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Best Tent Camping near North Carver, MA

574 Reviews

Tent campgrounds near North Carver, Massachusetts offer several options for campers seeking waterfront or wooded sites. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground provides tent sites accessible only by boat, while Sandy Neck Beach Park offers primitive tent campsites along Cape Cod. Wellfleet Hollow State Campground, formerly Paine's Campground, provides tent-specific sites with no accommodations for large RVs. Camp Nihan Education Center and Washburn Island Campsites round out the regional tent camping options, each with distinct natural settings.

Most tent sites in the region require advance planning for access. Boston Harbor Islands campsites are only accessible via ferry service from Hingham or Long Wharf in Boston, with limited interisland transportation available during summer months. Sandy Neck Beach Park features walk-in primitive tent sites located 3-4 miles from the trailhead, requiring hikers to transport gear through sandy terrain with minimal shade. A review mentioned that "the park staff will send someone to the sites to deliver 5 gallons of water for free as well as firewood for a small fee so you don't have to carry those resources." Most sites include fire pits or rings with varying regulations on collection of wood. Washburn Island sites are boat-access only, offering a more secluded experience.

The tent camping experience around North Carver provides varying levels of isolation and amenities. At Wellfleet Hollow State Campground, sites feature a tree canopy that provides shade while allowing filtered sunlight. A camper wrote that "the sites are well spaced so you don't feel too crowded and the terrain is a bit hilly so it's got a nice, rustic feel to it." Some tent sites require substantial walk-in distances, particularly at Wellfleet Hollow where site descriptions noting "compact loop" or "petite site" should be carefully considered before booking. Boston Harbor Islands camping offers a unique experience with opportunities to explore historic forts, swim, and witness coastal sunsets. Many sites have seasonal operation, typically from late spring through early fall, with most tent-only areas closing after Columbus Day weekend.

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Best Tent Sites Near North Carver, Massachusetts (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near North Carver, MA

19 Photos of 6 North Carver Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near North Carver, MA

574 Reviews of 6 North Carver 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!

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 27, 2020

    Scusset Beach State Reservation

    Coastal campground open late in season

    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.

  • K
    Aug. 20, 2022

    Fort Getty Campground

    No shade no rule enforcement. Great place for a big group to party if that’s what you want.

    Loud campers in large groups.

    Rules regarding quiet hours, no generators, number of tents per site and late arrival and setups were not enforced.

    People next to us crammed 8 tents on 3 sites. I counted a group of at least 20.

    There is no privacy, people were constantly walking through our site and stepping over our tent guy lines.

    People partied until 2:00am and woke up at 5:30am shining headlights and idling cars.

    Bathrooms were dirty, sites boundaries not marked and crammed together. No shade.

    Beautiful location, rangers were nice.

    RV folks were surly, seemed like a lot of them stay there for the entire season. One said hi, the rest stared when we drove by.

    We booked and paid for two nights and left first thing after just one night.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2020

    Wellfleet Hollow State Campground

    Newer rustic state campground for tents and small trailers

    Formerly Paine's campground, this is now under the Massachusetts DCR. It offers inexpensive, rustic camping on the Cape, though rates are much higher for out-of-state guests than for instate. Many sites are small, some require walk-in, and parking may be separate from the site; in some instances it is across or near the site, and for others it is closer to the park entrance. Under the new ownership they've paved some of the roads, but the roads are narrow and with curves. All of the conditions have led them to limit campers to tents and short trailers/campers only, with length <15' and only 1 unit/vehicle per site. There is 20A electric on a number of the sites. When you read site descriptions, it will indicate 'compact loop' or 'petite site' and those are accurate!

    Sites are largely shaded. Some of the sites back up to neighboring yards (9-12 area). Walk-in distance to some sites can be substantial (see sites 49, 59, 61, etc.) so be sure to read site descriptions carefully, but 61 in particular offers greater privacy. The sites aren't always level. There are no photos on the reservation website, so I've tried to capture most, but not all, here.

    No alcohol or pets allowed. 

    The are nearby beaches, hikes, Cape Cod Rail Trail and other biking opportunities are nearby. If you don't have a bike, you can easily rent one from nearby shops.

    It won't be for everyone, but if you want a campground that is less expensive, caters to tents and trailers rather than the big rigs, this may be for you!

  • Our Greight Escape ..
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Bourne Scenic Park

    Wonderful campground!

    We stayed here for a season and loved it! The staff from the front desk to the front gate are incredibly friendly and welcoming!

    Pros-

    Front office is open late (9pm)

    Offers wood, ice, fire starters, hoses and adapter cap for gray water drain.

    Country Store

    Ice Cream

    Amazing views of the canal.

    Bike path along the canal, easy access.

    Lots of playgrounds for different ages

    Bounce pad (in-ground)

    Pool

    Stair access to canal bike path.

    Dump station

    Inexpensive to have visitors\

    Located near so much! Walmart, Market Basket, Target all within 15min.  

    Cons-

    No on site drainage for black water (grey takes an adapter). You will need a poop tote.

    Lots of tight spaces

    Anyone can pay to access canal, so they can access any campsite even without staying there. 

    Highway noise.

    BRIDGE TRAFFIC- if you know you know.

  • Ashlee L.
    Jul. 2, 2018

    North of Highland Camping Area

    Absolutely wonderful and quiet

    This is by far one of the best campgrounds I’ve stayed at so far. North of Highland Camping area definitely caters to tent campers – the roads are not big enough for large trailers or RVs, and they have no electric or sewage hookups anywhere in the park. This campground has been owned by the same family since the 1950s.

