Looking for the best campgrounds near West Barnstable, MA? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Massachusetts camping has to offer. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your West Barnstable camping trip.
$17 - $55 / night
"We have stayed here during our exploration around cape cod. It's a but farther away from the main location, but we loved the quiet and tranquility of this campground."
"No electricity at sites. Small camp store
The pros: Decent privacy.
Not too loud. Wonderful location Awesome playground. Price cant be beat"
$22 - $55 / night
"Woodsy pet-friendly family camping with easy access to Cape Cod attractions. Our family of four plus one pet enjoyed biking, hiking, and pond swimming during our three night tent stay."
"We stayed three days at the park in August in section 6X. The sites in the park are varied."
"Restrooms and showers are spread throughout the park and were clean. There is a dump station located close to the park exit. "
"Pros-
Front office is open late (9pm)
Offers wood, ice, fire starters, hoses and adapter cap for gray water drain.
Country Store
Ice Cream
Amazing views of the canal."
"School started late so we were able to book after the holiday in September. Weather was still warm. Pool was good, pond was great. It was not crowded that time of year, so it was very enjoyable."
"When we stayed here unfortunately there was a power outage which made it difficult But the staff was great and offered discount on return trip even though not their fault it was a town outage."
"Sweetwater Forest has pleasant, secluded sites. This was the quietest campground during "quiet hours" that I've ever visited."
"Each site is sectioned off to its own space (no pass throughs), is dirt, level, and tree-hugged on every site. Sites are very large! Full hook ups available."
"They have glamping sites, which include full hookup, fire pit with chairs, octagon shaped picnic table and stone patio for your rv front door."
"Private little lake with rentals & fishing, 2 pools, playground, store, etc. and it’s all conveniently located in cape cod. We very much enjoyed our stay here."
"Each site has a picnic table and rock firepit. Trees provide some amount of privacy between many sites.
Bath/Shower house: Spotlessly clean."
"It IS right off an expressway so there’s a little traffic noise but the giant sites and quaint stone fire pits make up for that “con”."
"They have great amenities for kids and families, bathrooms are not a long walk/drive from the sites. They have a nice pond area for swimming along with a general store just outside the grounds."
"Would have prob been in a Walmart parking lot, IF the mngr, Karen, wasn't so AWESOME!!! I called after hours to Sun RV Resorts corporate office."
"Private beach and close to many other areas. Office staff nice and helpful."
"So even though the sites are close, they feel somewhat private. The bathrooms are clean but always busy, but there are a few outdoor showers which are awesome!"
"The bathroom and showers were near spotless despite the summer crowd, and it was common to see cleaning occurring throughout the day."
ScoutThey have glamping sites, which include full hookup, fire pit with chairs, octagon shaped picnic table and stone patio for your rv front door. Pets welcomed, a ton of extra activities like row boat rental, kayak rental, mini golf for $3 all day, must bring a bicycle helmet if your riding bikes(state law), a small store, firewood for purchase, gated community, so you feel safe, 3 pools, laundry etc. We were impressed, only thing is main pool seems alittle run down and arcade area could look better than it does. Wish the had outdoor mo ie nights and crafts for kids
LegendThis campsite loop at Myles Standish State Forest is closest to the headquarters and borders a small pond with beach. In addition to tent/RV sites, there are 3 yurts available with bunks. Sites that appear to be near the pond are pond view rather than pondside. Approaches to Yurt JC and J5, J 26, J27 are sloped. J14 is a little awkward. J33 is probably among the largest and nicest with a pond view. The sites aren't as large as those in the Charge Pond loops, but it's a smaller campground.
The loop has flush toilets and showers. Water is available, but no electric hookups. Fire rings and picnic tables provided. Cell phone coverage throughout the forest is poor to absent; download maps for offline use if you want to be sure to know where you are or find directions. There are miles of bike trails and ponds for fishing, swimming, and boating. There's a larger beach and picnic area at College Pond.
