Looking for an adventure where you can explore Richmond and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Richmond, including sites, reviews, and tips. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Specialty camping on three (3) miles of undeveloped beach frontage is available at East Beach State Campground, located in Charlestown, Rhode Island. East Beach is one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches, with limited parking and a half dozen changing rooms. This barrier beach and 10 site campground location offers four Clivus Multrum Composting Toilets for restrooms along with 3 miles of undeveloped beach frontage. Parking is very limited and fills up early on sunny summer days. A small portion of the beach is staffed with lifeguards on a seasonal basis. Utilities ARE NOT available at this campground. Special Camping/Vehicle Equipment requirements are required for camping at this location.
$55 - $65 / night
Specialty camping on three (3) miles of undeveloped beach frontage is available at East Beach State Campground, located in Charlestown, Rhode Island. East Beach is one of the least developed of the Rhode Island state beaches, with limited parking and a half dozen changing rooms. This barrier beach and 10 site campground location offers four Clivus Multrum Composting Toilets for restrooms along with 3 miles of undeveloped beach frontage. Parking is very limited and fills up early on sunny summer days. A small portion of the beach is staffed with lifeguards on a seasonal basis. Utilities ARE NOT available at this campground. Special Camping/Vehicle Equipment requirements are required for camping at this location.
All camping units MUST BE self-contained AND equipped with 4-wheel drive. A self-contained unit is defined as “A camping unit which contains permanent holding tanks for potable water, grey water and black water. Bathroom equipment must be permanently affixed to the unit.”
Tow trailers or Fifth Wheels are not allowed.
All campers MUST obtain a Barrier Beach Permit prior to their stay.
Beach Vehicle Permits/Trail passes can be purchased from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)
A beach parking fee will also be required for any vehicle using the East Beach Sand Trail during the summer beach season unless registered for a campsite.
Closure of part or all of East Beach Campground may occur during the camping season due to the nesting of a tiny shorebird called the Piping Plover. The Piping Plover is listed as a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. If a closure should occur, reservations will be cancelled and refunded in full.
Registered campers after having checked in to East Beach Campground will be allowed to utilize the Septic Dump Station and Water Filling Station at Burlingame State Campground and/or Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground, one time at no charge. Additional dumping or use of the water filling station will be subject to the Septic Dump Station Pass Fee
Must show proof of active and valid reservation.
Tent camping is not allowed.
Pets are not allowed.
Registered campers after having checked in to East Beach Campground will be allowed to utilize the Septic Dump Station and Water Filling Station at Burlingame State Campground and/or Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground, one time at no charge. Additional dumping or use of the water filling station will be subject to the Septic Dump Station Pass Fee
Address: East Beach Road, Charlestown, RI 02813
$28 / night
Four public camps along the Connecticut River at Hurd, Gillette Castle, River Highlands and Selden Neck State Parks offer primitive, riverside sites with fireplaces and pit toilets for individuals traveling on the river.
Use of river campsites at River Highlands, Hurd and Gillette Castle is restricted to canoers and kayakers only.
Selden Neck offers 4 sites: Cedars site - 20 campers Hogback site - 6 campers Springledge site - 8 campers Quarry Knob site - 12 campers
$5 / night
Swimming Small fry fishing 2 Recreation halls Fireplace & picnic table on each site State tested water Camp store Ice & wood available 8 Modern restrooms with free hot showers Coin operated laundry Pets on leashes are welcome Horseshoe courts Volleyball court Basketball court 2 Softball diamonds Lending library 200 sites with water & electricity Sewer sites available Playground 2 Dumping stations Adjacent to public golf course
$46 - $50 / night
***Very quiet and private in back woods horse pastures on a small farm with free range chickens, a dog, and a couple of horses. Your pets are welcome too! ***
Locally there are state parks with beaches, and state forest for trails & lakes, hiking and biking. Or you can just relax and enjoy the serenity!
*** Each campsite has its own fire-pit and table with chairs. ***
We cannot allow any wood for camp fires to be brought in form the outside for environmental reasons. It can be purchased for $10 per bundle on site or $12 preordered with reservation.
Farm Fresh eggs daily when available for $4.00 per 1/2 dozen. And there are also blocks of ice $5. Garbage removal is available as well $5 per bag provided.
**Other attractions include local farmers markets, Gilette's Castle, and the famous River Ferry crossing the Connecticut River with a vehicle across to East Haddam. *
$49 / night
Scout
The best!! Our site was perfect for tent camping and pets!
Guide
We'll run and very clean. Nice wooded tent sites with activities and fishing.
Guide
This is my second time here with my Airstream. Clean and well kept campground. I’d easily tent camping here. A lake and great trails to hike.
Traveler
Wonderful staff clean tent site are amazing great place to camp and fish and hike great place to take a dog
Scout
Book early before memorial day, sites fill up quick and around 4th of July. I went here for years with friends and family. Great sites. Flat level. Some of the best tent camping in the state.
