Highland Light

Highland Light Review

Truly a breathtaking sight, Highland Light, also called Cape Cod Light, is the Cape's oldest lighthouse. It was the last to become automated, in 1986. The first light on this site, powered by 24 whale-oil lamps, began warning ships of Truro's treacherous sandbars in 1798—the dreaded Peaked Hills Bars alone, to the north, claimed hundreds of ships. The current light, a white-painted 66-foot tower built in 1857, is powered by two 1,000-watt bulbs reflected by a huge Fresnel lens; its beacon is visible for more than 20 mi.

One of four active lighthouses on the Outer Cape, Highland Light has the distinction of being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Henry David Thoreau used it as a stopover in his travels across the Cape's backside (as the Atlantic side of the Outer Cape is called). Erosion threatened to cut this lighthouse from the 117-foot cliff on which it stood and drop it into the sea; thanks to a concerted effort by local residents and lighthouse lovers, the necessary funds were raised, and the lighthouse was moved back 450 feet to safety (while remaining surrounded by the Highland Links golf course). Twenty-five-minute tours of the lighthouse are given daily in summer. Children must be at least 51 inches tall to climb the tower.