Looking for the best options for tent camping near Royalston? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Royalston with tent camping. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Royalston, Massachusetts's most popular destinations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites you to come relax at Tully Lake. There are a variety of outdoor recreation activities for you and you family. Although the dam was built primarily to reduce flood damages on the Millers and Connecticut Rivers, the 1,300-acre reservoir area provides a place for you to get away from it all and connect with nature.
Tully Lake offers many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Activities in and around the lake include mountain biking, camping, disc golf, hiking, picnicking, boating, and fishing and hunting in the appropriate seasons.
The Tully Lake Pavilion is located in the recreation area and offers picnic tables and grills. Maximum group size is 50 people with parking for 25 passenger vehicles at the upper gravel lot. The recreation area has a small playground for young children, volleyball court, and a horseshoe pit. Bathrooms are provided, but there is no running water.
The 1,262-acre Tully Lake property is managed to sustain a healthy ecosystem for future generations. The thriving biodiversity of the Tully River Valley and the interconnections of our forests, wetlands, waters, and wildlife are valued and managed for the long term. Tully Lake is home to a wide variety of wildlife, from tiny insects and song birds, to large mammals such as deer and moose. Fifty-five percent of the reservoir area is wetlands, providing habitat for fish, waterfowl, song birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals such as beaver, mink and otter. The rest of the property provides habitat for upland species such as deer, coyote, fisher, owl, fox, raccoon, skunk, porcupine, rabbit, and squirrel. The forest within Tully Dam's reservoir area is composed primarily of white pine, providing habitat for owls and woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, and white-tailed deer.
When visiting Tully Lake there are several opportunities for visitors to explore in the surrounding area. At the north end of the lake there is a tent only campground run by the Trustees of the Reservations which provides a perfect launching point to enjoy the outdoor attractions nearby. Ten miles away is the Birch Hill Dam, another Army Corps project that provides miles of trails and river to explore. The Quabbin Reservoir is also within a short ten mile drive of Tully Lake and serves the city of Boston as its water supply. The Quabbin is a unique area; there were four towns flooded to create it, and it has some of the most interesting blends of human and natural history in the region.
Please review the cancellation and refund policy at the bottom of the webpage. In general, we will require at least two weeks prior to your reservation to consider a request.
$40 / night
$14 - $23 / night
Edward MacDowell Lake is situated in a quiet corner of the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.
This day-use area lies just off State Route 101 on the shores of the picturesque lake named after the famous composer and concert pianist, Edward Alexander MacDowell.
The 165-acre lake is surrounded by densely forested rolling hills. Shady pine, birch, poplar, maple, oak, beech, hemlock and alder trees cover the area.
Wildlife is abundant in and around the park. White-tailed deer, moose, beaver, fisher, muskrat, otter and many other mammals make their homes around the lake. Birders may observe many species including osprey, hawks, owls, great blue herons, woodpeckers, waterfowl and songbirds.
Visitors can spend days kayaking and canoeing on the scenic lake, and a boat ramp is provided for easy lake access.
Fishing is also a popular activity. Largemouth bass, pickerel, perch and horned pout are all found in abundance.
Several hiking trails link up around the lake as well, including the West Ridge Trail, which runs along the entire western edge of the lake and up through the surrounding wetlands.
Younger visitors enjoy the parks Junior Ranger Program, which focuses on the surrounding forest, its wildlife and waterways and protecting the environment. Kids ages six through 12 become honorary park rangers upon completion and receive a patch and certificate.
This year-round park is open from sunrise to sunset. It offers two day-use picnic shelters, perfect for large parties or family functions. Flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables and grills are provided.
A swim beach, playground, horseshoe pits and volleyball court offer additional recreation opportunities.
Educational programs are offered by park rangers, and the nearby ranger station contains interpretive exhibits.
Barton Cove specializes in rustic tent-only camping. The campground is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Each campsite has a picnic table, grills and campfire ring. Vehicle use in the campground is restricted to unloading during arrival and loading during departure. Showers are available near the ranger station, and there are two group sites available for larger parties interested in camping together. Two sites suitable for pop-up trailers or class C camper vans are also available. The sites have no utility hookups. Scout groups can camp by special arrangement through November.
$22 - $30 / night
$25 - $30 / night
Platform and Back-country Sites are available. Sunset Ridge is hammock preferred and small tent friendly, however Only the signature site has a provided tent and stove ( this listing is for weekday rentals only) … see our separate listing for the signature Lost Boys Hideout Rock'n Summer for weekend rentals of the campsite {which does have pictures here on this page). Different sites have different parking areas and different levels of access ease. Sunset Ridge is the most difficult, think rural and rugged. While the Hideout, our main signature site, is the easiest and has the most amenities. Sleepy Hollow is the middle ground to walk in, with provided summer tents & some comforts, but is closest to the local public road. This is your perfect escape to the woods with a private seasonal pond and plenty of marked private hiking trails. A short drive down to the beach and a full-service boat ramp for Horace Lake, so bring your boat, water skis and ice fishing gear! You can rent our canoes for Horace Lake or Turkey Pond for great fishing. Don't forget your mountain bike for trails or area specialty adventure centers. Off site ATV trails, snowmobile trails, and other seasonal adventure locations are within easy reach. Be at peace and stay by the campfire soaking in calm with nature surrounding you. I'll have some fresh drinking water ready for you. We are excited to meet you! One night stays will be considered on a case-by-case basis- don't hesitate to ask! If we don't have a prior multi-day reservation one week ahead of time, we will do our best to accommodate you! Lots of extras available for rent for those folks who are not stocked up on camping gear. Bedding, tents, cooking gear, gas stove top, etc etc!
