Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near New Bedford? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near New Bedford with tent camping. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of New Bedford, Massachusetts's most popular destinations.
Welcome to Sandy Neck Beach Park. Thousands of years have allowed this barrier beach to develop into 4,700 acres of dunes, maritime forests, and marshes. It is a living museum, exhibiting dynamic landscapes rich with ecological activity and recreational opportunities. Each year thousands of visitors are attracted to Sandy Neck to soak up the sunshine, swim, and beach comb as they witness the power of the ocean. While extremely satisfying, these activities represent a fraction of the possibilities for any visitor seeking to enjoy a quality outdoor experience.
$20 / night
Located next to Watchaug Pond in Charlestown, this spacious campground includes approximately 700 campsites, as well as 20 cabins. Utilities ARE NOT available at this campground. The campground features conveniently located restrooms with shower facilities, a playground, arcade, freshwater beach, boat ramp, canoe rentals and hiking trails. The camp store carries a wide variety of camping necessities, along with a large selection of souvenirs. The campground abuts the Burlingame Management Area and Kimball Wildlife Sanctuary and is located near numerous ocean beaches, including Misquamicut State Beach, Charlestown Breachway and East Matunuck State Beach.
6 New Cabin Sites will be available summer of 2022.
Septic Dump Station Passes are available for a fee to non-registered campers to utilize both the dump and water filling stations.
Main Camp is restricted to tent camping only.
Address: 1 Burlingame State Park Road, Charlestown, RI 02813
$18 - $75 / night
Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park welcomes campers to one of many campsites located on Peddocks Island.
Enjoy a night under the stars at Boston Harbor’s second largest island, featuring wooded campsites, miles of trails, and scenic beaches. Campers can reserve a tent site or one of many newly installed yurts featuring bunk beds and electricity.
Peddocks Island can be accessed by park ferry from Hingham or by private boat.
Experience the ultimate urban escape with an overnight camping stay on the Boston Harbor Islands!
Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park welcomes campers to one of many campsites located on Peddocks Island.
2023 camping reservations open on Wednesday, April 19!
Enjoy a night under the stars at Boston Harbor’s second largest island, featuring wooded campsites, miles of trails, and scenic beaches. Campers can reserve a tent site or one of many newly installed yurts featuring bunk beds and electricity.
Peddocks Island can be accessed by park ferry from Hingham or by private boat. Island Campgrounds
Peddocks Island tent campsites can accommodate up to 4 adults or 2 adults and their dependent children. Group sites are also available and can accommodate up to 30 people.
Yurt campgrounds are also available on Peddocks Island. Yurts accommodate up to 6 people and feature bunk beds and electricity.
All campsites feature composting toilets and picnic tables. Running water and flush toilets are available at the Visitor Center near the ferry dock. Grills and shade shelters are available within close walking distance of most sites.
Resident staff live on the Island during the visiting season and provide Island supervision, emergency communication, park and campground management
$8 - $70 / night
Specialty camping on three (3) miles of undeveloped beach frontage is available at East Beach State Campground, located in Charlestown, Rhode Island. East Beach is one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches, with limited parking and a half dozen changing rooms. This barrier beach and 10 site campground location offers four Clivus Multrum Composting Toilets for restrooms along with 3 miles of undeveloped beach frontage. Parking is very limited and fills up early on sunny summer days. A small portion of the beach is staffed with lifeguards on a seasonal basis. Utilities ARE NOT available at this campground. Special Camping/Vehicle Equipment requirements are required for camping at this location.
$55 - $65 / night
Specialty camping on three (3) miles of undeveloped beach frontage is available at East Beach State Campground, located in Charlestown, Rhode Island. East Beach is one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches, with limited parking and a half dozen changing rooms. This barrier beach and 10 site campground location offers four Clivus Multrum Composting Toilets for restrooms along with 3 miles of undeveloped beach frontage. Parking is very limited and fills up early on sunny summer days. A small portion of the beach is staffed with lifeguards on a seasonal basis. Utilities ARE NOT available at this campground. Special Camping/Vehicle Equipment requirements are required for camping at this location.
