It’s still possible for four adults to stay in Provincetown for less than $50 a night — thanks to Robert Collinson, who founded the Dunes’ Edge Campground in 1960; his widow, Miriam (Martin) Collinson, who kept it going; the Town of Provincetown; and the Trustees of Reservations, a statewide trust founded in 1891 that is chartered to hold land tax free for the benefit of the public. The Trustees acquired this 17-acre property on the edge of the Cape Cod National Seashore in 2013 after four years of negotiation, in part to prevent its redevelopment as a 29-lot subdivision. They run it as a seasonal campground for 85 standard tents, pop-up tents and vans, as well as 15 motor homes or travel trailers. Besides affordable accommodations, Dunes’ Edge also preserves a priceless relic of woodland living, 1960s style.
More than 2,000 buildings and vessels are searchable on buildingprovincetown.com. The Building Provincetown book is available for purchase ($20) at Town Hall, Office of the Town Clerk, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown 02657.