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Best Tent Camping near Boxford, MA

573 Reviews

Tent campsites near Boxford, Massachusetts are limited but available within reasonable driving distance. Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester offers wooded tent sites with fire pits approximately 25 miles northeast of Boxford. Camp Nihan Education Center provides a more rustic tent camping experience with sites that blend primitive features while remaining accessible, located in Saugus about 20 miles south of Boxford.

Most tent campgrounds in the area feature natural settings with minimal development. Cape Ann Camp Site provides basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, drinking water, and access to restrooms and coin-operated showers. Camp Nihan offers more primitive tent setups with picnic tables, fire rings, and access to recently renovated bathroom facilities. Sites at both locations are primarily set on dirt or natural forest floor with varying levels of privacy. According to one visitor, Camp Nihan has "a great blend of rugged and convenient for camping, with terrain rugged enough that it always felt like we were really in the woods."

The tent camping experience in these areas offers a mix of woodland seclusion while remaining close to urban amenities. Sites at Cape Ann Camp Site are nestled among trees providing natural separation between campsites. A recent review noted that "the sites are nice and wooded" with "a lot of space between them," creating a sense of privacy even when the campground is busy. Camp Nihan's location adjacent to Breakheart Reservation provides tent campers with access to hiking trails, a pond for swimming, and other recreational opportunities. Boston Harbor Islands State Park also offers seasonal tent camping accessible by ferry, though advance planning is essential as these primitive tent sites have limited capacity and fill quickly during summer months.

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Best Tent Sites Near Boxford, Massachusetts (8)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Boxford, MA

18 Photos of 8 Boxford Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Boxford, MA

573 Reviews of 8 Boxford Campgrounds

  • Migdalia G.
    May. 29, 2019

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Nice Wooded Campground in Awesome Area

    We stayed at Harold Parker State Forest Campground during Memorial Day Weekend. Reservation through Reserve America was a breeze. Check in till 9:00 pm was convenient. Checkout by 11:00 am but we paid for an additional night to be able to leave at night the day we checked out. Totally worth it!

    Nice large campsites. The sites’ privacy is very diverse. You could be tucked away from everyone or closer together depending on the site you choose but they are all pretty decent in size. All sites have water which is a plus. All have a fire pit/box, charcoal bbq and a picnic table. Most of them are drive in. 

    Quiet hours from 10 am to 7 am. No alcohol allowed (although I didn’t see an actual enforcement of this rule and guess it’ll happen only if people act out). Rangers are constantly patrolling. Felt pretty safe at night. You can’t bring wood. Bundles are $5 each and it burns really well. 

    Lots of biking/hiking/walking trails, a nice small pond/beach, boat access, a few basketball courts, a volleyball court and a common huge fire pit added to the fun. A ranger ran a program to teach about the area fauna which was pretty interesting for kids and adults alike. 

    Bathrooms were fairly clean although small and showers were free! Some sites were right in front of a lovely pond and there were many group sites available as well. 

    The location is pretty good. Salem, Andover, Boston Are accesible while staying here. Close proximity to Richardson Ice Cream which you CANT miss if you decide to stay.  They have cheap but amazing ice cream, mini golf and battling cages which was entertaining for my whole crew. 

    It rained a lot during one night of our stay and the site (301) did not flooded at all. All sites seemed in pretty good shape the morning after as well. 

    Beautiful and will recommend to families with small kids, groups and couples too.

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Cape Ann Camp Site

    25 cents for a shower

    The aerial photos of this place are very deceiving. This camp ground is the foreground of the main house which, is situated on the top of the hill. The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads. There is no WIFI. There is no sewer hook up however, near the street there is a "dump station."  The camp ground is run down and unmaintained. Our site had a fire ring which, was filled with ash. Our first night we woke up to a trailer filled with smoke because, someone near by had a fire in 92 degree heat. Most campers are full time residents. There is no sight of them during the day light hours but, at night they are up and about on bikes and mingling with each other. 

    25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom. Some shady people immediate started to hover near the public restroom once we drove up the hill to use the public restrooms. For $70/nite for a view it's not worth it. I was glad to leave- very creepy.

