Best Campgrounds near Somerville, MA

Public and private campgrounds within 30 miles of Somerville provide camping options in Massachusetts' urban periphery. Harold Parker State Forest in Andover offers tent and RV camping at Lorraine Park Campground, while Wompatuck State Park Campground in Hingham provides similar accommodations about 20 miles southeast of Boston. Military personnel can access Hanscom AFB FamCamp in Bedford, which features RV hookups, tent sites, and even glamping options. Most established campgrounds in the region operate seasonally, typically from May through October, with a few exceptions like Ponkapoag Camp which remains open year-round.

Most campgrounds in the Greater Boston area require reservations, particularly during summer months when demand peaks. "This campground has 6 yurts and 6 tent sites. The yurts have bunk beds, a floor lamp, a table inside, a picnic table outside and a grill. Just getting to the island is a fun adventure," noted one visitor about Boston Harbor Islands State Park. Road access varies significantly between mainland and island campgrounds, with the Boston Harbor Islands requiring ferry transportation from either Long Wharf in Boston or Hingham. Campers should verify seasonal opening dates, as some facilities like Camp Nihan Education Center operate on limited schedules or may close temporarily.

The camping experience near Somerville ranges from rustic to full-service facilities. Boston Harbor Islands State Park offers a unique coastal camping experience where visitors can explore old forts, swim, and enjoy views of the Boston skyline. Ponkapoag Camp provides a more secluded experience despite its proximity to the city. According to one camper, it "feels like Vermont yet 20 minutes from Downtown Boston." Normandy Farms Campground in Foxborough represents the high-end spectrum with numerous amenities for tent camping, RVs, cabins, and glamping accommodations. Winter Island Park in Salem offers waterfront camping with electric hookups from May through October, allowing campers to experience the North Shore while maintaining proximity to urban amenities.

Best Camping Sites Near Somerville, Massachusetts (87)

    1. Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    32 Reviews
    North Reading, MA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 475-7972

    $17 - $35 / night

    "north of Boston and <5 miles from the interstate, Lorraine Park campground at Harold Parker State Forest provides ample on-site activities and also serves as a jumping off point for exploring the Massachusetts"

    "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."

    2. Wompatuck State Park Campground

    43 Reviews
    Hingham, MA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (617) 895-8245

    $17 - $23 / night

    "Ours (R002) was large, beautiful, and mostly surrounded by forest."

    "I chose a spot away from others and was glad I did. Behind me was nothing but quiet woods and a deer meandered through a couple times."

    3. Hanscom AFB FamCamp

    9 Reviews
    Bedford, MA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (781) 225-3953

    "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."

    "Close to minute man historical sites- revolutionary war historical trails and Ranger Station. Not too far from Boston."

    4. Winter Island Park

    14 Reviews
    Salem, MA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 745-9430

    $35 - $105 / night

    "Many of the RV sites are located in the main parking lot; others are in a field just to the right of the entrance."

    "We drove 3-1/2 days from Idaho to get to a COVID testing site which would take non MA residents and turn the results around under 48 hours. We needed quiet camping and not have it cost a fortune."

    5. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Hull, MA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (781) 740-1605

    $8 - $55 / night

    "The yurts have bunk beds, a floor lamp, a table inside, a picnic table outside and a grill. Just getting to the island is a fun adventure."

    "You may choose to leave from Long Wharf, near the Aquarium T stop on the Blue line, or from Hingham, with overnight parking available."

    6. Normandy Farms Campground

    39 Reviews
    Foxborough, MA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (866) 673-2767

    $50 - $200 / night

    "The staff was positive and helpful and that made a difference for me. I traditionally dry camp or go for semi hooked up on purpose, I just like the quieter camping."

    "Driving around this place is definitely not a typical campground but more of a luxury camp because of all of the amenities.

    That being said it was very nice and felt safe."

    7. Ponkapoag Camp

    6 Reviews
    Randolph, MA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (781) 961-7007

    $20 - $65 / night

    "The area around Ponkapog is beautiful, showcasing a wetland climate that, while common, is an integral part of the Massachusetts ecosystem that many people don’t even realize is within a stones throw."

    "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."

    8. Spacious Skies Minute Man

    28 Reviews
    Ayer, MA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 772-0042

    $39 - $999 / night

    "The pool is huge and clean and there is a ton of seating around. The shop has everything you could need. There are horseshoes, can jam, basketball, and bocce. There’s a playground and a rec room."

    "Easily accessible by car to shopping, groceries, etc. but no hiking or good walking paths from the campground."

    9. Camp Nihan Education Center

    2 Reviews
    Saugus, MA
    8 miles
    Website

    "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."

    10. Cape Ann Camp Site

    16 Reviews
    Gloucester, MA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 283-8683

    $36 - $44 / night

    "Perfect location with access to Rockport - a beautiful place to visit, shop, eat & a great little trail with great views Beach down the street was big, beautiful and low tide was unexpected as you"

    "Beautiful campsite, nice sized sites surrounded by trees so it felt pretty private. Bathrooms and showers well maintained, 25 cents for 5 minute shower."