Traveler
Man I love his place. Quiet rv and tent site park. Portopotties scattered about and showers and such near the entrance. Tent sites are nice and isolated, but not scary far apart. Lots of wildlife so keep your food sealed... Nice walking trails and free kayaks as available. I always get site 1, it's in its own area with pretty flat terrain. To reserve, fill out the form on the website and you'll get a confirmation. You can pay at the office when you check in. they'll also bring firewood to your site.the kid that works there is really nice but I always forget his name!
Scout
Stayed at a great wooded tent site - quiet during the week and packed out by the weekend. Close to the bathrooms, with water spigot and electric hook up. Two small ponds with enough blue gill action to excite the kids. Worth checking out!
Traveler
Stay at least once or twice a year. Always a good time. RV and Tent sites with one cabin as well as canoe sites off the beatin' path. Public beach with another beach for campers. Store on site for firewood and ice.
Traveler
Fairly large campground. Tent sites available but mostly RV/Campers. WiFi in common areas isn’t great so if you’re planning on working during some down time, this isn’t the place. Nice hiking around the area. Bathrooms are clean. Good for kids/families.
GuideCamped out here for two nights after reading about this place in the"Best Tent Camping: New England" book. It's better than the other campgrounds in Rhode Island that I looked at (Burlingame, Fort Getty) but isn't my favorite campground. If you're not a Rhode Island resident the fee for most sites is$36/night. Is it worth it? Eh, probably not unless you're really jonesing to camp for a weekend in the Ocean State.
It does have some great things going for it, namely the hiking trails and views of the lake. There are some tent-only sites which are numbered T1-T5. I stayed in T5 and it was the best of the bunch because it had the most privacy and space, including a grassy area. The other tent-only sites were fairly small and if you go to any mixed use sites you run the risk of having an RV next to you. The A1-A7 sites are remote and hike in, but you're going to have to hike either 0.4 or 0.6 miles through some uneven terrain. The next best group of sites would be 19-24 which are on their own small loop near the lake.
The things I didn't like were the streetlights over the port-a-potties that shine all night. There is a manned gate where you check in and you have to get let into the campground during the day, but at night the gates are wide open and it seems like some people know this because there are a few oddballs around in the early morning. There is swimming at the lake but it looked way too dirty.
Overall the place was managed very well, the sites were cleanish and the grounds were taken care of. The employees drove by at least once an hour, I thought they were collecting trash from dumpsters but the only place with a dumpster is near the entrance. I couldn't figure out why they kept driving by so often. I had a good time, it was relaxing and scratched the camping itch.
Traveler
Busy campground with a lot of RV sites on top of each other. Campsite was large and set in the back. Hike to the bathroom from tent site. Two sites right on top of each other but lots of room. Screaming children all night took away from the peacefulness.
GuideThis campground is primarily RVs, although we still had a nice time at our tent site. The beach is only a few hundred feet away, and the campground has basic facilities. The beach is small and quiet, and has some great shells and rocks. All in all, a quiet campground with the fundamentals.
Scout$60 cash. Maybe tent sites less but not given the option. Not good value. (State parks in CT and MA requiring 24 hr advance rez.)Water/elec. Some porta potties in tents area. A little swampy lake. Mostly permanent summer residents parked with big rigs and plastic decor. But, almost nobody around mid week August. As prev reviews, woodsy, moderately secluded up in tent area. Visited in the time of COVID. WEAR A MASK!
TravelerConnecticut is LACKING when it comes to outdoor activities when compared to some of the places around the country. That being said, it's more rewarding when you find a little gem like Wilderness Lake Campground.
While this is about 60% RVs, the tent sites are great. The host gave us a secluded spot in the back to the point I didn't feel like I was at a campground other than the fire ring. We didn't need bathrooms, water or electricity, but there was a bathroom within walking distance. It also looked like they were building a little outbuilding for Women and Men's bathrooms near the tent sites.
The lake was quiet and we saw kids swimming in it in the morning. There was a hiking trail on the property and the host mentioned they were building a Disc Golf course on the property. Whether you have an RV, want to Car Glamp or looking to feel deep in the woods, this place checks all the boxes. It's also conveniently located off I-84(exit 70).
Traveler
We enjoyed our tent site with a wooden lean-to. Overall very private and peaceful, however the only drawback is that people took frequent casual walks pass the area all day long. There's really no way around that.
We did not get a chance to enjoy the amenities, but they all looked nice and well thought out.
We will return.
ScoutLovely quiet campground on cove of Manchaug Lake. Great Tent sites in Hollow as well as seasonal RV and visiting RV’s,Canoe-Boat (row or troll) , beach and picnic area for day visits.