  • Sable W.
    May. 16, 2018

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Spacious, Quiet, Clean and Conveniently Located

    Five friends and I decided to compete in Questival, which came to Boston for May 11-12, 2018. There aren't many campgrounds open in Massachusetts this early in the season, but Harold Parker State Forest was! I snagged a group campsite since we'd have four tents. We had to set up after dark, so we wound up congregating in one corner of the group site. When we woke up we could see just how HUGE the group site was! We had 4 two-person tents; you could easily fit 3x that number of tents. PLENTY of flat ground to set up on, and we were far enough back from the road that we never heard or saw other campers arriving, even though we know most other Questival competitors stayed at this campground. It was about a 5 minute walk to the bathrooms and showers, and potable water was available right on the site. Even though it was early in the season and not very leafy, we could only occasionally see our neighbors' headlamps. There were 4 or 5 fire pits, 5 large picnic tables, and 3 driveways that could fit two cars each. Great value for the cost! We were pleased with the privacy, space, cleanliness, and amenities.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2021

    Tidewater Campground

    Large campground near, but not on the beach

    First of all, the location is a little quirky and I think I only arrived once without a wrong turn! Watch the GPS carefully. That said, it’s very close to Hampton Beach and you can easily drive or bike over. The campground is parallel to US1, so there is some road traffic noise. Some of the tent sites overlook the marsh. The tent sites are definitely tighter than trailer sites. Some sites back up to each other and it takes a moment to understand where one ends and the next begins. 

    I was here early in the season and placed in a seasonal site with water/electric. Site was level. Neighbors were friendly. The bathroom was a short walk away and spotless. I did notice that in the tent areas, the main bathrooms are supplemented with portable toilets. Sites are mostly wooded, which will offer nice relief from the heat. It's a nice base for exploring the area.

    There’s a gated entry and turtle-speed limit that they take seriously. The pool was not yet open. There’s a small store onsite for ice and essentials. All the big box stores and a number of restaurants are nearby. For a change of pace from seafood, I picked up Shane's Texas Pit BBQ and brought it back to my site. 

    You may request a reservation online, but you have to confirm and pay for it via the phone. You’ll need to arrive before 9pm to check in. Bring $10 for a cash deposit on the gate card. Only 1 vehicle and 1 camping unit (tent or trailer) allowed on a site.

    Downside: They charge for showers, the amount and duration is unclear and the duration varies depending on which shower you choose! Given the rates they charge, this seems petty.

  • Meg T.
    Jul. 30, 2025

    Salisbury Beach State Reservation

    Seagulls hungry for Egg Rolls and sunsets galore!

    Stayed here with my partner for her birthday while we were up in the Plum Island/Rockport area. Beautiful ocean access and great facilities. We stayed in a site right next to a large bathhouse with showers, plentiful stalls, and water bottle fill-up and rinse off station. We were situated next to a kind family who lent us fire starter and offered us some of their snacks they were making when we arrived, while we were setting up we did lose some egg rolls to a hungry seagull but I think he needed them more than we did. Not very private and sites are packed close together, but that is what I expected based off the map! I would absolutely return again, this time to check out the beach and surrounding area!

  • Anna C.
    Oct. 15, 2019

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Red Ledge Rebel Shell Rain Pants at Pawtuckaway State Park

    *CAMPGROUND REVIEW*

    This campground is definitely a dazzler and I was fortunate to visit on a quieter weekend. I was able to enjoy an especially picturesque sunset over the lake and I would definitely visit this spot again, especially with how accessible the campground is. There is a nice stretch of sandy beach at the campground as well as canoes and kayaks for rent. The convenience store at the campground had essentially everything you would need for a good camping trip. Definitely do your research on the different site numbers because some sites are much more private and scenic than others. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit as an added bonus.

    Pros: 

    -Within a short driving distance from the Boston area 

    -Lakefront sites available 

    -Canoe and kayak rentals available 

    -Well stocked convenience store 

    -Reasonable cell reception

    Cons: 

     -Can get busy during peak camping times 

     -Some sites have a lack of privacy

    *PRODUCT REVIEW*

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. During this trip, I took out a pair of Red Ledge Rain Pants. While it didn’t rain during my camping stay (great from a camper perspective, not so great from a reviewer perspective), I was able to try out the general fit of the pants. They have a nice stretch fit to them and a certainly one of the more stylish options as far as rain pants go. As is true for most waterproof gear, they run on the warmer side and don’t have a ton of ventilation so they may not be the best choice for hotter weather. Although I didn’t get to test out the pants in a camping setting, I did wear them a few days ago while making the 1.5 km evacuation route trek from my apartment to the flood shelter during one of the biggest typhoons to make landfall in Japan. After about 25-30 mins of walking in record breaking-ly heavy rain, the pants started to saturate around the knees and the upper thigh area started to get a bit soggy. That being said, this is probably the most extreme possible test setting and they did hold up reasonably well. Due to the aforementioned, I would recommend using these pants as a waterproof option when skiing/snowboarding in warmer weather where you still want a snow barrier but may not necessarily need the insulative warmth offered by actual snow pants.

    Pros: 

    -Stylish look 

     -Stretch fit 

     -Waterproof 

     Cons: 

     -Trap heat 

     -Not typhoon proof

  • k
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Dixons Coastal Maine Campground

    LOTS of people but lovely campground

    This is an extremely large campground.  It seems that most of them on the coast of Maine are.  We didn't get a very good sight, but the person who answered the phone basically told us that when we called and it was all they had, so I can't say too much about that either (#17).  The sight was small and between the two driveways.  All of the sights seem to have rocky ground, so I recommend a sleep pad and a footprint for your tent so you don't rip the bottom.  