All camping units MUST BE self-contained AND equipped with 4-wheel drive. A self-contained unit is defined as “A camping unit which contains permanent holding tanks for potable water, grey water and black water. Bathroom equipment must be permanently affixed to the unit.”
Tow trailers or Fifth Wheels are not allowed.
All campers MUST obtain a Barrier Beach Permit prior to their stay.
Beach Vehicle Permits/Trail passes can be purchased from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)
A beach parking fee will also be required for any vehicle using the East Beach Sand Trail during the summer beach season unless registered for a campsite.
Closure of part or all of East Beach Campground may occur during the camping season due to the nesting of a tiny shorebird called the Piping Plover. The Piping Plover is listed as a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. If a closure should occur, reservations will be cancelled and refunded in full.
Registered campers after having checked in to East Beach Campground will be allowed to utilize the Septic Dump Station and Water Filling Station at Burlingame State Campground and/or Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground, one time at no charge. Additional dumping or use of the water filling station will be subject to the Septic Dump Station Pass Fee
Must show proof of active and valid reservation.
Tent camping is not allowed.
Pets are not allowed.
Registered campers after having checked in to East Beach Campground will be allowed to utilize the Septic Dump Station and Water Filling Station at Burlingame State Campground and/or Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground, one time at no charge. Additional dumping or use of the water filling station will be subject to the Septic Dump Station Pass Fee
Address: East Beach Road, Charlestown, RI 02813
$28 / night
Swimming Small fry fishing 2 Recreation halls Fireplace & picnic table on each site State tested water Camp store Ice & wood available 8 Modern restrooms with free hot showers Coin operated laundry Pets on leashes are welcome Horseshoe courts Volleyball court Basketball court 2 Softball diamonds Lending library 200 sites with water & electricity Sewer sites available Playground 2 Dumping stations Adjacent to public golf course
$46 - $50 / night
Legend
Scusset Beach offers an extended camping season, although the extended season is restricted to self-contained units as the restrooms are turned off. Also, there are only 5 designated tent sites during the peak season, so if you want to tent camp here, you'd best make a reservation well in advance.. You cannot reserve an RV site for a just a tent, though if you have a trailer, you may also have a tent on the site. The 5 tent sites have their own fire pits, but the RV sites must use a community fire pit, though in mid-November, just before the campground closed for the season, RVers used the firepit at a tent site that provided some additional protection from the wind.
The RV sites have paved parking pads and picnic tables, but the area to the side of the parking pads sometimes slopes away, so it's less usable for chairs, etc. In the 2020 camping season, every other campsite was closed (thus the picnic tables across the entrance of the parking pad). Some of the sites, 32 34, 36, are along the back of the campground closer to the trees/scrub, and so have some degree of privacy and protection as compared to the others in the wide open park.
The campground is on the north shore of the Cape Code canal and provides access to a sandy beach, a jetty, and the Cape Cod Canal Trail for biking and walking. There's a nice playground for youth. You can fish from the shore or jetty, No need to cross the bridge to the Cape. Plymouth is also nearby to explore.
Scout
The best!! Our site was perfect for tent camping and pets!
Guide
This is my second time here with my Airstream. Clean and well kept campground. I’d easily tent camping here. A lake and great trails to hike.
Traveler
I haven’t been tent camping in years but this past weekend I stayed while attending the Levitate festival. I was very comfortable, the bathhouses were clean. Can’t wait to go back!
Traveler
Wonderful staff clean tent site are amazing great place to camp and fish and hike great place to take a dog
Scout
Book early before memorial day, sites fill up quick and around 4th of July. I went here for years with friends and family. Great sites. Flat level. Some of the best tent camping in the state.
Traveler
Beautiful grounds with all the amenities you’ll need. Un level grounds so specify what you need. Very tight tent sites and very very busy so not very private.
