If you want to explore the beauty of Shelburne Falls, glamping is an excellent option. The Dyrt can help find the best glamping in and around Shelburne Falls, MA. You're sure to find glamping for your Massachusetts camping adventure.
$47 - $70 / night
$17 - $140 / night
NATURAL FEATURES Otter River State Forest was the first area acquired by the State Forest Commission in 1915 and also the first campground in the Massachusetts State Park system. Some of the forest area was cleared in the nineteenth century for small farms. After the state acquired the land, it was reforested with groves of pines which were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. The forest of oak and hickory, northern hardwood and pines is home to numerous wild flowers and shrubs, deer, chipmunks and many species of birds. RECREATION Otter River State Forest is a popular camping and day-use facility in a beautiful area of north central Massachusetts. Its developed facilities are centered on Beaman Pond and include ball field, basketball court, volleyball court and picnic areas. Many recreation opportunities are available and include a fishing, hiking, hunting, mountain biking, and picnicking. Use the park's hiking trails or try mountain biking on the 9000 acres of the adjacent Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area. FACILITIES Otter River offers 73 campsites, three group sites, and four yurts. Comfort stations are located throughout the campground and offer hot showers and flush toilets. One comfort station is accessible, shown on the map. Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table and a fire ring. Yurts are canvas sided, cabin-like structures that can accommodate 4 to 6 people. Yurts offer bunk beds, tables with benches, and access to water and electricity. All of the yurts are accessible. (Linens and eating utensils are not provided.) NOTE: Electrical service is not sufficiently reliable for use with medical equipment. Pets are prohibited from yurts and yurt sites.
$17 - $54 / night
$42 / night
Traveler
For some, the strange people who haunt certain grounds are a plus. For the rest of us, they are just a regular feature of the land west of the great Massassippi River. Anyway, being some of the first people to hit a campground like this one early in the season certainly has it’s benefits. For one, the bathrooms are cleeean as hail, and this place is really well-appointed. Pooping in relative comfort basically makes this glamping. They even have a big ole nice sink to wash your dirty dishes (and whatever other unmentionables, if you nasty), clean water spigots, RV sites with hookups, plenty of wood for sale, forage, or barter, and flat campgrounds with concrete fire pits with built in grill grates and wooden picnic tables. All amenities are within close walking distance, which is also a plus. The trails in October Mountain State Forest are very pretty, with some grand vistas to pull over if you’re some sort of nature pervert or lookie loo. Good fishin’ and mushroom hunting and other things white folks like to do in these parts, too.
Now let’s get to the cons:
bugs- this place, at the end of May is positively swarming with mosquitoes and gnats, even in the 2 rainy and cold-ass nights we spent there, the flies were everpresent. It’s Hitchcockian; and I don’t want to make any accusations or cast aspersions, but these insects are prejudiced, at best.
massholes- these are a given. I’m one so I know.
rangers- because this is a state park, you will have ranger patrols consisting of, um, rangers, some of whom might be more interested in what’s in your coozie than others, because, you know, rules. That said, we had no enforcement issues, but then again the camp ground was empty. Otherwise, unless you’ve got one of the few yurts onthe property, the campsites aren’t far enough apart that you ever really feel secluded. They’re not too bad, though, plenty of room.
This place, overall, is a good time if it’s not below 60 and wet.
GuideBeautiful area to hike. Quiet off the beaten path. There are 3 yurts available May-October (no dogs allowed in the yurts☹️. There are several tent sits available. Dogs are welcomed here! Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table.Highly recommend staying here if you are in the area!
GuideAbsolutely beautiful! Highly recommend renting a yurt while staying at October Mnt. Clean and super comfortable
RangerThe campground has 3 sections, located on different tiers of a hill. The lower level has RV sites, middle has tent sites, and upper has a few yurts. Each level has a bath house (3 toilet stalls and 1 shower in the lower level; it was run-down but clean enough). Outside the entrance station (near the RV sites) is a HUGE power station that emits a hum constantly. Super annoying and an eyesore. You’ll see many vehicles drive-by with boats or ATVs in tow as the state forest also has areas suitable for their use. Accessible from the campground are a few hiking trails. Monument Mountain is a popular hiking spot about 20 minutes away and Bash Bish Falls State Park is about 45 minutes away. Note: Massachusetts does not allow alcohol in their parks.
Legend
This small state forest campground in north/central Massachusetts is just up the hill from Damon Pond. I suggest downloading maps before you head out because cell service is iffy in the area.
Sites are largely level, around a small, bisected loop with towering pines. Most of the sites are best suited to tents and small trailers (think teardrops and pop-ups), but a couple of sites can accommodate slightly larger units. They are level and there's not a lot of brush between sites, so not much privacy either. I liked site 3 for a bit more privacy ; it's also one of the 3 sites designated for an RV. Site 11 is larger and can accommodate a larger unit.
