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Best Tent Camping near Brookfield, MA

577 Reviews

Tent camping near Brookfield, Massachusetts offers several walk-in and primitive options within a 30-mile radius. Tully Lake Recreation Area in Royalston stands out as a highly-rated tent-only campground managed by the Trustees of Reservations on Army Corps of Engineers land. Federated Womens Club State Forest in Petersham provides more rustic walk-in tent sites with basic amenities. For those seeking backcountry tent camping experiences, Onion Mountain Park in Connecticut offers free primitive tent sites accessible via hiking trails.

Most tent campgrounds in the region operate seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with Tully Lake and Barton Cove Campground in Gill having strict reservation requirements. Walk-in tent sites are common, with many campgrounds providing carts to transport gear from parking areas to campsites. Tully Lake prohibits vehicles at campsites, creating a quieter tent camping environment. Fire rings and picnic tables are standard at established sites, though firewood must often be purchased on-site. Cell service is limited throughout the region, particularly at Federated Womens Club State Forest and Tully Lake, where coverage is described as "faint to nonexistent" by campers.

The tent camping experience around Brookfield features numerous waterfront opportunities. According to reviews, Tully Lake offers spacious tent sites with varying levels of privacy: "Sites closer to the water are less private, but still peaceful and spread out. No cars at all at the campsites made for a super quiet stay." Primitive tent camping at Onion Mountain Park requires more preparation, as one camper noted: "It's definitely more of a hike. We found a very primitive spot off the blue trail where we settled for the night. The spot is not very big, so bring a smaller tent." Buck Hill Campground in Rhode Island provides larger group tent sites along Wakefield Pond in a heavily wooded setting with minimal amenities, ideal for traditional tent camping experiences.

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Best Tent Sites Near Brookfield, Massachusetts (21)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Brookfield, MA

15 Photos of 21 Brookfield Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Brookfield, MA

577 Reviews of 21 Brookfield Campgrounds

  • Sa R.
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    Beautiful lake

    First time staying there. Two tents allowed per site, no alcohol although no one checked. No water or electricity at the sites. You park & walk in but they provide carts. You have to buy firewood from them. Canoe, kayak & padddleboard rental available. Showers & bathrooms by the parking area. Lots of islands & places to explore on the lake. Buggy in June so bring your repellent. Dogs allowed...that’s all I got for now :)

  • Nicole G.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Tolland State Forest Campground

    Great Lakeside Campground

    This was only my second camping trip ever (and first tent camping) so grain of salt here - We had a great time at Tolland. The site was spacious and equipped with a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The ground at the site was large gravel which was not great in the tent, but walking around it looks like most sites are more dirt and pine needles.

    The swimming area is small but sandy, great for kids, and my daughter loved thethe campfire and nature talk given on Saturday night by park staff.

  • Nancy R.
    Jul. 31, 2018

    Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    Tully Lake Campground is perfect to enjoy traditional family camping!

    Tully Lake Campground is located in Royalston, MA, which is a northern part of Central Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border. It is a State managed campground, and reservations must be made through Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations. There are some prime camp sites with direct access to the lake, but suggest you be prepared to call early in the morning of the first day State Campground reservations can be made, if you want one of these!

    This is a "Carry In" campground. You park at the entrance, register with Ranger. Large wooden wheelbarrows are provided to bring your gear to your camp site. (This means no noise or disturbances from cars entering your camp sites.) There are individual sites, and 2 group sites, if you are camping with a group. Canoes are available to rent to explore Tully Lake. Most parts of the lake are suitable for swimming, and some camp sites offer direct entry into the lake for swimming, canoeing, or kayaking. If you'd like to hike with children, there is an easy hike close to the entrance, along Doane's Falls, a series of 5 waterfalls along an ascending path through a wooded area. The views are beautiful, and it's not unusual to spot professional nature photographers at various points along the waterfalls. Bring your cameras or smart phones to capture some of these breathtaking views! And of course there are longer, more challenging trails for more experienced hikers. There are family oriented programs offered, and dogs are allowed, on leash only. Cell service is spotty to non-existent for some providers within the campground. But a short walk or drive away from the campground you can get connected again.

