If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Harvard, look no further. Finding a place to camp in Massachusetts with your tent has never been easier. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Harvard, Massachusetts's most popular destinations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites you to come relax at Tully Lake. There are a variety of outdoor recreation activities for you and you family. Although the dam was built primarily to reduce flood damages on the Millers and Connecticut Rivers, the 1,300-acre reservoir area provides a place for you to get away from it all and connect with nature.
Tully Lake offers many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Activities in and around the lake include mountain biking, camping, disc golf, hiking, picnicking, boating, and fishing and hunting in the appropriate seasons.
The Tully Lake Pavilion is located in the recreation area and offers picnic tables and grills. Maximum group size is 50 people with parking for 25 passenger vehicles at the upper gravel lot. The recreation area has a small playground for young children, volleyball court, and a horseshoe pit. Bathrooms are provided, but there is no running water.
The 1,262-acre Tully Lake property is managed to sustain a healthy ecosystem for future generations. The thriving biodiversity of the Tully River Valley and the interconnections of our forests, wetlands, waters, and wildlife are valued and managed for the long term. Tully Lake is home to a wide variety of wildlife, from tiny insects and song birds, to large mammals such as deer and moose. Fifty-five percent of the reservoir area is wetlands, providing habitat for fish, waterfowl, song birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals such as beaver, mink and otter. The rest of the property provides habitat for upland species such as deer, coyote, fisher, owl, fox, raccoon, skunk, porcupine, rabbit, and squirrel. The forest within Tully Dam's reservoir area is composed primarily of white pine, providing habitat for owls and woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, and white-tailed deer.
When visiting Tully Lake there are several opportunities for visitors to explore in the surrounding area. At the north end of the lake there is a tent only campground run by the Trustees of the Reservations which provides a perfect launching point to enjoy the outdoor attractions nearby. Ten miles away is the Birch Hill Dam, another Army Corps project that provides miles of trails and river to explore. The Quabbin Reservoir is also within a short ten mile drive of Tully Lake and serves the city of Boston as its water supply. The Quabbin is a unique area; there were four towns flooded to create it, and it has some of the most interesting blends of human and natural history in the region.
Please review the cancellation and refund policy at the bottom of the webpage. In general, we will require at least two weeks prior to your reservation to consider a request.
$40 / night
COVID has changed some reservation availability. Please check before planning to camp Made up of 34 islands and peninsulas, Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park is an urban oasis just minutes from Boston’s city center. Hop aboard a park ferry and discover islands rich with opportunities for outdoor recreation, relaxation, and Boston Harbor Islands camping.
$8 - $70 / night
$36 - $44 / night
Camp Nihan is the perfect place for your next group camping experience. There's plenty of opportunities to learn about the local habitat. Explore a variety of nature and wildlife across 65 acres.
Edward MacDowell Lake is situated in a quiet corner of the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.
This day-use area lies just off State Route 101 on the shores of the picturesque lake named after the famous composer and concert pianist, Edward Alexander MacDowell.
The 165-acre lake is surrounded by densely forested rolling hills. Shady pine, birch, poplar, maple, oak, beech, hemlock and alder trees cover the area.
Wildlife is abundant in and around the park. White-tailed deer, moose, beaver, fisher, muskrat, otter and many other mammals make their homes around the lake. Birders may observe many species including osprey, hawks, owls, great blue herons, woodpeckers, waterfowl and songbirds.
Visitors can spend days kayaking and canoeing on the scenic lake, and a boat ramp is provided for easy lake access.
Fishing is also a popular activity. Largemouth bass, pickerel, perch and horned pout are all found in abundance.
Several hiking trails link up around the lake as well, including the West Ridge Trail, which runs along the entire western edge of the lake and up through the surrounding wetlands.
Younger visitors enjoy the parks Junior Ranger Program, which focuses on the surrounding forest, its wildlife and waterways and protecting the environment. Kids ages six through 12 become honorary park rangers upon completion and receive a patch and certificate.
This year-round park is open from sunrise to sunset. It offers two day-use picnic shelters, perfect for large parties or family functions. Flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and grills are provided.
A swim beach, playground, horseshoe pits and volleyball court offer additional recreation opportunities.
