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Accessible camping

The Department of Conservation and Recreation offers camping opportunities for campers of all abilities.

Today, we're thinking more than ever about ways to make camping accessible to more people. Yurts and cabins provide shelter, access to electricity, and furniture. We've designed accessible tent sites, too, with hard-packed level ground, pedestal grills, and accessible picnic tables. All our accessible sites are marked on Reserve America with a figure in a wheelchair.

You'll always find accessible restrooms in the same loop as accessible sites, though there usually isn't an accessible pedestrian route between the sites and the restrooms. Before you make a reservation, you should contact the park to see if their cabins, yurts, or tent sites fit your specific needs. Also, be sure to learn about DCR campground regulations before you reserve your campsite.

If you have questions about accessible camping in general, please contact the Universal Access Program.

Cabins

All cabins provide bunk beds, tables, and chairs or benches. Linens are not provided. The cabins listed below are accessible.

  • Camp Nihan Environmental Education Camp, Saugus: Clarke Cabin is accessible, and sleeps 12 people. This cabin has bunk beds, a refrigerator, tables, and benches, and is heated by a pellet stove. The cabin has electricity, but the electrical service is not reliable enough to use with medical devices and equipment. An accessible portable toilet is provided near the cabin. The flush toilets and showers are not located on an accessible route from the cabin, but you can drive to them.

  • Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont: Cabins 5, 6, and 7 are accessible via ramps. Cabin 5 sleeps 3 people, and cabins 6 and 7 sleep 5 people each. The cabins have bunk beds, tables, and benches, and are heated by wood stoves. The cabins have electricity, but the electrical service is not reliable enough to use with medical devices and equipment. These cabins are also available to rent in the off-season, on a limited basis.

    A small log cabin is surrounded by trees. The cabin has a chimney. There is a concrete ramp leading into the cabin.
    Cabin 5 at Mohawk Trail State Forest.

Yurts

Yurts are available for rent during the main recreation season. A yurt is a circular, domed structure supported by a wooden frame and covered in canvas. Our yurts are equipped with bunk beds, a table and chairs, and electricity. This electrical service is not reliable enough to use with medical devices and equipment. 

The round walls of this yurt are covered in green canvas. The roof is beige vinyl that slopes up to a domed skylight. A ground level, L-shaped cement walkway transitions smoothly from the parking area to the interior of the yurt.

Large yurts have 2 bunk beds with double mattresses on the bottom and twin mattresses on the top. Small yurts have 2 bunk beds with twin mattresses on both the bottom and the top, or one twin bunk bed and one full bed.

A view inside a round room with a wooden floor and wooden lattice over canvas walls. The roof is also canvas, stretched over beams. The room has a table with two benches, and a bunk bed with a double mattress on the bottom and a single mattress on the top. A ladder leads to the top mattress.
The inside of a large yurt at Nickerson State Park.

Accessible yurt sites have firm, flat surfaces, an accessible picnic table, and an accessible pedestal grill. DCR parks with accessible yurts are listed below, along with some information on accessible activities at the park.

  • Camp Nihan Education Center, Saugus: Clarke Cabin is a group cabin that contains bunk beds for 12, one large table, a pellet stove for heat, electricity, and a small refrigerator. There are no accessible flush toilets or showers, but an accessible portable toilet is provided nearby. the site surface is native soil.

  • Myles Standish State Forest, Carver: Small yurts A and B at Barrett's Pond are accessible, with hard-packed stone-dust around the yurts, The yurts are located close to the accessible restrooms, though the roll-in shower does not have a seat. Large yurt C is not accessible due to a steep driveway. The Barrett's Pond camper's beach is not accessible. The day use beach has two sunbathing beach wheelchairs, but does not have accessible restrooms. The park has many miles of paved, hilly bike paths.

  • Nickerson State Park, Brewster: 4 small yurts and 2 large yurts, all accessible. These small yurts have one twin bunk bed and one full size bed. Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers offers accessible and adaptive recreational programming at the McGraw Center from June through September. The swim beach also has a sunbathing beach wheelchair. Campsites 4-6 and 4-11 are also accessible.

  • Otter River State Forest, Baldwinville: 3 large yurts and 1 small yurt, all accessible. Campsite 52 is also accessible.

  • Shawme-Crowell State Forest, Sandwich: Large yurts 14A, 18A, and 19A and small yurt 16A are accessible. Yurts 9A and 17A are not accessible due to woodchips on the sites.

  • Wells State Park, Sturbridge: 3 large yurts and 1 small yurt, all accessible. Yurts 1 and 2 have a paved pathway into the yurt and a native soil campsite. Yurts 3 and 4 have wooden ramps and a compacted stone dust campsite. The comfort station near the yurts has a transfer shower compartment that doesn't have the required 48" of clear floor space in front of the bench. The comfort station in the lower campground area, reached by car, is fully accessible. The camper's beach has beach mat. The park also has an accessible trail. Campsites 18 and 19 in the lower campground are also accessible.

