Best Tent Camping near Framingham, MA

Tent campgrounds around Framingham, Massachusetts offer several options within a reasonable drive for visitors seeking outdoor experiences. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground provides boat-in tent camping access from June through Labor Day weekend, while Camp Nihan Education Center in Saugus offers tent sites about 30 minutes from Boston. Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester provides wooded tent sites approximately 45 miles northeast of Framingham.

Most tent camping areas near Framingham have limited amenities and services. Camp Nihan provides picnic tables, showers, toilets and trash service, making it suitable for families with young children. Boston Harbor Islands requires planning as campers must bring everything including water unless staying in one of the yurts on Peddocks Island. Fire regulations vary by location - Camp Nihan and Cape Ann allow fires in designated pits, while some sites have restrictions depending on seasonal conditions. Reservations are recommended for most established campgrounds, especially during summer months when sites fill quickly.

The tent camping experience near Framingham ranges from rustic woodland settings to coastal island environments. At Cape Ann Camp Site, tent areas offer more seclusion than RV spaces, with natural spacing between sites. "The sites are nice and wooded. It doesn't look like much but it is absolutely lovely when you actually pull in," noted one visitor. For those seeking more adventure, Boston Harbor Islands provides a unique camping opportunity with ocean views and ferry access. The trade-off for this experience is additional planning and gear transportation considerations. Campers at Camp Nihan benefit from adjacent Breakheart Reservation, which features a shallow pond with lifeguard, bike trails and various hiking options. A visitor described it as "a perfect blend of rugged and convenient for small kid camping."

Best Tent Sites Near Framingham, Massachusetts (13)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Framingham, MA

626 Reviews of 13 Framingham 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.

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • 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

  • 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.


Guide to Framingham

Framingham, Massachusetts, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat in nature.

Tent campers should check out Shady Point Beach & Campgrounds

  • Located in a serene setting, Shady Point Beach & Campgrounds provides a drive-in access ideal for those looking to set up camp quickly.
  • This campground is perfect for tent campers seeking a simple, no-frills experience surrounded by natural beauty.
  • While amenities are limited, the tranquil environment makes it a great spot for relaxation and unwinding.

Tips for tent camping near Framingham

  • When visiting Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest, be sure to make reservations in advance, especially during peak season from late May to early September.
  • This campground features spacious, shaded sites and offers amenities like drinking water and picnic tables, making it a comfortable choice for families.
  • Keep in mind that this location is pet-friendly, allowing you to bring your furry friends along for the adventure.

Explore local activities while camping

  • At Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground, enjoy unique experiences like swimming, hiking, and exploring historic forts on the islands.
  • The campground is accessible by boat, adding an adventurous twist to your camping trip, and is open from June to Labor Day weekend.
  • Don't miss the chance to collect sea glass on nearby Spectacle Island or take a ferry to explore other islands in the harbor.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Framingham, 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 Framingham, MA?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Framingham, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.