    The bathrooms are located near the entrance to the Park, and include flush toilets as well as coin operated, hot showers, open 24/7. There are sinks beside the building, where campers are asked to wash their dishes, rather than at the camp site. A fire ring and picnic table are provided at each camp site. If you've forgotten any gear or need groceries, there's a Walmart just a 15 minute drive away, open until 12 midnight.

    The staff are quite friendly, helpful and informative. If you enjoy "old fashioned" family tent camping, without the noise and presence of cars and RV's near your camp site, (or cell phones!) this is the place for you. Enjoy!

  • D
    Jul. 6, 2022

    Otter River State Forest

    Some sites are hit or miss with privacy

    My site (number 1) was good for not being on top of my neighbor but it was next to the tanger station. Some sites are pretty out in the open, close to the campsite road so they feel less like the woods. I would say the best site that feels most like you are in the woods and have the most space is 28. I would book there. The pond is kind of deceiving. There are 2 roped off spots where you can swim and those spots are small and not deep.  You cannot have floats. So its better for a quick dip than a hang out. Bathrooms are fine. Could use one more as its a hike in the morning when you really have to go(!) depending on your site. One thing with my site (1), it was listed as a shaded site but it absolutely was not a shade site. During mid day there is no shade at all. In the morning, as the sun rose (when I took the pics) there was some shade but thats because the sun was still rising. It was big enough to fit a 10 and 12 person tent with a canopy. Not all sites are that big but this one worked. Verizon service was limited to none depending on location, ATT was good

  • D
    Jun. 7, 2019

    Green Falls Campground

    Small but cozy

    Great off the beaten path place to camp. Sites are large but close together. Each contain a rock built fire ring. There are toilets but no showers. Good parking for camper but limited for guests. Reservations are required in advance. Stones throw to beach/pond area

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2020

    Wolf Den Campground — Mashamoquet Brook State Park

    Basic campground with hiking trails in the area.

    This small state park campground offers basic campsites with running water and showers, open Memorial Day to Columbus Day.  This is NOT Wolf's Den Family Campground in E. Haddam, CT. Also, be aware there are 2 campgrounds at this State Park; the other one, Mashamoquet Brook, does not offer running water/showers, so if you want these amenities, be sure to select a campsite 1-35.

    There's a small playground in the middle of the loop, a number of hiking trails throughout the park along with a few geocaches (download details for offline use a phone connection is spotty), a swimming pond, and a small brook with an old mill and blacksmith shop that is sometimes open on weekends for tours. It's a nice place to explore and have a picnic. In 2020 with Covid, there were restrictions on visitors to the campground, reservations required, and swimming was not allowed. 

    The parking pads are paved and a few have overhanging branches, but the trees provide  separation and some shade on largely open sites that tend to open up toward the back with open areas for pitching tents. Sites have fire rings with grills and picnic tables. Site 20 is the only one with electric. The ones toward the back of the loop back up toward the woods and give you some more privacy. 

    They don't allow hammocks in the trees or pets. For some reason, silly string also makes the list of prohibitions.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 8, 2020

    Otter River State Forest

    Mixed bag at this campground

    This is a smaller campground with a few loops of campsites. The sites that are near the small pond are generally larger and have better space for pitching a tent. The sites on the first two loops/spur roads are smaller and most of them are designated for tents only or tents/popups. Site 33 is large and level, suitable for an RV, but Group B site is right behind it, which may or may not be an issue.  Group A & C sites are also in the first two loops.

    65, 67, 68 are walk-in sites, with the tent area lower, closer to the water.  At the top of the hill, there are several yurts available.

    Dump station and additional swimming/water activities are a little farther down the road at Lake Dennison .