Scout
Overall, a well maintained campground with clean bathrooms and clean clear pond to swim in. Tent sites were good sized and not right on top of other people.
Guide
Nice warm showers and our tent site was kept away from a lot, so it was calm and quiet. Nice staff and would definitely visit again.
RangerScusset Beach Reservation overlooks Cape Cod Bay and accommodates a multitude of RV sites. The campgrounds aren’t the most attractive, but the pull here, of course, is the beach- which is actually pretty amazing.
Not nearly as crowded as a majority of the nearby Cape beaches and rather quiet- especially shocking for the weekend just before the July 4th holiday- Scusset Beach has all the amenities you could really want for a low-key beach outing. The beach is clean, with beautiful, white, rock-free sand. There’s a small snack bar with basic food options, bathroom and locker room facilities, picnic tables and plenty of parking. Lifeguards begin their work around 10am and are pretty serious about announcing all the rules.
In the grounds, you’ll find rows and rows of RV sites. Not much in terms of privacy- basically a glorified parking lot with the occasional tree and nearby nature center. The Park, however, also has 5 tent sites towards the back that are really your best bet if you want anything close to a true camping experience. Tent sites 1, 4 and 5 are the most attractive options, offering shade and a fair amount of privacy. Each is set up with a grill, fire pit and picnic table and are pretty decently sized.
Additionally, there are several trails around the Reservation. A nice bike path along the waterway is literally feet away from the tent sites; and there also seemed to be smaller paths dispersed throughout.
If you’re a fan of the Cape and ocean, definitely give Scusset Beach a try- especially one of the tent sites. You can literally walk to the shore and stores and restaurants are a quick car ride down the street.
Ranger
Nice spot right over the Cape Cod Canal. Spent many summers here as a kid and was fun to return with my family. We did tent camping here and didn't really explore the grounds. But, our spot was nice. I could hear the cars on the highway off in the distance (hardly).
Scout
I’ve stayed here many times both in tent sites and RV sites. Not a lot of amenities, you stay here for the seashore and town. But clean showers and bathrooms, decent people. Weekend warriors can be loud but hopefully you are there to enjoy yourself too.
TravelerThis is a great place for military members. Full hook ups, houses to rent, tent sites, and lots to do. Once the season closes very quiet, lots of stores in the area close. The base it self is very clean and quiet with beach access during low tide.
Traveler
Busy campground with a lot of RV sites on top of each other. Campsite was large and set in the back. Hike to the bathroom from tent site. Two sites right on top of each other but lots of room. Screaming children all night took away from the peacefulness.
GuideThis campground is primarily RVs, although we still had a nice time at our tent site. The beach is only a few hundred feet away, and the campground has basic facilities. The beach is small and quiet, and has some great shells and rocks. All in all, a quiet campground with the fundamentals.
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.
GuideThis is a cute little campground that’s easy to access. It’s 20 minutes from downtown Newport and about 45 minutes to downtown Providence.
It’s well shaded, has a nice playground, bathhouse, and a laundry room. My biggest complaint is the dryers are terrible. I had to dry my clothes 3 times ( that’s 3 hours). Nobody has time for that. Also if you’re tent camping, the bathrooms are very inconvenient.
Finally, our site was not angled and that made it tougher to get in to it.
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.
Guide
$18/night if you live here, but $36 if from out of state. Large tent campground with lots of spaces, so everyone is in pretty close together. My main concern is there are showers in the bathrooms you can pay for, but ones outside that are free, but cold water and no curtain, so you literally have no privacy.
TravelerMostly geared toward families, especially with kids. Most of the campground is RV sites. There a a handful of tent sites in the back (no hookups). Bathrooms and showers are very clean, general store and pools are nice and convenient. It’s a perfect distance away from Gillette (a couple miles) if you’re looking for an alternative to staying in a pricey hotel. Definitely not a place I would go to “get away from it all.” You can hear the highway from the sites.
