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Best Tent Camping near Richmond, MA

572 Reviews

Tent campers in the western Massachusetts Berkshire region near Richmond have access to several primitive camping sites primarily concentrated in wilderness areas. Mount Washington State Forest offers the Alander Trail Campground with multiple tent sites located approximately 1.5-2 miles from the trailhead, while Mount Everett State Reservation provides the Laurel Ridge campsite for hikers seeking a more remote experience.

Access to these tent camping locations typically requires significant hiking with all gear. The Alander Trail Campground necessitates a 1.5-2 mile hike with full pack-in requirements. Most primitive tent sites feature basic amenities like fire pits and occasionally picnic tables, but campers should pack in all water and supplies. Bear boxes are available at several sites including Alander Trail Campground, allowing food storage away from tents. The terrain varies from moderately flat to uneven forest floor, requiring careful tent placement. According to one visitor, "Each spot is easy to find off the trail. They also have bear boxes at each site!"

The tent camping experience in the Richmond area offers genuine wilderness immersion with varying levels of solitude. Areas farther from trailheads like Laurel Ridge provide excellent privacy, especially during weekdays and shoulder seasons. Many tent sites serve as excellent basepads for day hiking on the Appalachian Trail sections that pass through the region. Primitive tent camping at these locations offers opportunities to observe wildlife and access impressive viewpoints. One camper noted that Alander Trail Campground provides "a super private, true primitive camping experience" with sites that "offer quite a bit of privacy." The surrounding forests create natural buffers between campsites, enhancing the backcountry experience for tent campers seeking escape from developed settings.

Best Tent Sites Near Richmond, Massachusetts (30)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Richmond, MA

572 Reviews of 30 Richmond Campgrounds

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Echo Lake

    Lovely Camping in the Catskills

    This campground was my first backpacking trip and it was perfect!  There are tent sites around the whole lake with fire pits and 1 lean-to site at the end of the trail when you first arrive at the lake.  The sites are relatively flat and well shaded with trees.  Note, it can get swampy near the edge of the lake so you may want to bring bug spray.  Make sure you practice leave no trace principles and pack out what you bring in!  It does get a little crowded later in the day so you may have to share space with others and it can be a little noisy at night.

  • Nicole G.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Tolland State Forest Campground

    Great Lakeside Campground

    This was only my second camping trip ever (and first tent camping) so grain of salt here - We had a great time at Tolland. The site was spacious and equipped with a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The ground at the site was large gravel which was not great in the tent, but walking around it looks like most sites are more dirt and pine needles.

    The swimming area is small but sandy, great for kids, and my daughter loved thethe campfire and nature talk given on Saturday night by park staff.

  • Ryan A.
    Jun. 12, 2024

    Mohawk Trail State Forest Campground

    Great Campground in Western Mass

    This is a great campground located off of highway 2 in western Mass. I stayed in site 51 and luckily the campground was mostly empty(it was on a Thursday though and was supposed to be full for the weekend.) Each campsite has a bear box and fire ring, there is easy access to hiking trails and flush-toilet bathrooms with sinks are located throughout. There is only one dumpster though and it’s a walk to get to – store your trash in your car or drive it each night, or enjoy the walk. 

    The campsites are very close together without much brush for privacy, so you should expect to see your neighbors up close and personal. Some of the sites are on Cold River(which is more like a creek). The bugs were awful, especially the gnats and I did see a large tick on my fire grill, so be prepared. The best sites are on the lower loop around the water. Avoid any site next to the bathroom as the lights stay on all night and will shine directly into your tent. 49 looked really nice and seemed dark. The hike-in sites were also close together, 22 is the most private. There are baskets with wheels provided. 

    The rangers are friendly and sell firewood in case you need any. You’ll need to check in before going to the campsite, they’ll give you a map and they take good care of the sites. Would definitely camp here again.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    Amazing Dispersed Camping

    Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby

  • Erin B.
    Sep. 11, 2019

    Clarksburg State Park Campground

    low key and beautiful fall getaway

    Keep in mind that this review is written after camping sept 8th (the week that school started for many) so it might not be relevant to peak camping season. We were pleasantly surprised with our weekend getaway to Clarksburg State Park. Nestled in the Berkshires and basically walking distance to Vermont, Clarksburg State Park provides a comfortable and semi-private tent site. Several spots (including ours 6) were very close to the rather large pond. While the trees obstruct the views, the site was waterfront and we were able to walk a few yards downhill to the waters edge where we launched our kayaks (there is a designated launching spot elsewhere). No electric and water hookups are provided but we were totally okay with that. Bear boxes were provided on each site so that you don’t have to keep stinky food or garbage in your car! Each site also had a fire pit with a grate so that you can cook right there on the fire. The bathrooms were some of the cleanest campground bathrooms and showers i’ve experienced (no bugs or webs also) and there was a dishwashing station on the side. The sites were large and well spaced but they had trees in between so that you felt privacy. The campground itself had plenty of sites, firewood for sale in the front and a pavilion and beach area on the day use side. There are plenty of trails you can hop on right outside your tent site and very little light pollution for optimal star gazing. We really enjoyed our time here and will definitely be back!

  • Dawn S.
    May. 30, 2020

    Savoy Mountain State Forest Campground

    Clean

    My pup and I spent two nights here and were very happy. While this campground is bare-bones (no pool) it is perfect for anyone who wants to just chill and do nothing or hit the mountains / local area and do some hiking. The entire campground was very clean, as were the bathrooms. At check-in they will give you maps of hiking routes. Firewood is for sale onsite as are a few necessities. They also had bear boxes, picnic tables and fire rings at each site. We will go back.

