Highland Light

Truro, Massachusetts | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterTower tours offered (sourced)

About this lighthouse

Within Cape Cod National Seashore in Truro. The NPS lists Highland Light tours as typically available seasonally, operated by Eastern National under agreement with the Park Service.

The U.S. Coast Guard lists Highland Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White conical tower”. Light List entries describe the light for mariners; they do not say whether the site is open to visitors.

The structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. A National Register listing documents historic significance. It does not mean the public can visit.

Awaiting verification: Wikidata gives 1797 as the year this station or structure was established. We have not yet confirmed this against a primary source, so it is not shown as a fact. See the Wikidata lead.

Facts panel

Sourced facts about Highland Light
Managed / operated by	Cape Cod National Seashore (NPS); tours operated by Eastern National
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 500) [1]
Light characteristic	Fl W 5s [1]
Focal height	170 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	14 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	White conical tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “Highland Light Station” (NRIS 87001463), NPGallery record dated [2]
NRHP significant years	1845 1850 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Engineering Transportation Architecture Maritime History [2]
County	Barnstable County
Coordinates	42.03952, -70.06094 [3]

Getting there

Directions should target a legal public viewing location. We have not verified a public viewpoint or parking area for this light yet, so check the official source before you go.

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map. The pin marks the lighthouse position, not a parking area or a permitted viewpoint.

Accessibility

We have no verified accessibility information for this site yet. Contact the site manager before your visit if you need step-free access.

Nearby lights

Straight-line distance between lighthouse positions, not a driving time or route.

Long Point Light — 5.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Wood End Light — 6.9 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Race Point Light — 9.6 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Three Sisters of Nauset — 13.5 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Nauset Light — 13.6 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 500 “Highland Light” — U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (weekly edition 11/11/2026). https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/weekly-light-lists (checked 2026-11-11)
National Register of Historic Places record 87001463: “Highland Light Station” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/87001463 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q5758878 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5758878 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Light (checked 2026-11-11)
Lighthouses - Cape Cod National Seashore (page last updated Dec 28, 2024) — National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/guiding-lights.htm (checked 2026-11-11)

Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.