2026 Shack Lottery Application
Deadline: March 15, 2026 by 11:59 pm EST
Dear members in good standing,
We are pleased to provide you with the official lottery application for 2026! To be eligible for a PHT-managed dune shack in the 2026 season, active members must complete and submit an application before March 15, 2026. Keep in mind that submitting this form does not guarantee you a shack; it ensures you will be in the 2026 lottery for community residencies.
Click the blue envelope above to access the lottery preferences form and application.
On the form, please indicate your desire to opt in or opt out of the lottery. If you opt in, please share your shack and schedule preferences.
Please include date preferences and limits (e.g., you are allergic to brown-tail months, which are out in May and June, or you follow a school schedule)
Lastly, indicate on the form if you are able to stay at a shack on short notice. When there's a sudden cancellation, we notify those on our "short-notice list" via email. In some cases, we can give more than a week's notice of a cancellation. In other cases, we only have a few days to fill a sudden vacancy. Accepting a shack through the short-notice list will reset your place in the lottery queue.
Click here to learn about the different shacks: Euphoria, Margo-Gelb, Ray’s, Thalassa, Zara’s
The lottery application includes the weeks and rates. Here is a summary of available dates (each week starts on Saturday):
$250 | May 2, 9, 16
$325 | May 23, 30
$425 | June 6, 13, 20, 27, July 4, 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22
$325 | August 29, September 5, 12, 19
$250 | September 26, October 3, 10
We use the information you submit to schedule the 2026 Shack Calendar. Whether you aim to enter the lottery OR hold your place in the queue, all preferences must be submitted by March 15, 2026.
Thank you,
Bette Warner
Executive Director
bette@peakedhilltrust.org
The Lottery Process:
Each member is part of a temporary 'class', as in school. Your class consists of those waiting exactly as long as you have for a shack.
All "classes" are tracked in PHT's database. The lottery process is scripted and executed electronically.
The lottery is designed so the class that has waited the longest gets the first shot at shack time; all their names “go into the hat” at once and get pulled out randomly until everyone has been given a chance. The class waiting for the second longest goes next and is pulled out individually until all the weeks are filled.
"Waiting the longest" means the member has maintained a constant membership and has requested shack time each year by submitting a lottery application form.
Those who “win the lottery” will receive an email offering them a specific week and shack. If you want to stay in the dunes for the week provided, you will need to accept the offer by sending payment. If you don't want the week, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else. If we don’t receive payment by April 30th, we will assume you are declining the offer.
In recent years, we have received many requests for every week available.
Shacks 101:
The shacks are small, primitive structures scattered throughout the dunes (not directly on the water). While most have two beds, one (Thalassa) has only a single bed. There is no plumbing, but each has rather nice outhouses, and none are insulated. Each shack includes a dry sink and a hot plate. All shacks are now solar and have electric refrigerators. A few have wood-burning stoves. There is a hand pump for water. There is an assortment of wildlife in the dunes, including birds, butterflies, rabbits, mosquitoes, mice, snakes, voles, and ticks. Once there, you are on your own. It rains occasionally, but mostly the sea and sky are your friends. NO DOGS OR CATS…EVER (sorry).
Click here to learn about the different shacks: Euphoria, Margo-Gelb, Ray’s, Thalassa, Zara’s
In your plans and preparations, remember that our PHT truck provides shared transportation (for you and other residents) to and from your shack on Saturday, only at designated times. Your volunteer caretaker will introduce you to what you need to know to live lightly in the dunes. You will receive more detailed information prior to going out to the shack, including what to bring and what not to bring (the shacks are rather well equipped with kitchen things, but due to the ongoing uncertainty of COVID, you are required to bring your own bedding).
By accepting an offered week, you agree to be responsible for the shack during that period. Accordingly, when you leave, the shack must be in good or better shape than when you arrived. Cleaning protocols will be outlined. Guests who fail to meet this expectation will not be invited back.
Alternate Application Submission Methods:
You may download a writable PDF of the 2026 lottery application. Please print and mail the application to us before March 15, 2026. Please note: this method is not preferred.