Best Glamping near Leyden, MA

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 campground has 3 sections, located on different tiers of a hill. The lower level has RV sites, middle has tent sites, and upper has a few yurts. Each level has a bath house (3 toilet stalls and 1 shower in the lower level; it was run-down but clean enough). Outside the entrance station (near the RV sites) is a HUGE power station that emits a hum constantly. Super annoying and an eyesore. You’ll see many vehicles drive-by with boats or ATVs in tow as the state forest also has areas suitable for their use. Accessible from the campground are a few hiking trails. Monument Mountain is a popular hiking spot about 20 minutes away and Bash Bish Falls State Park is about 45 minutes away. Note: Massachusetts does not allow alcohol in their parks.

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.

General Notes:

After a long day we  did a virtual version of throwing a dart at map to head out and do an overnight camping trip.   Our dart landed on Erving and we literally had never heard of it … so we were … skeptical.   However, we were absolutely delighted by this great spot in the  beautiful Erving State Forest.  

Pros / Cons:  

This is a very small campground with only 27 sites and only 13 sites open during the 2020 / Covid Season. 

Situated by a beautiful lake and access to several hiking trails. 

Although you have good privacy to your left and right - you are not far from your  camping neighbors across the way … and we quickly learned the names of their small children as parents yelled their names almost constantly.   

There is also zero cell service (there is an operational pay phone at the showers) which is fine … but wished we knew ahead of time. 

All pros outweigh the cons.  We'll definitely be returning to this small hidden gem which is also situated by a lovely lake and has fantastic hiking trails.

This is such a well maintained park. Well taken care of sites, gardens all around, cute lean-tos, new bathrooms/showers, hiking trail to MT. Olga, and friendly staff. You can continue on the hiking trail to a cute brewery/pizza place or even a distillery. If hiking is not for you it’s a 3 minute car ride away. Super nice campground!

We’ve frequent this park for 5 years now and this year was our favorite!

The park’s new staff is much younger and thus engaging. My daughters loved the rangers and enjoyed the kickball tournament at night. This was great as it allowed mom and dad time to meet other camps at the group fire.

The staff goes over and beyond and are patient and polite. We enjoyed clean bathrooms and spotless sites. The grounds are pristine and in full bloom. This was refreshing to see as the years prior were much less cared for.

Sites are large, hiking trails within the campground. This is a very clean campground, no hookups but there is a dump station and water available. Sites are well groomed.

We absolutely loved our 3 night stay and found the staff to be friendly and supportive. Restrooms were well maintained, sites were fairly level and private, and the overall facility was great! 

The nearby town of Wilmington is classy and there are a number of micro breweries within a short distance.

Beautiful grounds, super clean, nice staff. A great escape from the world right now. All staff has masks on and it’s spotless here. Grateful for it. Nai:wen

True story. We stopped at Molly Stark state park in Vermont on the way home after vacationing in Maine. The sign coming into the park said no vacancy. When we got to the parking area I went up to the office counter and said, “We’re just stopping through. My husband is going to ride his bike for a bit and we’ll eat lunch, but we’re not staying.” The guy working said, “You still need to pay something.” I said, “Of course. No problem.” He said $4, I paid & started to walk away. The woman working said, “We have very nice clean bathrooms if you need them.” Which I thought was nice. My husband rode for about 45 minutes and then we walked to the bathhouse for him to take a quick shower. He says, “Do you have 50 cents? It’s 10 minutes for fifty cents.” While he’s showering I’m walking around with our dog. She poos and now my husband is walking towards me with a bag to pick it up because his 50 cent shower is finished. Before we can pick up after our dog the office worker comes towards me quickly and says, “Here’s a poo bag. Now you’ve at least gotten your 4 dollars worth.” I said, “Excuse me?” And he says, “You tried to get out of paying in the first place and now you’re using our showers. You said you were just eating lunch and your husband riding his bike.” My husband says, “I paid fifty cents for that shower. I didn’t steal it.” The guy says, “You said you were just stopping in.” I say, “Do you want more money?” And he says he wants another 4 bucks. I walk up to the counter to pay and say, “I try to assume the best of people. I want you to know that I wasn’t trying to get out of paying. I saw the no vacancy sign and didn’t want you to think we were trying to stay the night.” He said that he’s tired of people with the nicest stuff … a multi thousand dollar bike and a nice RV trying to get something for nothing.” I reminded him that he said admission was 4 dollars and his coworker offered the bathrooms. He said, “So you don’t think you got 8 dollars worth of time in the park?” I told him, no, that we’d been there for an hour and 20 minutes and he’d told me admission was $4, but if the extra money would make things right for him then he could have it. I just didn’t appreciate him thinking I was trying to talk my way out of paying park entry, and I didn’t appreciate him assuming I had a character flaw. He told me again that it was rich people who tried to get out of paying, he was jaded & to keep my 4 dollars. What an odd experience.

This park is close to my house in southern Vermont. We usually visit during the day to hike to the top of the Mt. Olga firetower. It’s always clean and very quiet, so this summer we decided to give camping a shot. We stayed in one of the lean-tos because it was threatening rain. I wish I could remember the name of it. We love the site. The only thing we didn’t like is that is was facing the neighbor’s campsite, and we felt like we were always staring at them. They were friendly, though, so it all worked out.

The hike up Mt. Olga is 1.7 miles (round trip). There’s a fire tower at the top, which provides awesome views of the Green Mountains. It’s also fun to explore the relics of the old Hogback Ski Resort. They are rested remnants of the ski lifts and warming huts, and they are slowing crumbling back to the earth. The trails from the park connect to the Hogback Mountain Conservation area trails, so there are actually many miles of trails you can explore without having to drive anywhere. If you do want to embark on a little road trip, check out the little town of Wilmington, which has an awesome lake for swimming, or the bustling town of Brattleboro, which is perfect for shopping and nightlife.

Have had many great times camping and hiking