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Best Tent Camping near Salem, MA

602 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent camping options near Salem, Massachusetts are primarily concentrated in established campgrounds rather than dispersed backcountry areas. Camp Nihan Education Center in Saugus and Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester offer designated tent campsites within a 30-minute drive of Salem. Boston Harbor Islands State Park provides a unique island tent camping experience accessible only by ferry from Boston Harbor or Hingham, with sites on Peddocks, Lovells, Grape, and Bumpkin islands.

Most tent campgrounds in the Salem area feature basic amenities suited for primitive camping experiences. Camp Nihan provides picnic tables, fire rings, trash disposal, and recently renovated bathroom and shower facilities, making it suitable for families and beginner campers. Cape Ann Camp Site offers more developed facilities with water hookups, showers (25 cents for 5 minutes), and fire pits, though the terrain remains wooded and natural. One camper noted that Cape Ann has "several bathroom locations throughout" and sites that are "nice and wooded," providing a balance between convenience and natural setting.

The tent camping experience varies significantly between mainland and island options. Mainland sites like Camp Nihan are situated in wooded areas that feel remote while remaining accessible, with one visitor describing it as having "terrain rugged enough that it always felt like we were really in the woods." Island camping requires more planning and gear transportation via ferry. Boston Harbor Islands campsites offer a more secluded experience with composting toilets and limited or no drinking water. Campers must pack in all supplies, including water for sites without potable sources. As a visitor to the islands mentioned, "Camping at Boston Harbor Islands requires some planning, but you get the benefit of a remote island with minimal company." Most tent sites throughout the region fill quickly during summer months, with reservations opening several months in advance.

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Best Tent Sites Near Salem, Massachusetts (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Salem, MA

18 Photos of 6 Salem Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Salem, MA

602 Reviews of 6 Salem 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!

  • 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.

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Cape Ann Camp Site

    25 cents for a shower

    The aerial photos of this place are very deceiving. This camp ground is the foreground of the main house which, is situated on the top of the hill. The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads. There is no WIFI. There is no sewer hook up however, near the street there is a "dump station."  The camp ground is run down and unmaintained. Our site had a fire ring which, was filled with ash. Our first night we woke up to a trailer filled with smoke because, someone near by had a fire in 92 degree heat. Most campers are full time residents. There is no sight of them during the day light hours but, at night they are up and about on bikes and mingling with each other. 

    25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom. Some shady people immediate started to hover near the public restroom once we drove up the hill to use the public restrooms. For $70/nite for a view it's not worth it. I was glad to leave- very creepy.

  • 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.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2021

    Tidewater Campground

    Large campground near, but not on the beach

    First of all, the location is a little quirky and I think I only arrived once without a wrong turn! Watch the GPS carefully. That said, it’s very close to Hampton Beach and you can easily drive or bike over. The campground is parallel to US1, so there is some road traffic noise. Some of the tent sites overlook the marsh. The tent sites are definitely tighter than trailer sites. Some sites back up to each other and it takes a moment to understand where one ends and the next begins. 

    I was here early in the season and placed in a seasonal site with water/electric. Site was level. Neighbors were friendly. The bathroom was a short walk away and spotless. I did notice that in the tent areas, the main bathrooms are supplemented with portable toilets. Sites are mostly wooded, which will offer nice relief from the heat. It's a nice base for exploring the area.

    There’s a gated entry and turtle-speed limit that they take seriously. The pool was not yet open. There’s a small store onsite for ice and essentials. All the big box stores and a number of restaurants are nearby. For a change of pace from seafood, I picked up Shane's Texas Pit BBQ and brought it back to my site. 

    You may request a reservation online, but you have to confirm and pay for it via the phone. You’ll need to arrive before 9pm to check in. Bring $10 for a cash deposit on the gate card. Only 1 vehicle and 1 camping unit (tent or trailer) allowed on a site.

    Downside: They charge for showers, the amount and duration is unclear and the duration varies depending on which shower you choose! Given the rates they charge, this seems petty.

  • Meg T.
    Jul. 30, 2025

    Salisbury Beach State Reservation

    Seagulls hungry for Egg Rolls and sunsets galore!

    Stayed here with my partner for her birthday while we were up in the Plum Island/Rockport area. Beautiful ocean access and great facilities. We stayed in a site right next to a large bathhouse with showers, plentiful stalls, and water bottle fill-up and rinse off station. We were situated next to a kind family who lent us fire starter and offered us some of their snacks they were making when we arrived, while we were setting up we did lose some egg rolls to a hungry seagull but I think he needed them more than we did. Not very private and sites are packed close together, but that is what I expected based off the map! I would absolutely return again, this time to check out the beach and surrounding area!

  • Anna C.
    Oct. 15, 2019

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Red Ledge Rebel Shell Rain Pants at Pawtuckaway State Park

    *CAMPGROUND REVIEW*

    This campground is definitely a dazzler and I was fortunate to visit on a quieter weekend. I was able to enjoy an especially picturesque sunset over the lake and I would definitely visit this spot again, especially with how accessible the campground is. There is a nice stretch of sandy beach at the campground as well as canoes and kayaks for rent. The convenience store at the campground had essentially everything you would need for a good camping trip. Definitely do your research on the different site numbers because some sites are much more private and scenic than others. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit as an added bonus.

