We chose the Pilgrim Spring Trail as our second hike during our October 2021 trip to Cape Cod National Seashore. We would have hiked the Small's Swamp Nature Trail as well, but it was too late in the day to attempt both before dark.
The Pilgrims found the spring on November 16, 1620, just five days after landing at what is now Provincetown Harbor. They landed at Plymouth across Cape Cod Bay a month later on December 16, 1620.
The trailhead is located ½ mile north (road east) of US 6 on Pilgrim Heights Road in Truro, Massachusetts. There are two large paved parking lots with a total of about 150 spaces. There are no designated handicap or RV spaces. A restroom building is open seasonally. Several picnic tables are located throughout the parking area.
The trail starts on the left at the north end of the first parking lot. According to my GPS, the roundtrip distance from the trailhead to the spring and back is 0.66 miles. I assume the loop distance would be similar. The trail descends over fifty feet on the way to the spring and uses 88 timber steps to help with the descent. There are also four steps up on the way to the spring. Markers along the way denote several types of trees and bushes. This is an easy trail that we enjoyed immensely.
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| Topographic map with GPS route |
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| Gazebo and picnic table near the trailhead |
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| Long shadows |
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| Typical trail conditions |
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| Some of the 88 steps from the trailhead down to the spring |
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| An overlook featuring the dunes and the Atlantic Ocean |
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| Evening shadows extend into the dunes |
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| More of the dunes and ocean |
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| Even more of the dunes |
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| The path beyond the overlook |
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| The four steps up on the way to the spring |
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| The trail is mowed often or there would only be a single-track through the thicket |
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| Approaching the spring and marker |
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| Historic marker |
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| The trail continues on to make a loop, but we decided to backtrack instead |
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| The spring is in the high grass to the right of the fence |
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| Shadows have blanketed the dunes back at the overlook |
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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