Best Cabin Camping near Rochester, MA

Great People, Great Times.

Ponky is a hidden jem! Minutes from Boston, feels Miles away. Love the cabins! Spending Friday & Saturday in one of the cabins (w/woodstove) is deal for a winter weekend adventure!

I booked Deluxe Cabin 1 at the Boston KOA based on my past experiences in VA and NC. BOSTON was the WORST KOA I've stayed at. The cabin SMELLED of mildew and cigarettes(pic of ashes in the tub), and there was NO HOT WATER, which is against MA law. It was FILTHY, the pots needed to be replaced, and you have to request blankets. I informed the after hours staff about the water, blankets, and smell. The next morning, I went to the office at 9 am and talked to LORI. She was COMBATIVE and confrontational which is weird because she just started her day. As a person of color, I had to walk away because I was frightened. When I returned, BOB Brammer(He wanted to write his name down, so I got it right(his words)) lacked empathy and had a facial expression of annoyance. He was also CONFRONTATIONAL as I explained there was no hot water and the cabin smelled. I informed the national KOA feedback team(Kaitlyn& Tiana) and they said it's handled internally, whatever that means. If you read the reviews about bad customer service, believe it. You can see CUSTOMER SERVICE IS BADDDD! The KOA will probably respond to this review, but NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I'll be reaching out to TOBY O'ROURKE and OSCAR TANG so they are aware the BOSTON KOA is tarnishing the KOA brand.

I found this campground in a totally roundabout way, while searching for lodging during a field trip to Plimouth Plantation. After discovering it, I decided that we HAD to plan a trip here sometime soon.

Ponkapoag Camp is run by the AMC. The camp is on a beautiful piece of wooded land surrounding a large pond/lake. There are about 25 rustic cabins, and a few tent sites dispersed throughout the camping area. There is a year round caretaker there to help folks check in, and she also sells firewood. Reservations are by mail only, although you can call the caretaker to confirm availability.

Before I continue my review, it is important to note: THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER.

We brought all our water from home, and it worked well. Make sure you bring campsuds or other eco-friendly soap since the toilets are just outhouses without running water much of the year.

The Cabins:

Each cabin has between 2-6 beds. The mattresses in our large cabin were brand new dorm style mattresses, which were slippery but comfortable. The cabins have assorted dressers and shelves for storage, and a table for dining on those bad weather days. The floors are wooden. Many cabins have wood stoves, which is great for the cooler parts of the year. We were there Memorial Day weekend, and needed the stove when it dipped to 40 degrees. Outside of the cabin is a pedestal grill, and a picnic table. My children found trees close by to hang their hammocks.

Upon departure from the camp, you are required to sweep and tidy up the cabin.

The Grounds:

Hiking trails abound on the property. While none of the trails are steep, they all go through beautiful ares, with views of the pond, and interesting rock formations. Blue Hill is within hiking distance, and it is a favorite spot for seeing the sunrise. Apparently you can see all the way to Boston!

The pond itself is a wonderful place for kayaking and canoeing. There are several rocky boulders poking out of the water that make fun spots to discover. The sunsets over the pond are spectacular to watch from the dock.

Getting there: The driveway to the camp is totally unmarked. It is a gate studded with two american flags. When you confirm your reservation (by mail), the caretaker will give you the access code for the gate. We enjoyed being somewhere that was so close to people, but felt so remote and had no traffic.

Downsides: One of the nights we stayed, the flight path to Logan International Airport was right over the campground. We all slept fine, but it was distracting. Thankfully, they change the flight path every night, so it should not happen every night!

WILD ZORA FOOD review:

As a Ranger with The Dyrt, I was given the opportunity to test out food from Wild Zora Foods. https://wildzora.com.

This is a premade meal company, focusing on Paleo and Primal recipes. We tried out a sampler pack of their meat bars, and then two meal-in-a-bag freeze dried entrees. We ended up eating several meat bars while making the trip to the campground, since we were stuck in traffic and everyone was hungry. Our 5 children helped do the sampling. Out of the six flavors (Parmesan Beef, BBQ beef, Mediterranean Lamb, Curry Turkey, Chili Beef, and Taco Pork), our favorites were Parmesan Beef ad Mediterranean Lamb. The other flavors seemed a bit too sweet for our liking. However, the bars were a great substitute for junk food when everyone is hungry. Everyone enjoyed eating them. I liked that they used food such as dates and dried apricots as sweeteners. My children all wanted more. I'd say that one bar would be a good snack for an adult.

We also cooked up a batch of a berry breakfast cacao bowl, and their Chicken Caldera Curry. Both meals were super convenient in their pouches that could be cooked and eaten in. We just poured boiling water in, and let them sit. The Caldera Chicken Curry was well seasoned, and very meaty. I was impressed by how filling it was without needing any rice. The texture was a bit chalky, but overall, it was a great option for a Paleo freeze-dried meal. The berry breakfast meal was less satisfying--but it tasted very fresh, and not overly sweet.

