Best Tent Camping near Springfield, MA

Springfield's tent camping options are just a short drive from the city, with Wilderness Lake Campground standing out for its well-spaced sites. The ground is mostly flat, making tent setup straightforward without much struggle. Tent campers can find sites close to the bathrooms, which include both basic portapotties and shower facilities. Walking trails begin right at the tent camping areas, letting you hike without needing to drive elsewhere. Watch out for local wildlife - proper food storage is important to keep critters away from your campsite. Booking works through a simple online reservation system that lets you pick your specific tent site ahead of time. You won't need to haul your gear far, as parking spots sit close to the tent areas. The campground has good tree cover, giving most sites decent shade during hot summer days. If you like paddling, the lake has free kayaks that campers can use. Getting to the campground doesn't require any special vehicle - regular cars can handle the roads fine. Many campers use this spot as a base camp while checking out natural areas around Springfield.

Best Tent Sites Near Springfield, Massachusetts (24)

    1. Sodom Mountain Campground

    1 Review
    Southwick, MA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (413) 569-3930

    "I wasn't going to come back again but it is very close to my grandkids. All roads are dirt and all potholes have been repaired.  The clubhouse is being renovated and activities are now back. "

    2. Onion Mountain Park

    3 Reviews
    West Simsbury, CT
    24 miles
    Website

    "We arrived at the parking lot of Onion Mountain Park at around 2 pm and proceeded to get our bags packed for the hike."

    "Very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required. Small campsite, first come first served basis. Other posts claim you can park right the site, but you can not."

    3. Chester Railway Station

    1 Review
    Chester, MA
    25 miles
    Website

    $50 - $100 / night

    "The caboose is stationed on a big grassy field, near a real railroad. It sleeps 4 and you can set up tents outside too.  You hear the trains running at night. Very clean and comfortable."

    4. Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    9 Reviews
    Royalston, MA
    40 miles
    +1 (978) 249-9150

    $40 / night

    "Two tents allowed per site, no alcohol although no one checked. No water or electricity at the sites. You park & walk in but they provide carts. You have to buy firewood from them."

    "Tully Lake Campground is located in Royalston, MA, which is a northern part of Central Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border."

    5. Federated Womens Club State Forest

    1 Review
    Petersham, MA
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 939-8962

    6. Barton Cove Campground

    2 Reviews
    Greenfield, MA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (413) 863-9300

    $22 - $30 / night

    "The office was super helpful when I called to make reservations, making sure to ask questions about how big my tent was, what kind of view/privacy we wanted etc so they could help me find the perfect campsite"

    7. River Highlands State Park River Campground

    1 Review
    Cromwell, CT
    34 miles
    +1 (203) 287-5658

    $5 / night

    "We only visited for the day and left around dawn, but the campsite was absolutely beautiful—especially with its location right by the river."

    8. Zoar Outdoor

    3 Reviews
    Charlemont, MA
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (413) 339-4010

    10. Buck Hill Campground

    1 Review
    Thompson, RI
    40 miles

    "All the sites are in large clusters (each can accommodate 10+ tents). many of the sites are also along Wakefield Pond (big enough lake for canoe/kayak/etc."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Springfield, MA

620 Reviews of 24 Springfield Campgrounds


  • Sa R.
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    Beautiful lake

    First time staying there. Two tents allowed per site, no alcohol although no one checked. No water or electricity at the sites. You park & walk in but they provide carts. You have to buy firewood from them. Canoe, kayak & padddleboard rental available. Showers & bathrooms by the parking area. Lots of islands & places to explore on the lake. Buggy in June so bring your repellent. Dogs allowed...that’s all I got for now :)

  • Nicole G.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Tolland State Forest Campground

    Great Lakeside Campground

    This was only my second camping trip ever (and first tent camping) so grain of salt here - We had a great time at Tolland. The site was spacious and equipped with a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The ground at the site was large gravel which was not great in the tent, but walking around it looks like most sites are more dirt and pine needles.

    The swimming area is small but sandy, great for kids, and my daughter loved thethe campfire and nature talk given on Saturday night by park staff.