    Now, on to the other stuff.  There is a small playground that is weathered but in decent shape.  The pool is lovely and meticulously kept.  The grounds, bathrooms and showers are spotless.  It's 50 cents for 5 minutes to take a shower (unheard of) with hot water.  There is even hot water to wash your dishes next to the bathrooms.

    They sell ice, wood ($7) and many "I forgots" in the store (bacon, milk, etc...).  They give you a security card to get into the grounds ($10 deposit).  The campground was SUPER quiet and quiet hours go to 8am (thank you)!  Only an RV about to leave made a ton of noise at 7.

    I would go there again.  It was a safe place close to so many things.  The beach and everything else is VERY close but not so close as to be annoying.... 5 minutes at most.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 18, 2020

    Willard Brook State Forest Campground

    Small forest campground best suited for tents and small trailers

    This small state forest campground in north/central Massachusetts is just up the hill from Damon Pond. I suggest downloading maps before you head out because cell service is iffy in the area.  

    Sites are largely level, around a small, bisected loop with towering pines. Most of the sites are best suited to tents and small trailers (think teardrops and pop-ups), but a couple of sites can accommodate slightly larger units. They are level and there's not a lot of brush between sites, so not much privacy either. I liked site 3 for a bit more privacy ; it's also one of the 3 sites designated for an RV. Site 11 is larger and can accommodate a larger unit.

    There is a large yurt suitable for 10 people. The yurt does offer electricity, but there are no hookups nor a dump station at the campground. There are flush toilets, but no showers. The small bathroom was under renovation autumn 2020. There is a dishwashing sink. 

    There are hiking trails in the area and, of course, swimming at the small pond. A nearby roadside waterfall offers another picnic area opportunity. For a longer hike, you can hike to and from Pearl Lake State Park. Fishing, mountain biking, and geocaching are other activities available. There's a parking lot closer to the beach or it's an easy walk from the campground.

    If you are from out of state, check fees carefully. In 2020 MA increased fees significantly in light of the pandemic. Prices are steep for what you get if you are out of state.

Guide to Boxford

Tent campsites near Boxford, Massachusetts provide outdoor enthusiasts with access to both coastal and woodland environments within reasonable driving distance. The region experiences four distinct seasons with summer temperatures averaging 80°F and winter lows frequently below freezing. Several campgrounds offer tent sites with varying levels of amenities and natural seclusion, typically operating from May through October.

What to do

Hiking trails access: Cape Ann Camp Site serves as a convenient base for exploring nearby coastal trails. "Cape Anne is beautiful. Perfect location with access to Rockport - a beautiful place to visit, shop, eat & a great little trail with great views," notes camper Ron C.

Beach activities: Tent campers can enjoy swimming and beachcombing at several locations. A camper at Cape Ann Camp Site mentioned, "Beach down the street was big, beautiful and low tide was unexpected as you could walk for ever." The campground provides easy access to coastal recreation within walking distance.

Island exploration: For those seeking a more adventurous camping experience, Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers unique opportunities. "During the day you can take small ferries to a variety of other islands to go swimming or explore. This is a great adventure for kids," explains Martha H. Campers can also explore abandoned military installations throughout the islands.

What campers like

Wooded privacy: Many tent sites offer natural separation from neighboring campers. At Cape Ann Camp Site, John S. appreciated "Very nice folks, great sites with A LOT of space between them. Spectacular views and wild turkeys, deer, etc."

Beach proximity: Access to swimming areas ranks high among camper priorities. One reviewer at Cape Ann Camp Site noted, "It is also close enough to stores if you need more. Very close to a nice beach too." This convenience allows campers to combine woodland camping with beach activities.

Rustic experience with amenities: Salmon Falls River RV Resort and Family Campground balances natural settings with recreational facilities. "Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!!" reports Samantha N., highlighting the campground's family-friendly attractions.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Popular tent sites fill quickly, especially during summer months. For Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground, Martha H. advises, "These sites book quickly, so you should try to book 7 months to the day in advance. That said, you can also look for last minute openings."

Transportation logistics: Accessing certain camping areas requires planning. When camping at Boston Harbor Islands, "Getting to the island was a bit of a hassle. We live in Boston and took all of our gear on the T to the harbor by the aquarium. We then took the ferry to Georges Island. After that we waited and got on a much smaller island to Lovells," explains Jess G.

Facility variations: Campground amenities vary significantly. At Cape Ann Camp Site, "25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom," according to one reviewer, while others mention "showers require payment with quarters."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Boxford, MA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Boxford, MA is Cape Ann Camp Site with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Boxford, MA?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Boxford, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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