Winter Island Park

We stayed here during the month of October, for two nights back to back (in different spots). We wanted to come to Salem for the Halloween season, and didn’t think it would be that bad, despite many warnings about how crowded it gets (it gets CROWDED). 

I got our spots at Winter Island by repeatedly and obsessively hitting “refresh” for two days straight, and it paid off- couldn’t believe we snagged two nights there. I was worried about driving an RV through Salem, but Google took us around the main part of the city and it was fine. We saw much bigger class As and 5th wheels there (we are in a 26ft class c). So, no issues driving. 

Sites are power& water only, and you drive up the road on your way out to dump at the wastewater treatment plant (available for campground guests and Salem residents only). The dump hole is awkwardly placed and gross (we saw the previous dumper’s remnants!) but it was fine. 

The campground has good wifi that reaches throughout the campground, as well as good cell reception. We walked from there to town, but if that’s too far then there are Lyft and a trolley available. I believe the trolley was $22/adult, for a full day of a hop on/ hop off deal and a tour of the city.

Winter Island Park Campground: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). I rate primarily based on desire for at least a moderate wilderness type experience w at least some camp site privacy. Overall Rating: 2.5(RV field and hanger spots; 4.5 (Bayside sites). Price 2023: $42 Usage during visit: 100% full because of October celebration in Salem. Site Privacy: None Site Spacing: Very close Site surface: Grass, gravel, and blacktop Reservations: Required Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: Not near a major road. Through Traffic in campground: Some traffic down to parking lot. Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No. Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At the site. Generators: I think all trailer sites have electrical hookups. Bathroom: Yes - old. Showers: Yes - old style. Dressing area is not private. Pull Throughs: All are back in. Cell Service (AT&T): Very good. Setting: 3 settings : Open field, Back up to warehouse with ocean view, On blacktop along harbor. Weather: Clear and cool Bugs: None. Solar: Yes Host: Yes. Rig size: Large rigs will fit in many sites. Sites: 12 - 16D along the bayside have a beautiful view of the bay. These sites would be fantastic to be in even though the sites are close together. The sites along the hanger have a water view with a huge parking lot in between. The RV Field area is only good as a convenient spot to visit nearby Salem attractions or Boston (1 hr plus drive through heavy traffic).

We spent a weekend here on a tent site close to the beach. There was no parking at our site, but the parking lot was only 25 yards away so it was not an issue. Our site (27) was large enough for an 8 person tent, 4 person tent, EZ Up, and a pop up dog house for our pooch. We also kept our 2 kayaks on our site during our stay.

Being so close to the beach had its pros and cons. The pros were the great view, easy put in for our kayaks, and convenience for fishing and trail walking, The cons were the noise during the day from the beachgoers, and the visits from racoons and skunks at night (scavenging the food left by the beachgoers). We ended up leaving earlier than planned to avoid another night with the skunk activity, because we really didn't want to risk driving home with any skunk spray odor. 

The park has a full time bathroom attendant from 8 AM to 8 PM, so restrooms and showers were well kept. There are no ground fires allowed here, but you can rent a portable fire pit from the camp store for $10. Each campsite has a charcoal grill. Wi fi signal was pretty decent. We ordered pizza from Door Dash on our first night here, and that was a very easy experience as well. 

We definitely plan on coming back to this park, although we will probably do a mid week trip next time to avoid the heavy traffic and large crowds. Camping on the oceanfront was a rare treat!

This campground offers basic campsites, with electric available on RV sites. Many of the RV sites are located in the main parking lot; others are in a field just to the right of the entrance. Tent sites tend to be grassy, but not all offer parking on site, so choose carefully. They do not permit tents on RV sites and vice versa. None of the sites offer much privacy. You can explore the beach, launch a boat (paddle or motor), catch a sunrise, or explore the remnants of Fort Pickering. There's a trail around the park with markers, but they're not well maintained. Stay here if you want to be near the water or explore the region. FYI - the dump station is not on site; ask at the office about arrangements for this.

I'm often asked about the best place to camp when visiting Boston and options are limited close to the city. This is one of two campgrounds located <25 miles from Boston with good commute options into the city. If you choose to drive, beware that traffic is a nightmare and parking expensive, but if you have a group that may price out to be less expensive than the commuter rail. The commuter rail is 2 miles from the campground and during peak season a shuttle runs between the campground and Salem.There's a high speed catamaran that runs to and from Boston (though stopped due to CoviD-19 in 2020), but it's expensive. The MBTA offers a special weekend commuter rail pass with their online app. 

Salem offers plenty of sightseeing options, including the National Park Service Salem Maritime NHS, the House of 7 Gables, Peabody Essex Museum, and the Salem Witch Museum. Farther afield, the seacoast towns are worth exploring and you can catch a whale watch out of Gloucester.