Old Fox Bottom Road

Old Fox Bottom Road is an easy out-and-back from Collins Road through Truro woods to an Atlantic bluff. The connected route is about 0.92 mile each way, or 1.84 miles round trip; allow roughly an hour. Most of it is a weathered paved fire road, with the last quarter mile turning into a rougher old cart road. Some published itineraries list 2.5 miles round trip, but their extra route could not be traced to a clear endpoint; this description follows the connected road to the bluff. No designated public lot or legal roadside parking was verified at the Collins Road start.

The woods enclose most of the walk, and the route is easy to follow until the paved surface gives way to the older cart road. The ocean opens at the end, where the path reaches an exposed bluff rather than a built overlook. The moraine edge is eroding: a local walker estimated about 30 feet of retreat over six years. Enjoy the view well back from the edge.

In the early 1950s, MITRE built a prototype radar system in South Truro to detect Soviet bombers. Three radar units along Fox Bottom Road sent digital data by modem to MIT’s Whirlwind computer. A local computer historian describes the link as an early modem-to-computer connection; his idea that the internet began here is an interpretation, not a settled conclusion. The paved road is a remnant of that research site. The former laboratory buildings were reported razed in 2025, so don’t expect them as a destination. Park rules permit leashed pets on fire roads but prohibit them on most walking trails; because this route’s final cart-road section has no official classification, check with the park before bringing a dog.