  • Ryan A.
    May. 15, 2024

    George Washington State Campground

    An OK Campground but not Great

    Camped out here for two nights after reading about this place in the"Best Tent Camping: New England" book. It's better than the other campgrounds in Rhode Island that I looked at (Burlingame, Fort Getty) but isn't my favorite campground. If you're not a Rhode Island resident the fee for most sites is$36/night. Is it worth it? Eh, probably not unless you're really jonesing to camp for a weekend in the Ocean State. 

    It does have some great things going for it, namely the hiking trails and views of the lake. There are some tent-only sites which are numbered T1-T5. I stayed in T5 and it was the best of the bunch because it had the most privacy and space, including a grassy area. The other tent-only sites were fairly small and if you go to any mixed use sites you run the risk of having an RV next to you. The A1-A7 sites are remote and hike in, but you're going to have to hike either 0.4 or 0.6 miles through some uneven terrain. The next best group of sites would be 19-24 which are on their own small loop near the lake. 

    The things I didn't like were the streetlights over the port-a-potties that shine all night. There is a manned gate where you check in and you have to get let into the campground during the day, but at night the gates are wide open and it seems like some people know this because there are a few oddballs around in the early morning. There is swimming at the lake but it looked way too dirty. 

    Overall the place was managed very well, the sites were cleanish and the grounds were taken care of. The employees drove by at least once an hour, I thought they were collecting trash from dumpsters but the only place with a dumpster is near the entrance. I couldn't figure out why they kept driving by so often. I had a good time, it was relaxing and scratched the camping itch.

  • Rae-Ann W.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 25, 2024

    Ashuelot River Campground

    Nice quiet weekend

    We took our new to us hybrid camper out for its inaugural trip.

    We chose to stay in the wooded loop of the campground and we were very happy with our site, #66. That section has about 12 sites, some big and some on the smaller side. Our site was easy to back into, even more so since no one was in the site across from us. Our site was very spacious, level and included a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely placed hookups for water and electric. We had easy access to trails that went along the river behind some of the sites with a few paths down to the river.

    Everyone we encountered was friendly and respectful. There are quiet hours from 10pm-8am that are enforced. We were grateful to not have to hear loud partying going on into the night. There was car noise from nearby Rt 10 on the other side of the river, but nothing you can do about that.

    We asked for assistance at the office with our first time using a pumping station at the end of the trip. We were given friendly helpful assistance and some great tips and advice for the future.

    This was a nice enjoyable first visit for us. We will definitely be adding it to our list of places to visit again, but likely later in the year when we can enjoy the river and activities a bit more. We did not explore the options for bike, kayak, and canoe rentals but would like to in the future.

Guide to Brookfield

Tent camping near Brookfield, Massachusetts offers a variety of experiences, from rustic settings to well-equipped sites, perfect for nature lovers looking to unwind.

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $40

  • At Buck Hill Campground, campers can enjoy a rural experience with large clusters of sites accommodating multiple tents, ideal for groups.
  • Tully Lake Recreation Area provides a well-reviewed camping experience with clean facilities and a focus on outdoor activities, all at a reasonable price.
  • Willard Brook State Forest offers a cozy atmosphere with sites suited for tents and small trailers, making it a great choice for budget-conscious campers.

Tent campers should check out Tully Lake Recreation Area

  • Tully Lake Recreation Area features walk-in sites that allow for a peaceful retreat, with options for kayaking and fishing right at your doorstep.
  • Federated Womens Club State Forest is a rustic campground perfect for those who enjoy hiking and exploring nature, though it requires a bit of planning due to its walk-in access.
  • Barton Cove Campground offers a unique experience with tent platforms and a serene environment, ideal for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Local activities to enjoy while tent camping

  • At Tully Lake Recreation Area, visitors can hike the scenic trails or rent kayaks to explore the lake, making it a versatile destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
  • Willard Brook State Forest provides access to hiking trails and a nearby pond for swimming, perfect for a day of adventure.
  • Sodom Mountain Campground is known for its quiet atmosphere and friendly staff, making it a great spot for families looking to enjoy nature and engage in outdoor activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Brookfield, MA is Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Brookfield, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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