**COVID has changed some reservation availability.  Please check before planning to camp**

Made up of 34 islands and peninsulas, Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is an urban oasis just minutes from Boston’s city center. Hop aboard a park ferry and discover islands rich with opportunities for outdoor recreation, relaxation, and Boston Harbor Islands camping.



Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park

Description
Located just 35 minutes from downtown Boston, this 260-site (half with electricity), campground boasts a network of trails - biking, hiking and some of the best mountain bicycling in the state. Enjoy fishing and canoeing in the reservoir and ocean swimming at nearby Nantasket Beach.

Geography:
One of the most notable features of the Park is Mt. Blue Spring which is a popular source of fresh drinking water. Visitors can help themselves for free. The park is named for an Indian chief the local colonists knew as Josiah Wompatuck. In 1665, Chief Wompatuck deeded the park and the surrounding land to the English settlers. During WWII the park was used as an ammunition depot by the US military.

Recreation:
Wompatuck State Park offers 12 miles of paved bicycle trails, and many miles of wooded bridle paths and hiking trails. This is also a geocaching park as one can find up to 30 geocaches within park boundaries. Fishing is allowed in the Cohasset Reservoir. A boat ramp is provided for car-top boats, but no boat trailers, please.

Facilities:
This beautiful forested campground offers 260 spacious campsites, flush toilets and showers. Each campsite is furnished with a picnic table, pedestal grill and a fire ring. With 125 sites with electric hookups and a dumping station, this is a very popular facility with trailer campers.

Nearby Attractions:
While in the area, be sure to visit other nearby DCR properties: Boston Harbor Islands, Blue Hills State Reservation, Nantasket Beach, Myles Standish State Forest and historic Pilgrim Memorial State Park. 

Wompatuck State Park

AMC Ponkapoag Camp is located on the east shore of Ponakpoag Pond at the end of a gravel road. Access is granted through a locked gate directly across the street from the Canton Equestrian Center. Call the manager for the gate combination. Please be considerate of hikers and equestrian traffic on the access road.

20 cabins (sleep two to seven).
Two tent sites.
Bunks with mattresses (no linens provided).
Wood stove (firewood is available for purchase, or may be gathered).
No running water. 
No electricity in cabins.
The main lodge is lighted during the evenings (summer only).
Outhouses.

Ponkapoag Camp

Camp Nihan is the perfect place for your next group camping experience. There's plenty of opportunities to learn about the local habitat. Explore a variety of nature and wildlife across 65 acres. 

Camp Nihan Environmental Education Group Camp

Winter Island Park

Rocky Woods has 15 campsites designed for the entire family, with boating, fishing, and miles of trails to explore. Available weekends through mid-October.



Rocky Woods Reservation

Hanscom AFB FamCamp

The campground, also known as Lorraine Campground, has 91 campsites that are spread out sufficiently to provide a real "forest" camping experience. Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring and a pedestal grill. A water spigot is located on each campsite and a dumping station is available. We are pleased to inform you that we now have eleven campsites with 20/30/50 AMP hookups! The comfort stations have showers and flush toilets. Comfort station 3 and 4 are accessible.

Harold Parker State Forest - Lorraine Campground

Canoe River Campground - a place to build family memories. Here you will find an exciting camping experience! Our campground features mostly wooded campsites and a family-friendly environment. Check out all that Canoe River Campground has to offer you and your family!

Motorcycles are only allowed in the entrance parking lot.

Canoe River Campground

Cape Ann Camp Site

Nestled deep in the woods between Boston & Cape Cod, Normandy Farms Campground is a luxury camping destination that has been a family tradition since 1971 and widely recognized as one of the premier resorts in the world. Relax and enjoy the unique seasons of New England in your RV, tent, or in one of our deluxe cabin or YURT rentals. We also have pop-up trailers and safari tents for those seeking an elevated camping experience.

Normandy Farms Campground Special Amenities include: a bike park, creative arts center, disc golf, a dog park, a fitness center, laundry facilities, playgrounds, a store, volleyball, basketball, soccer, bocce, tennis, 4 swimming pools, spa, wellness center, and more!



