History
During the 19th century the only human dwellers in the dunes were transient campers from Provincetown who fished and hunted there seasonally, the lighthouse keepers and their families, and the hardy men who manned the Life Saving Stations and patrolled the beaches for shipwrecked sailors.

Life Saving Station
The Life Saving Service eventually evolved into the Coast Guard, but the CCNSP has moved an authentic 19th century Life Saving Station from Chatham to Race Point Beach to provide a permanent exhibit of the seminal government service which has saved many thousands of lives.

Dune Shacks
Besides these mariners, there were artists, writers, and playwrights who found creative space in dune shacks in the early 20th century and lived, mostly in isolation from each other, during the warmer months. Today, a local non-profit, Peaked Hill Trust, manages the shacks for CCNSP and offers week-long stays at affordable rates in a lottery system.

Dune Tours 
Art’s Dune Tours is the only tour company offering four-wheel drive access to the dunes. Art Costa began giving dune buggy tours in 1946. Today, the tours are given using modern SUVs and arrangements can be made for lobster bakes and sunset and champagne tours.

Tours depart daily from the center of the Town. For the hardy and adventuresome, hiking the dunes on foot is possible by entering at the Snail Road entrance. The hike in takes approximately 40 minutes, but is rewarded with incredible vistas and the quiet of the giant dunes.