truro: dog-friendly beaches, hotels, restaurants & activities

Truro offers a taste of old cape cod that is somewhat lost in the more populated towns on the cape. There’s lots of fun things to do with your dog here.

Plus you’re just next door to P-town, which is just loaded with dog-friendly activities. Truro has some of the best beaches in the world, including beaches where dogs are allowed in the summertime.

Find dog-friendly rental properties in Truro, MA. Search on Vrbo for the best deals on Truro summer rentals that allow pets.

dog-friendly beaches in truro

There are two kinds of public beaches in Truro: those managed by the Cape Cod National Seashore, and those managed by the town of Truro.

Dog paws meet surf on a remote cape cod beach

1. Cape cod national seashore

Head of the Meadow Beach

head of the meadow beach is open to dogs all summer long. Except when it’s not, which is most summers in recent memory. Thank you, piping plovers!

.Head of the Meadow beach is one of the nicest beaches on the cape. The sand is fine and soft. The seals are abundant, as are the sharks. Swim with caution.

The national seashore beach is adjacent to a town owned beach that shares the same entrance road off of route 6. Because of the remote location in truro, it is typically less populated than other National Seachore beaches.

Learn more about taking your dog to Head of the Meadow beach.

Head of the Meadow Beach Dog Rules:

Dogs must be on a leash up to 6 feet
Pets not allowed on protected (lifeguarded) areas of beach during summer
Dogs not allowed where there are nesting shore birds
Pets Can not go on Province Lands bicycle trails

Coast Guard Road Beach in Truro is a town-owned beach that requires a Truro Beach Sticker. But this beach also has overland trail access for vehicles with Cape Cod National Seashore ORV stickers. — Coast Guard Road Beach in Truro is a town-owned beach that also has overland trail access for vehicles with Cape Cod National Seashore ORV stickers.

2. Public Beaches in Truro (town-managed)

Truro’s public beaches require a parking sticker. Many are residents only, but a few have public parking available. Dogs are allowed on beaches in truro in the summer, but only in the morning and evening.

Ballston Beach

Residents Only. Beware of sharks, residents of Truro! You have some might hungry great whites cruising offshore here.

Beach Point

no sticker required, Residents Only

Cold Storage Beach at Pond Village

Residents Only

Great Hollow Beach

Residents Only

Swimming inside of sandbars is one of the safest ways for dogs to swim on Outer Cape beaches without fear of sharks.

Coast Guard Road Beach

view a dog’s guide to coast guard road beach
learn about oversand driving orv trails on cape cod
read a dog-friendly guide to the beaches of the cape cod national seashore

Residents Only. Very limited parking. beware of pedestrians, lots of foot traffic here, especially due to coast guard road being a short walk from a nearby dog-friendly campground.

Coast guard road beach has ORV trail access in the evening for fishing purposes only. The trail runs right through where people sit, so watch out!

You’ll need a cape cod national seashore orv sticker to use the oversand driving trail. There isn’t an air station in the coast guard road parking lot, so make sure you bring your own air pump.

Note that this beach is different from Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

Corn Hill Beach

public parking available.

Fisher Beach

Residents Only

Where there's seals, there's sharks. And Truro beaches are just filled with seals. Chomp Chomp. Dogs beware. — Where there’s seals, there’s sharks. And Truro beaches are just filled with seals. Dogs beware. Chomp Chomp.

Head of the Meadow (town-managed side)

public parking available

Long Neck Beach

Residents Only

Noons Landing

no sticker required

Ryder Beach

Residents Only

Dog rules for Truro town beaches

Pets are allowed on beaches in summer after 6:00 pm through 9:00 am.
Dogs are prohibited between the hours of 9:00 am And 6:00 pm, from the third Saturday in June through Labor Day.
Pets are not allowed in areas protected due to plovers nesting.

Dog paws in sand on Coast Guard Road beach in Truro, MA.

Dog-friendly hotels in truro

There are several places you can stay with your dog in Truro.

Check out our updated list: Dog-friendly hotels in Truro

Places to eat

There’s a couple of places where you can eat with your dog in Truro, and over 40 options in nearby P-town.

More information:

Dog Park in Truro

Sorry folks, there isn’t a dog park in truro. But you’re just a few minutes away from P-town’s dog park, the pilgrim bark park. It’s well worth the drive up route 6.