    Pros: 

    -Within a short driving distance from the Boston area 

    -Lakefront sites available 

    -Canoe and kayak rentals available 

    -Well stocked convenience store 

    -Reasonable cell reception

    Cons: 

     -Can get busy during peak camping times 

     -Some sites have a lack of privacy

    *PRODUCT REVIEW*

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. During this trip, I took out a pair of Red Ledge Rain Pants. While it didn’t rain during my camping stay (great from a camper perspective, not so great from a reviewer perspective), I was able to try out the general fit of the pants. They have a nice stretch fit to them and a certainly one of the more stylish options as far as rain pants go. As is true for most waterproof gear, they run on the warmer side and don’t have a ton of ventilation so they may not be the best choice for hotter weather. Although I didn’t get to test out the pants in a camping setting, I did wear them a few days ago while making the 1.5 km evacuation route trek from my apartment to the flood shelter during one of the biggest typhoons to make landfall in Japan. After about 25-30 mins of walking in record breaking-ly heavy rain, the pants started to saturate around the knees and the upper thigh area started to get a bit soggy. That being said, this is probably the most extreme possible test setting and they did hold up reasonably well. Due to the aforementioned, I would recommend using these pants as a waterproof option when skiing/snowboarding in warmer weather where you still want a snow barrier but may not necessarily need the insulative warmth offered by actual snow pants.

    Pros: 

    -Stylish look 

     -Stretch fit 

     -Waterproof 

     Cons: 

     -Trap heat 

     -Not typhoon proof

  • k
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Dixons Coastal Maine Campground

    LOTS of people but lovely campground

    This is an extremely large campground.  It seems that most of them on the coast of Maine are.  We didn't get a very good sight, but the person who answered the phone basically told us that when we called and it was all they had, so I can't say too much about that either (#17).  The sight was small and between the two driveways.  All of the sights seem to have rocky ground, so I recommend a sleep pad and a footprint for your tent so you don't rip the bottom.  

    Now, on to the other stuff.  There is a small playground that is weathered but in decent shape.  The pool is lovely and meticulously kept.  The grounds, bathrooms and showers are spotless.  It's 50 cents for 5 minutes to take a shower (unheard of) with hot water.  There is even hot water to wash your dishes next to the bathrooms.

    They sell ice, wood ($7) and many "I forgots" in the store (bacon, milk, etc...).  They give you a security card to get into the grounds ($10 deposit).  The campground was SUPER quiet and quiet hours go to 8am (thank you)!  Only an RV about to leave made a ton of noise at 7.

    I would go there again.  It was a safe place close to so many things.  The beach and everything else is VERY close but not so close as to be annoying.... 5 minutes at most.

Guide to Salem

Tent campsites near Salem, Massachusetts are primarily found within state parks and private campgrounds. The region offers a mix of wooded sites and coastal camping options within a 30-mile radius of Salem. Camping season typically runs from May through October, with most facilities closing during winter months due to New England's cold temperatures and snow.

What to do

Explore historic shorelines: Cape Ann Camp Site provides access to nearby beaches where campers can enjoy swimming and beachcombing. As camper Ron C. noted, "Beach down the street was big, beautiful and low tide was unexpected as you could walk for ever."

Wildlife watching: The natural areas around Salem's campgrounds support diverse wildlife. At Cape Ann Camp Site, John S. reported seeing "wild turkeys, deer, etc." during his stay, adding to the camping experience.

Island exploration: When camping at Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground, visitors can take inter-island ferries to various islands. Martha H. explains, "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."

What campers like

Natural settings: Despite being near urban areas, campsites maintain wooded environments. At Cape Ann Camp Site, Lajaun C. mentioned, "The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome."

Proximity to attractions: The location of camps near coastal towns provides easy access to regional highlights. Ron C. appreciated that Cape Ann offered "Perfect location with access to Rockport - a beautiful place to visit, shop, eat & a great little trail with great views."

Sunset views: Boston Harbor camping offers unique perspectives of the city skyline. Jess G. shared that "Sitting on the beach watching the sun set over Boston was awesome and made everything entirely worth it," highlighting the reward after navigating ferry transportation.

What you should know

Shower facilities: Pay showers are common at campgrounds in the region. Della S. noted about Cape Ann Camp Site, "Clean Bathrooms and pay showers (5 cents). The owners are very helpful. Call and they will help you find a spot if you have questions."

Ferry transportation: Boston Harbor Islands requires planning for boat transportation. Jean C. advises, "Check the ferry schedule. Figure out which departure makes the most sense for you. You may choose to leave from Long Wharf, near the Aquarium T stop on the Blue line, or from Hingham, with overnight parking available."

Water access: When staying on islands, water availability varies by location. For Boston Harbor Islands, Jean C. warns that "you'll need to bring everything, including water," though she notes that "Peddocks has running water available."

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly exploration: Camp Nihan Education Center offers convenient access to adjacent recreation areas. Michael V. shares, "The camp is also adjacent to Breakheart Reservation, which had a great shallow pond with life guard on duty as well as bike trails and a range of different hikes."

Balanced camping experience: Families appreciate sites that offer nature while maintaining basic comforts. Michael V. found that at Camp Nihan, "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."

Site selection strategy: Booking well in advance is essential for family trips. Martha H. advises for Boston Harbor Islands, "These sites book quickly, so you should try to book 7 months to the day in advance. That said, you can also look for last minute openings."

Tips from RVers

Site conditions: At Cape Ann Camp Site, RVers should note the terrain characteristics. Ben E. reported, "We paid $60 a night for a 30 amp spot with water," providing a benchmark for pricing.

Seasonal considerations: Most RV sites near Salem close during winter months. Cape Ann Camp Site officially operates from "May 15 - Oct 15," requiring advance planning for spring through fall visits.

Layout awareness: The physical arrangement of campgrounds affects the camping experience. Cristina P. observed about Cape Ann, "It doesn't look like much but it is absolutely lovely when you actually pull in! We had a nice perfectly level site in a beautiful wooded area."

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Salem, MA is Cape Ann Camp Site with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.

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

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

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