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Best Tent Camping near Newton Highlands, MA

602 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent campsites near Newton Highlands, Massachusetts are limited but accessible within driving distance. Boston Harbor Islands State Park offers primitive tent camping on several islands including Lovells, Grape, Bumpkin, and Peddocks Islands, providing a unique experience within view of the Boston skyline. Camp Nihan Education Center in Saugus, approximately 15 miles north of Newton Highlands, maintains traditional tent sites in a wooded setting adjacent to Breakheart Reservation.

Access to tent camping areas varies significantly between locations. Boston Harbor Islands requires boat transportation, with ferry service available from downtown Boston or Hingham. Campers must carry all supplies from the dock to their designated sites, including drinking water for most islands. Camp Nihan offers more convenient access with parking close to group sites, while maintaining a rugged woodland feel. Most tent areas provide basic amenities like fire rings and picnic tables, though facilities are generally rustic. As one review noted, "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."

Tent-only camping experiences in the region offer unique benefits despite the urban proximity. The Boston Harbor Islands provide remarkable seclusion despite being within view of downtown Boston, allowing tent campers to experience coastal New England environments with rocky shorelines, historic structures, and island exploration opportunities. Many islands permit fires below the high tide line, enabling beachside campfires with harbor views. Cape Ann Camp Site, though farther north in Gloucester, offers tent sites surrounded by trees for privacy. A visitor described it as having "beautiful tent sites" that are "secluded" compared to RV areas. According to one camper, "We had a nice perfectly level site in a beautiful wooded area" that provided both accessibility and natural surroundings.

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Best Tent Sites Near Newton Highlands, Massachusetts (9)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Newton Highlands, MA

21 Photos of 9 Newton Highlands Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Newton Highlands, MA

602 Reviews of 9 Newton Highlands Campgrounds

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2021

    Fearing Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    Wooded sites near a pond

    There are 2 Fearing Pond loops at Myles Standish State Forest, the H & I loops. The H loop entrance is closer to the Charge Pond loops and is higher above pond. This loop is better suited to the larger trailers/tents with more space to drive around a loop , but some spots have slopes. The I loop's best feature is a small beach that is easily accessible from all sites. They've done a lot of site restoration and the fact that it didn't open in 2020 helped. In spite of that, many of the sites have awkward approaches and there is a large parking lot closer to the bathroom. There are no hookups, but there is a dump station available. Water is available, but no electric hookups. Fire rings and picnic tables provided.

    The forest has miles of biking trails, ponds for swimming, fishing, and boating, and even cranberry bogs to explore (though harvest is late in the camping season and this section is not open at that time).

    Cell phone coverage is poor to absent in the forest, so download maps for offline use prior to your arrival.

    Plymouth is nearby for a any forgotten provisions and for sightseeing. Erickson's ice cream cafe is near the entrance if you need a treat!

  • 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.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2021

    Barretts Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    Small campground near a small pond at Myles Standish

    This campsite loop at Myles Standish State Forest is closest to the headquarters and borders a small pond with beach. In addition to tent/RV sites, there are 3 yurts available with bunks. Sites that appear to be near the pond are pond view rather than pondside. Approaches to Yurt JC and J5, J 26, J27 are sloped. J14 is a little awkward. J33 is probably among the largest and nicest with a pond view. The sites aren't as large as those in the Charge Pond loops, but it's a smaller campground.

    The loop has flush toilets and showers. Water is available, but no electric hookups. Fire rings and picnic tables provided. Cell phone coverage throughout the forest is poor to absent; download maps for offline use if you want to be sure to know where you are or find directions. There are miles of bike trails and ponds for fishing, swimming, and boating. There's a larger beach and picnic area at College Pond.

  • 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!

  • 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

  • Ashlee L.
    Aug. 19, 2019

    Charge Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

    One of my worst camping experiences

    Pros - the campground is lovely to drive through and the sites are fairly nicely design with some privacy between sites (some sites have more some have less).  It's also nice to have access to the multitude of hiking trails and ponds.

