Our last stop in Cape Cod National Seashore during our October 2021 visit was to hike the short trail network leading to both the East Summit Bearberry Hill and the West Summit Bearberry Hill in the Pamet area of Truro, Massachusetts.
To reach the trailhead from the Salt Pond Visitor Center, drive east (compass north) on US 6 for 12.7 miles and exit right at the Pamet Roads/Truro Center sign. At the end of a very short exit ramp, turn left onto North Pamet Road. Drive 1.5 miles to the parallel parking on the right or the small parking lot also on the right.
To reach the trailhead from the Province Lands Visitor Center, drive west (compass south) on US 6 for 9.9 miles and exit right at the Pamet Roads/Truro Center sign on a very short exit ramp. Turn right onto Truro Center Road. Drive 600 feet and turn right at the Pamet Roads sign. Drive another 600 feet on South Pamet Road, passing under US 6. Turn left onto North Pamet Road and drive 1.6 miles to the parallel parking on the right or the small parking lot also on the right.
A very limited amount of parking is available near the trailhead. There are eight parallel parking spots on North Pamet Road and another half-dozen in a parking lot off the south side of the road. Parking at the hostel next door is only for hostel guests.
The trailhead is located at a set of wooden stairs across the road from the parallel parking. To hike to both summits and back to the road is a total of about 0.6 miles. The trail climbs from an elevation of 30 feet at the road to over 110 feet at the East Summit Bearberry Hill and 90 feet at the West Summit Bearberry Hill. We did not hike to the bog house.
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| Topographic map with GPS route overlay |
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| Truro Hostel, formerly a US Coast Guard Station |
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| Parking lot driveway, not the hostel driveway |
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| Trailhead at North Pamet Road crosswalk |
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| Switchback |
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| Climbing the hill from the switchback |
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| Typical trail conditions |
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| The left fork leads to West Summit and the right fork leads to East Summit |
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| View on the way to the East Summit |
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| Typical trail conditions |
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| This social path is not the trail |
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| Ocean view from the East Summit Bearberry Hill |
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| 1899 "Robbins Roost" summer cabin overlooking a glacial pond |
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| Pamet River headwaters |
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| Pamet River marsh |
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| Another cabin on the brink of the ocean bluff |
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| Descending from East Summit |
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| Ascending to West Summit |
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| West Summit Bearberry Hill |
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| The West Summit isn't as open as the East Summit |
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| Cranberry bogs and the Pamet River |
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| Trail junction to the bog house |
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| The Atlantic Ocean from near the parking lot |
Cape Cod National Seashore beach entrance fees are collected daily from late June through Labor Day, and on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to the middle of September at select beaches. The six national seashore beaches where fees are collected are Coast Guard and Nauset Light in Eastham, Marconi in Wellfleet, Head of the Meadow in Truro, and Race Point and Herring Cove in Provincetown.
When an entry fee is collected, a fee of $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per person is valid for the same day at Cape Cod National Seashore. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Cape Cod National Seashore Annual Pass for $60.
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