Adjacent to an outer lake Family Activity Campground/Sutton Falls
Previous Manager/Owner/Operators had a parent decease a while ago and saddened to see it up for sale
Scout
Beautiful campground in a nice central location nearby several nice towns in Central Massachusetts. The hiking is some of the best I have seen from a campground in the area, with a huge system of trails which are all very well marked. These trails vary greatly in terms of difficulty, a few of the trails are doable in less than 15 minutes if you maintain a quick pace. The harder trails, including the one going up to Carpenter's Rocks are more strenuous and feature a good amount of elevation gain, rocky terrain, and very worthwhile views for the trouble.
Not usually too busy on the trails, though expect hordes of people at the parking lot especially during the warmer months. Firewood is easily available, if a bit pricey, and the tent sites are generously sized with plenty of room for multiple shelters. Have spotted beavers deep into some of the water-adjacent trails, as well as many species of birds.
Definitely give this one a try if you're in the area. Rental fees for the tent sites are very reasonable, and it's worthwhile to come for the trails and views alone.
GuideThis is a cute little campground that’s easy to access. It’s 20 minutes from downtown Newport and about 45 minutes to downtown Providence.
It’s well shaded, has a nice playground, bathhouse, and a laundry room. My biggest complaint is the dryers are terrible. I had to dry my clothes 3 times ( that’s 3 hours). Nobody has time for that. Also if you’re tent camping, the bathrooms are very inconvenient.
Finally, our site was not angled and that made it tougher to get in to it.
Traveler
Good family campground with access to the ocean. No fire pits in the ground but you can bring your own ($50 on Amazon) or rent one (bring cash). I've done tent camping here in the summer but don't know much about the RV side, although I believe they have dump stations and such. Restrooms and showers are pretty good too, but typical campground bathrooms. 4 stars cuz I'm not a huge fan of the beaches, if I could give 4.9 stars I would.
Traveler
I was probably the only person tent camping in the entire resort. The manager was able to give me a great campsite away from all of the RVs and cabins. It was right at the entrance however you did have to hike up a short 50ft hill to get to the site. It had a great new fire ring and the campsite was very clean/cleared. Running showers and flushable bathroom was very close. I dinged a star from this review because I have seen campgrounds with cleaner bathrooms
Guide
$18/night if you live here, but $36 if from out of state. Large tent campground with lots of spaces, so everyone is in pretty close together. My main concern is there are showers in the bathrooms you can pay for, but ones outside that are free, but cold water and no curtain, so you literally have no privacy.
TravelerMostly geared toward families, especially with kids. Most of the campground is RV sites. There a a handful of tent sites in the back (no hookups). Bathrooms and showers are very clean, general store and pools are nice and convenient. It’s a perfect distance away from Gillette (a couple miles) if you’re looking for an alternative to staying in a pricey hotel. Definitely not a place I would go to “get away from it all.” You can hear the highway from the sites.
Traveler
The campground was very busy with families events activities, etc. If you prefer a noisy fun experience and a more social experience with your very close neighbors, this is the pot for you. Our preferred style of camping requires more space and less noise. The pool bathrooms were gross, but the other facilities area near the tent sites was very nice and clean.
The food was great and the staff is friendly. Overall we had a great time, but its unlikely we’ll return mostly due to the noise level.
Scout
This was our first trip in our new camper. I love was extremely happy with this park. We stayed on the A loop with w/e hookup. Our site 8 was spacious with a tent site, 7, perfect for camping in a small group. Our family stayed on site 9 that was very private and we loved how woodsy it was there! The bath houses were clean and a short walk from our site. The only reason I did not give 5 stars was for the lack of sewer hookup, but considering we only stayed for the weekend it was perfectly fine without it.
GuideNormandy Farms is beautifully maintained and has tons of things going on for families. There are 3 really nice outdoor pools and one indoor pool, lots of outdoor games, playgrounds and a snack bar that serves delicious food (from egg sandwiches to ice cream sundaes to lobster!). They have a packed schedule of activities such as ceramic painting, dancing and yoga. They even have a spa with massages! The bathrooms and showers were clean and the staff was friendly. The campground was very quiet at night and even during the day which was amazing considering all that is going on there! We were in a tent site and loved it!
Traveler
Perfect location for a summer / beach camp. Mostly for RVs but tent site #6 was great. Views of the ocean to wake up too and tucked away from main area.
Worst part is you can’t bring your car on the site. Do not understand this, especially since it was over 95° and we have dogs that need AC, one if which is 14. We did sneak the car up by asking an RV camper to use his land because they block off the entrance with giant tree trunks.
More good stuff, the private pet friendly beaches were great! Small but perfect to relax. No problems with the pets at all and old but clean bathrooms.
LegendI'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.
Richmond, Rhode Island, offers a variety of tent camping options that allow you to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying essential amenities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful beachside experience or a more rustic setting, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Richmond, RI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Richmond, RI is Hammonasset State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Richmond, RI?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Richmond, RI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring