Best Glamping near Gilbertville, MA

Connecticut is LACKING when it comes to outdoor activities when compared to some of the places around the country. That being said, it's more rewarding when you find a little gem like Wilderness Lake Campground.

While this is about 60% RVs, the tent sites are great. The host gave us a secluded spot in the back to the point I didn't feel like I was at a campground other than the fire ring. We didn't need bathrooms, water or electricity, but there was a bathroom within walking distance. It also looked like they were building a little outbuilding for Women and Men's bathrooms near the tent sites. 

The lake was quiet and we saw kids swimming in it in the morning. There was a hiking trail on the property and the host mentioned they were building a Disc Golf course on the property. Whether you have an RV, want to Car Glamp or looking to feel deep in the woods, this place checks all the boxes. It's also conveniently located off I-84(exit 70).

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.

The HanscomField Fam Camp is a wooded recreational camp for military families and retirees, as well as for RV camping for active duty military on temporary orders. The campground offers RV sites, some with hookups, as well as more walk-in secluded tent sites as well as one yurt tent. The campground is peaceful and quiet, although adjacent to a very busy AFB. Proximity to the base provides access to the base exchange and other facilities, but the quiet location is a recreational retreat centered around several indoor and outdoor gathering spaces such as basketball and outdoor sports, and an indoor game and recreation room complete with crafts supplies for the kiddos and tourism info for the lical area. In the immediate vicinity are the villages of Lexington and Concord as well as the Minute Man National Park and Walden Pond, so the campground makes a great basecamp for exploration of the area’s rich culture and history. You are also not too far from Cambridge, and can easily access Boston from there if you like.

There are several clean modern bath houses, with hot showers and flush toilets. The office staff is very helpful and friendly!

Dogs are welcome too.

I found some more pictures from my camping trip here, and I wanted to share them. I loved it here, it was a great little campground for massachusetts

Friends told me about this little gem in north central Massachusetts, not far from Rt 2. The big draw here is the pond, with the public beach on one side and lined with private cabins on the other.  Swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking will keep you busy. There's a separate boat launch at the far end of the road from the beach.

There are only 27 sites, but in 2020 many of the ones served by composting toilets are closed. You need reservations in advance. Fees in 2020 are only $17 for MA residents, but $55 for out-of-staters.

Campsites are laid out in a linear fashion along a one-way road that leaves from the parking area. It's a bit of an uphill hike from the beach to the campsites. Sites are large, wooded, generally level. It was quiet with a lot of families. I took site pictures, but for the closed sites, the numbers were not posted.

Download your maps for offline use! Cell connection was horrible heading up here.

The lady that checked us in was easy to talk to, explained the campgrounds then we were escorted to our site. The site was small but a pull thru, no problems at all, full hook up. There is a nice pool just getting ready to open we are here mid, May 14th we leave. There is horse shoes, shuffle board, basketball, play ground, swimming pond, fishing stream and fishing pond. Would recommend to my family and friends gladly. Beautiful area was once a large farm. Nicely kept grounds, dry stacked stone walls can be seen though out the campground. Yes, we would stay here again.

Went camping in August 22’, couldn’t have fire due to drought but otherwise a pleasant experience

Stayed at Wells Camp late August weather was beautiful, temp wise. We did run into a BIT of a storm (more monsoon) when we were on our way back from a brewery visit. A tree across the way had gotten struck by lightening while we were out. Unfortunately it Mass was in drought & we couldn't do a fire. Even with the heavy down pour, the site soaked it up and we had one small puddle. It was relatively quiet, except for the karaoke at a neighboring site, but hey it was his birthday weekend & it gave us entertainment. 😊🎤 We hiked pretty much all the trails in the park that weekend & did a night hike given by a guide. Definitely talking about staying again.

We stayed here for two nights of Tent Camping.   We had a nice time and got to hike a bit and do some kayaking.    They layout is a tad bizarre in my opinion  but we had a nice time.... then the rain came (see video) but that's not the campground's fault.   We left saying that was a fine place but we would not be rushing back.

Pros 

• Several  hiking trails that are accessible directly from the campground

• Clean bathroom and clean free showers,  push button operation so you get one  temperature, which was warm

• There is a dedicated sink for dish washing

• The camp sites are very well spaced apart so you get plenty of privacy and it's very quiet

Cons 

• There are only two bathrooms for the entire campground.  We were right next to it so it was fine for us but for many sites it would be **literally  over a ten minute walk. ** I was wondering why the bathroom had a tiny parking lot ... it's so people can drive there because it's so far way from so many sites.  
• There is one place to put your trash and it's by the main entrance / check in  location.  So to throw out trash after you cook ... you have to drive to drop off your trash.  We walked once to see how it would be and it was about 20 minutes round trip. 
• You can hear traffic noise from the highway
• I know you're out doors when you camp and I get that but the mosquitoes here were something out of a soviet lab.  There were super intense and we had to take refuge more than we often do when camping.   We had candles, bug spray and even fog but at times it was no match for these fellas.

We booked site #39 online, based on proximity to bath house (at least, it looked that way on the map). No pictures of individual campsites on the ReserveAmerica booking site, so we were kind of winging it. We unexpectedly arrived at the campground around 10pm, after a long and grueling day on the road. The site (or what we could see of it) seemed nice, but was very un-level, with a steep, narrow driveway. Combined with the winding, tree-lined loop road, there was no way we were going to be able to back into that site in the dark. We drove back to the camp office to hand our tag back in, ready to find a cheap motel for the night. Much to our delight, they had a pull-through site (#15), that had just been vacated minutes before we got there. So, we drove over to said site, and it was much better. We were able to pull in and get leveled relatively easily, even in the pitch-black. The site was very spacious, close to the bath house, and had a really nice view of Walker Pond through the surrounding trees.

Again, we were only here for a quick overnight stop on the way home from Maine, but from what little we saw, this seemed like a nice little state park. Most sites were heavily wooded, and the pond is very pretty. Staff was also very friendly and helpful. Bath houses, were ok: roomy, well-lit, but quite old and a bit smelly. Don’t think they are cleaned very often.

beautiful park! yes you will hear the road so plan accordingly and not all sites are level. The best plus aide ever....NEW HUGE bathrooms!!

Tucked away just outside Sturbridge on the road to Spencer (rt-49) is on of Mass State Parks nicest little gems. There are no hook-ups here, but the sites are large, well spaced, and shaded. Great little swimming lake as well as a popular hiking trail. If you're looking for a little escape to the woods, this place is it...

Wells State Park camp grounds recently got new bathrooms and they are so clean! The campsites are a nice size to drive your car up to and still have ample tent/picnic table/fire space. Camp sites are clearly labeled and none are that far of a walk from the beach or bathrooms.

There were lots of families camping when I last visited, and also a handful of dogs joining campers.

Easy and affordable campsite to book.