  • Katherine P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2020

    Rudd Pond Area — Taconic State Park

    A Cozy Spot

    We stayed here in August 2020.

    This is a really interesting campground that's situated on a hill overlooking Rudd Pond in Taconic State Park.  Almost all of the sites have platforms to pitch your tent on, although there are a couple of flatter spots without platforms (although they still have a slope.)

    There's space near the platform that is flat-ish with a picnic and a fire pit.  Some of these are better than others, ours was not that flat, but we made it work. You get a pretty decent view of Rudd Pond, and the sunsets are pretty. There is also a trailhead at the end of the campground that connects to the other trails in Taconic State Park. There's a swimming beach and during non-covid times, boat rentals.

    The campsites are pretty close together, so if the campground is full, you are rather close to your neighbors. It was close to half full when we were there, and it still felt like a fairly noisy campground, even after quiet hours. 

    My one complaint in these covid times is that compared to the NY-DEC campground we stayed at, I felt that the safety measures were less adhered to here. They had signs asking people to wear masks in the bathroom building, but far fewer people were. I also didn't see the staff do any cleaning of the restrooms while we were there - the paper towels ran out at one point and I had to flag the staff down to get them to go take care of that.  

    Still, I thought it was a really cute place to stay, and I think we would stay here again.

  • Sara Q.
    Oct. 7, 2019

    Savoy Mountain State Forest Campground

    Small, loud, muddy

    Unfortunately, I was not a big fan of this small campground. Right from the start, upon checkin, I bought two $5 ea. bundles of wood after being assured they were "kiln dried".  The wood wouldn't catch no matter what I tried -- not even with the help of some fire starter.  The tent site itself was very small and barely fit my truck and tent.  It was made smaller still because of the mud and holes on the perimeter of the site. At night, there was a lot of traffic noise nearby and despite a posted quiet time, other campers were slamming car doors over and over and talking at the top of their lungs, making it difficult to sleep. The surrounding state forest was pretty and the trails were in decent shape.

  • Amanda S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great price

    This is basic dry camping it is fun but there is no electric or water at the sites o LU in the bathhouse. So if you get a site close the the bathhouse you will have water close by and electricity close. Otherwise it’s dry camping.. the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent because of the platform that the tent goes on and the lake is ok. The kids don’t like swimming with fish so we didn’t spend much time at the lake

Guide to Richmond

Tent campsites near Richmond, Massachusetts offer primitive backcountry experiences within mountainous terrain reaching elevations of 2,000+ feet. Most sites require significant hiking with elevation changes between 500-1,000 feet along rocky terrain. Weather conditions can change rapidly in this region, with temperature differences of 10-15 degrees between valley and ridge campsites.

What to do

Hike the Appalachian Trail sections: The Appalachian Trail corridor near Richmond provides access to multiple primitive campsites. At Riga Lean-To, campers can summit Bear Mountain for expansive views. As Nora S. notes, "make sure to hit the summit of Bear Mountain; incredible view!"

Experience white water rafting: The Deerfield River near Charlemont offers class II-IV rapids accessible from camping areas. Zoar Outdoor combines camping with guided water adventures. According to Dominick V., "Staff was awesome, went out of their way to take care of our group from camping to rafting."

Navigate challenging terrain: Many tent sites require moderate to difficult hiking across rocky, uneven terrain. The Laurel Ridge campsite requires significant uphill climbing. Tina D. explains, "This was one of my favorite all time hiking/camping experiences...We began by making the hike up Mount Race. No matter where you start, you'll be hiking on some of the steepest parts of the Appalachian Trail."

What campers like

Complete wilderness immersion: Primitive camping areas offer genuine backcountry experiences with minimal development. At Laurel Ridge, campers appreciate the remoteness. Nora S. reports, "It's quite a hike to get to this dispersed campground, so be prepared! We packed on our backpacks early in the morning and arrived there mid-afternoon."

Well-maintained shelter systems: Many sites feature three-sided shelters alongside tent platforms. At Brassie Brook Shelter, campers find organized camping areas. Nora S. describes, "Brassie Brook has a small lean-to as well as about 4/5 campsites located all around. Firepits, toilets but that's about it."

Multi-day hiking loops: Connecting multiple campsites creates extended backcountry experiences. When staying at Seth Warner Shelter, Daniel S. advises, "Great for overnight, section or through hike" and mentions it's "a about 6 miles from the nearest town."

What you should know

Fire restrictions vary by site: Some areas prohibit open fires while others maintain designated fire rings. At Seth Warner Shelter, campfires are permitted but require caution. Daniel S. warns, "The long trail is a very wet nasty trail but it can be dry so be careful having a fire."

Wildlife precautions required: Bears and smaller animals frequent most camping areas. Food storage strategies are essential at all sites. Kay D. from Alander Trail Campground recalls, "We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy."

Pack-in requirements: Most sites require carrying all gear, food, and water for the duration of stay. Nora S. explains about Laurel Ridge, "We packed on our backpacks early in the morning and arrived there mid-afternoon. Very beautiful view, and an awesome spot! No fires allowed, however."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Richmond, MA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Richmond, MA is Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 30 tent camping locations near Richmond, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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