FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is where you will find answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about camping at scenic
North of Highland Camping Area

Below we attempt to answer many of the questions we are most frequently asked here at North of Highland Camping Area. We have grouped these questions by category shown along “tabs” to make it is easier to navigate. Just click on any tab for the related answer.

If you have other questions about our campground please feel free to view the rest of our website or to contact us via email or phone calls whenever our campground office is open, and we’ll be happy to assist you. Please understand that we do not regularly answer emails or phone calls during our off-season when the campground is closed which is one of the reasons we created this webpage.

FEQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

About Our Reservations:

It depends on the time of the summer and the type of camping equipment and campsite needs that you have. As a general rule, the further ahead that you can make your reservation the better, as we assign campsites at the time your reservation is requested based upon what our office team believe is the best available campsite based on your stated equipment and preferences. We begin taking non-perennial campsite reservations for the following camping season beginning on May 1 each spring. Reservations are highly suggested during our busiest times which include our Peak Season (mid July through mid to late August) and on the dates surrounding the holiday weekends of Memorial Day, Independence Day & Labor Day. The last week of July and first couple of weeks in August can often be fully booked as early as April. However it never hurts to check with us even if you are planning a last minute camping trip as it is not unusual for us to occasionally have a last minute opening due to another guest’s cancellation or change of dates.

The minimum number of nights required for reservations varies according to time of the summer that is requested. Please check our Reservation Policy “menu link” for specific requirements for the upcoming season. In general, during our Peak Season (mid July to mid August) reservations must be at least 6 nights, arriving on a Saturday or Sunday and also departing on a Saturday or Sunday. Near July 4th we have a 3 night minimum. During most of the remaining camping season our minimum for reservations is only 2 nights. Walk-ins are always welcome without any minimum stay, subject to campsite availability.

Guests often ask why we have different minimum stays for different times of the summer. Essentially the reason is that we are attempting to best match campsite availability together with guest demand. Many of our guests choose to come camping for a week or two at a time during their summer vacations from work. During much of our Peak Season from mid-July to mid-August our campground is routinely booked full well in advance. If we allowed guests to reserve a campsite for only two or three days during this time of this time of the summer, we would fill-up even more quickly for all of our weekends, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, yet we would then be left with a significant number of campsites available only for odd combinations of mid-week dates. Ultimately this would mean we would be turning away a large number of guests who still wanted to come for a full week or more, but had not booked far enough in advance for us to have the entire time available, others would have to move multiple times between campsites in order to stay as long as they wished, and all the while we would then have excess sites sitting vacant on some of these mid-week dates.

Prior to our Peak Season and after mid August we open up our reservations policy to more flexibly accept reservations as short as 2 or 3 nights since we typically have ample availability at that time to still accommodate our guests, including those that are looking for longer stays as well. Knowing that many campers cannot afford the time to get away for a week at a time, these more flexible non-Peak Season times allow us to have guests come and stay with us for just a few nights. If you are looking to make a last minute reservation and are only able to come for a few days, please feel free to contact our office the week prior to your arrival. If we still have availability for that next week we can often accommodate a more flexible last minute reservation. Even if we have already been full for a particular set of dates, it never hurts to check back with us again as the dates draw near, as sometimes guests make changes to their plans, canceling or rescheduling their reservations, which may open up some last second opportunities for you to reserve a site with us for some rest and relaxation near the beach.

You are always welcome to share with us any of your campsite preferences or special requests, and we will do our best to match your preferences, assigning you the most appropriate campsite that is available. However, please keep in mind that for any reservations that are less than two weeks in length we cannot promise a specific site number nor do we disclose your site assignment until you physically arrive at check-in. The reason we do not disclose site assignments in advance is that we need to retain the flexibility to be able to adjust individual site assignments from time to time in order to most optimally match all of the needs, preferences, and size requirements for all of our campsite reservations together. If we told all of our guests which sites they were assigned, we would no longer be able to shift site assignments in order to accommodate guests with special needs or lengthier stays. For reservations of at least 13 continuous nights we will be happy to promise a specific campsite from the options that are available.

