Cape Cod Lighthouses

Cape Cod has a rich maritime history spanning over several centuries. Today, the Cape Cod lighthouses dotting the Cape’s shoreline are some of the few remaining landmarks that offer tourists and residents a chance to experience the romance of the period in history these vantage points represent.

There are 14 lighthouses on Cape Cod. Obviously, a number of the lighthouses are no longer in use because advancements in navigational technology have made them obsolete. They now serve as historical landmarks and are maintained by local authorities, the local chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and private citizens. Some of them are open to the public and you can tour them whenever you are on the Cape.

Below are the notable lighthouses on Cape Cod…

Race Point Light (Provincetown, MA)

Race Point Light in Provincetown, MA was first lit 1816 but the original tower was replaced by a 45-foot tower in 1876. The 45-foot tower is still standing and it is maintained by the Coast Guard and the American Lighthouse Foundation. It is an imposing iron-plated tower that is worth seeing up-close.

The light is open to the public. There are two buildings on the property that are available to let for people who want to stay overnight. The buildings can accommodate up to 10 visitors.

To get to the property, you can take a 45-minute hike or use a four-wheel drive for which you will need an oversand permit provided by the National Park Service. The walk to the lighthouse along the Trail at Hatches Harbor will provide you with an excellent view of this landmark. If you’d rather drive, make a call during office hours to the Cape Cod National Seashore Oversand Office to get a vehicle permit (number: 508-487-2100, ext. 0927).

Wood End Light (Provincetown, MA)

Wood End Light is located to the south of Provincetown. It was first put up as a lookout station in 1864 with the light being illuminated for the first time eight years later in 1872. It sits on acres of sand dunes as the only structure on the southernmost end of Provincetown Spit.

The white square brick tower stands at 39 feet with a focal height of 45 feet above sea level. On the property is a wooden house that was built in 1896 for the keeper. The light was automated in 1961 and it currently serves as a navigation aid under the ownership of the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard has licensed the lighthouse to the American Lighthouse Foundation which has done a lot to restore the landmark.

While tours of the tower are not available, visiting the grounds is worth it. You can easily access it from Provincetown Causeway or Herring Cove Beach. The walk to the light will take you about half an hour and the adventure will be totally worth it.

Long Point Light Station (Provincetown, MA)

The Long Point Light Station is located on the Southwestern edge of Provincetown Harbor. It is a square brick tower that stands at 38 feet with a focal height of 35.5 feet above sea level. The tower was first constructed in 1827 and rebuilt in 1875. It was automated in 1952 and the current lens is a solar-powered 300 mm lantern.

While the lighthouse tower is closed, the grounds are open to the public. The light station is maintained by the American Lighthouse Foundation. You can only get to the grounds on foot or by boat.

Highland Light (North Truro, MA)

The Highland Light (officially known as Cape Cod Light) is located in North Truro on the Cape Cod National Seashore. This was the first lighthouse on Cape Cod having been built in 1797. It was automated in 1987 and the current light is VegaMarine LED Beacon.

The tower stands at 66 feet with a focal height of 170 feet above sea level. The view from 69 steps up the tower is amazing and you will enjoy a range of about 21 miles on a clear summer day.

While the grounds are open to visitors throughout the year, the light is only open to the public from mid-May to mid-October.  Tours of the property start at 10 am and end at 5.30 pm. If you want to climb the lighthouse, there is an admission fee.

 

Nauset Light (Close to Eastham, MA)

Officially known as Nauset Beach Light, this lighthouse is located on the Cape Cod National Seashore close to Eastham, MA. The tower was put up in 1923 using a tower that was originally being used at another Cape Cod light station, Chatham Light. The cast iron plate tower is 48 feet tall with a focal height of 120 feet above sea level.

The Tower is currently maintained and operated by the Nauset Light Preservation Society. The Society offers guided tours of the tower and an adjacent oil house over the summer. Nonetheless, the grounds are open throughout the year and you can go to Nauset Light whenever you are on the Cape. The guided tours are offered on weekdays in July and August and on Sunday afternoons from mid-May through October.

This is arguably the most popular lighthouse on the Cape. If you’ve ever bought Cape Cod Potato Chips, you will immediately recognize the red and white tower that is the logo of the potato chips company. Visiting it will definitely make your Cape Cod trip. You can walk to the light or take a bike via the Nauset Bike Path.

Chatham Light (Chatham, MA)

Chatham Light is a major landmark in the town of Chatham. It was formerly known as the “Twin Lights” as the original station had two wooden towers. The two wooden towers were built in 1808 and were replaced by two cast-iron towers in 1877. In 1923, one of the cast-iron towers was moved to the town of Eastham to serve as the Nauset Light.

The tower sits on 2 acres of land and is 14.5 meters tall with a focal height of 80 feet above sea level. The light is property of the U.S. Coast Guard being one of the few lighthouses in the United States that is still operational round the clock.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free tours of the lighthouse from May to mid-October on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Guided tours are offered in the afternoon only from 1 – 3.30 pm. The lighthouse is easily accessible from Main Street and you can either drive or walk to the location.

Nobska Point Lighthouse (Woods Hole, MA)

The Nobska Point Lighthouse is located on the southwestern end of the Cape between Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound. The light station was first put up in 1826 but the current tower was built in 1876. The tower is 42-feet tall with a focal height of 87 feet above sea level. Other buildings still standing on the grounds are the garage, a storage building, an oil house, and the keeper’s house.

Guided tours of the lighthouse are not available but you can visit the grounds. It is easily accessible by bike, tram, or on foot. The Shining Sea Bikeway is the perfect path to take when going on foot or by bike. It will afford you excellent views of the local landscapes and it is generally peaceful and quiet even during the summer.

 

 

The Three Sisters Lighthouses (Eastham, MA)

The Three Sisters Lighthouses are three 22-feet tall brick towers found off Cable Road in the town of Eastham, MA. The name ‘three sisters’ came about because they resembled three Catholic sisters wearing white dresses and black headgear when seen from afar.

The first three towers were built in the 1830s after Congress granted the Boston Marine Society’s request for funding for a lighthouse in Eastham. Three separate towers standing 15-feet tall were thus built. Later on, as the shoreline changed, three other movable 22-feet lighthouses were built inland a distance from the sea. The original 15-feet lighthouses would fall into the sea years later as the shoreline continued to change.

For a time, the three towers were separated as two of them got decommissioned. They would later be reunited in 1975 by the National Park Service which returned the two decommissioned towers to their original position off Cable Road. Today, the National Seashore provides tours of these historical Cape Cod lighthouses. You can tour the site on Sundays from May to mid-October and on Wednesdays in July and August.