If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near North Eastham, look no further. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of North Eastham, 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
Quiet and quaint, this campground offers an excellent opportunity for tent camping and exploring lower Cape Cod. The location is great for day trips to ocean beaches, area nature trails and the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
$22 - $76 / 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
Restrooms and showers are close and clean. Loved the tent site.
Guide
Great tent sites, very close proximity to fantastic National Seashore beaches.
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!
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.
Guide
Great tent sites well wooded and spaced far apart. Book in advance in August. Pets welcome a big bonus. Right next to Cape Cod National Seashore.
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.
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.
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.
Traveler
This 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.
ScoutGreat campground on the outer cape, CC Rail trail goes right behind it so you can hop on your bike and ride. Showers and bathrooms were clean and the tent sites were good size. Office staff was very friendly and they have a store at the beginning of the camp ground so you can get whatever you need.
Will be going back!
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
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!!
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.
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.
Scout
When my boyfriend and I decided to camp on the cape, he had mentioned Nickersons but said he hasn’t been there since he was little. I decided to check it out online and found you were able to make an online reservation. This seemed appealing and I felt was the easiest way to go about it. Unfortunately it wasn’t the easiest process as the website itself that they use (reserveamerica) was very hard to navigate and super confusing. After awhile of trying to figure it out, I finally was able to reserve a site and pay right online. We even got the Massachusetts resident discount with his home address. When we arrived, it was a very easy check in. They gave us directions to our site and even to the store to buy fire wood. The tent sites were a little close together but luckily our neighbors were quiet and easy going. The bathrooms were right behind out site which was really nice. We only stayed one night but it was very enjoyable at Nickersons and we will most definitely be back!
TravelerI've been coming to Nickerson St. Park with my family for several years now and find I'm happy just staying there instead of running all over the Cape to hit beaches, P-Town, etc. The clean, freshwater swimming at the kettle ponds (which are usually uncrowded and within less than a minute's walk from our campsite) is incredible. The bike path and network of trails through the park (that connect to the beautiful 22 mile long Cape Cod Rail Trail) make for great bike riding and early morning running. Water is convenient to all the tent sites, and I really don't have any big criticisms on the park! this year, they seem to have sandblasted the inside bathroom doors as there's been some poorly drawn graffiti there over the years, but no more! There are multiple camping loops (7) for various sized groups/vehicles/campers, etc,. All in all, Nickerson is a true gem as far as state parks go.
Guide
Pros: For the area, I found the price to be very fair. The tent sites are also designed nicely, and this campground does have showers.
Cons: The name is somewhat misleading; Dunes' Edge is right on route 6, so I heard highway traffic ALL night - it was not a relaxing camping experience at all. This campground also has one of the weirdest bathhouse designs I've ever encountered. There are separate shower/sink houses for men and women, but the toilets stalls are unisex and located on the OUTSIDE of the building, and the walls of them are not solid! I feel bad for anyone who has a campsite near the toilets, because you can literally hear every gory detail of whatever is going on in them since they're not located inside a building. Plus, you have to leave the toilet stalls and open the shower house door to go wash your hands, which is way more unsanitary than it needs to be.
I wouldn't choose to stay here again.
LegendThis state forest campground is located just over the Sagamore bridge, across the Cape Cod canal. It's a basic, no-frills campground, with more than half the sites designated as tent only; a few of the sites are designated for tent/pop-up. The tent sites tend to be on short spurs that may be hilly and uneven, so would be difficult to navigate with a trailer or larger vehicle. If you don't have camping gear, there are 6 yurts available for rent, though they were not available during the 2020 covid season. The bathrooms offer showers and are undergoing some renovations in 2020. No hookups, but there is a dump station.
If you have young kids, they'll love the new playground area. That's really about the only attraction within the campground, though there are some hiking and biking trails. The Cape Cod Canal Bikeway is nearby and provides easy biking and exploration. If you're looking for a beach experience and you'll be there a few days, consider buying a weekly parking pass. During the week, it may be worthwhile to cross back across the Sagamore bridge to visit Scusset Beach State Reservation, but weekend summer traffic will likely make that prohibitive.
If you forgot food, Market Basket is a short distance away.
Guide
I would say this campground is definitely better suited for RVers. There are very few tent sites in the park, and it's pretty loud between road noise and generators from the RVs.
Pros: The site we stayed in was pretty large and private. The campground is centrally located, so if you're visiting the area it's a great spot to be in if you'll be going off for day trips all over the area. The bathhouse was fairly decent.
Cons: The prices are a bit steep, even in the off season (we paid 42 bucks a night for the last weekend they were open in fall!). It is not quiet and relaxing either - we could hear car traffic all night over the bridge (a given since it's directly under the canal bridges), but also on route 6.
I wouldn't suggest this as a place to relax and get away into the woods. I would recommend it as a cheap alternative to hotels for visiting the cape. I probably won't be back here.
Guide
The staff are very friendly and the campground is clean. The just remodeled one of two playgrounds in the camp. There is a lot to do for kids including a pool, jumping pillow, miniature golf and a train ride. There a lot of popular events such as an ice cream social and tie dying. Most weekends have themes. The only issue I have are some of the campers. They were filthy and rude. After the Friday night movie they left all their trash on the ground. The kids were riding their bikes on the bathroom handicap ramp. The kids were screaming at the pool and all over. One got hurt at the pool and an adult with the group told them no more horsing around even though he was the one who started it. It’s right off a major highway so you have noise including sirens. There are many places to visit around the area if you enjoy “doing the tourist thing”. Some tent sites are on the smaller side but most are good size. I’ll be honest, I only go to KOA for my son but I find this is one of the better ones. We were in T9 and T8 but we have also camped in T17 ( my favorite).