Educational programs are offered by park rangers, and the nearby ranger station contains interpretive exhibits.
Scout
Site 47 pull thru. Nice clean campground ! No neighbors left and right. Staff very nice. Very noisy tho in sites by the river due to Rte 10. We enjoyed the campground. Small and cozy. Nice size sites
Traveler
Con: Signage is awful! Hard to find park, office and cabins! Once there, Looong drive to both campground and Cabins.
Pro: cabins are on a remote lake. Perfect for star gazing! Rustic but comfy (beds) cabins. Bring all your own stuff. No electricity, so no lights. Our cabin had a steep path. Others did not.
Scout
We booked last minute (2 hours before we arrived) and were met with the friendliest staff ready to help us at 7:30PM and get us checked in. Perfect spot if you don’t mind a 40 minute ride over to The Big E fair which is what brought us out to this part of MA. The restaurant was so nice, and to my surprise more than accommodating as I have celiac, they really went above and beyond. We will definitely be back next summer for a longer stay.
Scout
Paid in full for a week in July, we stay here every year. Learned in May that I had cancer and would need surgery and weekly chemo until the end of September. Contacted Forest Lake Campground in May to cancel reservation, discussed options and was told we could carry our week over for later. Just received the all clear from my Dr today. Called to make reservations and was told they would not honor our already paid week. They said we would not get our money back either. Won’t stay here again as they are not people of their word.
Traveler
Had an amazing stay, cabin was perfect and comfortable. Water was nice and fish were biting. Can’t wait to come back.
Scout
Very peaceful! Little hidden gem! We loved our weekend away
Traveler
We had a great time here camping with our kids and grandkids. River is not much to look at but the pool was great and there were great events like foam parties, DJ at the pool, pancake breakfast and live music to name a few. Staff were friendly and helpful.
Traveler
This spot does have everything you need. It is very remote and a lot of distance between campsites. Lots of trees. The bathroom amenities work but not the cleanest. There isn’t much to the RV sites but an electric plug. Like I said what you need, but not want you might want.
ScoutPROS
- 45 min from Boston
- You have everything you need there: firewood, bathrooms (with shower, soap and toilet paper), a camp pit...
- You get a map in the entrance - very helpful for hiking.
- You can take a trail from the campsite.
- Good sights while hiking, with good spots to have lunch or pause for water.
CONS
- Only one really: You don't have the feeling of being really in the woods. There is NOT a decent amount of land between each campsite. So if you have neighbors all around, you'll feel like in a village!
Traveler
The best activities for children and adults, great amenities, clean restrooms, Awesome pool thanks to ASHTON, Thanks so much.
Scout
Autumn Hills Campground is AWESOME! It’s remotely located and the amenities and activities are amazing, something for everyone! The staff is so friendly and helpful and I can’t say enough how clean the bathrooms, laundry room and store are! The super nice owners, Adam& Jennifer are constantly making upgrades and changes and have really created a beautiful, family oriented campground! I recommend you take the virtual tour online so you can pick a sight that works for you and book it soon.
LegendThis was my first time staying at Bear Brook, it's an easy campground to get to, once you get to the west gate it's about a 4-mile drive to the campground, if you're coming from the east it's about 1.5 miles.
The first impression was impressed by the size and how organized everything was. Check-in was easy, then driving to my site (#7) took a minute.
That's when I realized the sites were 4' apart in the section I was staying in. Other sites on each end are further apart.
The campground has a beach, a playground, a Ball field, and a store. The roads are all easy to drive on but narrow.
TravelerI would probably nitpick stay at this park again. The site we had paid for was not given to us. The shower in the bathroom did not provide hot/warm water until the end of my shower, and then the water would not turn off. Also, the lady camping beside us was tent camping, and she literally smoked weed the whole time she was there. We have children, and while she was there, you couldn’t do anything outside without smelling it. Overall, not the best campground.
Traveler
We enjoyed our tent site with a wooden lean-to. Overall very private and peaceful, however the only drawback is that people took frequent casual walks pass the area all day long. There's really no way around that.
We did not get a chance to enjoy the amenities, but they all looked nice and well thought out.
We will return.
