Cape Cod National Seashore: Race Point Lighthouse

Cape Cod R&R 2023: Race Point Lighthouse Hike – 5/4/23 – 4.5 miles

A week after our younger daughter got married in April 2023, Jim and I whisked ourselves away to Cape Cod. After many months of planning and spreadsheets, the wedding was a beautiful and (dare I say it?) flawless celebration with family and friends. The honeymoon? Why, yes, the father and mother of the bride were ready for some R&R.

Rain arrived in Boston when we did and lingered for most of our visit, but it didn’t “dampen” our plans. We were a week ahead of the spring/summer season, very few people and free access to all beaches. Chilly gale force winds couldn’t stop us from roaming all around the Cape! The sunsets were gorgeous, the seafood was delicious, and we found adventures everywhere.

We spent one day driving up the east coast from Orleans to Provincetown, checking out coffee shops and Cape Cod National Seashore lighthouses and beaches.

Nauset Lighthouse near Eastham, MA, built in 1877
 (iconic photo on a bag of potato chips, haha)

We walked the sandy access path to peek at the powerful surf and brooding clouds.
No toe dips today, thanks!

Three Sisters of Nauset Lighthouse Station were first established in 1838. Over the years the girls got around, moving to different locations in the neighborhood before they were reunited close to home in 1975, went through fabulous spa treatments and reopened to the public in 1989. 

Mechanical engineer Jim insisted on stopping at the Marconi Wireless Station Site where the first transatlantic wireless communication between the United States and Europe took place on January 18, 1903. Just a couple of years later, the station was closed due to fear of dune erosion. The equipment was removed, erosion eventually happened, and the remaining buildings fell into the ocean. 

We walked the paved path from the parking area to the top of some dunes for an ocean view – imagination required.

Next stop: Province Lands Visitor Center near Provincetown at the northern tip of Cape Cod. We chatted with the ranger and told her we were interested in walking to Race Point Lighthouse. She said it was “about a mile” walking on the beach from the public access at Race Point Beach.

[Race Point Lighthouse is maintained by the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, meaning volunteers and donations keep it going.]

So…we parked at Race Point Beach and started walking

It was soon after high tide and we had plenty of sand, waves, gloomy skies, brisk wind, and one seal bobbing in the water. What we did not have was human company.

We walked and walked, Jim tracking with his GAIA GPS. After a mile and a half, we began to wonder if we would see the lighthouse above the dunes. How close is it to the water’s edge? Or have we passed it? But GAIA said, nope, we have a ways to go.

We saw an SUV driving along the beach ahead of us. It stopped, then moved on, stopped again, and we caught up with the driver, a photographer. When we asked about the lighthouse, he thought we should keep going “around the bend” and we would see it.

Ummm, which bend?

By now we knew the ranger wasn’t accurate, obviously she had never walked to the lighthouse herself. Not ready to concede defeat, we pushed on and soon spotted a break in the dunes. Jim climbed up and sighted the lighthouse, so we left the beach and walked through the dunes another 15 minutes to reach it. [I am not sure if this was the real beach access or not. Let me know if you know].

The buildings, as expected, were all closed and we took a little time peeking in windows and reading signs. [You can spend the night if you have the funds – a way to support the foundation.] Looking at the time, we decided to walk back via the rough “road” through the dunes instead of returning to the beach – at least we could follow tire tracks. 

Deep sand, slow going, not setting any speed records

The Lesson: We were unprepared for this hike, thinking it would be one mile out, one mile back, an hour at most – no backpacks, no water, no food, just rain gear and our puffy jackets (at least we were that smart, because it was quite chilly). Just always carry your backpacks and 10 essentials, people!

To reset our mindset after the expedition, we headed to Provincetown looking for food,
no dillydallying. We found heaven at The Lobster Pot.

A beer for Jim and Stormalong cider for me

Clam chowder and baked cod stuffed with lobster
 (we share dishes because food is expensive on the Cape)

Sated and hydrated, we strolled around Provincetown. Some businesses were not open on a cold weekday ahead of the season, but we enjoyed the colorful houses and murals.

Wait! There’s one more lighthouse to see on the drive back to our lodgings: Highland Lighthouse in Truro, MA

“Love is a lighthouse: it shines through darkest fears and helps you get where you want to be.” ~Janet Todd