Many years ago we created a special “Perennial Reservation” option to assist some of our most loyal camping guests in specifically reserving the same exact campsite for the same set of dates year-after-year. Essentially by requesting a Perennial Reservation the guest will “lock-in” a reservation for a specific campsite location, and that reservation then automatically rolls over from one year to the next, each summer until such time as the reservation is canceled.

How does the Perennial Reservation Work?

All Perennial Reservations must meet all of the normal requirements for our regular North of Highland reservations, including both arrival and departure on either Saturdays or Sundays during our Peak Season.
All Perennial Reservations must be a minimum of at least two weeks (13 or 14 nights) in length, as we do not promise a specific campsite location to any guests whom are staying less than two weeks.
Perennial Reservations require the same deposit amount as regular reservations (currently $100 for two weeks, $125 for three weeks, or $150 for four weeks or longer), however, the deposit automatically rolls over to the next season, so guests do not get “credit” for the deposit during check-in, as it is already holding the next year’s reservation.
Perennial Reservations are a commitment to camp with us consistently year after year for the same dates.
Because North of Highland is committing to hold the specific campsite aside for your Perennial dates for more than a year in advance, in return Perennial Guests have reduced flexibility in altering their dates. As such any requested changes in arrival or departure dates for a Perennial Reservation must be made in advance, prior to May 1 of the camping season. Changes made after May 1 will forfeit their entire deposit amount.
Perennial Reservations may “skip” their reservation for a single year (by notifying us prior to May 1) without losing their deposit, however if a Perennial Reservation is “skipped” or canceled in back-to-back years, or if a brand new Perennial Reservation cancels in their first year, the guest will be removed from the Perennial Reservation program. Any future reservations for that guest would be handled as “regular” non- perennial requests.
Site assignments for new Perennial Reservations are subject to the current availability of the desired campsite in the years desired.
Like any reservations for a specific campsite, Perennial Reservations cannot overlap other existing reservations or leave a one or two night gap. The Perennial Reservation dates must match both the arrival and departure date of any already existing reservations for that same campsite in adjoining weeks. For example if their is already a reservation for campsite #10 that departs on Saturday July 19, then a Perennial Reservation for site #10 would need to have an arrival date of July 19 (not Sunday the 20th for example, as that would leave a one night gap in reservations). If there is no current reservation in the week prior or the week after, then the new Perennial Reservation can be booked for either arrival date.
Disclaimer: Rarely but occasionally a specific campsite may no longer be available for reservation in future years due to changes or potential changes in the campground itself, its surroundings, or due to changes in the size or scope of camping equipment used by the guest, or other factors. When these rare instances occur we will work with the guest to help facilitate the selection of another preferred campsite of their liking based on campsite availability and any other concerns.

Reservations may be canceled only in advance of arrival, cancellations made at least 30 days prior to arrival date receive a FULL REFUND. Cancellations or changes made 15 days prior to arrival will be charged a $10 Cancellation Fee. Cancellations or changes made with less than 15 days prior to arrival will FORFEIT the entire deposit. Please refer to our Reservations Policies page for more detailed information about our North of Highland Camping Area reservations and cancellation policies.

Please be aware that there are no refunds given for cancellations resulting from bad weather or from health concerns, work conflicts, or other family emergencies. We have a very limited length of our camping season, so from a practical standpoint any changes in dates or cancellations must be made well in advance of the arrival date in order for us to have a reasonable opportunity to rent the site again. Additionally since we are in a largely weather dependent business we cannot afford to have our reservations fluctuate according to changes in weather forecasts. So for consistency we do not make any exceptions to our cancellation policy base upon the underling reasons for the cancellation.

Each campsite includes a designated parking place for at least one vehicle, a cleared area for your tents or tent trailer, and a full-sized picnic table. We do not provide grills in the campground so you will want to bring your own charcoal grill or gas/propane grill or camping stove. Because we are such a wooded campground with plenty of trees and pine needles campfires and fire pit are NOT permitted anywhere within the campground. Since we are primarily a tent camping oriented campground most of our campsites do NOT include electric and water connections as those hookups are generally only provided to our full-season guests on a few specifically designated campsites.

Since North of Highland is primarily tenting focused, most of our campsites do NOT include electric and water. However we do have a limited number of full-season campsites that include water and electric hookups for guests reserving campsites for the entire summer. There are electrical outlets in the bathrooms and shower facilities for electric razors and hair driers, and we also have a free cell phone / laptop charging station in our adult quiet room.

