Best RV Parks & Resorts near Portsmouth, RI

This Campground was great long term as an RV camping experience, or short term in a tent.

Of all the Thousand Trails campgrounds in the Northeast this one isn’t too bad. It’s a huge park with mostly seasonal/annual campers. (Campground is not open all year, though). Gated Section A is right near the entrance and this is where most of the transient sites are. They are first come first serve. When I got here in the rain, the staff at check in was very nice. Driving around picking my site, the roads were extremely uneven and the rain had created huge lakes in the middle of the road as well as on the sites themselves. I only stayed two nights. Cell reception was not good, neither with AT&T nor Verizon. They have Wifi at the park which I haven’t tried. I believe - although- I’m not sure that you have to pay for it and I wasn’t up for that. I wouldn’t choose this campground unless you have a Thousand Trails membership like me and want to save money.

Weve been camping here over decade. The state "improved" it into a antiseptic RV Resort. Formerly campsites had small semicircular drive for in/out any camp vehicle. This allowed open area where screen room, camp chairs and games could be spread out. Many backed up to dunes or the ocean.

There are now 40 foot asphalt driveways diagonal through the former grassy play areas. These leave a narrow space up to the next wide asphalt driveway. Perfect view of the next RV.

Asphalt absorbs 90 percent sun heat. A 100 degree day will have asphalt surface temperature 160 degrees.

The former open dunes down to the beach are cordoned off by large wood post fence and backed by snow fencing.

This was not designed by anyone who camps. The Secretary of Interior should bring the people responsible in August and have them walk throughout barefoot. Then employ someone to restore this once great campground.

We booked online having never been here before, our mistake. The site we chose is very uneven so leveling the RV wasn't real easy. Our fifth wheel front jacks are on the ground and two of the four wheels are off the ground. This seems to be common among the first part of the campground some sites are fairly level but not most of them. Now the back half of the campground has 50@ full hookups with much longer and level sites. My advice is to book the back section if you're a big Class A with a toad, or a long fifth wheel. Sites in the back seem to have more room to them. Water pressure was @ 50 psi.

We enjoyed this campground. It has a few bumps and bruises that could be improved but overall it was a safe place with lots of families. 

It appeared to be mostly seasonal / long term campers and people that had developed good relationships with their neighbors. Everyone was friendly and helpful. 

Good comments:

Most of the campsites seem to have an open area in the middle between them that allows for maneuvering and socializing. 

The camp store is small but well stocked and the prices are very good. 

The beachfront is nice, the canoe and kayak rental is reasonable. 

Needs improvement:

Electrical at my campsite could use a little work. 

The sewer on my site overflowed after only ~15-20 gallons of dumping.

The swimming area has a 'icky bottom' (kid term :)) 

The entrance / office setup is confusing. If you come in from the West you'll see an entrance, if you pull in you'll then be able to see signs that tell you to go another 1/4 mile to the office to check in. This area doesn't have enough room to make a u-turn unless your rig is pretty small. 

After checking in, you go back out on the main road to the aforementioned entrance. 

Overall we had a good time and the issues were minor compared to having a safe place with lots of kids and things to do. All entrances are gated with key codes and there was a security guard on staff part of the time. The office staff was super nice and understanding when I lost my way coming into the wrong gate. :)

I've never camped in Rhode Island, so I was curious to see what a state park campground had to offer. Rates are reasonable for state residents, but quite high if you are out-of-state, given the amenities. There are no hookups, but dump stations are available. Bathrooms have flush toilets and coin-operated showers. There's a small beach at the pond, a boat ramp, and proximity to wildlife refuges and the ocean. It's a HUGE campground, with 700 sites and 20 cabins. Canoes are available to rent.

There's a nice playground, a camp store, and a naturalists cabin. Trails are available for hiking and biking. The beach is sandy and there's a small parking lot there, but I suspect most people walk to it. No alcohol allowed. 

I didn't see more than a handful of level sites, with varying degrees of slope, but many are quite large. If you have an RV, plan to level; if you have a tent, be sure to bring good mattresses to protect you from the roots and rocks and orient your head to the uphill side. Most of the sites have some degree of visual separation from their neighbors, but there are places where it's hard to tell where one site ends and the next one starts. Site have fire rings and picnic tables, but if you plan to cook over the fire, bring your own grate or plan to use sticks and/or aluminum foil. 

If you don't have a tent, consider reserving one of their rustic cabins. These offer two sets of bunks (no mattresses) and a small porch with a picnic table and fire ring outside. Some are located along the pond.

3-4 bar cell phone coverage. No road traffic. East Beach is nearby, but parking fills early.