Normandy Farms Campground

State Park

just changed the stars on this review to 4, since that’s what it has been on average... i had to give from 1-5 stars to post the review, but wanted to let you all know it is closed for the time being. 

looking to camp in boston area, and learned of closure via their website 

closed during covid

This campsite is a lot of fun but can get noisy at night.

Oasis in the middle of the city

**Campground review:** Camping at Boston Harbor Islands requires some planning, but you get the benefit of a remote island with minimal company. Unless you book one of the 12 yurts on Peddocks island, the camping is rustic; you’ll need to bring everything, including water. Reservations open 6 months in advance and sites fill quickly, so plan ahead if you’re counting on a particulate day. I only visited the campsites on Peddocks Island, so I can’t speak to the ones on Lovell, Grape, and Bumpkin. 

**Getting there:** Unless you have your own boat(check regulations on the website; you’ll need to anchor offshore overnight), you’ll want to catch a ride on the ferries to the Boston Harbor Islands. Figuring out the schedule is the trickiest part, not least because they don’t make the inter-island ferry schedule as readily accessible. Here’s the scoop: 

1.  **Check the ferry schedule.** Figure out which departure makes the most sense for you. You may choose to leave from Long Wharf, near the Aquarium T stop on the Blue line, or from Hingham, with overnight parking available. For Bumpkin and Grape Islands, you’ll want to leave from Hingham; Peddocks and Lovells are available from either departure point
2.  **Buy your ticket online in advance**. Some town libraries have passes offering 2-for-1 ferry rides, so if you’re a MA resident in the greater Boston area, it’s worth checking that out first. Otherwise, you’ll be looking at an extra$20 for the ferry, but that fee covers your round trip as well as the use of the interisland ferries so you can explore other islands. If you’re traveling as a family, look at the family pack for another discount. You can show the ticket on your phone when you board. 
3.  **Pack as lightly as possible** and plan to carry or wheel it to your site. If you have a folding wagon, you may appreciate having it to carry items on and off the ferry and to your site on the island. There may or may not be carts available on the island. Peddocks has running water available, but otherwise you’ll need to bring gallon of water/person. If you want to grill, bring your own charcoal; otherwise bring a stove or bring food that doesn’t need to be cooked. You may scavenge wood to build fires below the high tide line only. No alcohol and no pets. 

The yurts on Peddocks are great, providing shelter from the elements, bunks with mattresses, electricity, a ceiling fan, table with benches, and a grill. There are 6 yurts up a small hill, with a composting toilet and water from a tap nearby. The 6 tent sites are also in this area. An additional 6 yurt sites are below the hill and in the woods, so it’s a slightly longer walk to the toilet. at the top of another hill there is an open, grassy area, also with a composting toilet, that provides group campsited.

While you’re out on the islands, take time to explore one of the others…look for sea glass on Spectacle Island and climb the hill for a view of the Boston skyline, explore the old forts and visitors centers, earn a Junior Ranger badge from the National Park Service, fly a kite, or go for a swim or kayak. In mid-August we collected handfuls of blackberries as we explored Peddocks. 

**Ranger Product Review: [Banner&amp; Oak](https://bannerandoak.com/) Traveler Shirt** 

As a Ranger with the Dyrt, I sometimes get to test items; in this case I ordered the Banner&amp; Oak [Traveler long-sleeve t-shirt](https://bannerandoak.com/collections/shirts/products/traveler-indigo)  in indigo. It’s long sleeved and super soft, but the first time I went to put it on, I realized the Banner&amp; Oak tag along the hemline was sewn through both the front and back, so I couldn’t put t on until I removed the tag. I didn’t have scissors with me, so it was tough to get it off and ultimately I ended up with a hole in both the front and back. I’ve worn this on strolls through the woods when the weather was nice, but cool and on the foggy morning ferry ride to the island. The sleeves are not constricting and when I pushed them up to my elbows, they stayed in place while I hiked. I will say that it is a unisex t-shirt and the sleeves and body of the shirt tend to run long. I like that, but if you're petite, it may be annoying.

Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park

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