Our campsites have a nightly base rate that includes up to two people and one vehicle. There is an additional cost for each additional person or vehicle above the base rate. In order to help keep the campground peaceful and natural we limit the total number of people sharing a single campsite to a maximum of just four people (or up to 6 immediate family members in the case of a single family including children under age 18), but remember there is an extra cost for each person beyond your first two that are included in your base rate. We do not limit the number of tents allowed on a campsite, however, please note that our sites are nestled among the pine trees with each campsite uniquely sized and shaped to the contours of the property. So it is important to accurately let us know well in advance the total number of guests for your site and the amount and size of your expected camping equipment so that we can ensure a proper sized campsite. Each campsite has its own full-sized picnic table and a designated parking place for at least one vehicle. Many campsite driveways can accommodate a second vehicle, however, whether or not the additional vehicle is parked in the driveway or in one of our main parking lots there would still be an additional cost per extra vehicle. Our campsites do not have grills, so you’ll want to bring your own grill or camping stove.

Alternatives to Camp Fires:

In the interest of fire safety there are NO ground fires, campfires or fire pits allowed within the campground because of the sheer number of trees and pine needles present throughout the entire campground. Such fires are considered too great of a risk. Instead you may cook in the campground with charcoal / gas / propane / butane grills and stoves, and you also may use candles, lanterns and even small tiki torches that burn oil (not the ones that drop burning ash from wicks). With these or any open flames an adult must be present and supervising at all times, and the fire source must be fully and properly extinguished before exiting the campsite or going to bed. Also please remember that aside from burning logs and wood in the camp recreational hall fire place, there is no other burning of wood, pine needles or branches allowed within the campground. This helps our staff and other guests to quickly identify the smell of smoke in case there is a fire somewhere in the campground.

Another alternative for guests is to have a BEACH FIRE at the beach between 6 PM and midnight. While supplies last we typically provide free firewood near the camp office for guests to use in beach fires only. A Beach Fire Permit from the Town of Truro (or from the National Park Service) is required in order to have a beach fire. The permits are free, but must be acquired in advance as only a limited number of permits are granted for each night. The town fire beach fire permits have historically either been obtained from the Truro Fire and Rescue Department on Route 6 the afternoon of the fire, or online (during the peak summer season) up to three days in advance through the town website. How, where and when the Town of Truro issues beach fire permits changes from time to time and from season to season, so it is recommended that you check their specific availability on the Town of Truro website. The National Park beach fire permits have generally been assigned on a first-come-first-served basis each morning at the National Park Visitor’s Center in Eastham (Salt Pond Visitor’s Center) or in Provincetown (Provincelands Visitor’s Center).

No, we do not provide grills at the campground. However, you are permitted to bring and use your own charcoal, gas, and propane grills and camping stoves as long as an adult is always present while lit. If using a charcoal grill you must carefully follow our charcoal fire rules: must be in a hard bottomed grill with legs that is placed on the ground (not on the picnic table as it can burn the tabletops), only charcoal and lighter fluid can be used to burn as there is no burning of wood, branches or pine needles in the campground other than wood in the recreation hall fire place or on the beach with a beach fire permit).

Cape Cod beach fires are a popular Cape Cod tradition… Since campfires are NOT allowed in the campground many guests choose instead to have a memorable beach fire in the evening on the local Truro or National Park Beaches. Head of the Meadow Ocean Beach in North Truro is only a short half-mile walk from the campground, so having a beach fire at Head of the Meadow is especially convenient. The scenic beach setting and proximity to the ocean make these beach fires especially entertaining. As an added benefit the beach affords campers a chance to gather together even as a large group of friends or family without any concern for disturbing neighboring guests. These BEACH FIRES ARE ALLOWED on the beach between 6 PM and midnight daily (weather permitting), but in order to make a beach fire you are required to have a beach fire permit. Beach Fire Permits from the Town of Truro (or from the National Park Service) are FREE, but must be acquired in advance as only a limited number of permits are granted for each night on the individual beaches.

