Wood End Light

Wood End Light is a 39-foot, white square lighthouse on Long Point at the entrance to Provincetown Harbor. Treat it as the goal of a multi-mile coastal outing, not a quick stop: the approach crosses an uneven granite dike, then follows soft sand. Low parts of the dike can be covered by the tide, so plan the crossing around low water. A two-light outing that also visits Long Point Light is often given as about 6.4 miles and 4.5 hours; your total depends on where you start and turn around.

The tower is closed to public entry, so this is an outside-only visit. From the beach, you can see the white tower and lantern above the dunes, with broad harbor and Provincetown views. The quiet beach is a good reward for a long walk, but loose sand and uneven rocks make this a poor pick for an easy stop.

Built in 1872 and first lit in 1873, Wood End began as a brown tower with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. It is white today, and the Coast Guard still lists it as an active navigational aid. Its red flash repeats every 10 seconds and is visible about 13 nautical miles away. A keeper’s dwelling once stood beside the tower; service buildings were added later and removed after the light was automated.

For a photo, use the open beach and low dunes to set the white tower apart, then turn back to include the long dike leading toward Provincetown. The view gives the lighthouse its harbor setting as well as a sense of how far it sits from town. This is an exposed coastal walk, so footing and the dike crossing change with the tide.