Guide
Great stay at the only campground on Martha’s Vineyard! Immaculate tent sites as well as bath houses, very clean shower and toilet facilities. Camp store is well stocked, including fire wood, and staying here you are close to all of the quaint MV towns…..whether by car, bike rental, or the island bus line that goes by the camp entrance. The ferry to Nantucket is only a few minutes away too for a day excursion! Very personable staff…..be sure to make at least a few minutes each day to pet the campground dogs!!
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.
Scout
The staff here is friendly and helpful whenever you call.
The property itself is in need of updating. The bathrooms work well enough, but they are in need of a significant amount of maintenance.
The sites are kept clean and have water and electric (some may be by powercord). The tent sites do not offer much separation in the area I stayed.
The sites do have plenty of room for a tent, vehicle and each have their own fire pit and picnic table.
It does have the ability for people to do several recreational activities on site: walking trails, beach, volleyball, basket ball.
I stayed a couple nights and had a good stay overall.
Scout
This was our first trip in our new camper. I love was extremely happy with this park. We stayed on the A loop with w/e hookup. Our site 8 was spacious with a tent site, 7, perfect for camping in a small group. Our family stayed on site 9 that was very private and we loved how woodsy it was there! The bath houses were clean and a short walk from our site. The only reason I did not give 5 stars was for the lack of sewer hookup, but considering we only stayed for the weekend it was perfectly fine without it.
GuideScusset is a very popular beach and campground in the summer. It's located close to the Sagamore Bridge on the mainland side. Traffic can be messy in the summer, especially on weekend days!
The campground itself is a haven for RVs. There are 5 "wooded" tent sites, where campers are allowed to have tents as well as a fire on the site. All other sites are located in a wide open area and are best suited for motor homes and trailers. Note, only the tent sites are allowed to have fires, all other sites you must do your cooking on a stove, and no fires are allowed. There is a communal fireplace near the entrance of the campground where everyone gathers at dusk to share a nice big fire.
Most sites have a paved driveway for your camper and space for a small car, and there is an overflow parking lot if needed. Flush toilets, sinks and showers are available in the main bathroom building and are cleaned on a regular basis. During beach season there is another restroom down by the beach with outdoor showers to get off all the sand! Sometimes the refreshments stand is open.
The beach is big, open and beautiful with lots of shells to hunt and marine life to check out. At the edge of the beach is the beginning of the Cape Cod Canal, and its walking/bike path. Along the canal are inlets to let you back into the campground.
In the morning you'll see lots of folks fishing, watch for old line/hooks.
Because the camp has so few trees, the winds can be gnarly. On the flip side, the lack of trees gives you a great spot to stargaze, especially if you focus your view out over the ocean, away from the lights of the mainland.
GuideNormandy Farms is beautifully maintained and has tons of things going on for families. There are 3 really nice outdoor pools and one indoor pool, lots of outdoor games, playgrounds and a snack bar that serves delicious food (from egg sandwiches to ice cream sundaes to lobster!). They have a packed schedule of activities such as ceramic painting, dancing and yoga. They even have a spa with massages! The bathrooms and showers were clean and the staff was friendly. The campground was very quiet at night and even during the day which was amazing considering all that is going on there! We were in a tent site and loved it!
Traveler
Perfect location for a summer / beach camp. Mostly for RVs but tent site #6 was great. Views of the ocean to wake up too and tucked away from main area.
Worst part is you can’t bring your car on the site. Do not understand this, especially since it was over 95° and we have dogs that need AC, one if which is 14. We did sneak the car up by asking an RV camper to use his land because they block off the entrance with giant tree trunks.
More good stuff, the private pet friendly beaches were great! Small but perfect to relax. No problems with the pets at all and old but clean bathrooms.
Tent camping near New Bedford, Massachusetts offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near New Bedford, MA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near New Bedford, MA is Sandy Neck Beach Park Primitive Campsites with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near New Bedford, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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