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Best Tent Camping near Lincoln, MA

735 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent campsites near Lincoln, Massachusetts offer a mix of rustic and developed options within day-trip distance. Tully Lake Recreation Area provides walk-in tent sites with fire rings and picnic tables, while Boston Harbor Islands State Park offers more remote tent camping experiences on several islands including Peddocks, Lovells, Grape, and Bumpkin. Camp Nihan Education Center provides tent sites in a wooded setting less than 30 minutes from Boston, making it convenient for weekend getaways.

Most tent campgrounds in the region require campers to park in designated areas and transport gear to their sites. At Tully Lake, wooden wheelbarrows are provided to help campers move equipment from the parking area to walk-in tent sites. Facilities vary significantly between locations, with some offering flush toilets and coin-operated showers while others provide only composting toilets or vault latrines. Many tent sites include fire rings and picnic tables, though fire regulations may change seasonally. Water access is inconsistent across campgrounds, with some requiring campers to bring their own supply.

The tent camping experience in this region offers varying levels of privacy and natural settings. Federated Womens Club State Forest provides more secluded walk-in tent sites with minimal amenities, ideal for those seeking a primitive camping experience. Sites at Cape Ann Camp Site are described as "wooded sites with a lot of space between them," offering more privacy than typical developed campgrounds. Waterfront tent sites at Tully Lake provide direct access for swimming and paddling. A recent review noted that "sites closer to the water 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. It also made for a super quiet stay."

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Best Tent Sites Near Lincoln, Massachusetts (10)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Lincoln, MA

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lincoln, MA

735 Reviews of 10 Lincoln 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.

  • 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!

Guide to Lincoln

Tent campsites near Lincoln, Massachusetts sit within the rolling landscape of Middlesex County, where the elevation ranges from 150 to 300 feet above sea level. The area experiences distinct seasons with summer temperatures typically ranging from 65-85°F while humidity levels stay moderate compared to coastal camping areas. Most campgrounds in this region enforce strict quiet hours beginning at 10 PM.

What to do

Paddle the waterways: At Tully Lake Recreation Area, canoes and kayaks are available for rent right at the campground. "We rented kayaks right at the campground for a paddle around Tully Lake. Great trip! We will be returning," notes Megan G.

Explore historical sites: The camping areas near Lincoln provide access to numerous colonial-era landmarks. At Boston Harbor Islands State Park, you can "explore the old forts and visitors centers, earn a Junior Ranger badge from the National Park Service, fly a kite, or go for a swim or kayak," according to Jean C.

Discover local wildlife: The wooded areas support diverse wildlife viewing opportunities. "We found all kinds of bunkers and a brick house. We ended up making a fire pit on the beach and a flat rock 'grill' to make our burgers," shares Jess G. about her exploration of Lovells Island.

What campers like

Convenience with nature: Camp Nihan Education Center combines accessibility with natural surroundings. "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," notes Michael V.

Vehicle-free campsites: Many tent sites require short walks from parking areas. According to Megan G., Tully Lake features "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."

Site privacy: Cape Ann Camp Site offers spacious wooded sites. John S. mentions, "Very nice folks, great sites with A LOT of space between them. Spectacular views and wild turkeys, deer, etc."

What you should know

Transportation logistics: Island camping requires careful planning. Jean C. explains the Boston Harbor Islands process: "Unless you have your own boat, you'll want to catch a ride on the ferries. Figuring out the schedule is the trickiest part... You may choose to leave from Long Wharf, near the Aquarium T stop on the Blue line, or from Hingham, with overnight parking available."

Cart-based camping: Many sites require carrying gear from parking areas. At Tully Lake, "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," explains Nancy R.

Rustic amenities: Federated Womens Club State Forest offers primitive camping with minimal facilities. Jean C. notes, "Bring your own water. There is a composting toilet located near the group site in the field."

Tips for camping with families

Water activities for kids: Tully Lake offers multiple family-friendly water options. Nancy R. shares, "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."

Urban escape options: Camp Nihan provides close-to-city camping for families with younger children. "The camp is also adjacent to Breakheart Reservation, which had a great shallow pond with life guard on duty as well as bike trails and a range of different hikes. All of this right in Saugus MA, less than 30 minutes from Boston," reports Michael V.

Island camping adventures: Boston Harbor Islands creates unique opportunities for family exploration. Martha H. explains, "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."

Tips from RVers

Limited RV access: Most tent campgrounds near Lincoln have minimal or no RV facilities. At Cape Ann Camp Site, Lajaun C. notes, "The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome. They have water, sewer, and electric hookups. No wifi."

Campsite selection: RVers should research specific sites before booking. One reviewer mentions, "The RV sites are not as secluded as the tent sites" at Cape Ann Camp Site, suggesting tent campers have more privacy options.

Seasonal considerations: Most RV-friendly campgrounds in the region operate seasonally. Cape Ann Camp Site runs from "May 15 - Oct 15," making advanced reservations essential for summer weekends when tent camping is most popular near Lincoln.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lincoln, MA is Camp Nihan Education Center with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

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