There is a large yurt suitable for 10 people. The yurt does offer electricity, but there are no hookups nor a dump station at the campground. There are flush toilets, but no showers. The small bathroom was under renovation autumn 2020. There is a dishwashing sink.
There are hiking trails in the area and, of course, swimming at the small pond. A nearby roadside waterfall offers another picnic area opportunity. For a longer hike, you can hike to and from Pearl Lake State Park. Fishing, mountain biking, and geocaching are other activities available. There's a parking lot closer to the beach or it's an easy walk from the campground.
If you are from out of state, check fees carefully. In 2020 MA increased fees significantly in light of the pandemic. Prices are steep for what you get if you are out of state.
TravelerWe stayed when there weren't very many other campers. Site 3 is a great site. Large and seperated enough from others. the water didn't taste too good. the bathrooms were clean. we stayed from thursday thru tuesday and the police drove through at least once a day that i noticed. not that they needed to. we are going back in aug and renting the yurt that they have there and bringing the whole family. its located not too far from the NH line and not too far from fitchburg
Legend
This is a smaller campground with a few loops of campsites. The sites that are near the small pond are generally larger and have better space for pitching a tent. The sites on the first two loops/spur roads are smaller and most of them are designated for tents only or tents/popups. Site 33 is large and level, suitable for an RV, but Group B site is right behind it, which may or may not be an issue. Group A & C sites are also in the first two loops.
65, 67, 68 are walk-in sites, with the tent area lower, closer to the water. At the top of the hill, there are several yurts available.
Dump station and additional swimming/water activities are a little farther down the road at Lake Dennison .
RangerI found some more pictures from my camping trip here, and I wanted to share them. I loved it here, it was a great little campground for massachusetts
Scout
This is a great campground located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts on walker pond. Brand new bathroom/shower facility this year. Offers hiking, biking, swimming, fishing. Nice and quiet also. Highly recommend
TravelerThis campground is clean and well kept. Lots of families here. Swimming in a pond or a short drive to a bigger lake (camping pass covers both). One of my favorites. It's kind of a hidden gem in north central Massachusetts.
GuideIt cost me $52 because I am not a Massachusetts resident, per night. I got site number one you can hear the hum of the electric station. The Ranger said he doesn’t even notice it anymore. The trails are pretty it’s Labor Day weekend I’m lucky to have a spot. Would not recommend it.
LegendI tent camped here in night while exploring the fishing in Western Massachusetts.
The campsite was peaceful and quiet and mostly tucked into the hillside.
I did see the electrical station at the entrance but the sound didn’t reach where I was staying at site 33. To avoid that sound, I would suggest sites further up the road.
The sites offered medium privacy. Site 33 was built into a slope in the hill, so it required walking up a short set of stairs, but the tent site was level.
I didn’t explore the hiking trails but it seems very convenient that you could leave into the trails right from the campground.
For any fly fishing folks, this campground is very close to the Housatonic (catch and release only!)
Legend
Friends told me about this little gem in north central Massachusetts, not far from Rt 2. The big draw here is the pond, with the public beach on one side and lined with private cabins on the other. Swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking will keep you busy. There's a separate boat launch at the far end of the road from the beach.
There are only 27 sites, but in 2020 many of the ones served by composting toilets are closed. You need reservations in advance. Fees in 2020 are only $17 for MA residents, but $55 for out-of-staters.
Campsites are laid out in a linear fashion along a one-way road that leaves from the parking area. It's a bit of an uphill hike from the beach to the campsites. Sites are large, wooded, generally level. It was quiet with a lot of families. I took site pictures, but for the closed sites, the numbers were not posted.
Download your maps for offline use! Cell connection was horrible heading up here.
ScoutBeautiful campground in a nice central location nearby several nice towns in Central Massachusetts. The hiking is some of the best I have seen from a campground in the area, with a huge system of trails which are all very well marked. These trails vary greatly in terms of difficulty, a few of the trails are doable in less than 15 minutes if you maintain a quick pace. The harder trails, including the one going up to Carpenter's Rocks are more strenuous and feature a good amount of elevation gain, rocky terrain, and very worthwhile views for the trouble.
Not usually too busy on the trails, though expect hordes of people at the parking lot especially during the warmer months. Firewood is easily available, if a bit pricey, and the tent sites are generously sized with plenty of room for multiple shelters. Have spotted beavers deep into some of the water-adjacent trails, as well as many species of birds.
Definitely give this one a try if you're in the area. Rental fees for the tent sites are very reasonable, and it's worthwhile to come for the trails and views alone.
Scout
This place is great. Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful and kind. They really seem to care about what they do, and it shows. Highly recommend.