Traveler
The campground was very busy with families events activities, etc. If you prefer a noisy fun experience and a more social experience with your very close neighbors, this is the pot for you. Our preferred style of camping requires more space and less noise. The pool bathrooms were gross, but the other facilities area near the tent sites was very nice and clean.
The food was great and the staff is friendly. Overall we had a great time, but its unlikely we’ll return mostly due to the noise level.
Guide
I only stayed a few nights, but enjoyed it thoroughly. I had a view of the beautiful pond, which is really a lake, and wished I had more time to rent a kayak. The bathrooms were clean and easy to access, since I do not have sewer in my small pop-up. I spent most of my time exploring the area since there are a lot of things to do very close to this campground.
Guide
The seven maple trees that greeted guests may be gone, but not the spirit of the campground. Staff were helpful and cheerful along with the chain saw carved bears that greeted me. A very nice shady campground with clean bathhouses - one with a moose guarding the entry - and common areas.
Scout
Me and my fiancé last minute booked a 4th of July trip last minute and had a wonderful time! Our site was all rocks and we were tenting but we made it work knowing we booked the trip last minute! Brought our dog and he had fun!
Traveler
This was our first time visiting and my entire family enjoyed themselves so much, that we've already reserved a site for a few weeks from now. Arts and crafts, tractor rides, and of course the tubing down the river. Lots of built in entertainment for the kids! The grounds were clean, the playground was nice, and the people were all friendly. We did a late checkout for $5 extra, but the noon checkout and two dump stations would make leaving on time a non-issue as well.
Of note: We camped with friends, who were given a spot next to a large group of people (weekend prior to 4th of July is to be expected). The group were very polite and abided by quiet hours, but they were having fun and a bit loud for my buddy's 2 month of baby. They requested to move sites, and the management was super accommodating and apologetic. Helped him move his site and threw in some firewood for the troubles.
Guide
We had an excellent experience at this camp ground. The Staff and Rangers were polite and welcoming. We were able to see some boat races and played a round of disc golf on property. Once the boat races finished each day the camp was very quiet and peaceful. Had a great weekend
TravelerCame for the boat races, very relaxing weekend
Legend
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.
Guide
Spacious Skies Minute Man is a forested haven so close to Boston that you think you are in the country. There are so many cool things to do just a short drive away. The nearby town of Ayer is right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Concord is only 30 minute drive away with two full days of revolutionary historic sites, and famous people home tours such as Louisa May Alcott. Lots of good coffee spots and restaurants in historic downtown Concord so spend a morning in this special city.
GuideWe took our new to us hybrid camper out for its inaugural trip.
We chose to stay in the wooded loop of the campground and we were very happy with our site, #66. That section has about 12 sites, some big and some on the smaller side. Our site was easy to back into, even more so since no one was in the site across from us. Our site was very spacious, level and included a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely placed hookups for water and electric. We had easy access to trails that went along the river behind some of the sites with a few paths down to the river.
Everyone we encountered was friendly and respectful. There are quiet hours from 10pm-8am that are enforced. We were grateful to not have to hear loud partying going on into the night. There was car noise from nearby Rt 10 on the other side of the river, but nothing you can do about that.
We asked for assistance at the office with our first time using a pumping station at the end of the trip. We were given friendly helpful assistance and some great tips and advice for the future.
This was a nice enjoyable first visit for us. We will definitely be adding it to our list of places to visit again, but likely later in the year when we can enjoy the river and activities a bit more. We did not explore the options for bike, kayak, and canoe rentals but would like to in the future.
Scout
They charge 50 dollars for a tent site with no electric, the spots are right next to eachother and touch the bath house. There’s more rules than a state park.its easy to get in and out of.
Scout
Had an excellent experience. The staff and owner were wicked accommodating. The fishing pond was perfect. I will be returning soon. I highly recommend this place if you have a family or simply need a place to clear your mind.
Scout
Great location. Perfect for a beach weekend or week. Not much privacy, but beautiful relaxed spot. Mostly trailers and RVs.
Camping near Harvard, Massachusetts, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds nearby, you can enjoy nature while still being close to the city.
Camping near Harvard, Massachusetts, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or a family adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Harvard, MA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Harvard, MA is Greenfield State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Harvard, MA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Harvard, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
