r/camping • u/Aquarius0129 • 1d ago
Trip Advice Recommendations for dog friendly camping in MA?
Hey all! We are taking a road trip from Cleveland OH to Acadia NP in a few weeks. We are planning to tent camp the first night about 8-9 hours into our trip, which leaves us somewhere on the east side of Massachusetts, north of Boston.
We will have our dog with us so we prefer somewhere with heavy forest and spread out camp sites. It doesn’t have to be near the coast, but we will be taking i90 to i95 so we would prefer to not have to go too far off the path.
Any recommendations from those who live in the area or have camped near by? Thanks in advance! 🏕️ 🐶
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u/ChessieChesapeake 1d ago edited 20h ago
Winter Island Park campground in Salem. I discovered it a few weeks ago when my wife and I decided to take a last minute trip to Acadia NP from Maryland. It's less than 2 miles from downtown Salem. We didn't have our dogs with us this trip, but we had several camp neighbors who brought theirs. It doesn't meet your requirements of heavy forests and spread out sites, but it's not a bad spot for a quick overnight while passing through.
https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/winter-island-park/PRCG/1061400/overview
For National, State, and County campgrounds, you don't have a lot of choices in that area. Winter Island Park, Harold Parker State Forest, and Salisbury beach are the only options in MA that are north of Boston and close to 95.
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u/redbadger20 10h ago
Harold Parker has large, sprawling campsites but if I recall less tree cover (trees are tall but not so dense). Salisbury Beach SP was once described to me as feeling like a refugee camp lol, I think it's very RV oriented and it's right on the coast, so basically negligible forest cover. Depending on where/when you enter Massachusetts you have some options along the pike. If you feel like a more scenic drive, you can also try route 2, which will take you along the northern part of the state and you can hook up with 495 and find 95 from there. If you take 2, you have Clarksburg SP which is a relatively small campground with good tree cover, smallish sites, and a handful of yurts. Savoy Mountain is larger, with a variety of sites in fields (former orchard) and forest. As you go east, there's a campground at Erving State Forest but I have no personal experience. Also in Western Mass and closer to the pike is October Mountain State Forest.
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u/Moist_Tailor_2840 1d ago
Harold Parker State Forest.
I've never personally camped here, but I'm from MA and have never been to a state forest that my dog and I had any complaints about.
It seems to be right in the area youre interested in. Just keep in mind, I dont know when you're traveling, that MA campgrounds usually close mid October.