It was fun to test these foods out. When camping with kids, it is often hard to have time to cook a camp meal each night, so having quick options can really make a trip go more smoothly. I recommend checking out Wild Zora if you are interested in a preservative free, high protein freeze dried meal option.

We planned a brief stop in the Boston area with the intent of seeing the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and Normandy Farms appealed to us for various reasons. One reason was the fact that they have dog walkers that will come to your site and take care of your precious pooch while you are away. Not knowing how long we would be away from the campground that service was a great option. As it turned out, we did not need to use this service but for some it would be a great perk if you were going to be gone all day. And with Boston traffic, we can see how that could happen. By the way, the library is well-worth it.

When you enter Normandy Farms it is more like checking into a hotel than campground complete with a concierge and express check-in. The park is gated and a code is needed to enter and leave giving you a sense of security but I’m not sure it is necessary. Driving in you quickly realize how huge this park is with some 400 RV sites, tent sites, yurts, lean-to’s, safari tents, and cabins. 

There are plenty of sites to choose from the “premium” full hook-up (50 amp) to basic with just water and electric and many others in between. Both back-in and pull thrus are available as are sites with shade and full sun. Premium sites have paved patios while other sites are gravel. Roads are paved and plenty wide enough for big RV’s to navigate. They offer cable television that yielded nearly 100 channels. Wifi worked well at our site and other places throughout the park. All sites come with a fire pit and picnic table. 

We chose a paved full hook-up pull thru with paved patio (Site E1). Our site was easy to navigate in and out of and was definitely big rig-friendly with ample space for our motorhome and tow car. All utilities were well-placed and functioned properly. The site was level. At the time we were there in October the campground was not very busy but we imagine that things get a little crazy when the park is full. 

There is a really long list of amenities for this campground….four pools (include an indoor heated one), fitness room (with elliptical, treadmills, bikes, machine and free weights), creative arts center, camp store, 20,000 square-foot activities building (with adult only lounge, pool table, arcade, games, wide-screen televisions, sauna, Jacuzzi), restaurant, huge off-leash dog park (you can reserve individual day kennels), BMX bike park, horse shoe pits, baseball diamond, volleyball, fishing pond, shuffleboard, disk golf, and playground, and probably a few more things I missed. During the busy summer months there is a long list of activities ranging from yoga to kids games.

Normandy Farms is approximately 35 miles from Boston. If you don’t want to drive to the city, you can park at the nearby train or subway station and ride into the city. You are just five miles from Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) and Patriot Place (a hub for shopping and dining). About a mile from the campground is Foxboro State Park where you will find 20+ miles of hiking trails. Also within a five mile radius are plenty of restaurants, shopping, hardware store, grocery store, and more. 

Some of the really good features are the huge dog park which has a dog washing station, water fountains for dogs and humans, agility-type obstacles for them to play on, dog kennels, and a bin with balls and Frisbees. I also liked (and used daily) the fitness center which had functioning equipment and a large television to help pass the time while working out – and was never crowded. The large community building has and adult-only lounge which serves as a nice place for people to get together and watch television or hang out without kids. With everything this campground has to offer you can see why it is a destination park for some people as their kids would be busy all day. 

The downside really is the price and how many sites there are. If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway this is not it.

We wanted to explore the Cape and are members of the KOA rewards program so we chose here to stay. The staff were very nice and helpful. They had a big store and plenty of supplies and souvenirs, from sweatshirts to stickers. We then followed the map to get to our site. As we pulled around the office we saw all kinds of activities for kids. Bouncy "pillow", pool, bounce pad, sluice, miniature golf, and a playground. All the sites we saw had trees for shade. It was a very busy place but everyone seemed happy to be there. As the weekend went on we drove thru the whole campground just to check out the rest. They had many cabins, 2 dumps sites for campers, another huge playground. If I'm ever back in the area I will stay here again!

Spots are beautiful. Private little lake with rentals & fishing, 2 pools, playground, store, etc. and it’s all conveniently located in cape cod. We very much enjoyed our stay here.

I love this campground so much that I come to Martha’s Vineyard once a year to stay here. To be able to camp comfortably on this island and have access to all the island has to offer without spending an arm and a leg is what I love. You can take the ferry to Vineyard Haven ($15 round trip) and catch the island bus ($30 for a week pass) that will drop you right in front of the campground.