ScoutWe stayed at the campground and loved it. School started late so we were able to book after the holiday in September. Weather was still warm. Pool was good, pond was great. It was not crowded that time of year, so it was very enjoyable. We really enjoyed the beach raft, able to kayak and did some fishing.
Kids loved the little pool slide. Also enjoyed the golf cart rentals. The only disappointment was that they did not have a fire pit at the rented cabin that we were allowed to use. That was disappointing. It’s one of the key things you do when camping, that needs to change. However we have booked rentals for this year and are looking forward to going back.
RangerI found this campground in a totally roundabout way, while searching for lodging during a field trip to Plimouth Plantation. After discovering it, I decided that we HAD to plan a trip here sometime soon.
Ponkapoag Camp is run by the AMC. 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. There is a year round caretaker there to help folks check in, and she also sells firewood. Reservations are by mail only, although you can call the caretaker to confirm availability.
Before I continue my review, it is important to note: THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY OR RUNNING WATER.
We brought all our water from home, and it worked well. Make sure you bring campsuds or other eco-friendly soap since the toilets are just outhouses without running water much of the year.
The Cabins:
Each cabin has between 2-6 beds. The mattresses in our large cabin were brand new dorm style mattresses, which were slippery but comfortable. The cabins have assorted dressers and shelves for storage, and a table for dining on those bad weather days. The floors are wooden. Many cabins have wood stoves, which is great for the cooler parts of the year. We were there Memorial Day weekend, and needed the stove when it dipped to 40 degrees. Outside of the cabin is a pedestal grill, and a picnic table. My children found trees close by to hang their hammocks.
Upon departure from the camp, you are required to sweep and tidy up the cabin.
The Grounds:
Hiking trails abound on the property. While none of the trails are steep, they all go through beautiful ares, with views of the pond, and interesting rock formations. Blue Hill is within hiking distance, and it is a favorite spot for seeing the sunrise. Apparently you can see all the way to Boston!
The pond itself is a wonderful place for kayaking and canoeing. There are several rocky boulders poking out of the water that make fun spots to discover. The sunsets over the pond are spectacular to watch from the dock.
Getting there: The driveway to the camp is totally unmarked. It is a gate studded with two american flags. When you confirm your reservation (by mail), the caretaker will give you the access code for the gate. We enjoyed being somewhere that was so close to people, but felt so remote and had no traffic.
Downsides: One of the nights we stayed, the flight path to Logan International Airport was right over the campground. We all slept fine, but it was distracting. Thankfully, they change the flight path every night, so it should not happen every night!
WILD ZORA FOOD review:
As a Ranger with The Dyrt, I was given the opportunity to test out food from Wild Zora Foods. https://wildzora.com.
This is a premade meal company, focusing on Paleo and Primal recipes. We tried out a sampler pack of their meat bars, and then two meal-in-a-bag freeze dried entrees. We ended up eating several meat bars while making the trip to the campground, since we were stuck in traffic and everyone was hungry. Our 5 children helped do the sampling. Out of the six flavors (Parmesan Beef, BBQ beef, Mediterranean Lamb, Curry Turkey, Chili Beef, and Taco Pork), our favorites were Parmesan Beef ad Mediterranean Lamb. The other flavors seemed a bit too sweet for our liking. However, the bars were a great substitute for junk food when everyone is hungry. Everyone enjoyed eating them. I liked that they used food such as dates and dried apricots as sweeteners. My children all wanted more. I'd say that one bar would be a good snack for an adult.
We also cooked up a batch of a berry breakfast cacao bowl, and their Chicken Caldera Curry. Both meals were super convenient in their pouches that could be cooked and eaten in. We just poured boiling water in, and let them sit. The Caldera Chicken Curry was well seasoned, and very meaty. I was impressed by how filling it was without needing any rice. The texture was a bit chalky, but overall, it was a great option for a Paleo freeze-dried meal. The berry breakfast meal was less satisfying--but it tasted very fresh, and not overly sweet.