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Recent Reviews near Somerville, MA

621 Reviews of 87 Somerville Campgrounds


  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 18, 2025

    Massasoit State Park Campground

    Campsite was great, staff was rough

    I loved our campsite. But the staff was pretty rude. I was there for a family reunion. I told the staff my mom and dad would be dropping me off the next day, so they added their name to the site as it is a mile walk in. They didn’t give us another car tag, just said if there names were in the site we were good. Next night, we get dropped off in the rain, with a 50 lb bag of dog food and they wouldn’t let me parents take me to my site. Eventually we convinced them of we left my dad and sister at the front gate with them in the pouring rain, my mom could drive us in. They never even checked our reservation to see if the names were in there. Bring a car if you are camping here in a motorhome

  • SkipperAllen C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 8, 2025

    Wompatuck State Park Campground

    Very nice stopover

    Good place to spend the night.It was quiet comfortable and plenty of room between campsites

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 6, 2025

    Beach Rose RV Park

    Nice park

    Owners were helpful on arrival, level concrete pad full hookups. Sites close together but quiet.

  • 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.

  • Cassie G.
    Aug. 12, 2025

    Winding River Campground

    Fun laid back place. This campground has a lot of potential. Some info on their website and Facebook isn’t accurate.

    I would like to share my experience this past weekend at Winding River in Exeter NH. My family of 3 Stayed at tent site 523 in the Oak area. We also had family at 553 and 554 and Cabin 2.

    About site 523: I clearly had one of the largest and most private tent sites. It was set back with a long driveway tucked between 522 and 524. It’s a very steep drop into the river making most sites a little nerve wracking with a little one. Online it said water available nearby. Most sites had a hookup but there wasn’t a one on my site. It looked like there may have been one to share on the road, but I didn’t end up needing to figure that out.

    Tent sites 522 and 524: Along with most of the tent sites these sites were very close to each other, much smaller and closer to the road. I wished my family members had gotten 552 and 553 as they blended together nicely if you are tenting in side by side spaces. The ground was very rocky making staking tents down difficult. They were right next to the bathroom which was convenient but loud. Ventilation in the bathroom was not good so the doors were propped open much of the time and loud hand dryers.

    Shower:

    • This is the smaller of the two bathrooms in the campground. There are 2 showers there. Each with a single insufficient curtain and no hooks on the wall or bench to place things down. Water was hot enough, pressure was ok if you set it to the high power massage-like setting.
    • The showers in other bathroom (near the town center area) had a door and two curtains. Some had hooks (some of which were broken). I almost tripped going in and out of these bathroom stalls because they are raised up but there is no marking on the ground to indicate that.

    Cabin 2: Ac worked well. There was a good sized bed downstairs, smaller beds in two lofts. I was surprised the couch didn’t pull out. Fridge and all dishes were nice and clean. All the cabins seem to have different back porch setups. This porch was smaller than C1. There was a propane grill that smelled rancid with sooo much caked on The burners. The location of the ceiling fan under the other lights in the ceiling gave them a flashing effect that really bothered me.

    Pros:

    • Lower price compared to other campgrounds (but I don’t feel like I got everything advertised on the website)
    • Two playgrounds, both were nice.
    • Water slide was fun
    • We arrived Thursday at the gate and were told how to get to our site, to set up and then come over to the office which was nice.

    Cons:

    • The river is very low and yucky so none of the boating or fishing advertised was possible. likely causing the massive amount of mosquitos.
    • The whole arcade building was was “out of order”
    • The laundry room had two washers (one was broken) and two dryers 2.50 each per load. Not sufficient for a campground this size (especially when people leave their clothes in the machine for 30 mins after they’re done!)
    • Camp store was poorly stocked (multiple empty coolers).
    • Ice $3 per SMALL bag.
    • Wood $10 per bundle and rules say you can’t bring from off-site. I saw people with huge metal bins of wood but was never offered that option when I payed for multiple bundles.
    • Camp store closes at 3 on Sunday and doesn’t open until 11 am during the week (which is also checkout). This made it a little confusing when I wanted to return the golf cart. They have a small area with icecream that is scooped and maybe a kitchen. I never saw it open but I think the sign said open morning to 12 and then again in the evening.
    • The pool was green and cloudy on day 3. I called the office and was told they had just shocked it and that was a result of the copper. I am not informed enough on pool safety so I opted out of swimming on the hottest day of our stay. My son was bummed.
    • Planned activities were only scheduled for Friday and Saturday, when online mentions “daily”. During adult kareoke there were plenty of kids and really poor wifi (wasting so much time between songs).

    And just to add:

    • Staff I encountered was friendly enough, but It would be nice if they wore shirts to identify themselves.
    • Golf cart was great, but cost more than the site per night.
    • Pedal go-carts were available for rent (I didn’t ask a price).
  • Savanna B.
    Aug. 8, 2025

    Winding River Campground

    Place is nice, can get loud

    It's a nice campground with a pool and hottub. The store is a little overpriced. Most of the staff is okay but there are some that are a little rude. It can get loud at times but it's mostly chill

  • Savanna B.
    Aug. 8, 2025

    The Green Gate Campground

    Quiet and relaxing

    The campground is nice, friendly people. The pool is 9ft deep. The office is the store and there isn't that much to purchase but everything is reasonably priced.