As a convenience North of Highland Camping Area typically provides FREE firewood (while supplies last) near the camp office for our camping guests to use in beach fires. We just ask that you not take more wood than you will use, and that out of safety you never bring back wood that has been in or near the beach fires. The town fire beach fire permits have historically either been obtained from the Truro Fire and Rescue Department on Route 6 on the afternoon of the intended beach fire, or online (during the peak summer season) up to three days in advance through the town website. How, where and when the Town of Truro issues beach fire permits changes from time-to-time and from season-to-season, so it is recommended that you check their specific availability on the Town of Truro website. The National Park beach fire permits have generally been assigned on a first-come-first-served basis in person each morning at one of the National Park Visitor’s Centers: The Salt Pond Visitor’s Center in Eastham or at the Provincelands Visitor’s Center in Provincetown.

If you wish to have your own beach fire we strongly encourage you to obtain a fire permit. Both the Town of Truro and the National Park Service monitor the beaches and assess fines for any fires used without permits. If you don’t want the fuss of making your own fire or were just unsuccessful acquiring a fire permit yourself, there is no need to fret. Many guests find it just as enjoyable to stop by and join someone else who already has a beach fire (and fire permit) instead of building their own fire. Beach fires on Cape Cod tend to be friendly community gatherings, so asking to join someone’s beach fire for an hour or two is generally welcomed. If that is your plan we would generally suggest that you choose to join a fire which has more than just a lone couple sitting together. We would also suggest bringing a few snacks or beverages to share, as folks rarely turn down new comers bearing smores. Lastly we would caution that if you have joined someone’s beach fire, determine who has the beach fire permit, and don’t be tempted to stay at the fire longer than they stay, as Cape Cod beach fire permits not transferable, so you could be held responsible for an unpermitted fire.

Questions About Guests, Vehicles, Visitors & No Pets:

To help ensure a relaxing and comfortable environment for our guests, we strictly limit the total number of people allowed to stay on a single campsite to a maximum of four (4) adults. Families with kids may include up to a maximum of six (6) total family members. Limiting the number of people on a campsite helps us to reduce overall noise levels in the campground and reduces the chance for neighboring campsites to feel overwhelmed by people and activity. This approach also helps to ensure that each campsite has enough room to properly accommodate our camping guests while maintaining the natural buffer between campsites.

All campsites have a designated parking spot that can accommodate at least one vehicle, while many of our sites have enough space to park two vehicles at the campsite. We also have two smaller campground parking lots near the office and our showers & recreation hall for any additional vehicles. We do not limit the total number of vehicles allowed per campsite, but only the first vehicle is included in your campsite nightly rate. Additional vehicles or boat trailers cost an additional $14 per night. This cost helps to reduce the overall number of vehicles in the campground as we are a wooded campground and only have a limited amount of excess parking. By comparison the daily parking rates at Head of the Meadow Beach are currently $20 at the National Park parking lot and $15 at the Truro town beach parking lot. Because North of Highland Camping Area is located so close to these popular beaches if we did not charge for extra vehicles we would regularly have many beach goers attempting to park in the campground so they could simply walk to the beach.

Yes, daytime visitors are allowed between 8:30 AM and 9:00 PM, but all visitors must be registered at the campground office immediately upon their arrival, even if they only intend to be in the campground for a few minutes or hours. This helps keep our campground safe and secure and gives us the opportunity to review our camp rules, provide visitors with a camp map and directions, and to provide a parking pass. Once registered visitors have full use of the campground facilities including our campground recreation hall, camp store, laundry, shower facilities, and bathrooms. There is a cost for visitors which is based upon on the time and duration of their stay. Day visitors and their vehicles must depart the campground prior to 9 PM, otherwise they are considered to be an overnight guest.

Our “child” rates apply to persons from birth through age 17 whom are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Once a child turns 18 they are considered to be an “adult” at North of Highland. Unaccompanied “children” under 18 are not permitted to rent a campsite on their own.

