Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tully Lake

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!

We stayed at site 1, which was HUGE and extremely private. Sites closer to the water that we saw were less private, but still very peaceful and spread out. No cars at all at the campsites, which was great for peace of mind as our toddler roamed around. It also made for a super quiet stay. We rented kayaks right at the campground for a paddle around Tully Lake. Great trip! We will be returning.

Beautiful clean campground! Great for kids and pets. We love taking the dog to the dog beach for a swim.

Camp store is great, fun fishing on the lake and tons of activities for the kids.

Miles and miles of country/forests surrounding pine acres, however pulling in you’ll soon realize how much goes on inside the campground. AWESOME pools (very kid friendly), parks, dog park, hiking trails and even sections off of the trails to find your own private beach on the water. Went there in a tent rather than our camper, which turned out to be better. Tent sites were very dispersed and way up on the top of the mountain. Camper sites seemed a little close but worth the sacrifice due to the incredible environment. On the more expensive side but worth the money if you have kids. Another big plus was the abundance of wood to get from fallen trees (not having to pay for the expensive bundles at the store) and the size of the fire pits

I really wanted to like this place. It's in a very cool area that I didn't expect to be so awesome. First main issue was how bad the cell reception is. Normally, I'd day that's a perk for camping but we're full-timers and work on the road so it is important for us. Next, the place is massive and they are more about make money than making people comfortable. What could easily be a very nice and spacious pull-thru spot are 2 back to back back-ins. Unless you're lucky enough to get an end spot, those are pull-thru. Pros: awesome dog park, great office with laundry, activities, arcades, adult only room, community campfire, indoor pool with lifeguard, the staff is nice, there's a lake for swimming, boating, catch and release fishing. Their basketball court is on a shuffleboard court, playground is nice though. Close to Old Sturbridge Village and many cool hikes and MA cities.

Easy access site, riverside electric 30A and water. Nice people. Great for pets. They have pet poo drop boxes and bags. Super clean bathrooms. The sites are not very private, but spacing is decent. Getting there you have to follow directions on their website to avoid the two low covered bridges. u.s. cellular coverage 3 bars.

Grounds well kept. Shaded sites. Quiet areas in lower roads with mostly seasonal. Reasonable cost. 30 amp only. Many full hookups. Pet friendly.

Score a campsite at this Army Corps of Engineer owned/Trustees of the Reservation operated campground and you can either paddle or walk into your site. Trustees membership offers a small discount on the rate.

There's a canoe/kayak launch near the campground, so if you have a waterfront site you may choose to paddle your gear over. Some of the sites do not have waterfront access, however, and you'll definitely want to take advantage of the carts provided. Campsites are very basic, with only a picnic table and fire ring. 

Canoes and kayaks are available for rental. Volleyball and horseshoes are near the entrance. You may purchase firewood. The bathrooms offer flush toilets and a single shower on each site, plus a dishwashing sink outside. From some of the sites, this will be a long walk during the night. The mural inside is beautiful. 

From the main entrance, collect a cart, load your gear, and following the appropriate divergent path from the parking lot or bath house (they are color coded). Some of the sites are located on a small rise; I suspect that was appreciated the night 4" of rain fell recently! One site gives you an island to yourself.

Cell coverage is pretty close to absent or poor in most of the area, so download any maps you might want (driving, trail, geocaching) before you arrive.

Near the dam is a larger boat launch with parking. I was there in July and wildflowers were blooming. A disc golf course is also near the dam and was seeing a fair amount of activity. We hiked the 4-mile loop around Tully Lake. The highlight was Doane's falls, a very quick walk from the campground area. There's no formal swimming area and you can't swim at the boat launches, but you are able to swim from your campsites if you so desire.

I took most of my photos during a December visit (which is why the picnic tables are often resting against trees), but returned in July.

After scouting this campground in December, I was able to score a last minute reservation of a waterfront site in July. As a caveat, waterfront in this instance was more of a water view as the lake was on the other side of the campground road and a large open area with trees. Campsites are$17/night (no hookups, dump station available) with a significant surcharge for out-of-state campers leading to a$54/night charge, which is no bargain when you consider nearby private campgrounds are closer to$40 with full hookups.