$49 - $149 / night
Legend
What a beautiful and well maintained CG! Great owners, facilities, and amenities. Gravel roads and relatively level gravel sites. There are W/E sites, dry sites, and many secluded tent sites. There are two lakes and another nearby. It is close to many hiking trails. We arrived an hour after the water was turned off due to freezing temps. We were allowed to fill the fresh tank from the lodge. We woke the next day to heavy fog. We would definitely stay here again - for longer than an overnight stay!
Scout
Quiet (besides occasional plane overhead) lots of trees, spacious sites, clean and modern bathrooms and showers, nice friendly helpful staff.
Scout
Site 47 pull thru. Nice clean campground ! No neighbors left and right. Staff very nice. Very noisy tho in sites by the river due to Rte 10. We enjoyed the campground. Small and cozy. Nice size sites
Scout
I just got here. Road was quite good. I believe I have the last of 4 sites. Nice camp fire area.
ScoutNo camping signs. Private property
Scout
We booked last minute (2 hours before we arrived) and were met with the friendliest staff ready to help us at 7:30PM and get us checked in. Perfect spot if you don’t mind a 40 minute ride over to The Big E fair which is what brought us out to this part of MA. The restaurant was so nice, and to my surprise more than accommodating as I have celiac, they really went above and beyond. We will definitely be back next summer for a longer stay.
Ranger
I don’t mind paying a little extra some places because of being out of state, but paying $54 a night for not even any hookups when MA residents pay $17 is insane.
Scout
Paid in full for a week in July, we stay here every year. Learned in May that I had cancer and would need surgery and weekly chemo until the end of September. Contacted Forest Lake Campground in May to cancel reservation, discussed options and was told we could carry our week over for later. Just received the all clear from my Dr today. Called to make reservations and was told they would not honor our already paid week. They said we would not get our money back either. Won’t stay here again as they are not people of their word.
ScoutGreat spot for quiet desolate camping. Several spots to choose from.
Traveler
Nicely spaced sites, level and welcoming hosts. There are a few trails around the campground and it is close to Mt Ascutney which if you are feeling a bit lazy there is an auto rd that goes about 3/4 of the way up. 3 mi. Away Springfield as all the services you might need.
Ranger
Only the first section of the campground was open due to flooding. As a result, there were puddles everywhere.
Campsites are listed as disbursed but there are only 7 trees to separate 9 camp sites. The campsites are all next to the road and have fire circles.
There is a single pit toilet at the end of the camping area. No garbage service, no water, no cell service. Basically a camp site where you can share a fire with the neighbors.
Scout
Very peaceful! Little hidden gem! We loved our weekend away
Scout
Had a pleasant stay at Woodford State Park. Sites near T38 have a great elevated view of the reservoir. Also a nice loop trail for those looking to do a little bit of hiking.
GuideLarge, well organized camping spots along the road. The spot I chose had a beautifully built fire pit. It was a little muddy from rain.
Scout
The owners are very nice but the sites are super close together. We had neighbors that had a large party 4 ft from our camper for two days. The showers cost .50 and are luke warm, definitely not hot. Only 4 shower stalls (2 men 2 female) for the whole campground. The bathrooms weren't cleaned during the 2 days we were there. The country side is beautiful and Newport is a cute little town. We won't stay at the campground again.
Traveler
The best activities for children and adults, great amenities, clean restrooms, Awesome pool thanks to ASHTON, Thanks so much.
Scout
Autumn Hills Campground is AWESOME! It’s remotely located and the amenities and activities are amazing, something for everyone! The staff is so friendly and helpful and I can’t say enough how clean the bathrooms, laundry room and store are! The super nice owners, Adam& Jennifer are constantly making upgrades and changes and have really created a beautiful, family oriented campground! I recommend you take the virtual tour online so you can pick a sight that works for you and book it soon.
Traveler
This campground was perfect for our group that had 5 small children. The kids were able to safely ride bikes on the camp roads, sites were large and well spaced out from each other, great playground and fun playing in the river. Amazing programming options from the ranger staff each day
Guide
I only stayed a few nights, but enjoyed it thoroughly. I had a view of the beautiful pond, which is really a lake, and wished I had more time to rent a kayak. The bathrooms were clean and easy to access, since I do not have sewer in my small pop-up. I spent most of my time exploring the area since there are a lot of things to do very close to this campground.
