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Head of the Meadow Beach

CCC VisitedVerified Jun 27, 2026

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What is Head of the Meadow Beach like?

Head of the Meadow Beach sits at the edge of the Highland plateau in northern Truro within the Cape Cod National Seashore, offering a broad, uncrowded Atlantic beach backed by characteristic Outer Cape dunes and coastal scrubland. Dual parking lots — one NPS, one Truro town — make it more accessible than most Truro ocean beaches, while the east-facing strand stays refreshingly uncommercial. Reliable surf, excellent long-walk territory in both directions, and sunrise light that arrives early and stays golden.

Plan your beach day

Head of the Meadow Beach

Get directions

Head of the Meadow Road, Truro, MA 02666

Rules from CCC Research (opens in a new tab). Check before you go; they change by season.

When should you go?

Best time to go

Checking today’s tides and sun times…

Now51°FClear

Wind19 mphFrom the NW

Water60°FWaves 3.8 ft

Tides · next 24 hoursNOAA · Provincetown

Loading tide predictions…

What’s there?

Faces: East, for sunrise
Water: Deep
Current: Surf, strong current
Restrooms: Yes
Food: Not noted
Lifeguards: Not noted
Parking: Daily fee
Dogs: Off-season only
Fishing: Not noted
Kayak / SUP: Not noted

What should you know before you go?

Parking

Two adjacent parking lots: a Cape Cod National Seashore lot (NPS fee) and a Truro town lot (resident sticker). Combined capacity makes this one of the more accessible Truro ocean beaches. Both lots can fill by midday on peak weekends.

Stickers and fees

Cape Cod National Seashore parking fee during peak hours (7am–5pm); free before/after. Annual NPS pass accepted. Adjacent Truro town lot requires Truro resident sticker.

Dogs

Off-season only

Best for

Families, Shelling, Sunrise, Surf & Waves, Walking

Where is it?

Head of the Meadow Road, Truro, MA 02666.

Get directions

Get directions Open in Google Maps

Where else can you swim in Truro?

Bay / Sound
Paine Hollow Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
A quiet, local bay-side beach in South Truro accessible via a short path through beach plum and bayberry. Small, intimate, and rarely crowded — favored by Truro residents for calm-water swimming and sunsets over Cape Cod Bay. No facilities; bring everything you need.
Listed & Verified · Verified 2026-06-25
See details
Ocean / Atlantic
Pilgrim Heights Beach (North Truro)
Free parkingDogs: off-season only
A remote Atlantic-facing ocean beach below the Pilgrim Heights area of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Accessible via a steep path down from the bluffs, this beach offers dramatic dune scenery, strong surf, and the wide-open feeling of the outer beach. Minimal crowds due to the hike required.
Listed & Verified · Verified 2026-06-25
See details
Ocean / Atlantic
Coast Guard Beach (Truro)
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
A quieter Atlantic-side town beach in Truro (not to be confused with the larger Coast Guard Beach in Eastham), backed by dunes with open ocean surf. Best for residents and sticker-holders seeking a less crowded stretch of the Outer Cape shoreline.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-10-05
See details
Ocean / Atlantic
Ballston Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Ballston Beach is Truro's southernmost ocean-side beach, reached via the scenic South Pamet Road corridor that winds through a low wooded valley — one of the quieter routes to the Atlantic on the Outer Cape. The east-facing beach is wide and relatively uncrowded, with powerful Atlantic surf and the kind of raw, natural shoreline that makes this stretch of the National Seashore feel genuinely remote. A go-to for surfers and those looking to escape the more trafficked beaches to the north.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27
See details
Ocean / Atlantic
Longnook Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Longnook Beach is Truro's most dramatic ocean beach, reached by a steep wooden staircase that descends through towering dune bluffs to reveal a wide, wild Atlantic strand — the view from the top alone is worth the trip. East-facing for morning light and powerful surf, the relative difficulty of access keeps crowds noticeably thinner than busier Outer Cape beaches, rewarding those who make the effort with room to actually breathe. No lifeguard; experienced ocean swimmers only.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27
See details
Bay / Sound
Corn Hill Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Truro's classic Cape Cod Bay beach off Corn Hill Road, with calm warm water, gentle tidal flats, and famous west-facing sunsets over the bay. One of the few Truro beaches with a daily pay option, making it the easiest for day-trip visitors.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-10-05
See details

Every Truro beach Beaches across the Cape

Directions

What is Head of the Meadow Beach like?

What should you know before you go?

Parking

Stickers and fees

Cape Cod National Seashore parking fee during peak hours (7am–5pm); free before/after. Annual NPS pass accepted. Adjacent Truro town lot requires Truro resident sticker.

Dogs

Off-season only

Best for

Families, Shelling, Sunrise, Surf & Waves, Walking

Where else can you swim in Truro?

Bay / Sound

Paine Hollow Beach

Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only

A quiet, local bay-side beach in South Truro accessible via a short path through beach plum and bayberry. Small, intimate, and rarely crowded — favored by Truro residents for calm-water swimming and sunsets over Cape Cod Bay. No facilities; bring everything you need.

Listed & Verified · Verified 2026-06-25

See details

Ocean / Atlantic

Pilgrim Heights Beach (North Truro)

Free parkingDogs: off-season only

A remote Atlantic-facing ocean beach below the Pilgrim Heights area of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Accessible via a steep path down from the bluffs, this beach offers dramatic dune scenery, strong surf, and the wide-open feeling of the outer beach. Minimal crowds due to the hike required.

Listed & Verified · Verified 2026-06-25

See details

Ocean / Atlantic

Coast Guard Beach (Truro)

Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only

A quieter Atlantic-side town beach in Truro (not to be confused with the larger Coast Guard Beach in Eastham), backed by dunes with open ocean surf. Best for residents and sticker-holders seeking a less crowded stretch of the Outer Cape shoreline.

CCC Visited · Verified 2026-10-05

See details

Ocean / Atlantic

Ballston Beach

Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only

Ballston Beach is Truro's southernmost ocean-side beach, reached via the scenic South Pamet Road corridor that winds through a low wooded valley — one of the quieter routes to the Atlantic on the Outer Cape. The east-facing beach is wide and relatively uncrowded, with powerful Atlantic surf and the kind of raw, natural shoreline that makes this stretch of the National Seashore feel genuinely remote. A go-to for surfers and those looking to escape the more trafficked beaches to the north.

CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27

See details

Ocean / Atlantic

Longnook Beach

Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only

Longnook Beach is Truro's most dramatic ocean beach, reached by a steep wooden staircase that descends through towering dune bluffs to reveal a wide, wild Atlantic strand — the view from the top alone is worth the trip. East-facing for morning light and powerful surf, the relative difficulty of access keeps crowds noticeably thinner than busier Outer Cape beaches, rewarding those who make the effort with room to actually breathe. No lifeguard; experienced ocean swimmers only.

CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27

See details

Bay / Sound

Corn Hill Beach

Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only

Truro's classic Cape Cod Bay beach off Corn Hill Road, with calm warm water, gentle tidal flats, and famous west-facing sunsets over the bay. One of the few Truro beaches with a daily pay option, making it the easiest for day-trip visitors.

CCC Visited · Verified 2026-10-05

See details