Parking
Use the parking by the ballfield at Highlands Center. From Route 6, take the Highland Light exit, follow Highland Road east, turn right on South Highland Road, then left on Old Dewline Road; the Center is at the end.
Overview
About Woods Walk at Highlands Center
Why go
- A compact loop with an unusual Cold War site story
- A full walk in about half an hour
Heads up
- The uphill connector is fairly steep
- No public water or restrooms on site
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Cape Cod map
Full mapElevation128–167 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Cape Cod alert
- CautionSharks active in park waters through OctoberSharks are active in park waters through October; heed beach guidelines and signage before entering the water.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cape Cod Tour Guide
Your drive to Woods Walk at Highlands Center, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cape Cod National Seashore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Payomet at the Highlands Center0:00 / 0:29
“You're nearing the access route for Payomet Performing Arts Center at the Highlands Center. I'd choose this for a scheduled show, rather than a casual sightseeing stop.”
Plays on the road 0.6 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Cape Cod Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Coast Guard Beach in Truro
- Highland Light and Highland House
- Grass That Builds a Dune
- The Holiday That Lasted a Year
- 56 audio storiesacross Cape Cod’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Gray Seal, Coyote, Red Fox, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 32 trails, 55 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Woods Walk at Highlands Center
A short loop with a Cold War backstoryWoods Walk at Highlands Center is a one-mile loop through the back woods and heathland around…
Woods Walk at Highlands Center is a one-mile loop through the back woods and heathland around the former North Truro Air Force Station. Allow about 30 minutes. It suits a short visit when you want a walk with a bit of Cape history; the uphill connector makes it moderate rather than flat.
Follow Snake Road back to the ballfieldThe loop begins just left of the ballfield, then winds through pines, oaks and heathland along…
The loop begins just left of the ballfield, then winds through pines, oaks and heathland along Snake Road. At the old well site, it turns onto a fairly steep uphill connector. At the top, turn left and follow the paved road to Sea Cliff Way, which leads back to the ballfield. The route mixes paved and unpaved ground. Leashed dogs are allowed, but there are no public restrooms or water supply at the Center.
A former radar station in the woodsNorth Truro Air Force Station operated from 1951 to 1985 as part of the Cape’s Cold War radar…
North Truro Air Force Station operated from 1951 to 1985 as part of the Cape’s Cold War radar defenses. About 500 civilian and military personnel were stationed there at one point. The walk traces the old campus roads through the pines and heathland, with the former well site along the loop. The Atlantic overlook at the end of Old Dewline Road is a separate stop, beyond this one-mile circuit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Cape Cod
459 sightingsGray SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
84 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
297 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
49 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
263 sightingsHorseshoe CrabMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
73 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cape Cod. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
