the tours and restoration of the light station.
From the lighthouse, there are a couple of paths that head to the beach. Don’t walk too far south along the shoreline, especially if the tide is coming in, however, as you may find yourself cut off from the mainland.
After taking in the sights, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.
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