LegendThis park is huge! The 418 mostly wooded sites are divided into 7 sections and even more loops. You can find walk-in sites, tent sites, RV sites or yurts. The only thing missing is hook-ups. Water is readily available and there's a dump station, but you won't find electric. I liked some of the sites on the top and backs of the loops in the Section 6 area.
The attraction for me is the central location on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Additionally, a number of beaches on Cape Cod Bay are only a couple of miles away, so you can easily bike over and avoid the parking struggle. There are bike trails in the park as well, but hillier than those outside the park. You can fill many hours hiking, geocaching, fishing, boating, and swimming. If you don't have a bike or a boat, they'are available to rent in or near the park. If you are seeking the dunes and expansive coastal beaches, you will need to leave the park and contend with traffic, but there's plenty to keep you busy without ever leaving the park.
Of note, the rates are quite reasonable for MA residents, but significantly higher for out of state campers. Even so, it's a bargain for the prime location!
Guidewe came here because we want to start checking off all the state parks in MA and this was our first. (we normally camp in nh or at expensive campgrounds which we hate lol). this was $17 a night and an added $6 per night if you wanted electric and we decided to splurge. it is $54 an night NON electric for non ma residents and at that point don’t even bother coming here it’s NOT worth $60. though i mist say they never checked that i was a resident……use that information how you will, with caution. firewood is $7 a bundle and they’re not very big which is sad, for our 2 nights we used around 5 of them. now onto the issue at hand..the trash. there was so much litter everywhere. we noticed this on our way to our site and when we got to our site there was trash everywhere, a whole bag of trash left behind as well, and a pot of pasta sitting on the picnic table..yikes. we quickly tried to handle it as best we could but we were incredibly disgusted. we did like the electric towers for the most part. they seemed really futuristic. what i didn’t love was that the dim-ish yellow light could not be turned off. i like to sleep in pitch black, it’s part of the reason i love camping. so this was disappointing. but it did have 2 different camper plugins as well as 2 regular outlets. we camp in a tent so this was good. the site was incredibly spacious and consisted of the electric tower, the firepit (not movable, it’s rocks not a metal ring. i have no issue with this but some might), and a picnic table. the firepit has a grill grate but ours was unusable as it was full almost to the top with ash and dirt, though every other site seemed to be fine it was just ours. the bathroom/shower facilities (i can only speak for the women’s side) were pretty clean, especially compared to the rest of the campground. there was handicap accessible stalls. outside the building was a big double basin sink for dishwashing as well as a dumpster and tetherball. there were 2-3 bathrooms on the “electric” side of the campground where we were. would probably stay here again..would probably find another state park i like better. if i’m being honest. but it was not bad by any means. we also loved that it’s a geocaching park. very fun aspect.
LegendThis campground is on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal and owned and operated by the Bourne Recreational Authority. The park has a “state park” kind of feel but with amenities you would find at a private park. There is a wide diversity of activities including fishing, hiking, scheduled activities, a recreation hall with video games and jukebox, and store (outfitted with groceries, ice cream, beverages, and other miscellaneous items). The park is quite large with 465 sites, some of which have views of the canal.
Bourne Scenic Park is conveniently located near many of Cape Cod’s attractions including beaches, golf courses, historic landmarks, restaurants and shopping. The park is approximately one hour from Boston, Providence and a 30 minute ride to the ferry terminal taking you to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Closer to the park is downtown Bourne and Buzzards Bay which are just five minutes away and have groceries, fuel, restaurants, shopping, etc. The glass museum in the nearby town of Sandwich is very interesting with live glass blowing demonstrations. You can tour the Cape Cod Chip factory which makes delicious kettle chips.
There are 465 RV sites to choose from that are water/electric (30/50 amp)/cable or no hook-up/tent sites. There are also lodges (with water, electric, cable) and rustic cabins. Of those 465 sites, 50% of them can be reserved for the entire season (April 1st – October 30th) which is nice if you want to stay long-term. No sites have sewer; however, grey water dump stations are randomly placed throughout the campground and can be accessed with a garden hose. Some roads were paved while others were gravel/sand. Sites and patios were grass, sand, or gravel. There are six pull-thrus and the rest are back-ins. The one thing we did notice was that the site layout in some areas is not traditional meaning they are not all in the same direction and configuration. Some sites run parallel while the next one runs perpendicular. Restrooms and showers are spread throughout the park and were clean. There is a dump station located close to the park exit.
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. We choose a pull-thru because of our length. Utilities were well-placed and all worked well. The cable hook-up yielded 99 channels. Campsites have a picnic table and fire pit. There was no wifi but our Verizon phone picked up a strong signal.
This park has lots of amenities - there are two pools, hiking/biking trails, playground, basketball courts, camp store/restaurant, pavilion, and picnic area. The park has live music on Saturday nights and various other activities like sack races and scavenger hunts. We liked that this park had a paved hiking/biking path and was big enough for a good walk. It was in a great location for exploring the Cape and the towns of Sandwich, Hyannis, Buzzards Bay and more.
The people in the office were super nice and helpful finding us a site. They gave us a map with all available sites for our size and let us drive around to decide. Our site was nice with a large patio and while we were there just before the park closed for the season it was very quiet.
We were there in the off season and enjoyed that very few people were in the park but we got the feel this place could be really busy in the summer. The park is a little pricey at $48/night but you are on the Cape so they can command that.
Dog owners will appreciate the paved trail that runs the length of the canal and easily accessible from the campground. There were a couple of hiking trails thru the woods that we found which served well for a dog walk. There is no off-leash dog park but the park is plenty big enough for a long dog walk.
Legend
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!
Tent camping near North Eastham, Massachusetts, offers a unique blend of coastal beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape into the wild.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near North Eastham, MA is Sandy Neck Beach Park Primitive Campsites with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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