Best RV Parks & Resorts near Ashland, MA

We chose this park due to its location close to downtown Newport (a mere five miles). There is a lot to do in this area and we wanted to spend time sightseeing. The other camping option, which did appeal to us, was Fishermen’s Memorial State Park but it was a good 30-40 minutes away from downtown Newport and required paying bridge tolls so we decided to give Melville Ponds a go. There is another RV park closer to downtown but it seemed more like a parking lot not very appealing. Melville Ponds worked out the best for us because it was adjacent to a county park with wooded hiking trails, a large pond and an off-leash dog park which were very appealing because of our dog.

The park has over 100 sites and spread out over many acres. Roads are gravel and easy enough any size RV to navigate. Some sites are set beneath large trees in an attractive wooded setting while others are in an open grassy area with pads being both gravel and grass. The park is a mix of seasonal and transient campers. Site types include full hook-up (max 30 amp), water/electric only, dry camping, and a large tent section. There is a dump station located at the entrance to the park and gray water dump stations are spread among sites without sewer. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The bathrooms and shower house are located in the middle of the park and were very clean. There is a small camp store, large playground, basketball court, and open air covered pavilion with picnic tables.

We chose a site in the open because the winds were projected to be 40-50 mph while we were there and we did not want falling branches on the coach. Our site (F4) had 30 amp and water. Satellite reception (Dish TV) was good and we were able to get a number of air antenna channels. The section that we were in was very big rig-friendly and one site that can be used as a pull-thru.   

The park is open from April 15th to November 15th. Prices vary depending on the season, if you have a weekly/monthly rate, and the type of hook-ups you want. We paid $38/night for water and 30 amp service.

The park is located within 1/2 mile of restaurants, gas stations, grocery, shopping, and more. Downtown historic Newport is a 10-minute drive away and you are only 35 minutes from Providence.  There is definitely lots to do in Newport and Providence. You can tour 70-room mansions, visit the beach, brush up on tennis history at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum, watch boats cruise in and out of a beautiful harbor, shop, eat at fabulous restaurants, and gawk at the charming historic homes. 

The location of this park was great for what we were doing – not too far from Newport but in a nice quiet section of town. The distance between sites was far enough that you did not feel cramped or on top of your neighbor. The nearby hiking trail was perfect for our dog and while it was just a few miles long, it was great because it was within walking distance and she could swim in the pond. The close proximity of restaurants was an added bonus.

We had an incredible stay at Douglas Forest RV Resort! From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how peaceful and well-maintained everything was. The RV sites are spacious and easy to navigate, with full hookups and strong Wi-Fi— a big plus for us since we work remotely on the road. What really sets this place apart is the location. You’re literally steps away from Douglas State Forest, which made morning hikes and evening strolls absolutely magical. It’s pet-friendly too, and our dog loved the wooded trails and open areas. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and the camp store had everything we needed. Even though the recreation area is still being built, the amenities already in place more than made up for it. We’re already planning our next trip for summer when the pool opens! If you’re looking for a relaxing spot that blends nature with convenience, look no further. Douglas Forest RV Resort is a true hidden gem!

We stayed in the premium pull through sites here. The whole campground is gorgeous. You’ll notice how clean and quiet it is right when you first arrive. Check in was under a minute; the staff already had everything prepared which made it super simple. The premium sites have no shade and are a little close to the neighbors. However, they have great paver stone patios and fire pits. They also had a slight downhill slope so it required some extra blocks to level out. Overall, the whole place is a great campground. Plenty of hiking within walking distance and a short drive to all local attractions. Plenty of amenities and a modest camp store as well. I’ll be back for sure.

We planned a brief stop in the Boston area with the intent of seeing the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and Normandy Farms appealed to us for various reasons. One reason was the fact that they have dog walkers that will come to your site and take care of your precious pooch while you are away. Not knowing how long we would be away from the campground that service was a great option. As it turned out, we did not need to use this service but for some it would be a great perk if you were going to be gone all day. And with Boston traffic, we can see how that could happen. By the way, the library is well-worth it.

When you enter Normandy Farms it is more like checking into a hotel than campground complete with a concierge and express check-in. The park is gated and a code is needed to enter and leave giving you a sense of security but I’m not sure it is necessary. Driving in you quickly realize how huge this park is with some 400 RV sites, tent sites, yurts, lean-to’s, safari tents, and cabins. 

There are plenty of sites to choose from the “premium” full hook-up (50 amp) to basic with just water and electric and many others in between. Both back-in and pull thrus are available as are sites with shade and full sun. Premium sites have paved patios while other sites are gravel. Roads are paved and plenty wide enough for big RV’s to navigate. They offer cable television that yielded nearly 100 channels. Wifi worked well at our site and other places throughout the park. All sites come with a fire pit and picnic table. 