GuideThe campground is connected to an adventure/outing company that provides white water rafting, tubing and other water activities on a nearby river. It’s close to where locals jump off outcrops into the lazy river and hang out on the river side. They don’t allow fired at the campsites though which is annoying and their quiet hours are quite oppressive.
TravelerOverall had a wonderful experience at zoar campsite in charlemont ma. Staff was awesome, went out of their way to tAke care of our group from camping to rafting. Highly recommend the site.
Amenities are well maintained. Could use a refresh but overall great experience will be back
Scout
Foolhardy Hill is the nicest facility that I have ever "Camped". I used quotes, because this is NOT a "roughing it" Campground. Katie and Biddy, the host/owners, are the nicest and most accommodating. This "off the grid" place is convenient, comfortable, spotless clean and I would HIGHLY recommend a stay. I would also recommend renting the entire facility for a family reunion, off site business meeting, fishing club meeting, or just a place to meet up with a bunch of old friends... The bathrooms are clean and the showers are HOT. The pavilion provides a meeting place for groups to maybe discuss the day's catch, the one that got away, or just to meet new friends. The pavilion also has everything you will need for grilling, flat top cooking and 2+ gas burners.
I was here for fishing. Foolhardy is located centrally for the best the Deerfield River has to offer.
Pets welcome, but leave the little ones at home (unless renting the entire facility).
If I have to leave just ONE negative comment; after the shower, the mirror above the sink was VERY fogged! (Did i mention, the showers are HOT!) :-D
Guide
Incredibly beautiful views, gorgeous sunsets. Very well maintained facilities. Beautiful pool and spa only open during the summer. Staff is friendly and helpful.
GuideMy wife and I went there and staff were not very polite. They charge you an extra $10 just for a key they said they were going to have events they never had any of them. However the pool was nice and the grounds were nice but for me the staff the owners really rude I will never return.
GuideWe 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.
Scout
My girlfriend and I stayed at Site Num. 13. As described, it provided full shade and contained a fire pit. The ground covering was mostly crushed rocks and dirt so we would highly recommend when camping with a tent to bring a footprint as well as a cushioned sleeping pad.
When walking around the 45 camp sites we noticed that most perimeter sites were almost exactly the same as described above. However, the interior sites provided little to no shade at all and were mostly grass coverings.
North Pond was a very peaceful area to enjoy while we stayed at Savoy, but when we attempted to swim at South Pond, we didn't stay very long due to the debris such as broken glass and nails. We mostly enjoyed hiking many of the extensive trails in and around the area.
The bathrooms and showers were as clean as would be expected from a camp site. There are multiple potable drinking water stations throughout the camp site and a dedicated sink for dishes at each bathroom.
While it was a relaxing and enjoyable weekend, we may not return in the future as it was not what we were looking for. This camp site in our belief is best for family camping with small children or people looking for an easy getaway.
GuideNice campground. Nights were quiet. Very limited cell service. We camp with a pop up and reserved site 11, the orientation of the site did not work and we switched to site 10. 10 & 11 are connected by a path, good for people traveling in a group. Bathrooms at a distance for most sites. They could use some updating but served their purpose. Campground has a nice loop for the kids to bike. North Pond has a small beach for swimming. Didnt have any luck fishing at North or South pond. A lot of a hiking trails in the area. Went to Tannery Falls, beautiful waterfall. About a 20 minute drive away, worth a visit. We would stay again.
GuideSavoy mountain campground is a very nice state park camp, but don’t rely on gps to get you there it will put you on the wrong end of the park in the middle of a rural neighborhood. The park is so hard to find that not even a cell signal can get there, if your looking to unplug this is a great spot!Use the directions provided on the website, they are far more reliable. Very clean park, convenient clean restroom/shower building and helpful staff. There are RV sites and there is a dump station/potable water fill station available at the park entrance, but no RV hook ups of any kind. Sites are spacious and many shaded sites have decent privacy though open field sites are also available, bear boxes are provided at each site as this is black Bear country. Ample hiking to be done in the park and you can access the Mohawk trail right from the campground, the Appalachian trail and Mt Greylock is a short drive away.
TravelerMy 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.
TravelerUnfortunately, 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.
TravelerThis is a nice campground, overall. Many of the sites (most of the ones on the periphery of the campground) are wooded and somewhat secluded, with 1-3 being the most secluded (but subject to road noise from the occasional car coming to the campsite). We stayed in site 1, and we could barely see our neighbor's fire at night, because there were so many trees between us. It was great. The not-so-great part of the park is the bathroom. It wasn't very clean, and only one shower stall per gender. The shower was absolutely nasty, and covered in mold. But, I don't go camping to shower, so it wasn't horrific for me. There are some nice trails nearby, so all-in-all a good place.
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