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.