  • Ryan A.
    Jun. 12, 2024

    Mohawk Trail State Forest Campground

    Great Campground in Western Mass

    This is a great campground located off of highway 2 in western Mass. I stayed in site 51 and luckily the campground was mostly empty(it was on a Thursday though and was supposed to be full for the weekend.) Each campsite has a bear box and fire ring, there is easy access to hiking trails and flush-toilet bathrooms with sinks are located throughout. There is only one dumpster though and it’s a walk to get to – store your trash in your car or drive it each night, or enjoy the walk. 

    The campsites are very close together without much brush for privacy, so you should expect to see your neighbors up close and personal. Some of the sites are on Cold River(which is more like a creek). The bugs were awful, especially the gnats and I did see a large tick on my fire grill, so be prepared. The best sites are on the lower loop around the water. Avoid any site next to the bathroom as the lights stay on all night and will shine directly into your tent. 49 looked really nice and seemed dark. The hike-in sites were also close together, 22 is the most private. There are baskets with wheels provided. 

    The rangers are friendly and sell firewood in case you need any. You’ll need to check in before going to the campsite, they’ll give you a map and they take good care of the sites. Would definitely camp here again.

  • Nancy R.
    Jul. 31, 2018

    Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    Tully Lake Campground is perfect to enjoy traditional family camping!

    Tully Lake Campground is located in Royalston, MA, which is a northern part of Central Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border. It is a State managed campground, and reservations must be made through Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations. There are some prime camp sites with direct access to the lake, but suggest you be prepared to call early in the morning of the first day State Campground reservations can be made, if you want one of these!

    This is a "Carry In" campground. You park at the entrance, register with Ranger. Large wooden wheelbarrows are provided to bring your gear to your camp site. (This means no noise or disturbances from cars entering your camp sites.) There are individual sites, and 2 group sites, if you are camping with a group. Canoes are available to rent to explore Tully Lake. Most parts of the lake are suitable for swimming, and some camp sites offer direct entry into the lake for swimming, canoeing, or kayaking. If you'd like to hike with children, there is an easy hike close to the entrance, along Doane's Falls, a series of 5 waterfalls along an ascending path through a wooded area. The views are beautiful, and it's not unusual to spot professional nature photographers at various points along the waterfalls. Bring your cameras or smart phones to capture some of these breathtaking views! And of course there are longer, more challenging trails for more experienced hikers. There are family oriented programs offered, and dogs are allowed, on leash only. Cell service is spotty to non-existent for some providers within the campground. But a short walk or drive away from the campground you can get connected again.

    The bathrooms are located near the entrance to the Park, and include flush toilets as well as coin operated, hot showers, open 24/7. There are sinks beside the building, where campers are asked to wash their dishes, rather than at the camp site. A fire ring and picnic table are provided at each camp site. If you've forgotten any gear or need groceries, there's a Walmart just a 15 minute drive away, open until 12 midnight.

    The staff are quite friendly, helpful and informative. If you enjoy "old fashioned" family tent camping, without the noise and presence of cars and RV's near your camp site, (or cell phones!) this is the place for you. Enjoy!

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    Amazing Dispersed Camping

    Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby

  • Dawn S.
    May. 30, 2020

    Savoy Mountain State Forest Campground

    Clean

    My 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.

  • Ryan A.
    May. 21, 2024

    Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground

    Good Location for Hiking, Lots of Garbage, Not Recommended

    Camped here on a Friday night in Site 16, yet another campground recommended in“Best Tent Camping: New England.” Overall I was not impressed. The campsites are right next to each other and are marked with posts. The sites are so close that the posts are marked with the site number on both sides which tells me that there has been confusion in the past.

    The sites along the creek mostly have worn paths to walk to it but it’s nothing impressive and I wouldn’t want to eat fish that came out of it. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, some have the kind where the top flips over and others have the moveable grate that goes up and down. There is a large dumpster in the campground and several porta-potties. The old outhouses have been permanently closed and locked shut. My campsite had a lot of trash in it, old tent stakes, plastic bottle caps, plastic fork, broken glass, etc. Not good.

    Some of the people there were camping in a group and were blasting music. I didn’t see a single park ranger the entire night so I’m not sure how often they police it. Someone in a pickup truck came into the campground, did a u-turn, and sped out at 30 mph which was really annoying and unsafe.

