Dunes' Edge in Provincetown

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is full of campgrounds and dunes to explore, but the best of the two are located at the very end of the cape, around the areas of Truro and Provincetown.

Travel to the very beginning (or end, depending on how you look at it) of historic U.S. Route 6, which spans from Provincetown, MA to Long Beach, CA. One of the nicest campgrounds I've found is Dunes Edge Campground, which is located right besides the dunes trails and Province Lands recreational path, where you can bike or walk on to the beaches. Race Point Beach and Herring Cove are both just under 2 miles from the campground, and Commercial Street, the main strip of Provincetown, is just a mile away.

The beaches at Herring Cove and Race Point are less crowded than beaches at the beginning of Cape Cod, and the dunes here are pristine. From Herring Cove, you can spot seals popping up around sunrise and sunset, and sometimes even a whale spout on the horizon. You can apply for a free permit to have fires on the beach (limited) here, as well as off road permits to drive the oversand roads in the dunes.

Provincetown is one of the friendliest places I've found in New England, and it's full of great coffee shops, art galleries, restaurants and pubs to enjoy after a long day at the beach. It's beautiful any time of year, but the best season is summer, when you can enjoy the beaches and dunes in warm weather.