Best Glamping near Swampscott, MA

Glamping Reviews near Swampscott, MA

327 Reviews of 28 Swampscott Campgrounds

• 

  Emily T.

  Ranger

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Cape Ann Camp Site

  Perfect beginner camp spot

  Cape ann has everything you need for an easy, hassle free camp experience. It’s right off the main road, checking in is quick and employees are helpful. There is a corner store, bathrooms, picnic tables, fire pit, cell service, and close beach access. Everything you need for a beginner camping experience.

• M

  Mir D.

  Guide

  Aug. 22, 2021

  Cape Ann Camp Site

  Great campsite!

  Beautiful campsite, nice sized sites surrounded by trees so it felt pretty private. Bathrooms and showers well maintained, 25 cents for 5 minute shower. No cell service but wifi available at the office. Only thing we didn't like washere a lot of people walking dogs and let them "go" wherever.

• 

  Bowen B.

  Scout

  Sep. 20, 2021

  Indianhead Resort

  Good people, needs updating

  The staff here is friendly and helpful whenever you call.

  The property itself is in need of updating. The bathrooms work well enough, but they are in need of a significant amount of maintenance.

  The sites are kept clean and have water and electric (some may be by powercord). The tent sites do not offer much separation in the area I stayed.

  The sites do have plenty of room for a tent, vehicle and each have their own fire pit and picnic table.

  It does have the ability for people to do several recreational activities on site: walking trails, beach, volleyball, basket ball.

  I stayed a couple nights and had a good stay overall.

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• 

  Cassie G.

  Traveler

  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).

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• K

  Kim R.

  Guide

  May. 8, 2018

  Charge Pond Campground — Myles Standish State Forest

  Camping, biking and kayaking

  Over Memorial Day weekend, we camped at Myles Standish. We were in the Charged Pond area, in loop F. The campground doesn't have hook ups, but there is a dump station with water and water available around the loops. The lower part of the camp ground is set up in different loops. While this is a large campground, it didn't feel that large as the loop probably had 50 sites. Our site was wooded and pretty private for a state campground. We had plenty of room and the site had a fire pit and picnic table. Each loop has one bathhouse. Ours, unfortunately, did not have hot water. We were told if we wanted it, we could go to any of the other loops. The bathrooms had two showers and three stalls, two sinks. There were at least three outlets in the women's room which was convenient for a quick cell phone charge. 

  The check in process was a little challenging. We arrived later in the day and had hoped to get our pop up set up by dark, but the check in process took almost 30 mins between waiting in line and a VERY slow attendant. He was more worried about my out of state phone number than getting us checked in. He also kept trying to put us in a different section of the campground. I finally pulled up my reservation to show him that I was in the Charged Pond area. 

  Our daughters rate campgrounds by their bathrooms. I was pleasantly surprised that they received at least one cleaning during our time there. But regardless, the bathrooms weren't that clean. It wasn't the worst bathroom (thanks Yosemite for setting that standard), but it could have been a little more attended to. It scored a - "not so bad that we'd never come back" rating from the girls. 

  The bike trails through the part are great and we enjoyed them. Paved and mountain bike trails. The map they give you at check in isn't very good - hard to read and a little blurry. We picked up a nice printed, folded map at the visitor's center in town and it was much nicer and easier to read the trails. Take the map with you as the bike trails were a little confusing.

  We also enjoyed the various kettle ponds. We kayaked one morning and enjoyed watching the people catching good sized fish around us. The beach (at least at Charged Pond) had a nice sandy section and a bathhouse. 

  The town of Plymouth is about a 10 min. drive if you need anything. We never saw a camp store or even a place to get ice. But we didn't look that hard either. 

  I was surprised that it was fairly quite and not busier on a holiday weekend. We felt most people respected quiet hours and there were even empty sites in our loop. 

  We will definitely go back. It was a nice, quick getaway.

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• 

  Gail W.

  Guide

  Aug. 19, 2021

  Hanscom AFB FamCamp

  Clean, quite and inexpensive, what's not to like!

  Staying at #20 tent sight and loving it. No water on this site but there is electricity. Several options for bathrooms and all have hot running water.

• 

  Lajaun C.

  Scout

  Feb. 10, 2020

  Cape Ann Camp Site

  Great Site

  Love this campground. The staff is awesome. Very helpful. The sites are nice and wooded. All size RVs and tents are welcome. They have water, sewer, and electric hookups. No wifi. There is a nice little store on-site for anything you forgot. It is also close enough to stores if you need more. Very close to a nice beach too.