It’s a rather large campground that has a lot of trees and each site is fairly large with a picnic table. At the front of the campground they have the summer RVs and about 20 rustic cabins if you’re not into tenting. This last year I stayed in a spot along the grass and it felt separate but with a great view of the office and all the activity on the grass. The camp store offers everything from postcards to air mattresses. For those of you, like myself, who don’t bring a car they even have a air pump at the office if you need it.

There are outdoor showers and indoor showers where the bathrooms are as well as laundry facilities.

The campground is family owned and the next generation just took over a year ago. This last Christmas they sent me a Christmas card... They are making great new changes and it definitely shows!

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!!

DO NOT GO TO Cape Cod Campresort& Cabins in East Falmouth. Insanely ridiculous rules!!! Annoying staff, specifically the older ones. I felt like I was in daycare. If you like hanging out, talking late at nigt, then don't come to this place. I was told by one of the staff"no electronics after 9pm". I understand if say someone is listening to music loudly, then yes definitely ask them to turn it off. We had a 17inch tv screen, low volume, I could barely hear the tv. So I guess they just like to be annoying. They have the staff drive around all they long to harass us. For 4 nights we got harrassed, but one night that I was in bed at 11pm, they allowed an RV to check in. I was trying to sleep and people were talking outside as they were setting up camp. So I realized the rules only apply when they see fit. Sunday 4pm was asked to lower the volume of the tv, same 17inch tv. And I know for a fact that NOBODY complained, because we knew everyone around us, even the ones on the sites behind us. Front desk was rude, the first day I thought she was having a bad day, but the second I went there to buy ice and felt like I couldn't ask a question because I was bothering here. I dont know if it's a racism thing or they are just rude in general. Also, they need to hire a real life guard so the kids who are accompanied by their parents at ALL times, can use floaties. I understand letting a kid with a floatie while the parent is sun bathing or chatting with friends. But that wasn't my case. Lake area for bathing is too small. Dog park had a hole on the fence, my dog almost got out. Pool needs cleaning. One playground, not many options. Small laundry. Old arcade, needs upgrades. So, my advice is, GO TO Normandy in Foxborough. They have rules but they are reasonable and not racists.

It is at the edge of the Cape Cod Rail Trail bike Path from where you can access both bay side and ocean beaches by bike. it is also walking distance to a bayside beach. There is a bike rental place close to the park. The trails in the park are lovely, though hillier than the cape cod bike trail. There are so many things to do when staying there, including the John Wing Island (behind the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History), and even swimming or relaxing at one of the ponds in the park. The rangers offer various activities during the week. We have gone every year for 14 years! and will continue to do so! The sites are wooded. There is poison ivy so beware.

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.

Camping on one of the best Islands in Massachusetts

We enjoyed this campground. It has a few bumps and bruises that could be improved but overall it was a safe place with lots of families. 

It appeared to be mostly seasonal / long term campers and people that had developed good relationships with their neighbors. Everyone was friendly and helpful. 

Good comments:

Most of the campsites seem to have an open area in the middle between them that allows for maneuvering and socializing. 

The camp store is small but well stocked and the prices are very good. 

The beachfront is nice, the canoe and kayak rental is reasonable. 

Needs improvement:

Electrical at my campsite could use a little work. 

The sewer on my site overflowed after only ~15-20 gallons of dumping.

The swimming area has a 'icky bottom' (kid term :)) 

The entrance / office setup is confusing. If you come in from the West you'll see an entrance, if you pull in you'll then be able to see signs that tell you to go another 1/4 mile to the office to check in. This area doesn't have enough room to make a u-turn unless your rig is pretty small. 

After checking in, you go back out on the main road to the aforementioned entrance. 

Overall we had a good time and the issues were minor compared to having a safe place with lots of kids and things to do. All entrances are gated with key codes and there was a security guard on staff part of the time. The office staff was super nice and understanding when I lost my way coming into the wrong gate. :)

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!

Of all the Thousand Trails campgrounds in the Northeast this one isn’t too bad. It’s a huge park with mostly seasonal/annual campers. (Campground is not open all year, though). Gated Section A is right near the entrance and this is where most of the transient sites are. They are first come first serve. When I got here in the rain, the staff at check in was very nice. Driving around picking my site, the roads were extremely uneven and the rain had created huge lakes in the middle of the road as well as on the sites themselves. I only stayed two nights. Cell reception was not good, neither with AT&T nor Verizon. They have Wifi at the park which I haven’t tried. I believe - although- I’m not sure that you have to pay for it and I wasn’t up for that. I wouldn’t choose this campground unless you have a Thousand Trails membership like me and want to save money.

Heavily treed and shaded campground, extremely large to walk from front to back. Had good kids crafts. Loved the easy access to Cape Cod, Plymouth, and Boston.

Biggest negative was the trees can drop a lot of sap so be ready to wash your rig and vehicles as soon as you leave if it was a heavy sap time.