Horseneck Beach State Reservation

While we are still nursing a grudge over the ridiculous price gouging Massachusetts enforces on non-residents, I have to admit that the infrastructure of this campground is lovely. New, tidy and understated, we appreciate the showers and cleanup station, driveability and ocean access. Just wish we could afford a longer stay.

Weve been camping here over decade. The state "improved" it into a antiseptic RV Resort. Formerly campsites had small semicircular drive for in/out any camp vehicle. This allowed open area where screen room, camp chairs and games could be spread out. Many backed up to dunes or the ocean.

There are now 40 foot asphalt driveways diagonal through the former grassy play areas. These leave a narrow space up to the next wide asphalt driveway. Perfect view of the next RV.

Asphalt absorbs 90 percent sun heat. A 100 degree day will have asphalt surface temperature 160 degrees.

The former open dunes down to the beach are cordoned off by large wood post fence and backed by snow fencing.

This was not designed by anyone who camps. The Secretary of Interior should bring the people responsible in August and have them walk throughout barefoot. Then employ someone to restore this once great campground.

The campsites are parallel parking pretty much. Our site was sand and broken crumbling pavement, with with a sign that said caution poison ivy, but we did have a double faucet in front of the site. There isn't any trees for shade so the solar panels got plenty of sun and we were able to keep the refrigerator going the whole week. The bathroom had a great set-up but was filthy, the handicap bathroom stall with shower was so dirty it has black and red mildew. We over heard staff tell the others to clean but don't go crazy, we were like what???? Have they seen the showers? The dish cleaning station is inside the bath house building, it as closed at night there are 2 sinks. There is a basketball court. The place is small and most campers have generators. There is beach bushes between the roads. We had a great time jumping waves and chill'n at the campfire. Also there is an ice cream truck.

I am conflicted on how to review this campground.  You cannot beat the location.

We positioned ourselves close to a water spigot to refill our fresh water, we had a generator that we were able to use between 7am & 10pm and there is a dump on site- so with an external waste holding tank we could manage dumping gray & black tanks....so even though there are no hookups, it is manageable.

The beach is rocky, but we can quickly walk to the main beach area.

The surrounding area is fun to explore.

Why did we go home early?

The TICKS!!! 

The bathrooms, especially the men's bathroom were at times in need of serious attention- but since we have a full bath in our camper this was not a deal breaker.

The tick situation was just very difficult. We  drowned ourselves in tick spray, but the ticks were overwhelming.

If it wasn't for the ticks, we probably would have loved this campground, but they ruined an otherwise beautiful location.

We wanted to love it here, it is beautiful, but too many ticks to return.

Great view of the bay if you’re camped at the first or second row. No walk-ins. Dishwashing sink at bathrooms. Lots of campers. Nice restaurant nearby, Bayside.

This campground is primarily RVs, although we still had a nice time at our tent site. The beach is only a few hundred feet away, and the campground has basic facilities. The beach is small and quiet, and has some great shells and rocks. All in all, a quiet campground with the fundamentals.

Great place

This was our first camping trip of the year and we loved being right on the beach. There are no hookups but water is easily acquired and there is a dumping station. We loved being able to hike for hours right from our campsite. While the beach in the campground is very rocky it is a short walk to beautiful public beaches. I cant wait to return to this campsite.

Being a state park on the beach, there is little in the way of foliage so there is nothing between you and the next camp site to give you much privacy. But aside from that, you are anywhere from 5 seconds to a 1 minute walk away from the beach. The smell of salty ocean air, and the sounds of the waves are a great way to relax. The area is very dark at night so if you are into stargazing, this is a great place to bring a telescope or a good camera to take some pictures. We woke in the middle of the morning to see the Milky Way in the sky above us quite clearly.

The bathrooms are good, and while not the most modern looking, were clean. We stayed in early June and found both nights to be very cold with the constant wind coming off of the water so bring an extra blanket.

The best!! Our site was perfect for tent camping and pets!

We go to Horseneck for a weekend each year. If you book early enough you can get a site along the beach. Either way you can hear the waves from all of the sites at night and they're all a short walk to the beach. The beach is a bit rocky but the water is blean and sandy. The sites are spacious, yet if you pick one in the midde of the grounds you're pretty much out in the open. Each site comes with a picnic bench and a fire pit with a grate. You can buy bundles of wood at the ranger station for 5$ each so make sure you bring cash. The bathroom facilities are clean and there's a decent dishwashing station. There is a lot to do in the area too. I recommend the MA Audubon park, Buzzards Bay Brewing, and Westport Rivers Vineyard.

Horseneck Beach campground sites aren't particularly large, and are setup more for car camping and RVs than for tenting, but the site has great showers and a modern shower facility, and being able to walk out to the beach through the barrier dune to watch the sunset and sunrise is absolutely fantastic. I've camped here twice, once with a small group of 4 on one site, plenty big enough for all of us to have a tent, and once with a group of 15. Easy access to running water from most sites and pretty good, free, showers given the campground layout. Only downside is that the online reservation system requires a 2 night minimum, but calling the campground attendant can sometimes result in a one night reservation, especially early in the season when they're holding sites for last minute arrivals.

Hard to beat being less than an hour from Providence, RI and camping adjacent to a beach.