It was fun to test these foods out. When camping with kids, it is often hard to have time to cook a camp meal each night, so having quick options can really make a trip go more smoothly. I recommend checking out Wild Zora if you are interested in a preservative free, high protein freeze dried meal option.
TravelerWe have been going to this campground for years - it's the only place to camp on the island, and the only affordable way to stay on the island. The best thing about the campground is that it is wooded, and pretty much all the sites are surrounded on three sides by trees and shrubbery. So even though the sites are close, they feel somewhat private. The bathrooms are clean but always busy, but there are a few outdoor showers which are awesome! Unlike the cramped and humid indoor showers, the outside showers are roomy and very private and the open air makes them more comfortable on a hot, muggy day. There's a playground, a store with wifi outside, a game room which looks like something from the 80s, lol, and a small coin-op laundry room. Fire rings at each site plus a large community fire pit for those who don't feel like the hassle of building a fire themselves. SKUNKS!!! The skunks are super used to people, so you just have to ignore them, and they won't bother you. The young staff members are mostly from the Ukraine, etc., and are pleasant but often don't speak much English. The owners are not super friendly. A huge bonus is that the bus stops right at the entrance, so if you were without a car, it would be possible to camp here anyway (I've seen many people come in with the very basics pulled behind in carts or wagons, or back-packed in). The vineyard is amazing, but lodging is EXPENSIVE. Even though this place is pricey and continues to raise the rates, it's still cheaper than anyplace else.
LegendThis campground is on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal and owned and operated by the Bourne Recreational Authority. The park has a “state park” kind of feel but with amenities you would find at a private park. There is a wide diversity of activities including fishing, hiking, scheduled activities, a recreation hall with video games and jukebox, and store (outfitted with groceries, ice cream, beverages, and other miscellaneous items). The park is quite large with 465 sites, some of which have views of the canal.
Bourne Scenic Park is conveniently located near many of Cape Cod’s attractions including beaches, golf courses, historic landmarks, restaurants and shopping. The park is approximately one hour from Boston, Providence and a 30 minute ride to the ferry terminal taking you to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Closer to the park is downtown Bourne and Buzzards Bay which are just five minutes away and have groceries, fuel, restaurants, shopping, etc. The glass museum in the nearby town of Sandwich is very interesting with live glass blowing demonstrations. You can tour the Cape Cod Chip factory which makes delicious kettle chips.
There are 465 RV sites to choose from that are water/electric (30/50 amp)/cable or no hook-up/tent sites. There are also lodges (with water, electric, cable) and rustic cabins. Of those 465 sites, 50% of them can be reserved for the entire season (April 1st – October 30th) which is nice if you want to stay long-term. No sites have sewer; however, grey water dump stations are randomly placed throughout the campground and can be accessed with a garden hose. Some roads were paved while others were gravel/sand. Sites and patios were grass, sand, or gravel. There are six pull-thrus and the rest are back-ins. The one thing we did notice was that the site layout in some areas is not traditional meaning they are not all in the same direction and configuration. Some sites run parallel while the next one runs perpendicular. Restrooms and showers are spread throughout the park and were clean. There is a dump station located close to the park exit.
Leveling was not an issue for us in our site (C-25) but the majority of sites would be a problem for a motorhome to get level without the aid of blocks. In fact, some sites were ridiculously unlevel and took a scary amount of blocks. We choose a pull-thru because of our length. Utilities were well-placed and all worked well. The cable hook-up yielded 99 channels. Campsites have a picnic table and fire pit. There was no wifi but our Verizon phone picked up a strong signal.
This park has lots of amenities - there are two pools, hiking/biking trails, playground, basketball courts, camp store/restaurant, pavilion, and picnic area. The park has live music on Saturday nights and various other activities like sack races and scavenger hunts. We liked that this park had a paved hiking/biking path and was big enough for a good walk. It was in a great location for exploring the Cape and the towns of Sandwich, Hyannis, Buzzards Bay and more.
