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Best Tent Camping near Chelsea, MA

595 Reviews

Tent campers seeking a retreat from urban areas near Chelsea, Massachusetts can find several established campground options within a 45-minute drive. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers primitive tent camping on several islands including Peddocks, Lovells, Grape, and Bumpkin islands, accessible only by ferry or private boat. Camp Nihan Education Center in Saugus provides tent campsites in a wooded setting less than 10 miles from Chelsea, while Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester offers more developed tent camping options approximately 30 miles northeast.

Most tent campsites in the region require advanced planning, particularly for the Boston Harbor Islands locations. Sites at Boston Harbor Islands must be reserved up to 6 months in advance and fill quickly during the peak season from June through Labor Day weekend. Campers need to transport all supplies, including drinking water for most locations. Fire regulations vary by site, with Boston Harbor Islands allowing fires only below the high tide line using scavenged wood. Camp Nihan provides more amenities for tent campers, including picnic tables, showers, and trash disposal, though the facility undergoes periodic renovations affecting availability.

The tent camping experience varies significantly between locations. Camp Nihan offers a blend of convenience and natural surroundings, with one visitor noting it has "rugged enough terrain that it always felt like we were really in the woods" despite being close to urban areas. Boston Harbor Islands provides a more adventurous experience, requiring ferry transportation and minimal facilities, but rewarding campers with unique coastal camping. Tent sites on Peddocks and other islands provide opportunities for exploring historic forts, rocky shorelines, and trails. The logistics of island camping can be challenging, as one camper shared: "Getting to the island was a bit of a hassle... but sitting on the beach watching the sun set over Boston was awesome and made everything entirely worth it."

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Best Tent Sites Near Chelsea, Massachusetts (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Chelsea, MA

19 Photos of 7 Chelsea Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Chelsea, MA

595 Reviews of 7 Chelsea Campgrounds

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2021

    Fearing Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    Wooded sites near a pond

    There are 2 Fearing Pond loops at Myles Standish State Forest, the H & I loops. The H loop entrance is closer to the Charge Pond loops and is higher above pond. This loop is better suited to the larger trailers/tents with more space to drive around a loop , but some spots have slopes. The I loop's best feature is a small beach that is easily accessible from all sites. They've done a lot of site restoration and the fact that it didn't open in 2020 helped. In spite of that, many of the sites have awkward approaches and there is a large parking lot closer to the bathroom. There are no hookups, but there is a dump station available. Water is available, but no electric hookups. Fire rings and picnic tables provided.

    The forest has miles of biking trails, ponds for swimming, fishing, and boating, and even cranberry bogs to explore (though harvest is late in the camping season and this section is not open at that time).

    Cell phone coverage is poor to absent in the forest, so download maps for offline use prior to your arrival.

    Plymouth is nearby for a any forgotten provisions and for sightseeing. Erickson's ice cream cafe is near the entrance if you need a treat!

  • 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
    Mar. 2, 2021

    Barretts Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    Small campground near a small pond at Myles Standish

    This campsite loop at Myles Standish State Forest is closest to the headquarters and borders a small pond with beach. In addition to tent/RV sites, there are 3 yurts available with bunks. Sites that appear to be near the pond are pond view rather than pondside. Approaches to Yurt JC and J5, J 26, J27 are sloped. J14 is a little awkward. J33 is probably among the largest and nicest with a pond view. The sites aren't as large as those in the Charge Pond loops, but it's a smaller campground.

    The loop has flush toilets and showers. Water is available, but no electric hookups. Fire rings and picnic tables provided. Cell phone coverage throughout the forest is poor to absent; download maps for offline use if you want to be sure to know where you are or find directions. There are miles of bike trails and ponds for fishing, swimming, and boating. There's a larger beach and picnic area at College Pond.

  • 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

  • Ashlee L.
    Aug. 19, 2019

    Charge Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    One of my worst camping experiences

    Pros - the campground is lovely to drive through and the sites are fairly nicely design with some privacy between sites (some sites have more some have less).  It's also nice to have access to the multitude of hiking trails and ponds.

