Best Tent Camping near Wilbraham, MA

State forests and public lands surrounding Wilbraham, Massachusetts offer several tent-only camping options within a short drive. Tully Lake Recreation Area in Royalston, about 50 miles north, provides walk-in tent campsites managed by the Trustees of Reservations and Army Corps of Engineers. Closer to Wilbraham, Sodom Mountain Campground in Southwick offers tent camping with basic amenities. For more primitive tent camping experiences, Federated Women's Club State Forest in Petersham features walk-in sites with composting toilets and picnic tables, while Onion Mountain Park in Connecticut provides free backcountry tent sites accessible via hiking trails.

Most tent campgrounds in the region require campers to pack in their own supplies. At Tully Lake, tent sites are accessible only by foot or boat, with wooden carts provided to transport gear from the parking area to campsites. Sites typically include fire rings and picnic tables, but water access varies significantly between locations. Barton Cove Campground offers tent platforms with limited water sources, requiring campers to bring refillable containers. Cell service is spotty or nonexistent at most primitive tent sites, particularly at Federated Women's Club State Forest and Onion Mountain Park. Summer weekends fill quickly at established campgrounds, with Tully Lake often booking completely on the first day reservations open.

Tent campers frequently mention the peaceful atmosphere created by car-free camping areas. According to reviews, Tully Lake's island site provides exceptional privacy and views, though campers should "keep gear to a minimum" due to the distance from parking areas. At Onion Mountain Park, visitors recommend "bringing a smaller tent" as the primitive spots along the blue trail are limited in size but offer true backcountry tent camping experiences. The walk-in nature of these tent sites contributes to their quietness, with one Tully Lake camper noting that "no cars at the campsites made for a super quiet stay" and created a safer environment for families with children to explore. Most tent-only sites in the region remain peaceful even during peak summer months.

Best Tent Sites Near Wilbraham, Massachusetts (20)

    1. Sodom Mountain Campground

    1 Review
    Southwick, MA
    18 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
    29 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. Tully Lake Recreation Area (MA) — Tully Lake

    9 Reviews
    Royalston, MA
    37 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."

    4. Federated Womens Club State Forest

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

    5. Chester Railway Station

    1 Review
    Chester, MA
    29 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."

    6. Barton Cove Campground

    2 Reviews
    Greenfield, MA
    33 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"

    8. Buck Hill Campground

    1 Review
    Thompson, RI
    35 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."

    9. Zoar Outdoor

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

    10. River Highlands State Park River Campground

    1 Review
    Cromwell, CT
    37 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."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Wilbraham, MA

580 Reviews of 20 Wilbraham 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 4, 2022

    October Mountain State Forest Campground

    Peaceful and clean campground

    I tent camped here in night while exploring the fishing in Western Massachusetts.

    The campsite was peaceful and quiet and mostly tucked into the hillside.

    I did see the electrical station at the entrance but the sound didn’t reach where I was staying at site 33. To avoid that sound, I would suggest sites further up the road.

    The sites offered medium privacy. Site 33 was built into a slope in the hill, so it required walking up a short set of stairs, but the tent site was level.

    I didn’t explore the hiking trails but it seems very convenient that you could leave into the trails right from the campground.

    For any fly fishing folks, this campground is very close to the Housatonic (catch and release only!)

  • Crissy H.
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Mohawk Trail State Forest Campground

    Swim in the forest!

    It is beautiful, lots of shade, and you can camp right beside the river!! Don't count on phone service, and no showers. The bathrooms were clean. Every site has a bear box to keep anything edible. Easy to find.


Guide to Wilbraham

Tent camping near Wilbraham, Massachusetts offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.

Unique Local Attractions

  • Experience the charm of the Chester Railway Station, where you can camp in a converted caboose and enjoy the sounds of trains passing by.
  • Visit Tully Lake Recreation Area, which features beautiful lake views and opportunities for fishing and kayaking.
  • Explore the historic remnants of towns submerged by the Quabbin Reservoir at Federated Womens Club State Forest, perfect for hiking and discovering local history.

Exciting Local Activities

  • Enjoy a peaceful overnight stay at Onion Mountain Park, where hiking trails lead you to serene camping spots.
  • Engage in fishing, kayaking, and swimming at Tully Lake Recreation Area, which is well-equipped for a fun-filled outdoor experience.
  • Take part in rustic camping at Barton Cove Campground, where you can enjoy nature while being close to the water.

Tent Camping Prices

  • Tent camping at Sodom Mountain Campground is budget-friendly, with prices typically around $30 per night.
  • Expect to pay approximately $25 for a night at Onion Mountain Park, which offers a first-come, first-served basis for camping.
  • Rates at Chester Railway Station can vary, but you can find unique accommodations starting around $40 per night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wilbraham, MA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wilbraham, MA is Sodom Mountain Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Wilbraham, MA?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Wilbraham, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.