We chose a paved full hook-up pull thru with paved patio (Site E1). Our site was easy to navigate in and out of and was definitely big rig-friendly with ample space for our motorhome and tow car. All utilities were well-placed and functioned properly. The site was level. At the time we were there in October the campground was not very busy but we imagine that things get a little crazy when the park is full. 

There is a really long list of amenities for this campground….four pools (include an indoor heated one), fitness room (with elliptical, treadmills, bikes, machine and free weights), creative arts center, camp store, 20,000 square-foot activities building (with adult only lounge, pool table, arcade, games, wide-screen televisions, sauna, Jacuzzi), restaurant, huge off-leash dog park (you can reserve individual day kennels), BMX bike park, horse shoe pits, baseball diamond, volleyball, fishing pond, shuffleboard, disk golf, and playground, and probably a few more things I missed. During the busy summer months there is a long list of activities ranging from yoga to kids games.

Normandy Farms is approximately 35 miles from Boston. If you don’t want to drive to the city, you can park at the nearby train or subway station and ride into the city. You are just five miles from Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) and Patriot Place (a hub for shopping and dining). About a mile from the campground is Foxboro State Park where you will find 20+ miles of hiking trails. Also within a five mile radius are plenty of restaurants, shopping, hardware store, grocery store, and more. 

Some of the really good features are the huge dog park which has a dog washing station, water fountains for dogs and humans, agility-type obstacles for them to play on, dog kennels, and a bin with balls and Frisbees. I also liked (and used daily) the fitness center which had functioning equipment and a large television to help pass the time while working out – and was never crowded. The large community building has and adult-only lounge which serves as a nice place for people to get together and watch television or hang out without kids. With everything this campground has to offer you can see why it is a destination park for some people as their kids would be busy all day. 

The downside really is the price and how many sites there are. If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway this is not it.

I’m told that this used to be Jellystone. 

It’s now called Pine Lake Rv and cottages.

Not knowing what the previous campground was like I can’t compare. But the new owners surely did a total revamp. There is approximately 30 cottages and many pull through and back in sites for any size RV.

The bathroom/showers were all new and very nice and clean. It seems to be very family friendly. There’s an 8 acre lake with kayaks and fishing, a basketball court,   a game pavilion and a well stocked store. The RV sites are   spacious and pretty close to near perfect level.

The problems I came across was there were very few places to dispose of camp trash, I had to actually walk around looking for one. The camp store doesn’t open until 9:00AM and closes at 4:00PM

 If you can, try and NOT stay on the back upper level ( the 700 ) spots. It’s around 100 feet from a very busy road and loud !

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 stayed here from a Tuesday to Thursday with our 21ft travel trailer & our dog. We had site 50. It was private, a great size & has water/electric. We had good cover on our site & the area our site was in was super quiet. There are both seasonal and regular sites on this campground. The camp store has everything you might need. The front gate staff are friendly and helpful. There seemed to be lots of activities on the weekends & it's definitely a family friendly/kid friendly spot. Dog friendly too! Lots of other campers had their dogs w them. We used this as our home base to visit Newport, which is about 35 min from the campground.

Chose this spot to give us a rest on a trip to Canada (and again to go back to Maine to complete the vacation after we had truck trouble). Chose a pull-through to save time and effort. The first time we chose site 1 (pull through). This past weekend we chose site 38 (pull through).

A few weeks ago when we visited, site 1 was close to the entry gate, but was very confusing as a pull through. I just backed the trailer in. The next morning we saw that the "pull through" had not been maintained in several seasons. Tree limbs and brush intruded on the driveway. There was no way to get a truck and trailer through that without damage.

Yesterday we tried site 38. We had to take the camp road around the entire park, then enter the "loop" section. Even the "main" roads required my wife to watch as I cleared tree trunks; it was difficult to snake our little trailer around the bends. The driveway to site 38 was a mess. Tree limbs and brush invaded the drive, and there was nowhere level on the whole site. I used a record 9 blocks to get 4 levels high on the downhill wheel. When leaving we had to go out through the adjoining site, because there was no way we'd be able to make the turn out of the site onto the 10' wide tote road because of the trees.

A surcharge which makes it $50/night for non-MA residents, plus, no dump station on site and $7 for four pieces of firewood (go to the Walmart 2 miles away instead) will have us skip this place in the future, even if it's in a convenient place.

For those looking to vacation here. There was minimal cell phone coverage with Verizon. I could check messages but wouldn't try to stream. The highway is very loud (I-90 is across the lake). There are a lot of boggy areas and swamps which, although pretty, grew a lot of mosquitoes that kept my wife indoors. A lot of sites were fairly large and private. The beach area is close to the lower sites. Bathrooms and showers were tight and needed updating, but cleaned.