Guide
The seven maple trees that greeted guests may be gone, but not the spirit of the campground. Staff were helpful and cheerful along with the chain saw carved bears that greeted me. A very nice shady campground with clean bathhouses - one with a moose guarding the entry - and common areas.
Ranger
We got a sit right on the river, so that adds to this. But this place is great, a river, hiking trails, no phone signal, what else could yoy ask for? Oh yeah clean bathrooms, and guess what, they have those too!
But honestly this place is great, the staff is the most friendly DCR staff I've met, the buildings are well kept, the sites a large! I'd gladly go back, and I am!
Scout
Me and my fiancé last minute booked a 4th of July trip last minute and had a wonderful time! Our site was all rocks and we were tenting but we made it work knowing we booked the trip last minute! Brought our dog and he had fun!
Guide
We had a nice weekend at Peppermint Park. This was our 2nd visit with a camper (2022 & 2024) and stayed about 20 years ago in tents.
It's family and dog friendly, has a pool, hot tub, newer playground with a sandbox, camp store with large lodge attached, horseshoe, volleyball and other outdoor game areas. There were several activities planned for father's day weekend including a BBQ food truck, BINGO, corn hole, horseshoes, and kids crafts. There is also wifi, but the signal is not great. It did save me on data usage though so I appreciated it.
There is a large number of seasonal's and everyone we interacted with was very friendly. My 11 year old granddaughter quickly made friends with some of the seasonal children. We attended BINGO, which was packed, and it was clear they are a friendly group. The grounds, pool, buildings and bathroom are all well maintained.
Our site, 111, was a nice flat grassy site with water and 20amp electric. We were sunny in the morning and got nice shade starting late in the morning. We had season sites all around us with only a few of them occupied so it was pretty quiet in our section. Sites are a bit closer together than we prefer, but do have trees and brush in between.
We were in between 2 bathroom buildings. One of them having only 1 shower, 1 toilet and sink in each side and the other had 1 shower, and 2 toilets on each side. I believe there is larger bathrooms with more showers in the lodge but we did not check them out.
Our only negative is the wood for sale is on the greener side so it takes a bit to get it going. We had the same issue 2 years ago and ended up buying lighter fluid from the store then. We did not have any with us this trip and did not want to pay camp store prices so we used sticks from the area and some match light charcoal to get it going well.
We did not venture outside of the campground this trip, but do know there are some nice ponds/lakes close by and hiking trails.
Overall it's a nice friendly campground that we will continue to visit.
Legend
The HanscomField Fam Camp is a wooded recreational camp for military families and retirees, as well as for RV camping for active duty military on temporary orders. The campground offers RV sites, some with hookups, as well as more walk-in secluded tent sites as well as one yurt tent. The campground is peaceful and quiet, although adjacent to a very busy AFB. Proximity to the base provides access to the base exchange and other facilities, but the quiet location is a recreational retreat centered around several indoor and outdoor gathering spaces such as basketball and outdoor sports, and an indoor game and recreation room complete with crafts supplies for the kiddos and tourism info for the lical area. In the immediate vicinity are the villages of Lexington and Concord as well as the Minute Man National Park and Walden Pond, so the campground makes a great basecamp for exploration of the area’s rich culture and history. You are also not too far from Cambridge, and can easily access Boston from there if you like.
There are several clean modern bath houses, with hot showers and flush toilets. The office staff is very helpful and friendly!
Dogs are welcome too.
Traveler
I loved my stay here! I just stayed 1 night passing through, the drive to the campground was gorgeous. checking in was super easy. Finding my site and the bathroom was a breeze. THE BATHROOM was the best I’ve seen camping very clean and updated and honestly gorgeous. Everyone else there was super nice and quiet. Quiet hours start at 10 but it was silent after about 9 which was so amazing. I would definitely stay again!
Scout
I've stayed at Clarksburg State Park with my young son for a few years in a row and have always been consistently impressed with how clean and peaceful it is. Maybe we've just gotten lucky, but each time we've stayed, no matter how busy the campground is, it's quiet, especially at night. The park and the campground feel quite secluded for the location - very close to North Adams and other towns in that part of the Berkshires. The pond and the hiking trail around it are beautiful. We'll definitely return! My only complaint is that Massachusetts charges out-of-state residents 3x as much to camp.
Guide
Peacefully placed along the bends of the river is a large open grassy area with a sizable fire pit! The left side of the drive in is swampy so be sure to not drift to that side. The beginning of the little driveway is quite rough with some bigger rocks we have substantial ground clearance so no issues there but smaller ground clearances may feel a bump or two! Live by the motto leave nicer than you found it so we all can continue to enjoy the beauty!
Tent camping near Royalston, Massachusetts offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor activities, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Royalston, MA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Royalston, MA is Greenfield State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Royalston, MA?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Royalston, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