    Cons - the works.  We stayed around Charge Pond on a Friday and Saturday night, and even though the park has clearly stated quiet hours of 10 pm to 7 am (which includes generators), it was one of the loudest camps I've ever been to.  Several camp neighbors in our loop were up well past 1am loud as hell - talking loudly, screaming and yelling - even their kids!  And one site had their trailer generator running all night - there was absolutely no patrol of this campground at all, which is unacceptable on weekends in my opinion.  This place attracts some really awful people - there were several spots of vomit in the road Saturday morning, and on Sunday morning a neighbor could be heard at 6 am puking his guts out in surround-sound.  That plus the general noisiness, disrespect of other campers, and lack of patrol would keep me away alone, but the state of the facilities topped it off.  The women's room in Charge Pond loop A was filthy - it wasn't super outdated, but just not clean at all.  Every surface was absolutely disgusting, they had a 5-gallon plastic bucket to serve as the bathroom trash, and the entire place smelled like urine.  To top it off, when using it Sunday morning every single stall was out of toilet paper, and the whole place had very clearly had not been cleaned since Friday night.  I know campground bathrooms are usually not the best, but this was definitely one of the worst - I've used vault toilets that were cleaner!

    I will never stay here again.

Guide to Newton Highlands

Tent camping near Newton Highlands, Massachusetts requires traveling between 15-40 miles from town to reach established campgrounds. The region features a mix of coastal and woodland environments within the greater Boston area, where summer temperatures average 80°F with high humidity. Seasonal access varies significantly, with most tent campgrounds operating from May through October when nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F.

What to do

Beachside fires after dark: At Boston Harbor Islands State Park, campers can build fires below the high tide line for evening gatherings. "Sitting on the beach watching the sun set over Boston was awesome and made everything entirely worth it," reports Jess G. about their Lovells Island experience.

Island exploration: Take inter-island ferries to visit multiple locations in one trip. "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," notes Martha H. about the Boston Harbor Islands State Park experience.

Swimming in freshwater ponds: Adjacent to Camp Nihan Education Center is Breakheart Reservation with supervised swimming. "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," shares Michael V.

What campers like

Historical structures: The harbor islands contain numerous military installations to explore. "The island is beautiful and has an old fort to explore as well as a lot of Rocky shoreline and trails," explains Martha H. about Peddocks Island.

Wooded seclusion: Despite proximity to urban areas, several campgrounds offer dense tree cover. "The RV sites are not as secluded as the tent sites," notes Della S. about Cape Ann Camp Site, highlighting the privacy advantage for tent campers.

Level terrain: Finding flat tent sites can be challenging in New England, but some locations stand out. "We had a nice perfectly level site in a beautiful wooded area," mentions Cristina P. about their Cape Ann camping experience.

What you should know

Ferry logistics: Plan carefully for island camping transportation. "Getting to the island was a bit of a hassle. We live in Boston and took all of our gear on the T to the harbor by the aquarium... after that we waited and got on a much smaller island to Lovells," explains Jess G. about navigating to Boston Harbor Islands.

Water requirements: Bring sufficient drinking water for island camping. "If you have a folding wagon, you may appreciate having it to carry items on and off the ferry and to your site on the island. There may or may not be carts available on the island," advises Jean C.

Reservation timing: Book well in advance for summer weekends. "These sites book quickly, so you should try to book 7 months to the day in advance. That said, you can also look for last minute openings," recommends Martha H.

Tips for camping with families

Group sites for kids: Buck Hill Campground offers large, open sites ideal for family gatherings. "All the sites are in large clusters (each can accommodate 10+ tents). Many of the sites are also along Wakefield Pond (big enough lake for canoe/kayak/etc," explains Greg R.

Beach access: Some campgrounds provide convenient swimming areas for children. "Great beach access and friendly staff," notes Rebecca S. about Cape Ann Camp Site, which is located near public beaches.

Junior Ranger programs: Educational opportunities exist on federal park lands. "While you're out on the islands, take time to explore one of the others...earn a Junior Ranger badge from the National Park Service," suggests Jean C.

Tips from RVers

Shoreline access: Select tent sites over RV spaces for waterfront proximity. "The water is clean and fine for swimming with a few areas that make for easy entry into the water (including the 'beach')," notes Greg R. about Buck Hill Campground.

Shower facilities: Pay showers are common at regional campgrounds. "The showers require payment with quarters. I don't know how many quarters it takes because I don't carry change. So I washed my hair in the sink," shares Ben E. about amenities at Cape Ann Camp Site.

Proximity to supplies: Many campgrounds have limited on-site stores. "They have a nice little store on-site for anything you forgot. It is also close enough to stores if you need more," explains Lajaun C. about Cape Ann Camp Site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Newton Highlands, MA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Newton Highlands, MA is Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Newton Highlands, MA?

TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Newton Highlands, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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