Guests and visitors are NOT allowed to bring any pets to North of Highland Camping Area We do NOT allow “emotional support animals”, as ONLY “Service Animals” are permitted in the campground. It is not that we have anything against dogs and cats or even rabbits, etc., but our primary mission is to provide a safe and relaxing camping environment for all of our guests, and the presence of any non-service animals impedes our ability to consistently achieve this goal. For example, when our campground first opened we allowed pets, but we quickly found that some of these pets barked loudly throughout the day and night, disturbing many other guests. We also experienced guests who failed to clean up behind their pets, and had some guests express concerns for the safety of their children even if pets were on leashes. Worse yet a few guests selfishly chose to leave their pets behind for the day, tied to a tree, while they went to the beach (where dogs are not allowed), leaving their pets unattended in their campsite. We do not want to be in the business of predicting which animals and which owners will be quiet and responsible, so for the comfort and safety of all of our guests we simply do not allow guests to bring pets. If you have pets we hope that you can find a caring friend to watch your family pet for you at home while you are away enjoying the quiet and relaxing Cape Cod environment at North of Highland Camping Area.

We do not allow motorcycles and generators to be used in our campground so that we can provide a quiet and peaceful environment for all of our guests. We realize that some motorcycles and some generators may be quieter than others, but accurately predicting which ones might disturb someone else is too problematic, so we simply do not allow them at North of Highland Camping Area. There are a number of other campgrounds on Cape Cod that will allow motorcycles, dogs, fire pits, and large RVs, many of the other campgrounds do not actively enforce nighttime quiet hours; these other campgrounds just have a different focus than we have. Many of our guests choose to camp with us year after year precisely because they know that they can count on having a quiet, relaxing, and safe stay with us in our naturally wooded environment that is close to great beaches.

Yes, we do allow smaller RVs and hard top trailers that are under 23 feet in length in a few of our larger more easily accessed campsites. We also have plenty of campsites that comfortably accommodate camper vans and tent trailers. We even have a few especially dedicated full-season campsites where larger trailers up to 32 feet are allowed. The primary reason we do not allow larger RVs and trailers is that because of the heavily wooded nature of our campground and the narrower size of our winding roads we simply cannot accommodate the coming and going of larger RVs and trailers. So if you have a large RV or 5th Wheel trailer and are looking for a “pull thorough” campsite on Cape cod with easy access and fewer trees that is laid out with sites side-by-side or end-to-end, than North of Highland is NOT going to be the best the place for you (there are plenty of such campgrounds on Cape Cod to choose from.) Instead we are primarily tenting focused, trying to provide an environment that is as natural and as beautiful as possible, while still providing as many amenities and comforts as we can for our guests.

Our camping rates are based upon a nightly “base” rate which includes up to two people and one vehicle. There is an additional charge for each additional adult, child or vehicle. Click HERE for our current camping rates.

Campground Facilities & Services:

Clean Restrooms: We have four restroom buildings, one in the center of each of our four camping sections. They each have flush toilets, sinks, drinking water spigots, outlets for razors and hair driers and showers to rinse off after the beach.
Hot Showers: showers are coin operated (just 25 cents for 7 minutes)
Laundromat: with reasonably priced washers and hot dryers.
Camp Store (seasonal): stocked with minor camping supplies, food staples including drinks, milk, cereal, snacks, candies, ice cream and coffee made daily.
Large Recreation Hall: Our recreation hall is an excellent meeting place for guests to get together and play cards or games especially when it rains. It has a giant fireplace, 2 pool tables, 4 ping pong tables and a number of picnic tables and benches. Free WIFI throughout the recreation hall and surrounding area.
Adult Quiet Room: this room is designated for adults only to provide a relaxing spot to read, play cards or watch the news. It has a LCD TV, a small lending library bookshelf and a free charging stations for cell phones and laptops.
Recycling Center
Two main parking lots for additional vehicles

We work hard to keep our restrooms facilities clean for our guests, cleaning them daily, while also performing 3-5 touch-up inspections each day. Our restroom buildings are each centrally located in the center of each of our four camping Areas. Inside our restrooms have flushing toilets, sinks, mirrors and electrical outlets for razors or hairdryers. On the outsides of the buildings we provide drinking water spigots, drinking water fountains and cold showers to rinse off the sand and salt from the beach. Don’t worry, we also have hot metered showers in our main shower facility in Area 1.

