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Best Tent Camping near Dunstable, MA

698 Reviews

Tent campsites in northeastern Massachusetts near Dunstable offer a mix of walk-in sites and established campgrounds within driving distance. Tully Lake Recreation Area in Royalston stands out for its tent-only camping experience, with waterfront sites approximately 50 miles northwest of Dunstable. Camp Nihan Education Center provides more accessible tent camping options closer to the Boston metro area, while Federated Women's Club State Forest offers more primitive camping experiences about 45 miles west.

Most tent campgrounds in the region require campers to park in designated areas and transport gear to their sites. At Tully Lake, wooden wheelbarrows are provided to carry camping equipment from the parking area to individual campsites. A camper noted, "Each site has a table and a fire ring." Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with most established campgrounds requiring campers to purchase firewood on-site to prevent the spread of invasive species. Bathroom facilities range from composting toilets at more remote locations to centralized shower houses with coin-operated hot water at developed campgrounds.

The tent camping experience near Dunstable varies significantly by location. Sites at Tully Lake provide a more secluded experience with no vehicle access to individual campsites. According to feedback on The Dyrt, "The campsites are spacious and though there is not a bad site, some are better suited for certain purposes like group camping." Waterfront tent sites allow for swimming directly from camp at some locations, while others offer paddling opportunities on nearby lakes and ponds. Fall camping is particularly popular when foliage colors peak and summer crowds diminish. Campers seeking the most primitive experience should consider the walk-in sites at Federated Women's Club State Forest, where minimal facilities and greater distances from parking areas create a more remote backcountry feel.

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Best Tent Sites Near Dunstable, Massachusetts (13)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Dunstable, MA

38 Photos of 13 Dunstable Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Dunstable, MA

698 Reviews of 13 Dunstable 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 :)

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 28, 2023

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Loved it here

    We stayed here for a night in mid October, as they were getting ready to close for the season, so more than half of the campground was closed off. But the part that we did see was awesome. Each site was huge, separated from its neighbor, private, mostly flat, and beautiful. No hookups in the campground, and sites are hit or miss with tree coverage, some sites may have enough opening for solar or starlink, but I wouldn’t count on it. 

    There are hiking trails throughout the campground, but our dog got covered in ticks so watch for that. There are water spigots throughout the campground and a dump station. Showers were free and nice and clean, and you can control the temperature and let the water run (no button to push). 

    The dump truck driver was there picking up garbage and I asked him about recycling and he said they have their own transfer station where the waste is sorted, so all recycling and garbage goes into the dumpster. 

    We paid $23 for a site because it was primitive season, but I think normally it’s $25. No other taxes or fees were charged. There’s a little store in the ranger office with basic supplies and gifts, ice cream, fire starters, ice, etc. There’s also a little free library exchange behind the office. And to top it off, we had cell service here. Great stay, highly recommend! Beware of ticks!

  • Jessica N.
    Sep. 13, 2021

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Great Park, big sites

    Stayed for a weekend (1 night). Easy access to a bathroom (which was very clean). Quiet neighbors, everyone around us observed the quiet hours (10p-7a) and even during the day no one was super loud. Very respectful drivers made biking feel fun and safe for kids. Campers beach was lovely. Sure the water was a little weedy, but we didn’t mind. The lake is a great spot for kayaking (although it is a little bit of a walk from the parking lot with a heavy boat) and the sunset on the lake definitely didn’t disappoint. Nice partially shaded and level site with good access for backing in our small trailer. Playground, camp store, convenient check-in at office, firewood available for $6, lots of trails and fairly level for easy biking. State park camping (no hookups) but there’s a dump station near the exit and water spigots dispersed around the campsites. Absolutely would go again.

  • 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!

Guide to Dunstable

Tent camping options near Dunstable, Massachusetts range from remote walk-in sites to family-friendly campgrounds within a 50-mile radius. The area sits at the northern edge of Middlesex County where sandy glacial soils support mixed pine-oak forests. Most campgrounds in this region operate seasonally from May through October when average daytime temperatures range from 65-85°F during peak camping months.

What to do

Paddle on Tully Lake: Located about 50 miles northwest of Dunstable in Royalston, Tully Lake Recreation Area offers canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals for exploring the lake. "We take our canoe and spend the whole day at the lake. You can find lots of private areas to swim, pick blueberries and relax," notes reviewer Ben P.

Explore island camping: For a unique adventure, Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers boat-accessible camping approximately 55 miles southeast of Dunstable. "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," shares Martha H. Ferries depart from either Long Wharf in Boston or Hingham.

Hike historic trails: Several campgrounds offer hiking opportunities with historical significance. Near the Quabbin Reservoir at Federated Womens Club State Forest, you can "find cellar holes throughout, remnants of the towns lost in the 30s to create the reservoir," according to reviewer Jean C.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester offers well-spaced camping areas. "The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome," reports Lajaun C., while another camper noted, "Very nice folks, great sites with A LOT of space between them."

Natural swimming areas: Many campers appreciate the swimming options at the best tent camping near Dunstable. At Tully Lake, one camper mentions, "You can find lots of private areas to swim," while at Cape Ann Camp Site, a reviewer points out it has "great beach access" with "a nice beach down the street."

Cart-assisted rustic camping: The tent-only camping at Tully Lake provides wheelbarrows to transport gear. One camper explains, "Each site has a table and a fire ring. You park at the entrance, register with Ranger. Large wooden wheelbarrows are provided to bring your gear to your camp site."

What you should know

Reservation timing matters: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially for waterfront sites. For Boston Harbor Islands, a camper advises, "These sites book quickly, so you should try to book 7 months to the day in advance."

Limited services: Many campgrounds near Dunstable have minimal facilities. Camp Nihan Education Center offers tent camping with basic amenities about 30 minutes south of Dunstable. A reviewer describes it as "Super close to parking and yet the terrain is rugged enough that it always felt like we were really in the woods."

Cell coverage can be spotty: At Federated Womens Club State Forest, "Cell phone coverage is faint to nonexistent on Verizon. You may want to download offline maps before you head out here."

Tips for camping with families

Look for educational programs: Some campgrounds offer nature learning opportunities. Camp Nihan is noted as "Perfect blend of rugged and convenient for small kid camping" with a "great shallow pond with life guard on duty as well as bike trails and a range of different hikes."

Consider site location: When selecting tent camping near Dunstable with children, bathroom proximity matters. At Tully Lake, one family mentioned their "site was fairly far from services, long run with small kids in the middle of the night."

Pack light for walk-in sites: Lost Boys Hideout in New Hampshire offers hike-in tent sites about 40 miles northwest of Dunstable. One visitor noted recent improvements: "Nice new tents provided at Sleepy Hollow site. Improvements to the firepit, area all mulched, even some games and water are provided!"

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: While many campgrounds near Dunstable cater primarily to tent camping, Cape Ann Camp Site accommodates RVs with utilities. A reviewer confirms they have "water, sewer, and electric hookups" but "no wifi."

Consider seasonality: Most RV-friendly campgrounds in the region operate seasonally. Cape Ann Camp Site runs from "May 15 - Oct 15" according to their listing information, with fall being an excellent time to visit when "Cape Anne is beautiful. Perfect location with access to Rockport - a beautiful place to visit, shop, eat & a great little trail with great views."

Frequently Asked Questions

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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dunstable, MA is Country Barn Motel & Campground with a 0-star rating from 1 review.

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