Cape Cod's Serene 'Wrist' Hides An Uncrowded Beach With Sand Bars, A Shipwreck, And Birds
When picturing the New England coast, you're likely to conjure images of wind-beaten golden beaches, rife with verdant shrubs, and vaulted by a moody sky. There are thousands of such places scattered across Cape Cod, a peninsula with unique experiences ranging from watching unforgettable sunsets and enjoying sandy dunes, to eating fleshy, briny oysters.
If you have picked this corner of coastal New England to unite several passions, one location in particular ticks several boxes and is one of the most popular locations in Cape Cod. With its history, nature, and spectacular sea, Head of the Meadow Beach appeals to shipwreck and nautical history aficionados, wildlife fans, and beach-goers alike. If the Cape Cod peninsula is a flexing arm, then this magical spot is located in the wrist, between Truro and Provincetown.
Reaching Head of the Meadow Beach couldn't be easier if your main stop is P-town. A direct shuttle connecting the North Truro peninsula links Provincetown to the nearest facility, the Prince of Whales Cottages, with hourly rides lasting about 15 minutes. Once you reach the cottages, you can either Uber the remaining way, walk, or bike about 2 miles to the beach itself. If you are planning to drive your own car, bear in mind parking is available from two large parking lots outside of the beach, with daily fees differing between the two lots.
Adventures in Head of the Meadow include shipwreck exploration and birdwatching
Living alongside tranquility and peaceful shores are thrilling adventures just at your fingertips. Head of the Meadow Beach, in fact, is known for its "ocean graveyard," an underwater collection of shipwrecked vessels, some of which are possible to spot when the tide is low. This phenomenon is due to the concentration of shipwrecks that occurred between Truro and Wellfleet, estimated to be around a thousand. And it's not unique to this corner of Cape Cod either. The peninsula has always been a tricky spot for seafarers, not only due to gales and weather events, but for its shape jutting out in the sea, and the shifting sandbars that come with it.
Thousands of vessels may have sunk or run aground in the nearby waters over the centuries, and for some, their stories live on. When the tide is low, you can spot the silhouette of the bow of The Frances, a German vessel run aground off the coast of Head of the Meadow Beach in 1872. Its legendary tale of woe is linked to strong gales which knocked it off course, and all passengers but the captain survived its demise.
Another big activity luring people to Head of the Meadow Beach is birdwatching. The area is a great point of access to observe both nesting colonies including piping plovers and roseate terns calling this region home, as well as migratory birds. Alongside nesting residents, there are many seabirds to be spotted, including terns, cormorants, herring gulls and laughing gulls. Before you bring along your four-legged friends, bear in mind the beach is closed off to pets during nesting season from June to August.
Head of Meadow's uncrowded beaches are known for their sandbars, and enchanting wildlife
Birds are far from being the only wildlife inhabiting the wrist of Cape Cod. Good news for the "Jaws" fans out there: when the purple flag is flying, it means great whites have been spotted by the Coast Guard. The rule of thumb is that if you see a seal, swim away, as sharks tend to hunt them in shallow waters. There are plenty of seals off the coast, and you can spot their heads popping up to the surface on a regular basis.
The serene corner of Head of the Meadow Beach may be home to thrilling experiences, but it's also ideal to enjoy restful stretches of sandy beach as far as the eye can see. While buzzy villages like Barnstable have their own artsy collective breathing creative life into the beach location, Head of the Meadow's charm lies in its relaxing enjoyments. And it's not the only one affording this simple pleasure within the region, as the legendary tip of Nantucket is home to secret beaches and quaint cottages you can have all to yourself.
In Head of the Meadow Beach, you may be tempted to adopt a laid-back approach, quite literally, as the beach boasts pillowy-soft, super fine sand ideal for reclining. Save some energy to enjoy the beautiful sandbars: narrow ridges of golden sand resembling an enchanted path heading into the sea. It's advised to only walk along them during low tide, as sandbars can be unpredictable, and high tide can turn this otherwise harmless activity dangerous with unexpected situations.