The people in the office were super nice and helpful finding us a site. They gave us a map with all available sites for our size and let us drive around to decide. Our site was nice with a large patio and while we were there just before the park closed for the season it was very quiet.
We were there in the off season and enjoyed that very few people were in the park but we got the feel this place could be really busy in the summer. The park is a little pricey at $48/night but you are on the Cape so they can command that.
Dog owners will appreciate the paved trail that runs the length of the canal and easily accessible from the campground. There were a couple of hiking trails thru the woods that we found which served well for a dog walk. There is no off-leash dog park but the park is plenty big enough for a long dog walk.
GuideWoodsy pet-friendly family camping with easy access to Cape Cod attractions. Our family of four plus one pet enjoyed biking, hiking, and pond swimming during our three night tent stay. Sites are grassy and tree-lined offering some privacy. Bathrooms were clean and showers were warm and spacious. We kept ourselves occupied within the park for most of our stay, but enjoyed venturing out to spend time enjoying the National Seashore, and outstanding sea food joints. Since camping means being close to nature be sure to bring bug spray and be prepared to deal with a bit of sand. In all, this state park made for a fun family outdoor adventure!
ScoutI’ve been camping for over twenty years and this campground is by far the noisiest campground I have ever been to. If you are looking for any sort of peace and quiet this is NOT the place for you. The first night we were here it sounded like a massive stadium tailgate party. There was music, yelling, and voices coming from everywhere. It does die down as it gets closer to quiet hours but that’s at 11 pm and fires need to be out at midnight. So there is no sitting around the camp fire in the evening, listening to the crickets, they are drowned out by people noise. The second night wasn’t much better. The campground itself is well maintained and seems to really cater to large extended families and groups which is nice to see. There are a lot of sites here and they are very close together so there is little privacy. But the sites are paved for your camper, have nice fire pits and a picnic table. The hookups are good too. The staff is very friendly. They don’t seem to enforce many rules. A lot of unsupervised kids on bikes (we saw two different kids on different occasions who were lost),very little mask wearing, sites with way more people on them then there was suppose to be, lots of kids without helmets, constantly barking dogs. The place is definitely dog and kid friendly. It is near so many beaches and things to do and downtown Falmouth is really cute. It’s a good campground for a place to parking your camper and go off and do things, but if your looking for some privacy and quiet, this isn’t the place to go. We won’t be coming back here.
TravelerThere aren’t a lot of options on MV for camping, and MVFC hasn’t let that fact diminish their attention to detail in providing a clean, well maintained and active base camp for those seeking to explore the area, or just enjoy a wonderful camp-out with a ferry ride as an extra benefit. Ali and team were most accommodating and helpful, even taking the extra time to measure the campsite ahead of our arrival to ensure our new Patriot Camper X1 would fit! The bathroom and showers were near spotless despite the summer crowd, and it was common to see cleaning occurring throughout the day. Although we were interested in sightseeing the island as first time visitors, it was clear that there were many daytime and nighttime activities that had a lot of action….kickball and basketball games were non-stop and the community fire pit area is a nice touch. They even had a group painting event one evening! The other thing we noticed was that despite the large crowd, the posted quiet hours were indeed quiet! It was such a great spot that we attempted to cancel the second half of our trip and enjoy a few more days at MVFC, but as expected, they were booked up! On a side note, we had the chance to take the MV Governor ferry on the way back to the mainland. I mention this because it’s a smaller “open deck” ferry which in my opinion was a more unique experience than the other mega-ferrys in the fleet.
All-in-all a near flawless experience with a family that takes pride in what they do…well done!
Cabin camping near West Barnstable, Massachusetts, offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and cozy accommodations, perfect for families and nature lovers alike.
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