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  Sep. 13, 2019

  Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground

  Ranger Review: Banner & Oak Traveler Shirt at Boston Harbor Islands

  Campground review: Camping at Boston Harbor Islands requires some planning, but you get the benefit of a remote island with minimal company. Unless you book one of the 12 yurts on Peddocks island, the camping is rustic; you’ll need to bring everything, including water. Reservations open 6 months in advance and sites fill quickly, so plan ahead if you’re counting on a particulate day. I only visited the campsites on Peddocks Island, so I can’t speak to the ones on Lovell, Grape, and Bumpkin. 

  Getting there: Unless you have your own boat(check regulations on the website; you’ll need to anchor offshore overnight), you’ll want to catch a ride on the ferries to the Boston Harbor Islands. Figuring out the schedule is the trickiest part, not least because they don’t make the inter-island ferry schedule as readily accessible. Here’s the scoop: 

  1. 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. For Bumpkin and Grape Islands, you’ll want to leave from Hingham; Peddocks and Lovells are available from either departure point
  2. Buy your ticket online in advance. Some town libraries have passes offering 2-for-1 ferry rides, so if you’re a MA resident in the greater Boston area, it’s worth checking that out first. Otherwise, you’ll be looking at an extra$20 for the ferry, but that fee covers your round trip as well as the use of the interisland ferries so you can explore other islands. If you’re traveling as a family, look at the family pack for another discount. You can show the ticket on your phone when you board. 
  3. Pack as lightly as possible and plan to carry or wheel it to your site. If you have a folding wagon, you may appreciate having it to carry items on and off the ferry and to your site on the island. There may or may not be carts available on the island. Peddocks has running water available, but otherwise you’ll need to bring gallon of water/person. If you want to grill, bring your own charcoal; otherwise bring a stove or bring food that doesn’t need to be cooked. You may scavenge wood to build fires below the high tide line only. No alcohol and no pets. 

  The yurts on Peddocks are great, providing shelter from the elements, bunks with mattresses, electricity, a ceiling fan, table with benches, and a grill. There are 6 yurts up a small hill, with a composting toilet and water from a tap nearby. The 6 tent sites are also in this area. An additional 6 yurt sites are below the hill and in the woods, so it’s a slightly longer walk to the toilet. at the top of another hill there is an open, grassy area, also with a composting toilet, that provides group campsited.

  While you’re out on the islands, take time to explore one of the others…look for sea glass on Spectacle Island and climb the hill for a view of the Boston skyline, explore the old forts and visitors centers, earn a Junior Ranger badge from the National Park Service, fly a kite, or go for a swim or kayak. In mid-August we collected handfuls of blackberries as we explored Peddocks. 

  Ranger Product Review: Banner& Oak Traveler Shirt 

  As a Ranger with the Dyrt, I sometimes get to test items; in this case I ordered the Banner& Oak Traveler long-sleeve t-shirt  in indigo. It’s long sleeved and super soft, but the first time I went to put it on, I realized the Banner& Oak tag along the hemline was sewn through both the front and back, so I couldn’t put t on until I removed the tag. I didn’t have scissors with me, so it was tough to get it off and ultimately I ended up with a hole in both the front and back. I’ve worn this on strolls through the woods when the weather was nice, but cool and on the foggy morning ferry ride to the island. The sleeves are not constricting and when I pushed them up to my elbows, they stayed in place while I hiked. I will say that it is a unisex t-shirt and the sleeves and body of the shirt tend to run long. I like that, but if you're petite, it may be annoying.

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• 

  M.A.D. P.

  Legend

  Jan. 1, 2023

  Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

  Large and friendly park with plenty of water activity opportunities

  My first time experiencing a park in the New Hampshire Park system. We went down with a group. Pawtuckaway State Park offers a variety of landscapes, with something to do and see for everyone. The park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking, with trails leading to many special points of interest, including a mountaintop fire tower; an extensive marsh where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen.

  The park lines the shore of beautiful Pawtuckaway Lake.  The 192 sites are wooded and many provide views of the lake.  Each campsite has an open fire ring, picnic table, flat areas for a tent, and a parking space. The bathhouses are equipped with running water, flush toilets, and 24 hour showers.  There are no hook-ups at any of the campsites. The park also has a camp store where canoe and kayaks are available, as well as a plublic canoe and kayak launch. Five cabins are available; each sleeps six people, has electricity, and includes a fire ring and picnic table. Pets are not allowed in the campground or beach area of the park.

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