  • Eric LeBoeuf
    Aug. 6, 2025

    Pearl Hill State Park Campground

    Nice place

    Don't expect to go swimming in the so called pond its all weeds and muck dear flies are killer but a little smokey fire takes care of them showers and bathrooms were always super clean id go back


Guide to Somerville

Camping near Somerville, Massachusetts, offers a great escape into nature without straying too far from the city. With a variety of campgrounds nearby, you can enjoy outdoor activities, relax by the water, and create lasting memories with family and friends.

What to do:

  • Hiking: Explore the trails at Pawtuckaway State Park Campground. “So many lovely waterfront sites, clean facilities, camp store and beach are great,” says a long-time visitor.
  • Water Activities: Enjoy kayaking or canoeing at Wompatuck State Park Campground. One camper mentioned, “The park includes a large family beach on the lake,” making it perfect for a day of fun in the sun.
  • Wildlife Watching: Visit Bear Brook State Park Campground for a chance to see local wildlife. A reviewer noted, “You know you have neighbors all around, but you aren’t tripping over each other,” which makes for a peaceful experience.

What campers like:

  • Spacious Sites: Campers appreciate the large, private sites at Greenfield State Park Campground. One visitor said, “If you like large sites in a wooded setting with many private ones, this is the place.”
  • Clean Facilities: Many enjoy the well-maintained restrooms and showers at Normandy Farms Campground. A happy camper shared, “The bathrooms/showers are spotless with piped in music and hairdryers.”
  • Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Salisbury Beach State Reservation is known for its family-oriented vibe. A reviewer mentioned, “It’s a great place to go camping; everything you need is right there.”

What you should know:

  • Pet Policies: If you’re bringing a furry friend, check the pet policies. At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, pets are allowed on hiking trails but not in the campground or beach area during the summer season.
  • Crowded Weekends: Expect busier campgrounds on weekends. One camper at Greenfield State Park Campground noted, “Mid-week, the park was at maybe 20% capacity, and it was amazing. The weekend was packed!”
  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Wompatuck State Park Campground, may not have markets or extensive amenities. A visitor mentioned, “There is NO market,” so plan accordingly.

Tips for camping with families:

  • Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with playgrounds and organized activities. Normandy Farms Campground offers tons of activities for kids, making it a hit with families. A parent said, “It has so many things for the kids to do.”
  • Choose Spacious Sites: Opt for campgrounds with larger sites to give kids room to play. A reviewer at Bear Brook State Park Campground noted, “The campground has a beach, a playground, a ball field, and a store.”
  • Plan for Mosquitoes: Bring bug spray, especially if camping near water. One camper at Greenfield State Park Campground warned, “Watch for ticks,” so be prepared.

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Levels: Some sites may not be level, so bring leveling blocks. A visitor at Normandy Farms Campground mentioned, “We have a 25” B+ and basically had to park sideways.”
  • Electric Hookups: Look for campgrounds with electric hookups if you need them. Minute Man Campground offers various site options, including those with electric hookups.
  • Reservations Recommended: During peak season, make reservations in advance. A camper at Boston/Cape Cod KOA advised, “We recommend having reservations if you want to stay at this campground.”

Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, camping near Somerville, MA, has something for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find camping sites in Somerville?

While there are no campgrounds directly in Somerville, several excellent options are nearby. Ponkapoag Camp is exceptionally convenient for Boston-area residents, offering a quick escape without crossing the bridge. For military families, Hanscom AFB FamCamp provides wooded recreational camping with RV hookups and secluded tent sites. The Riverside Terminal in Newton also offers overnight parking during non-snow emergencies for travelers heading into Boston. Most Massachusetts state forests and parks with camping are within a 30-60 minute drive of Somerville, making them accessible for both weeknight and weekend camping trips.

Are there places to pitch a tent in Somerville for weekend camping?

For tent camping near Somerville, Willard Brook State Forest Campground offers level sites around a small loop with towering pines, perfect for tent setups. The campground is situated just up the hill from Damon Pond, though downloading maps beforehand is recommended due to spotty cell service. Another excellent option is Wompatuck State Park Campground, a cute campsite close to Boston with tent-friendly spaces. For those willing to venture slightly further, the Boston Harbor Islands State Park offers unique tent camping experiences with beautiful water views. These locations provide peaceful weekend escapes within reasonable driving distance from Somerville.

What amenities do Somerville campgrounds offer?

Campgrounds near Somerville offer varied amenities to suit different camping styles. Beach Rose RV Park in Salisbury provides clean facilities, a swimming pool, and is family-owned with accommodating staff. It's particularly convenient for beach access. At Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest, you'll find nice wooded sites with ample on-site activities less than 25 miles north of Boston. Many Massachusetts state parks offer level sites, water access, and basic facilities, though note that alcohol is prohibited in state parks even at your campsite. Most nearby campgrounds feature restrooms, picnic tables, and fire rings, with some offering electrical hookups for RVs.