I read the reviews and was excited to be in a state park near the water for such a reasonable price. Imagine my surprise when we found out that a water/electric site for an out of state camper was $45 per night! This was our first visit to a Rhode Island State Park so not sure if they are all like this but this one definitely caters to Rhode Island residents who camp in large RVs! The sites with the best views are the full hookups (water/electric/sewer) and the rates for out of state campers are significantly more than for residents. I’m used to paying $5 or even $10 more for being from out of state but here the fee is double or more for out-of-state campers. Geez– way to make us feel welcome! 

There are four areas, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Area One has the best views and full hookups but there is no bathhouse; Area Two also has full hookups, no view and some of the sites (55-65) are decidedly not level; Area Three is for tents only with no hookups but is close to the bathhouse; Area Four has water and electric hookups, the pads are not paved (as in the others) but most of the sites have more separation than in the other sections. See the photo below to understand the different areas. 

No matter where you camp, there are noise issues. Road noise continued throughout the night and there is a wind turbine on the property. I’ve never been this close to one and yes, there is noise, although the road noise bothered me more. Alcohol is prohibited throughout the campground. There are pay showers available. There are the remains of two bunkers but other than walking by them, you cannot go inside. One (in Area One) is a grassy knoll with stairs to a lookout. 

On the plus side: The bathrooms were clean, there is excellent cell service, Judith Point lighthouse is nearby, it is close to the ferry to Block Island, and there are numerous recreation options available (playground, tennis courts, volleyball net, and basketball courts). Also, the grouchy staffer I read about in reviews was not there the night we arrived and, in fact, the two staffers were very friendly and even recommended a good restaurant in the nearby town.

Lots of nearby beaches and restaurants. Campsites are simple. A patch of grass with a small bush or two, not very much shade, space or privacy. Tent sites do not have water or electricity but bathhouse is in easy walking range. A nice place to ride a bike around so definitely bring your bike. More of an RV park. RVs do have hookups. Bathrooms and showers are clean. $1.50 in quarters for a 6 min hot shower. Which is nice after a long day at the beach. Playground and courts on the premises and walking paths and an area that accesses the water if your wanted to throw a kayak in. It's a nice place for the location. But not much privacy really, and not much shade, but that will vary from site to site. It's nice because there is so much to do nearby and kept very clean. Our site ended up being right next to the bathhouse so there wasn't too much privacy there. I'd come back again though. And I would definitely come back in an RV instead of I could.

Nice, well separated sites.
Only 6 sites with Electric and Water. No Dump or Shower/restrooms. 2 clean porta poddies on site.
Dump station located at Newport RV Park 5 minutes up the road for $20 charge. NEX MiniMart close with NEX an Commissary located 5 miles at NAVSTA Newport.

We planned a brief stop in the Boston area with the intent of seeing the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and Normandy Farms appealed to us for various reasons. One reason was the fact that they have dog walkers that will come to your site and take care of your precious pooch while you are away. Not knowing how long we would be away from the campground that service was a great option. As it turned out, we did not need to use this service but for some it would be a great perk if you were going to be gone all day. And with Boston traffic, we can see how that could happen. By the way, the library is well-worth it.

When you enter Normandy Farms it is more like checking into a hotel than campground complete with a concierge and express check-in. The park is gated and a code is needed to enter and leave giving you a sense of security but I’m not sure it is necessary. Driving in you quickly realize how huge this park is with some 400 RV sites, tent sites, yurts, lean-to’s, safari tents, and cabins. 

There are plenty of sites to choose from the “premium” full hook-up (50 amp) to basic with just water and electric and many others in between. Both back-in and pull thrus are available as are sites with shade and full sun. Premium sites have paved patios while other sites are gravel. Roads are paved and plenty wide enough for big RV’s to navigate. They offer cable television that yielded nearly 100 channels. Wifi worked well at our site and other places throughout the park. All sites come with a fire pit and picnic table. 

We chose a paved full hook-up pull thru with paved patio (Site E1). Our site was easy to navigate in and out of and was definitely big rig-friendly with ample space for our motorhome and tow car. All utilities were well-placed and functioned properly. The site was level. At the time we were there in October the campground was not very busy but we imagine that things get a little crazy when the park is full. 

There is a really long list of amenities for this campground….four pools (include an indoor heated one), fitness room (with elliptical, treadmills, bikes, machine and free weights), creative arts center, camp store, 20,000 square-foot activities building (with adult only lounge, pool table, arcade, games, wide-screen televisions, sauna, Jacuzzi), restaurant, huge off-leash dog park (you can reserve individual day kennels), BMX bike park, horse shoe pits, baseball diamond, volleyball, fishing pond, shuffleboard, disk golf, and playground, and probably a few more things I missed. During the busy summer months there is a long list of activities ranging from yoga to kids games.