There are two loops to the campground. The North loop(sites 101-150) offers more waterfront sites where one can easily launch a canoe or kayak directly from the site; note, however, that the sites in the teens are on a rise above the water, although I did see some campers had pulled their boats up along the shore even below those sites. The North loop also has a small beach; for the East loop, you’ll either need to walk to the day use are, which features a larger beach, or drive around to it. There is no swimming apart from the two beach areas. There are numerous spots along the lakefront where you can fish, catching panfish close to shore. Bass, trout(stocked in spring), chain pickerel are larger species.

Bathrooms in the north loop are old and in desperate need of renovation, enough that I would think twice about a site here if I were not self-contained. East loop bathrooms have better flooring and facilities. I preferred the largest bath house, near the waterfront. Flush toilets. Water available from faucet. Showers are available and free, but only 1/bath house. Only a couple of the bathhouses have dishwashing sinks.

I was in site 59, with a nice view of the lake. I endured a major downpour and 12-hr rain storm(I’m not sure how much rain we got, but nearby relatives had 4” rain in the same time, so that puts it in perspective) and the next morning site 58 was underwater with a brook running through it. I didn’t explore the north loop after the storm, but this site in the east loop bore the brunt of the storm.

Cell phone coverage was nearly nonexistent. We could get maybe 1 bar on Verizon, sometimes 3G, sometimes not even that. Texts took their time going through. Leaving the campground, I had better luck getting 4G if I headed to Winchendon rather than to south to Baldwinville. Download maps for offline use if you expect to explore the area (such as Tully Lake, Doanes Falls).

There are ice cream and burger/hot dog restaurants a few miles in either direction(Lickity Splitz, Lee’s Hot Dog). Winchendon had a Family Dollar. Both towns have Dunkin’ and gas stations.

Site was clean, easy to get in/out with 21' travel trailer. Swimming at the beach wasn't inviting. Lots of seasonal campers with years of lawn ornaments. There was a sense of the campground being clicky place. Pet friendly. Mixed emotions....

Monadnock State Park is a beautiful hiking adventure for families, beginners, and anyone looking for a fun weekend trip with amazing views. There are several lookouts on the journey to the summit, and the view from the top is amazing. This was my first benchmark and the adventure inspired me to go explore and collect more!

P.S. There are no pets allowed in Monadnock State Park.

We had an incredible stay at Douglas Forest RV Resort! From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by how peaceful and well-maintained everything was. The RV sites are spacious and easy to navigate, with full hookups and strong Wi-Fi— a big plus for us since we work remotely on the road. What really sets this place apart is the location. You’re literally steps away from Douglas State Forest, which made morning hikes and evening strolls absolutely magical. It’s pet-friendly too, and our dog loved the wooded trails and open areas. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and the camp store had everything we needed. Even though the recreation area is still being built, the amenities already in place more than made up for it. We’re already planning our next trip for summer when the pool opens! If you’re looking for a relaxing spot that blends nature with convenience, look no further. Douglas Forest RV Resort is a true hidden gem!

We originally had a one day stay here but after some glitches we settled into a spot and it was very nice. At first (and this has nothing to do with camp it’s the people and their pets that make or break a visit) we had lots kid noise some had 8 kids!! Lots barking and we have dogs so I love dogs just not dogs with no training . But inside the rv we were fine. Next day lots people left and luckily for us a lot of noisy spots were now quiet. So we booked another night. We even talked about another night but this space wasn’t available and to move is a lot of work. Camp site mostly level. Lots trees for shade. Nice fire pit and table at each site. Owners unbelievably nice. They lent us a tool to fix a problem. Lots tents amongst rv’s. Tents have nice big spots with power. We detached tow because we read interior roads narrow. Plus we wanted to site see. The roads are narrow but doable in our 37’ motorhome. Yes big rocks but it’s ok. To leave we think we can attach tow and get out fine. I’d come back here again. But you know it all depends on who pulls in near or next to you and many are respectful and understand rv etiquette but there’s a definite group who are here for their own enjoyment without consideration for others. All it takes is one and that can happen at any campsite. But we we comfortable here.

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

Campground facilities are very clean.  Only 1 shower station which isn't always convenient. Staff is great. Something for everyone to enjoy. Wish all fellow campers with dogs would leash them at all times per the campground rules, and clean up after their dog(s).   Very family friendly. Most fellow campers respect the quiet hours, and each other.  This is our go to campground.

Very large campground with lots of woods to block you from other campers. Dog friendly 🐶