Head of the Meadow Beach

Cape Cod

LoginSave

Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, this wide, dune-backed beach has limited facilities, but there are lifeguards in summer. If you happen to be there at low tide, you might catch a glimpse of old shipwrecks that met their fate on the shoals. There are two entrances: the National Seashore beach (parking $20) is to the left and open to the public. The other entrance is for local residents only.

A 2-mile bike trail, the Head of the Meadow Trail, starts next to the parking area and leads through forested areas behind the beach.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Colonial homes and garden

    Plimoth Plantation

    28.93 MILES

    Three miles south of Plymouth center, Plimoth Plantation authentically re-creates the Pilgrims’ settlement in its primary exhibit, entitled 1627 English…

  • Dune's edge, pitch pine, Marconi beach, wellfleet, Cape Cod national seashore.

    Cape Cod National Seashore

    12.1 MILES

    Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…

  • Salt Pond Visitor Center

    Salt Pond Visitor Center

    15.84 MILES

    The Salt Pond Visitor Center is the place to start exploring the National Seashore – and it has a great view to boot. Here you'll find exhibits and short…

  • Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

    Provincetown Art Association & Museum

    4.99 MILES

    Founded in 1914 to celebrate the town’s thriving art community, this vibrant museum showcases the works of hundreds of artists who have found their…

  • "Image of Pilgrim tower in Provincetown, MA, USA"

    Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

    5.47 MILES

    Climb to the top of the country's tallest all-granite structure (253ft) for a sweeping view of town, the beaches and the spine of the Lower Cape. The…

  • Captains' Mile

    Captains' Mile

    25.47 MILES

    Nearly 50 historic sea captains' homes are lined up along MA 6A (the Old King's Hwy) in Yarmouth Port, on a 1.5-mile stretch known as the Captains' Mile…

  • John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum

    John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum

    29.47 MILES

    Hyannis has been the summer home of the Kennedy clan for generations. Back in the day, JFK spent the warmer months here – times that are beautifully…

  • Stellwagen Bank

    Stellwagen Bank

    21.65 MILES

    Stellwagen Bank is 842 sq miles of open ocean rich in marine life. The area was declared a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992 to conserve the area's…

View more attractions

Nearby Cape Cod attractions

1. Highland House Museum

1.26 MILES

Adjacent to the Cape Cod Highland Light, this museum focuses on Truro's farming and maritime past. It's packed with all sorts of vintage goodies, from…

2. Cape Cod Highland Light

1.35 MILES

Sitting on the Cape's highest elevation (a mere 120ft!), Cape Cod Highland Light dates to 1797 and casts the brightest beam on the New England coast…

3. Truro Vineyards

1.5 MILES

This boutique vineyard, the first on the Outer Cape, is worth a stop. In recent times it has added a boutique distillery, South Hollow Spirits, producing…

4. Long Point Beach

4.62 MILES

Home to the Cape's most remote grains of sand, Long Point Beach is reached by a two-hour walk (each way) along the stone dike at the western end of…

5. Provincetown Art Association & Museum

4.99 MILES

Founded in 1914 to celebrate the town’s thriving art community, this vibrant museum showcases the works of hundreds of artists who have found their…

6. Albert Merola Gallery

5.09 MILES

The high-quality Albert Merola Gallery showcases works by both contemporary and notable past Provincetown artists. It's reliably open during the summer…

7. MacMillan Pier

5.21 MILES

The central town wharf is the hub of water-going traffic, like passenger ferries to and from Boston, whale-watching cruises, fishing charters and…

8. Provincetown Public Library

5.24 MILES

Erected in 1860 as a church, this building was turned into a museum a century later, complete with a half-size replica of Provincetown's famed race…