We have 24 hot metered showers (12 for men, 12 for women) in our main shower facility. Our hot showers are activated with by inserting a single U.S. quarter, and our showers last about 7 1/2 minutes per each quarter, so one or two quarters is usually plenty. Each summer we have many guests tell us this is “the best quarter I have ever spent”. Many guests say they like our showers better than the ones they have at home. We have always charged 25 cents per shower, since we opened back in 1954, as it is our way of helping to keep guests moving. If the showers were free we think more guests would be tempted to extend their shower time, causing other guests to wait. Of course, if you want to spend a full dollar then you’re certainly welcome to enjoy a full 30 minutes of bliss! If you don’t have change? Never fear, we also have free cold water showers on the back of each restroom building so that you can quickly rinse off the salt and sand from a day at the beach. The showers are open from 8 AM to 9 PM daily.

We have a modern laundry facility with washing machines, hot propane fired dryers and a folding area and waiting bench next to the recreation hall in Area 1.

We have a HUGE recreation hall that is fully protected from the weather with a large fire place. It is the perfect gathering place for large families or friends that want to get together to play a game of cards, build a puzzle, or have a friendly match of ping pong or pool, or even just to read a book or check your email. When it rains the recreation hall is especially active with lots of picnic tables, 4 ping pong tables, 2 billiard pool tables, and 2 foose ball tables. The Recreation Hall is open daily 8 Am to 10 PM.

Kids under 12 love to play for hours on our large sand-filled playground area; meeting up with other kids from around the country and even other parts of the world. In fact we regularly hear parents and kids tell us that the playground is one of their children’s favorite parts of Cape Cod. Our playground has a very popular spinning whirl, a slide, monkey bars, balance beam and spring animals. The playground is surrounded by a small chain link fence and has plenty of nearby picnic tables to help provide an ideal spot for parents to supervise their youngsters. To keep the campground relaxing for all guests we also ask that kids keep themselves to a reasonable volume level at all times while playing.To help keep the playground safe it is only open from 7:30 AM until dusk and we ask that parents please monitor their kids at all times.

Since the recreation hall can be a more festive area with kids and adults playing ping pong and cards, we also have set aside a more quiet room for adults only. Our Adult Quiet Room is the idea place for reading or just checking your email and catching up on computer work. Inside we have some rustic wood seating, rocking chairs, a card table and chairs, and a couple of bookshelves with a lending library. We also have a television mounted for catching up on the news or weather. We also have electrical outlets and USB charging stations for guests to recharge their cell phones and computers for free while they relax (please keep in mind that we ask that guests never leave their electronics items unattended). Outside there is also has a covered porch area with more seating.

For your convenience we have a small camp store in the campground near the recreation hall that is open to guests from approximately mid June through Labor Day. Our store has many of the grocery staples and other little goodies and camping supplies that are helpful throughout your camping stay. We cannot name everything that we carry in this description, but to give you a better idea the camp store specifically carries a variety of foods such as drinks, milk, bread, chips, crackers, cookies, snacks, cereal, yogurts, ice cream, and candies. We brew coffee daily and have ice in both bags and blocks. We also have items such as books, small games and toys for kids, as well as some camping gear like rope, tarps, flashlights, lanterns, tents and tent pegs, even small charcoal grills and 1 pound propane bottles. The store is generally open in the morning from 8 AM to noon, then in the evening 5 PM to 9 PM.

Near the campground office is the popular walking path that leads to the Beach. The path is a sandy, shaded pathway that winds its way through the scenic pine trees of the Cape Cod National Seashore Park ending at the entrance to both the Town of Truro’s Head of the Meadow Beach and the entrance to the National Seashore Park’s beach. Guests are welcome to walk onto the beach through the Town of Truro entrance for free. The walk from the campground is a bit less than a half-mile and typically takes only about 6 or 7 minutes to walk. The path generally slopes gradually downward as you make your way toward the beach with one somewhat steeper section nearer the beach. Because the path is sandy and flanked by pine trees we typically do not recommended riding bicycles or pushing strollers on the beach path, instead bikes and strollers will find Head of the Meadow Road to be the easiest route to and from the beach.

