Thoreau’s Cape Cod, 1849
6 stops on Cape Cod.
Six National Register places up the outer beach Henry David Thoreau walked in October 1849, from Eastham to Race Point: the Nauset lights, which he found as three lights close together (the towers there now are later), Highland Light, where he lodged with the keeper, the Truro highlands and Old North Cemetery, Provincetown village, and Race Point at the tip of the Cape. Truro is on an 1836 survey of the end of the Cape and Provincetown on an 1841 chart of its harbor; Nauset and Race Point are on the 1887 USGS maps, the oldest of those shores that read up close.
Turn the pages to see each stop on a map from its own era. Pins mark where the federal record places each listing, sometimes the center of an area rather than a street address.
https://treealive.com/trails/thoreau-cape-cod-1849
The dashed line connects the stops in visiting order. It isn't a road route or the path anyone marched. Google Maps handles the driving, starting from wherever you are.
Provenance
- Listings from
- National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, updated October 10, 2026
- Stops and sheets last checked
- 2026-10-11
- Corrections
- Send a correction · privacy@treealive.com
Three Sisters of Nauset (Twin Lights)
Structure · Listed 1987 · Contributing: 2 structures
Multiple property listing: Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR
The pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1887 map · Wellfleet, Massachusetts · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
1893 map · Wellfleet, Massachusetts · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
1889 map · Wellfleet, Massachusetts · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
1910 map · Barnstable urban atlas (1910) · Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library
1835 map · Massachusetts (Lucas, 1835) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Highland Light Station
Structure · Listed 1987 · Contributing: 2 structures, 1 site
Multiple property listing: Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR
The pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1836 map · Map Of The Extremity Of Cape Cod · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1858 map · Map of Massachusetts and Rhode Island · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1835 map · Massachusetts (Lucas, 1835) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1844 map · Map Of Massachusetts · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1825 map · Massachusetts (Buchon/Lucas, 1825) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Truro Highlands Historic District
Historic district · Listed 2011 · Contributing: 4 buildings, 1 structure, 1 site
The pin is the center of the area the federal record covers, not a street address.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1836 map · Map Of The Extremity Of Cape Cod · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1794 map · Massachusetts. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1617 map · New England · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1822 map · Massachusetts (Carey, 1822) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1825 map · Massachusetts (Buchon/Lucas, 1825) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Old North Cemetery
Site · Listed 2013 · Contributing: 1 structure, 1 site, 54 objects
The pin is the center of the area the federal record covers, not a street address.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1836 map · Map Of The Extremity Of Cape Cod · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1794 map · Massachusetts. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1617 map · New England · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1917 map · Hammond's new road map of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1822 map · Massachusetts (Carey, 1822) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Center Methodist Church
Building · Listed 1975 · Contributing: 1 building
The pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1841 map · Chart of Cape Cod Harbor and the adjacent coast of Provincetown and Truro · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1846 map · A map of New-England · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1835 map · A map of the extremity of Cape Cod · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1835 map · Massachusetts (Lucas, 1835) · Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1844 map · Map Of Massachusetts · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Race Point Light Station
Structure · Listed 1987 · Contributing: 1 building, 3 structures
Multiple property listing: Lighthouses of Massachusetts TR
The pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
This page shows the federal record's own fields.
1887 map · Provincetown, Massachusetts · USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
1874 map · County and township map of the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1846 map · A map of New-England · Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library
1878 map · Massachusetts · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
1871 map · Climatol. Massachusetts. · David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Thoreau’s Cape Cod, 1849
6 stops on Cape Cod, in trail order.
Open the full route in Google Maps ↗Google Maps does the driving, starting from wherever you are. We don't estimate distance or time on the road.
- 1Three Sisters of Nauset (Twin Lights)Off Cable Rd. · Eastham · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
- 2Highland Light StationHighland Light Rd. · Truro · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
- 3Truro Highlands Historic DistrictHighland Light Rd. · Truro · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the center of the area the federal record covers, not a street address.
- 4Old North CemeteryUS 6 & Aldrich Rd. · Truro · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the center of the area the federal record covers, not a street address.
- 5Center Methodist Church356 Commercial St. · Provincetown · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
- 6Race Point Light StationRace Point Beach · Provincetown · Barnstable CountyThe pin is the coordinate the Park Service publishes for this listing.
Thoreau’s Cape Cod, 1849
You visited every stop: 6 in all. A TreeAlive curated trail.
- Three Sisters of Nauset (Twin Lights)Off Cable Rd. · Eastham · Barnstable County
- Highland Light StationHighland Light Rd. · Truro · Barnstable County
- Truro Highlands Historic DistrictHighland Light Rd. · Truro · Barnstable County
- Old North CemeteryUS 6 & Aldrich Rd. · Truro · Barnstable County
- Center Methodist Church356 Commercial St. · Provincetown · Barnstable County
- Race Point Light StationRace Point Beach · Provincetown · Barnstable County
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https://treealive.com/trails/thoreau-cape-cod-1849