Normandy Farms is approximately 35 miles from Boston. If you don’t want to drive to the city, you can park at the nearby train or subway station and ride into the city. You are just five miles from Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) and Patriot Place (a hub for shopping and dining). About a mile from the campground is Foxboro State Park where you will find 20+ miles of hiking trails. Also within a five mile radius are plenty of restaurants, shopping, hardware store, grocery store, and more. 

Some of the really good features are the huge dog park which has a dog washing station, water fountains for dogs and humans, agility-type obstacles for them to play on, dog kennels, and a bin with balls and Frisbees. I also liked (and used daily) the fitness center which had functioning equipment and a large television to help pass the time while working out – and was never crowded. The large community building has and adult-only lounge which serves as a nice place for people to get together and watch television or hang out without kids. With everything this campground has to offer you can see why it is a destination park for some people as their kids would be busy all day. 

The downside really is the price and how many sites there are. If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway this is not it.

I stayed at site 31 in the month of July. It was flat and easy to put up my tent. Partial shade.There are RV water faucets throughout the campground.

We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay! 

This campground is just 15-minutes from Mystic and about an hour’s drive to Newport, Rhode Island. It’s just a few minutes from I-95 and so close to Mystic Aquarium, downtown Mystic, Mystic Seaport, and all the local spots. 

It’s a well-maintained campground with 2 pools(though the larger one was closed for maintenance during our stay), lots of play areas and daily activities for little ones, and a cool“pub truck” for adult drinks. Our site(#408) was about 85’ long with plenty of room for our 45’ motorhome and toad(and then some!). It was level and gravel with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The hookups worked fine with 50-amp electric and decent water pressure. Cable TV had nearly 50-channels, but the wi-fi didn’t quite reach our part of the park. 

Due to a family issue, we needed to leave about a day-and-a-half early. We called the office as a courtesy to let them know as we were pulling out and received a partial credit for a night’s stay on our credit card. Didn’t even ask, they just did it. Thanks Mystic KOA! 

We’ll definitely be back. This is a great place to stay when visiting the coastal Connecticut/Rhode Island area.

I prefer camps in a nature setting and this is not that. It is very much an RV park - but it is well taken care of. I’d go so far as to call it manicured.

Everything was clean. The spots were generously sized. Not private, but not cramped at all.

Facilities were clean. Close drive to several beaches. Surrounded by town amenities but you don’t feel like you are in town.

Super friendly people.

Makes for a nice base of operations for the area.

I recommend the Rail Explorers bike tour while in the area

This park is in a great location for exploring Mystic. You are close to downtown, the aquarium, Mystic Seaport and other attractions. We camped here with friends and got one of the“buddy sites” so our patios faced each other. I like this configuration when camping with friends but would not like this site if we did not know our neighbors. The campground was very clean and well taken care of. 

Our stay was in the spring before their busy season started so some things like the pool and water features were closed but the appearance was that it was well cared for and was a very popular attraction for families. The main office is like a fancy clubhouse and check-in was super smooth and quick. The office has a billiards table, theater chairs with a large screen tv, a small book exchange, racks with information about the area, and a camp store. Outside is a nice community fire pit with Adirondack chairs. The bathrooms in the campground were newer and immaculate. This“resort” has lots of amenities that would occupy kids time but we were more interested in sight-seeing and didn’t spend much time around the campground. The mini golf course was actually really nice and not the run-down homemade ones that you usually see at campgrounds. They had an arcade, theater area, Our site was a nice long, level pull-thru. Hook-ups were placed in ideal locations for the pad which was gravel. The cable tv worked well and many sites would accommodate satellite users. The park appears to have a fair number of seasonals tucked back in other areas of the park and their sites were nice and tidy. There is a nice tent section that has a number of nice sites but do not have hookups but are located near a bathhouse. Just like RV sites, these have picnic tables and fire rings at each site. If you want the RV camping experience but don’t have an RV, they have one and two-bedroom units for rent. 

We really love the Mystic/Stonington area. Downtown has some great eateries. Sift bakery has the most delicious pastries and Mystic Pizza is famous. We love sitting outside at Ford’s Lobster in Noank. One day we launched our kayaks north of the drawbridge in town at the public launch and paddled down to Mystic Seaport which was fun to see the historic boats from the water. If you are looking for a beach to sit on head to a short distance southeast to Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Our biggest complaint was the price but camping in New England can be very pricy so you just have to shell out the cash if you want to be in a popular tourist destination.

You can't really beat the price and location combo of Charlestown breachway. There are no hookups or even a dump station, but your site may overlook the channel and is only a very short walk away from the beach. There are toilets; only RV camping is allowed, and the units must be self contained. Stay as long as you can, then you can dump and refill your water at Burlingame State Park for free with registration and the breachway.