    We arrived around 10 am on a Saturday morning, and even though it was the weekend before July 4th, there were still several sites available for walk-ins (they have more than 250 sites). The desk clerk was one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, and extremely helpful – he walked us through picking the best site available by asking us what our preferences were (did we want to be near the restrooms, close to the beach path, what size tent did we have, etc). He even gave us tips on getting beach fire permits. The price for the site was reasonable for the area.

    The campground itself is gorgeous – it’s within the pine barren forest near Head of the Meadow beach, completely surrounded by Cape Cod National Seashore land. All of the sites are shaded, and they are decently sized with picnic tables. There is also a ½ mile walking path that leads directly to Head of the Meadow beach; if you go to the town beach side, walk-ins are free!

    There are several restrooms centrally located to the main camping loops, plus one building that houses the coin-op showers, the camp store, a rec hall, and even an adults-only quiet room w/ electronic charging stations. The restrooms were very clean and well maintained, and even had soap and paper towels, which is rare in campgrounds. Each restroom building also had outdoor showers for rinsing off.

    The owners are VERY strict on their quiet hours policy (1030pm – 730am), and they are very restrictive on some noises during the day as well – pets, motorcycles, and portable generators are not allowed in this campground at all. This is exactly the kind of camping experience I’m looking for, as I’ve had some bad experiences the last year or so with other campgrounds attracting loud partiers.

    Overall, this was one of my favorite camping experiences and I will definitely be back!

    Pros: Wonderfully helpful staff, reasonably priced, very quiet and relaxing, clean and well-maintained facilities, great location, beautiful.

    Cons: If I had to pick any cons, it would be that the roads throughout the campground are in kind of rough shape and could use more signage (a lot are one-way and sometimes hard to distinguish from campsite parking spots). I had no problem in my SUV, but it might be a little rougher driving on them in a compact car. Also, no fires are allowed in the campground itself due to fire restrictions, but you can easily get beach fire permits to have one on the beach. That’s all I can think of – this campground was great!

  • 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.

  • 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.

Guide to North Carver

Tent camping near North Carver, Massachusetts offers access to woodland trails, coastal beaches, and freshwater ponds within a 30-mile radius. Cape Cod's seasonal climate creates distinct camping experiences throughout the year, with warmer temperatures from May through September and cooler nights in spring and fall. Most campgrounds maintain a tree canopy that regulates temperature at campsites even during summer heat.

What to do

Explore island trails: Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground provides hiking opportunities through historic military installations. "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. The islands feature several abandoned forts and defensive structures from various military eras.

Wildlife viewing: The woodland areas near campsites provide excellent opportunities for observing local fauna. At Wellfleet Hollow State Campground, visitors report regular wildlife sightings in camp. "Wild turkeys moved through camp during my visit," shares cal K. Early morning and dusk offer the best viewing times.

Pond swimming: Several freshwater swimming options exist within close proximity to campsites. "Great Pond and Long Pond are both close by and lovely swimming. You can also walk to Duck Pond from the campground," according to a Wellfleet Hollow visitor. These kettle ponds provide alternatives to ocean swimming with generally warmer water temperatures.

What campers like

Campsite privacy: The terrain features at some campgrounds create natural separation between sites. At Wellfleet Hollow State Campground, one camper notes the landscape helps maintain personal space: "The terrain is a bit hilly so it's got a nice, rustic feel to it." The varying elevations between sites create natural privacy screens.

Beach sunsets: Sandy Neck Beach Park Primitive Campsites offers exceptional evening views. A visitor shared, "Fires are permitted at the beach and I was lucky to witness a really beautiful beach sunset." These sunset viewing opportunities often begin 30-45 minutes before official sunset time.

Star gazing: Clear nights provide exceptional viewing conditions due to limited light pollution in certain areas. "At night you can go out to the power lines for some of the best star gazing on the East Coast," writes a Wellfleet Hollow camper. The Cape's positioning creates darker skies than many East Coast camping destinations.

What you should know

Site selection considerations: Research site specifications carefully as many locations have significant limitations. "The booking site is a little confusing in terms of if your site will have room for a car. Some don't and you have to park in the parking lot which can be a haul to your site," warns Will A. about Wellfleet Hollow.

Accessibility challenges: Some primitive sites require substantial effort to reach. At Washburn Island Campsites, "You need a boat or a ride out there, close to the mainland so a canoe/kayak would work," explains Tim C. Plan transportation logistics well before arrival.

Seasonal considerations: Most tent-only campgrounds in the region operate on limited schedules. "Campsites can be reserved 6 months in advance so it is tough to get one during the summer months but great camping in May, September, and October as well," notes a Washburn Island reviewer regarding their availability patterns.

Tips for camping with families

Educational opportunities: Camp Nihan Education Center provides nature-based learning experiences in an accessible setting. "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," reports Michael V., making it ideal for younger campers' first overnight experiences.

Water safety considerations: When selecting the best tent camping near North Carver with children, prioritize locations with supervised swimming. "Breakheart Reservation, which had a great shallow pond with life guard on duty as well as bike trails and a range of different hikes," notes a Camp Nihan visitor regarding nearby amenities.

Island camping adventures: Incorporate boat transportation as part of the camping experience. "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. We then took the ferry (which was in itself lovely and explained much of the harbor on the way) to Georges Island," describes Jess G. about their Boston Harbor Islands experience.

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: The region primarily caters to tent campers, with limited RV access. At Wellfleet Hollow, they "limit campers to tents and short trailers/campers only, with length <15' and only 1 unit/vehicle per site." Most campgrounds enforce strict vehicle length limitations, especially on narrow, winding access roads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near North Carver, MA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near North Carver, 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 North Carver, MA?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near North Carver, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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