Free WiFi in and near the main common areas of the campground, including the recreation hall and quiet room.
Free Charging Stations for cell phones and laptops in the Adult Quiet Room in Area 1.
Free Fire Wood for use in BEACH FIRES only (supplied near camp office)
Camp Store (during peak season)
Free Ping Pong, Foose Ball & Billiard Pool Equipment Provided (from store or camp office)
Free Lending Library in Adult Quiet Room
Propane Gas Filling

We provide FREE basic open WiFi for our guests throughout much of the common areas of the campground that is intended for simple use such as checking your email and accessing the internet, but due to bandwidth restrictions the WiFi is not designed for heavy levels of data use such as Streaming videos. The WiFi signal is not broadcast to all of the inidividual campsites throughout the entire campground as we simply have far too many trees blocking the signal, but the reception is typically quite good in and around our recreation hall main / shower facility / laundry as well as our playground area, our main parking areas and our common picnicing areas in Area 1. For simplicity of use our campground WiFi signal is “open”, meaning there are no tricky passwords needed. So signing on is simple and easy, but since the connections are not individually secured they should not be used for any “sensitive” data. We also have a Comcast WiFi hotspot for Comcast customers. Lastly the Truro Public Library which is about a mile away has a T1 line with open access if heavier bandwidth use is needed.

We have a designated area for charging cell phones, laptops and tablets for free in our Adult Quiet Room which is open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. To promote security in the campground we ask that guests always please stay with their electronics items whenever they are charging. The Adult Quiet Room has plenty of seating, a lending library, and even a television to catch up on the news or weather, and of course there is WiFi.

Even though most of our guests are interested in getting away from TV and emails while on their vacation, we do provide a television set in our Adult Quiet Room with local channels for the convenience of our guests. So you will be able to still check the news or weather and to be able to keep up with any major sporting events even while you are relaxing and getting away from everything while camping near the beach on Cape Cod. We do not have cable TV service at our campsites like some large RV Parks, and we limit all TV and radio use to non-quiet hours times (10:30 PM to 7:30 AM), so you will not have to worry about hearing loud radios or the ballgame from neighboring campsites all night long while you try to sleep.

Near the camp office we typically provide a supply of firewood for guests to use for free in their BEACH FIRES only (while supplies last). Please note that a Fire Permit is required for all fires on the beach (for more information on acquiring a beach fire permit please see the category on “fires”), and of course for safety purposes there are NO campfires allowed within the campground itself, as we simply have too many pine trees and pine needles throughout the campground.

Guests are welcome to borrow ping pong equipment, billiard pool equipment and fooseballs from our camp store or camp office during normal hours of operation. The recreation Hall is open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.

We have a propane gas filling station for 10, 20, 30 gallon tanks, just stop by our camp office and drop off your tank, then stop back later to pick it up and pay for the propane. Our camp store sells the mini one-pound disposable bottles for portable camp stoves and lanterns.

To help responsibly manage our ecological resources we provide two large recycling dumpsters near the camp store and recreation hall in Area 1 for you to deposit all of your mixed use recyclables, including glass, plastics, and cardboard. To help keep this area organized and efficient we ask that guests please fully collapse all boxes prior to disposing of them, and we ask that guests refrain from placing large items and metal items (such as used grills, beach chairs, large coolers and tents/ canopies) in either the trash or recycling areas.

History of Campground

North of Highland Camping Area opened for business in the summer of 1954. It was the Vision of Malcolm and Evelyn Currier who wanted to create a scenic tent camping focused campground within easily walking distance to some of the best ocean beaches on Cape Cod. The Curriers had spent many summer weekends camping with their family in and around Maine’s Acadia National Park and at Brewster State Park on Cape Cod and determined to create a privately run campground with a similarly beautiful natural and wooded camping environment that would be close to the beach. They scoured the outer Cape searching to find an ideal tract of undeveloped land that would be large enough, and ultimately found their dream property in the wooded forest of pitch pine trees near Head of the Meadow Beach in North Truro. The Cape Cod National Seashore Park which was formed in 1961 did not yet exist, so it was with great effort that Malcolm Currier painstakingly tracked down through local land records more than a dozen separate land owners of various interconnected parcels that had been passed down between families for several generations, ultimately piecing together what is now our more than 57 acre wooded property. Creating the campground took a great deal of vision, persistence and hard-work. At that time Head of the Meadow Road was only a small dune buggy trail winding its way down to the pristine beach flanked by dunes. So our original entrance was actually accessed through what is now the backside of our campground near some of our most secluded path sites in camping section Area 3. The campground has now been owned and operated by the Currier family for approximately 70 years. Brothers Greg Currier and Brandon Currier, two of Malcolm and Evelyn’s grandchildren currently run the campground together with their families as the third generation of Currier owners and operators, continuing the vision for a family friendly, tenting-focused campground near the beach in a wooded and natural setting on Cape Cod.