    Cons - the works.  We stayed around Charge Pond on a Friday and Saturday night, and even though the park has clearly stated quiet hours of 10 pm to 7 am (which includes generators), it was one of the loudest camps I've ever been to.  Several camp neighbors in our loop were up well past 1am loud as hell - talking loudly, screaming and yelling - even their kids!  And one site had their trailer generator running all night - there was absolutely no patrol of this campground at all, which is unacceptable on weekends in my opinion.  This place attracts some really awful people - there were several spots of vomit in the road Saturday morning, and on Sunday morning a neighbor could be heard at 6 am puking his guts out in surround-sound.  That plus the general noisiness, disrespect of other campers, and lack of patrol would keep me away alone, but the state of the facilities topped it off.  The women's room in Charge Pond loop A was filthy - it wasn't super outdated, but just not clean at all.  Every surface was absolutely disgusting, they had a 5-gallon plastic bucket to serve as the bathroom trash, and the entire place smelled like urine.  To top it off, when using it Sunday morning every single stall was out of toilet paper, and the whole place had very clearly had not been cleaned since Friday night.  I know campground bathrooms are usually not the best, but this was definitely one of the worst - I've used vault toilets that were cleaner!

    I will never stay here again.

Guide to Chelsea

Tent camping options near Chelsea, Massachusetts extend beyond established campgrounds to several additional sites within a 60-minute drive. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground consists of multiple islands where camping experiences vary based on location and season. Water access limits camping to summer months from June through early September, with weather conditions sometimes affecting ferry schedules.

What to do

Island exploration: Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers opportunities to visit multiple islands during your stay. "We found all kinds of bunkers and a brick house" on Lovells Island, according to camper Jess G. The islands contain historical structures and natural areas to discover.

Swimming opportunities: Beach access varies by campground location. At Cape Ann Camp Site, "Beach down the street was big, beautiful and low tide was unexpected as you could walk for ever," reports Ron C. Most beaches lack lifeguards, so swimming requires caution.

Wildlife observation: Many campgrounds offer opportunities to view local wildlife. Cape Ann campers report seeing "wild turkeys, deer, etc." according to John S. Early morning and dusk provide optimal viewing times for most wildlife species.

What campers like

Natural surroundings: The wooded setting at many campgrounds creates a sense of seclusion despite proximity to urban areas. "The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome," notes Lajaun C. about Cape Ann Camp Site.

Water views: Several campgrounds offer waterfront camping with distinctive perspectives. At Military Park New Boston Air Force Station, visitors appreciate the "nice scenery with fresh air and freedom sunshine," according to Shuang W.

Clean facilities: Campers frequently comment on bathroom and shower facilities. "Clean Bathrooms and pay showers (5 cents)" at Cape Ann Campground makes extended stays more comfortable, notes Della S. Facility maintenance schedules may affect availability.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds near Chelsea require advance reservations, especially during peak season. For Boston Harbor Islands, campers need to "book 7 months to the day in advance" although "you can also look for last minute openings," advises Martha H.

Transportation logistics: Reaching island camping locations requires planning. "We 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 one Boston Harbor Islands camper.

Limited amenities: Facilities vary significantly between campgrounds. Buck Hill Campground provides minimal infrastructure with "a few rough restrooms and some porta-potties" according to Greg R., who describes it as "a great rural no frills campground."

Tips for camping with families

Beach activities: Several campgrounds provide beach access. At Buck Hill Campground, "There's a small somewhat sandy area that perhaps used to be a beach of sorts, though no lifeguards or anything. The water is clean and fine for swimming with a few areas that make for easy entry into the water."

Educational opportunities: Camp Nihan Education Center offers educational programming for children. One visitor noted it was "perfect blend of rugged and convenient for small kid camping" and that "the group site is super close to parking and yet the terrain is rugged enough that it always felt like we were really in the woods."

Nearby attractions: Many campgrounds provide access to additional recreation areas. Camp Nihan is "adjacent to Breakheart Reservation, which had a great shallow pond with life guard on duty as well as bike trails and a range of different hikes," reports Michael V.

Tips from RVers

Site conditions: RV sites at most campgrounds have specific characteristics and limitations. At Shady Point Beach & Campgrounds, sites may lack full hookups, requiring self-contained RVs.

Utility availability: Hookups vary between campgrounds. Cape Ann Camp Site provides "water, sewer, and electric hookups" but "No wifi," according to Lajaun C. Some sites may require adaptors for water connections.

Location advantages: Campgrounds near coastal areas provide access to multiple attractions. Cape Ann Camp Site has a "great location with access to Rockport - a beautiful place to visit, shop, eat & a great little trail with great views," notes Ron C.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chelsea, MA is Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Chelsea, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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