A Few Ways to Spend Your Time in Truro, Massachusetts

If you’re spending part of your Cape Cod vacation in Truro, you’ll have plenty of great ways to spend your time. Although Truro is small and doesn’t have much of a downtown area, there are great activities here that will keep you busy.

Here are five things that you can do in Truro that you’d have a tough time replicating anywhere else on the Cape.

Visit the Museums

It wouldn’t be a vacation in Truro without experiencing some local history. Luckily, there are three museums in town that make it easy to learn about the town’s origins. Highland Light was Cape Cod’s first lighthouse, having been commissioned by George Washington and completed in 1797. The tower has been replaced twice since that time, with the current version being erected in 1857. Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse, which provides sweeping views of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The Truro Highland House Museum is on the same site as the lighthouse and sits in a former hotel building. Inside, you’ll find plenty of artifacts from early European settlers, as well as the Native Americans who previously inhabited the region.

The Cobb Archive was built in 1912 as Truro’s first public library. Today, it is full of historical documents, including maps, books, and pictures, that anyone can go through if they want to visit. This might not be the most exciting way to spend a vacation, but it’s certainly educational.

Golf at Highland Links

Did you know that Truro is home to one of the only genuine links courses in the country? While there are links-style courses everywhere, Highland Links is a True Links course, a designation that is incredibly rare outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

A True Links course must sit near the coast and include features like dunes, infertile, sandy soil, and native grasses. All of this must be natural, which is perhaps why so few courses receive the designation.

Highland Links is only nine holes, but they are diverse enough that it’ll feel like more. You’ll also get to experience some of the Cape’s best views during your round, as the course sits beside the site of Highland Light. The golf course is historic, as it dates back to 1892, and even the small, Cape Cod-style pro shop feels old. Quite simply, this course provides golf the way it should be played on the Outer Cape.

Hike Bearberry Hill

The Pamet Area Trails are about 0.6 miles in length and found not far from Ballston Beach. On the hike, you’ll head through a cranberry bog and see an old boghouse from when the area was home to commercial harvesting. There are markers along the trail, although you won’t find any restrooms. The basic hike will only take you about 45 minutes, although there are roads that you use to detour to different parts of the forest.

The highlight of the Pamet is the Bearberry Hill Summit, which overlooks the entire area and features views of the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll also be able to see the Pamet River Valley, which was formed by glaciers 12,000 years ago.

Swim at Great Pond

No vacation in Truro is complete without taking a dip, and luckily, there are many different places to explore. If you’re looking for a place away from the crowds where you can enjoy the peacefulness of Cape Cod, Great Pond is an excellent choice.

Great Pond sits in South Truro, just off Route 6. It’s in a mostly uninhabited area between Truro and Wellfleet, which is perhaps why it doesn’t get overly busy. The other reason is that there isn’t a whole lot of parking, as you’ll only find room for four vehicles to park along Collins Road.

Once you get to the pond, you’ll be glad that you made an effort to get there because the water is calm, and you’ll have nothing but the sound of nature around you.

Fish in the Surf

Truro is famous for its surf fishing, so if you’re visiting Cape Cod and don’t have access to a boat, you still have options. The best surf fishing in the region is found beneath the cliffs of beaches like Head of the Meadow and Longnook. Keep in mind that accessing these beaches can be difficult, and you’ll want to keep an eye on the tide schedule.

Once you’re on the beach, all you do is wade out a few feet and cast into the surf. From there, you can catch sea bass, stripers, and bluefish. Get out first thing in the morning to try your luck because there’s something special about fishing on a deserted beach as the sun comes up over Cape Cod.

Make the Most of Your Time in Truro

As you can see, Truro has plenty of outdoor activities, including the East Coast’s only True Links golf course, outstanding fishing, secluded swimming holes, and fantastic hiking opportunities. The region also has plenty of history to explore, especially if you’re interested in the town’s past.

Renting a vacation property in Truro, Massachusetts, provides easy access to all of these places, and plenty of other local favorites, giving you the chance to really get to know this outstanding Cape Cod town.