Provincetown’s National Seashore Park Dunes
The extraordinary Provincetown dunes are part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which stretches the eastern edge of the
Cape Cod coast line from Chatham to Provincetown. The park protects this unique but fragile ecological system of the dunes
to ensure the preservation of its beauty and the natural habitat living in it.
The dunes have changed throughout the centuries. Over the years the shape of the dunes shift with the wind, rain,
and tide. Early settlers found used the trees from the dune’s forest to build in Provincetown. As a result, became more a
more barren landscape. When Thoreau made his famous walk down the Cape shoreline, he experienced a spectacular
expanse of sand.
On your tour, you’ll learn about the efforts of conservationists and the National Seashore Park Service to stabilize
the ecosystem. At Art’s Dune Tours, we share the respect for this landscape and the responsibility to protect it. We only
travel on roads and visit areas approved by the park service.
Provincetown Artists’ Dune Shacks
The Dune Shacks are now registered as historical landmarks. When the park was established, most of the land these shacks
were built on reverted to government ownership. At one point, the shacks were in danger, but through the efforts of Provincetown
and Cape residents, the shacks were protected.
Most shacks now serve as opportunities for artists of all forms to visit for short durations and make their art.
Well-known and local painters, writers, playwrights and photographers have all benefited from this opportunity.
We’ll provide you with a history of the shack and the artists and residents who lived and worked among such beauty.