Best Tent Camping near Newport, RI
Tent camping options near Newport, Rhode Island include several established campgrounds within a 30-40 mile radius. Arcadia Backpack Camping Area and Frosty Hollow Camping Area in Exeter provide primitive tent sites in a wooded setting. Water's Edge Campground in Coventry offers tent sites with more amenities including showers, toilets, and trash service. Most tent campgrounds in the region are situated inland rather than along the coast, providing a forested camping experience rather than oceanfront settings.
Many tent sites in the Newport region have basic amenities but require campers to be self-sufficient. Campgrounds like Arcadia and Frosty Hollow permit fires but lack drinking water, showers, and toilet facilities. Water's Edge Campground provides more services including showers, toilets, trash collection, and electric hookups for tent campers who want additional conveniences. Most tent sites include picnic tables and fire rings. The camping season in Rhode Island generally runs from May through September, with Buck Hill Campground and other backcountry tent camping areas having limited amenities but offering more seclusion.
The tent camping experience near Newport offers varying levels of remoteness and natural settings. Buck Hill Campground provides a more rustic experience with sites situated along Wakefield Pond, ideal for paddling and fishing. A camper noted, "The area is heavily wooded without much else around and very few amenities... This is the type of campground to just come and unwind, fish, cook, etc." For those willing to travel slightly farther, Washburn Island Campsites at Waquoit Bay Reserve in Massachusetts offers boat-access tent sites with water views. These island campsites provide a secluded tent camping experience but require campers to bring their own boats or kayaks to access the sites. Reservations for the more popular tent camping areas can be difficult to secure during summer months.