We are a privately owned and operated campground that is completely surrounded by the Cape Cod National Seashore Park. The campground which opened in 1954 was originally created by Malcolm and Evelyn Currier and has been proudly owned and managed by the Currier family ever since. Malcolm and Evelyn built and ran the campground for the first 30 years, followed by their son Stephen & his wife Anita Currier for the second 30 years. Since that time their sons Greg and Brandon Currier have been managing the campground for the family. A few years ago the Currier family with the assistance of the Trust for Public Lands entered into a conservation easement agreement with the federal government and the National Park Service to permanently protect the beautifully scenic campground for future generations to come.

Family Friendly: Our campground is intended to be a quiet, relaxing camping environment where guests can get away from hectic lives and schedules and just enjoy the scenic Cape Cod beaches and unique natural landscape. Our goal is to provide a clean, safe environment where individuals, friends, and families with children can all feel welcome and comfortable while experiencing the wonders of Cape Cod. We hope our guests will be eager to share their love of Cape Cod with their friends and future generations of campers. Nothing makes us happier than to see generations of families and friends making new Cape Cod memories together in our campground, whether playing ping pong or cards while a fire crackles away in the recreation hall fire place; or to see young boys and girls riding their bicycles around the roads and paths of the campground or playing together with their friends on the whirl, slide or monkey bars in the playground.

Peaceful & Quiet: To help keep the campground restful for sleeping we carefully enforce our campground Quiet Hours from 10:30 PM to 7:30 AM, and have a night watchman whom patrols the campground on foot each evening. During quiet hours we ask that all guests be quiet and respectful enough not to be heard by their nearest neighbors. During all other times of the day we ask that guests continue to be respectful of other campers, keeping voices and radios at a level that is not disturbing to other campsites. We ask that newly arriving guests plan to arrive to the campground prior to our office closing at 9:00 PM which gives them enough time to get their campsite and equipment fully set-up prior to the start of camp quiet hours.

Relaxing can still be fun: Our emphasis on providing a quiet & relaxing environment is one of the factors that helps differentiate North of Highland from many other campgrounds on Cape Cod. Don’t forget, however, that we are also only a short walk away from Head of the Meadow Beach where guests are welcome to gather together around festive beach fires just steps from the ocean each evening from 6 PM – midnight (with a free beach fire permit from the town or National Park). We even supply free firewood for guests to bring to their beach fires. How do beach fires help make North of Highland quieter and safer? By keeping the noise, smoke and potential fire risks all safely down at the beach and not next door to your campsite. If you’ve ever been kept awake all night at a State Park while a campfire or loud party takes place in the neighboring campsite, then you’ll surely appreciate our approach. We realize that our campground is not going to be the the perfect fit for everyone. There are plenty of other alternatives for campers who prefer to create a more festive atmosphere in their campsites, where they can cut loose and be more rowdy on vacation. Instead, if you want to get a good night’s rest and still be within easy walking distance to the beach while only a short drive to bustling Provincetown, then look no further than North of Highland Camping Area. We think we have the ideal location for your next Cape Cod vacation.

Miscellaneous Questions:

Why do the showers cost 25 cents?

Our hot showers are activated with by inserting a single U.S. quarter. Our showers last about 7 1/2 minutes per each quarter, so one or two quarters is usually plenty. Each summer we have many guests tell us this is “the best quarter I have ever spent”. Many guests say they like our showers better than the ones they have at home. We have always charged 25 cents per shower, since we opened back in 1954, as it is our way of helping to keep guests moving. If the showers were free we think more guests would be tempted to extend their shower time, causing other guests to wait. Of course, if you want to spend a full dollar then you’re certainly welcome to enjoy a full 30 minutes of bliss! Never fear, we also have free cold water showers on the back of each restroom building so that you can rinse off the salt and sand .from a day at the beach without needing change.