North Carver sits within Plymouth County, Massachusetts, where sandy soil and numerous kettle ponds create ideal camping conditions. The region's camping season typically runs from April through October, with peak visitation in July and August when temperatures average 75-85°F. Most campgrounds in the area feature pine forest settings with varying levels of shade coverage.
What to Do
Biking the canal path: Located near Bourne Scenic Park, the paved canal path offers miles of flat riding. "The path to walk or bike was well kept and overall it was a beautiful place to be," notes Paige R., who adds that visitors can "bike down to the beach or just to watch some fisherman reel in some massive fish."
Exploring kettle ponds: The region's glacial kettle ponds provide excellent swimming and fishing opportunities. At Myles Standish State Forest, Katie D. describes the experience as "Beautiful, peaceful, and perfectly isolated! Swimming, fishing, camping, hiking, trails, boating and more await."
Mushroom hunting: The pine forests offer seasonal foraging opportunities, particularly after rainfall. "Wompatuck is a charming state park with numerous hidden trails known mostly to locals, making it ideal for low-traffic hiking, biking, and mushroom hunting," mentions Paulina B.
What Campers Like
Private sites: Many campgrounds offer wooded sites with decent separation. At Curlew Pond Campground, Tim S. notes that "All the sites are basically on the water. It's great," though he cautions that sites can be "VERY close to each other with almost no privacy/trees to your left or right."
Clean facilities: Despite high usage, most campgrounds maintain clean amenities. Jaclyn P. reports that Bourne Scenic Park is "One of the cleanest campgrounds we have been too. Given everything going on with Covid-19 we were very impressed with how clean everything was around the campground including the camp store and bathrooms."
Updated playgrounds: Several campgrounds have invested in playground facilities. At Massasoit State Park, Lorie K. points out that "renovations cont. and the updates are fabulous. everything is new the playground is fantastic."
What You Should Know
Weekend crowds vs. weekday quiet: Many campgrounds experience significant differences between weekend and weekday occupancy. At Myles Standish State Forest, Kyle C. explains, "if you stay on a Friday or Saturday night, the campground may be to capacity, like it was when we stayed. But the Sunday, and Monday nights, the 7 closest spots to us were empty, it was like having the woods to ourselves."
Varying shower facilities: Shower availability and quality differ significantly between campgrounds. At Wompatuck State Park, Eric LeBoeuf notes "Bathrooms are out dated showers have tiles falling off very small showers."
Traffic noise: Campgrounds near major roads may experience noise disturbances. At Shawme Crowell State Forest, Tim C. warns about "very close to Rt 6 so the traffic noise is almost constant especially friday nights. Not recommended for light sleepers but very convenient."
Tips for Camping with Families
Look for dedicated activities: Some campgrounds offer structured programming. At Boston/Cape Cod KOA, Amy G. shares, "The activities for kids is the draw for this campground for sure. My kids loved the train rides, movie night, flash light candy hunt, and arts and crafts."
Consider off-season visits: Family camping can be more relaxed outside peak season. Stacey from Shawme Crowell State Forest notes, "Awesome playground. Price cant be beat," making it a good value option for families on a budget.
Check water recreation options: Look for campgrounds with swimming areas designed for children. Tara A. describes Massasoit State Park: "The boys had a blast swimming and kayaking at the pond and there was another comfort station right at the water."
Tips for RVers
Site leveling challenges: Many campgrounds have uneven sites requiring substantial leveling equipment. At Bourne Scenic Park, Nancy W. observes, "Leveling was not an issue for us in our site (C-25) but the majority of sites would be a problem for a motorhome to get level without the aid of blocks. In fact, some sites were ridiculously unlevel and took a scary amount of blocks."
Limited full hookups: While many dog-friendly campgrounds near North Carver offer water and electric, sewer connections are less common. Nancy W. notes that at Bourne Scenic Park, "No sites have sewer; however, grey water dump stations are randomly placed throughout the campground and can be accessed with a garden hose."
Book specific sites: At several campgrounds, site quality varies dramatically. Janet P. from Boston/Cape Cod KOA advises, "I did not take my own advice and I booked a basic 30 amp fullhook up campsite and it was so tight that unfortunately I did not enjoy it as much as I wanted to... I'll never book The basic campsite again I'll pay the few extra dollars to have a bigger site it's so worth it."
