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Best Tent Camping near Groton, MA

755 Reviews

Tent campers in northeastern Massachusetts have several distinct options within driving distance of Groton, with Tully Lake Recreation Area in Royalston standing out for its walk-in tent sites. Shady Point Beach & Campgrounds and Camp Nihan Education Center also accommodate tent camping in the region. Most tent sites are located in state forests or recreation areas managed by state agencies or the Trustees of Reservations, providing a more regulated camping experience than might be found in more remote wilderness areas.

Tent sites at Tully Lake require campers to park in a central lot and use provided carts to transport gear to their campsites, which can range from a short walk to nearly a mile from parking. Fire rings and picnic tables are standard at established tent campgrounds in the region, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Tully Lake offers flush toilets and coin-operated hot showers near the entrance, while more primitive sites like those at Federated Womens Club State Forest have only composting toilets and no potable water. Most tent campgrounds in the region are open seasonally from late spring through early fall, with some closing after Labor Day weekend.

The tent camping experience near Groton offers varying levels of privacy and access to water recreation. Sites farther from the parking areas at Tully Lake tend to provide more seclusion, with some waterfront locations offering direct lake access for swimming and paddling. Many campsites are shaded by mature forest, offering natural protection from summer heat. Some locations like Tully Lake offer rental options for canoes and kayaks directly at the campground. One camper noted, "We stayed at site 1, which was HUGE and extremely private. Sites closer to the water that we saw were less private, but still very peaceful and spread out. No cars at all at the campsites, which was great for peace of mind as our toddler roamed around."

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Best Tent Sites Near Groton, Massachusetts (14)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Groton, MA

39 Photos of 14 Groton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Groton, MA

755 Reviews of 14 Groton 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.

  • 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

Guide to Groton

Tent campsites near Groton, Massachusetts present various accessibility challenges depending on site location. Most campgrounds within 35 miles of Groton operate seasonally from May through September or early October, with water access typically shut off after temperatures drop below freezing. Winter camping is limited primarily to Cape Ann Camp Site, which offers year-round facilities but requires advance booking for cold weather stays.

What to do

Paddle Tully Lake: The 200-acre lake at Tully Lake Recreation Area offers opportunities for water exploration. "We rented kayaks right at the campground for a paddle around Tully Lake," reports one camper. Canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals are available on-site during summer months.

Hike to waterfalls: Doane's Falls near Tully Lake features five sequential waterfalls along an ascending wooded path. "If you'd like to hike with children, there is an easy hike close to the entrance, along Doane's Falls. The views are beautiful, and it's not unusual to spot professional nature photographers at various points along the waterfalls," notes a camper.

Explore harbor islands: Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground connects visitors to multiple islands via ferry service. "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," explains a reviewer. Ferry tickets cost approximately $20 round trip with family packs available for discounted rates.

What campers like

Spacious, private sites: Campers frequently mention site privacy as a major benefit at regional campgrounds. At Cape Ann Camp Site, "We had a nice perfectly level site in a beautiful wooded area," reports one camper, while another notes, "The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome."

Car-free camping experience: The cart-in design at many sites creates a quieter camping experience. "No cars at all at the campsites, which was great for peace of mind as our toddler roamed around. It also made for a super quiet stay," states a Tully Lake camper.

Beach access: Proximity to beaches offers swimming opportunities. "Beach down the street was big, beautiful and low tide was unexpected as you could walk for ever," notes a Cape Ann visitor. Many campgrounds provide direct water access for swimming or fishing during summer months.

What you should know

Carry-in requirements: Many tent sites require equipment transport from parking areas. At Lost Boys Hideout, campers walk in to reach their sites. Similarly, at Tully Lake, "You park at the entrance, register with Ranger. Large wooden wheelbarrows are provided to bring your gear to your camp site."

Limited water availability: Some campgrounds have minimal water facilities. At Federated Womens Club State Forest, campers must "bring your own water" as none is available on-site. Cell coverage is also "faint to nonexistent on Verizon" at this location.

Shower facilities: When available, showers often require coins. Cape Ann Camp Site offers "25 cents per 5 minute hot shower" in the public restroom, while Tully Lake provides "coin operated, hot showers, open 24/7" near the entrance.

Tips for camping with families

Choose age-appropriate sites: Consider transport logistics with children. Camp Nihan Education Center offers family-friendly conditions where "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. A recently renovated bathroom and shower facility makes clean ups easy."

Prepare for bugs: Summer months bring increased insect activity. "Buggy in June so bring your repellent," advises a Tully Lake visitor. Mosquito repellent is essential for camping from June through August in Massachusetts.

Plan for bathhouse distances: Central facilities can mean long walks with children. A camper at Tully Lake noted, "Our site was fairly far from services, long run with small kids in the middle of the night." Consider site proximity to restrooms when booking with young children.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup availability: Most campgrounds near Groton primarily serve tent campers with few full-hookup options. Cape Ann Camp Site is one exception, offering "water, sewer, and electric hookups" though "no wifi." Sites accommodate "all size RVs" but availability is limited.

Seasonal restrictions: Most RV sites close after Columbus Day weekend. Boston Harbor Islands does not accommodate traditional RVs, and Tully Lake exclusively serves tent campers. RV camping is most readily available at privately operated facilities rather than state-managed recreation areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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