    Across the street from the campground is a trail to Chapman Falls, which will take less than 10 minutes to hike to, but it’s a pretty waterfall despite all the foam and garbage around it.

    This is a pretty basic campground and is nothing special. Out of all the sites I think 22 looked the best, it is more isolated and you can hear the waterfalls from it, which would be relaxing. The downside is that it’s right next to the entrance and road so you’ll get car headlights at night.

    I woke in the morning to a gray sky and hundreds of birds singing– it was my favorite part of the trip. I delayed getting up to enjoy the moment. I also didn’t see any ticks but I’m sure there are plenty based on other reviews.

    I’ve always thought that if states were condiments Connecticut would be mayonnaise– relatively unremarkable and bland. This campground fits that description perfectly.

  • Sara Q.
    Oct. 7, 2019

    Savoy Mountain State Forest Campground

    Small, loud, muddy

    Unfortunately, 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.

  • Amanda S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great price

    This is basic dry camping it is fun but there is no electric or water at the sites o LU in the bathhouse. So if you get a site close the the bathhouse you will have water close by and electricity close. Otherwise it’s dry camping.. the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent because of the platform that the tent goes on and the lake is ok. The kids don’t like swimming with fish so we didn’t spend much time at the lake


Guide to Springfield

Tent camping near Springfield, Massachusetts offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from peaceful retreats to more adventurous settings, there's something for everyone.

Tips for Tent Camping Near Springfield

  • Onion Mountain Park provides a tranquil atmosphere with no permit required, making it an easy choice for spontaneous camping trips.
  • Federated Womens Club State Forest is ideal for those seeking a rustic experience, featuring walk-in sites that immerse you in nature.
  • Barton Cove Campground offers a unique setup with tent platforms and a focus on privacy, perfect for a quiet getaway.

Local Attractions for Outdoor Enthusiasts

  • Sodom Mountain Campground is a hidden gem that has seen improvements under new ownership, making it a great base for exploring nearby hiking trails.
  • Chester Railway Station offers a unique camping experience in a converted caboose, perfect for train enthusiasts and families alike.
  • Cozie Nook Homestead provides a charming atmosphere with modern amenities, making it a comfortable spot to relax after a day of exploring.

Activities to Enjoy While Camping

  • At Onion Mountain Park, you can hike the yellow or blue trails, leading to beautiful views and a peaceful camping experience.
  • Barton Cove Campground allows for boat-in access, making it a great spot for kayaking and enjoying the water while camping.
  • Peace Farm Rescue offers a chance to connect with nature and animals, providing a unique experience for families and animal lovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the best tent camping sites in Springfield, MA?

Near Springfield, Tully Lake Recreation Area offers excellent tent-only camping with waterfront sites and privacy. The campground features walk-in sites with carts provided for equipment transport. For those seeking a more backcountry experience, Barton Cove Campground provides rustic tent platforms with grills, fire pits, and picnic tables. Their helpful staff can recommend the perfect site based on your tent size and desired privacy level. Both locations are within reasonable driving distance from Springfield and offer peaceful natural settings for tent campers.

Are there any year-round tent campgrounds open now near Springfield?

Most campgrounds in the Springfield area operate seasonally due to New England's winter conditions. Mount Washington State Forest offers primitive camping opportunities during extended seasons, with some areas potentially accessible for winter camping for experienced backpackers. For those willing to travel a bit further, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail has shelters like Brassie Brook that may be accessible year-round, though winter camping requires proper equipment and experience. Always check with park management for current seasonal restrictions before planning a trip outside peak summer months.

What amenities do tent campsites in Springfield offer?

Tent campsites near Springfield offer varying amenity levels depending on the location. Onion Mountain Park provides primitive camping with minimal facilities for those seeking a more rugged experience. For more comfort, Laurel Ridge at Mount Everett State Reservation offers tent platforms and basic facilities while maintaining a wilderness feel. Most established campgrounds provide fire rings, picnic tables, and access to restrooms (ranging from vault toilets to modern facilities). Some sites offer bear boxes for food storage. Water access varies by location, with some requiring campers to bring their own water. Cell service is generally limited at most wilderness campsites.