  • Willard Brook State Forest, Townsend: 1 accessible group yurt that sleeps 10 people. The site is compacted stone dust. This location has an accessible portable toilet, but no showers.

Tent pop-up, and RV sites

We've made tent and RV camping accessible with hard-packed, level sites that have pedestal grills and accessible picnic tables. The following tent and/or RV sites are accessible:

A campsite in the woods with a stone surface.
Site 30 at Clarksburg State Park.

  • Clarksburg State Park, Clarksburg: This forested campground has views of both the Berkshire Hills and the Green Mountains. The campsites have a crushed stone parking area that is designed for vehicle access only. and a stavilized stone dust camping area. Access to the beach at nearby Mausert's Pond is not on an accessible route: the path is over a flat, grassy lawn. The campground comfort station and bath house are accessible and have accessible parking.

    • Site 21: Standard non electric, 20 foot back-in

    • Site 30: Standard non-electric, 20 back-in

  • DAR State Forest, Goshen: The parking area on theses site is made of hard-packed crushed stone and is designed for vehicles only. The camping area on these sites is made of stabilized stone dust. The camper's beach has beach mat, and the day use beach has both a floating and a sunbathing beach wheelchair. You will also find an accessible trail and accessible fishing platforms in the park.

    • Site 25: Standard non-electric, 24 foot back-in 

    • Site 36: Standard non-electric, 24 foot back-in 

    • Site 38: Standard non-electric, 24 foot back-in

  • Erving State Forest, Erving: These campsites are made of compacted stone dust. The park beach has a ramp to the water, an accessible pavilion, and a sunbathing beach wheelchair.
    • Site 13: Standard non-electric, 12 foot back-in
    • Site 18: Standard non-electric, 14 foot back-in

  • Harold Parker State Forest, Andover: This campsite is level, with native soils. This park has two sunbathing beach wheelchairs.

    • Site 78: Standard non-electric, 15 foot back-

  • Nickerson State Park, Brewster: In addition to the six yurt sites, the following two tent sites are accessible. These campsites are level, with a crushed stone parking area designed for vehicles only. The The camping area on the sites is made of stabilized stone dust and is separated from the parking area by boulders. Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers offers accessible and adaptive recreational programming at the McGraw Center from June through September. The swim beach also has a sunbathing beach wheelchair.

    • Area 4 Site 6: Tent only, 25 foot back-in 

    • Area 4 Site 11: Popup/tent, 25 foot back-in

  • Otter River State Forest, Baldwinville: Site 52 is accessible. The nearby comfort station is located up a steep hill. Accessible parking is provided at the comfort station. The parking area on this site is made of hard-packed crushed stone and is designed for vehicles only. The camping area on this site is made of stabilized stone dust.

    • Site 52: Standard non-electric, 15 foot back-in

  • Pearl Hill State Park, West Townsend. The modern accessible bathhouse has flush toilets and showers, as well as parking spaces. The day use beach is not accessible. Each site has a parking made of hard-packed crushed stone that is designed for vehicles only. The camping area is made of compacted stone dust.

    • Site 5: Standard non-electric, 20 foot back in

    • Site 30: Standard non-electric, 20 foot back-in

  • Pittsfield State Forest, Pittsfield: The accessible, paved Tranquility Trail is, located at the bottom of the mountain. The comfort station in the lower campground near site 35 is accessible, but is down a steep hill. There is parking provided at the comfort station. No flush toilets or running water are provided at the upper campground. There is an accessible composting toilet near site 2. The toilet is on a steep, unpaved road. Parking is provided at the toilet.

    • Site 2: Tent only

    • Site 35: Tent only

  • Wellfleet Hollow State Campground, Wellfleet: A quiet, tent-friendly campground that does not accommodate RVs, trailers, or 5th-wheels. The campground is wooded and hilly, with a paved road. One comfort station is accessible. Parking is provided at the comfort station. Accessible sites are made of compacted stone dust.

    • Site 2: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 13: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 15: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 17: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 29: Popup/tent with electric, 15 foot

    • Site 38: Popup/tent with electric, 15 foot

    • Site 40: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 42: Popup/tent, 15 foot

    • Site 66: Tent only

    • Site 72: Tent only

    • Site 84: Popup/tent, 10 foot

  • Wells State Park, Sturbridge: In addition to the four accessible yurts in the upper campground, two campsites in the lower campground are also accessible. These sites have a crushed stone parking area that is designed for vehicles only, and a stabilized stone dust camping area. The comfort station is accessible, though several hundred feet away. Accessible parking is provided at the comfort station. The camper's beach has beach mat. The park also has an accessible trail. 

    • Site 18: Standard non-electric, 24 foot pull-through

    • Site 19: Standard non-electric, 24 foot pull-through

  • Wompatuck State Park, Hingham: The park has a seasonally-available accessible kayaking dock. The sites have a paved parking area for an RV, and level natural soils for the rest of the site.

    • Site E009: Standard non-electric, 35 foot back-in

    • Site Y003: Standard non-electric, 35 foot back-in

RV-only sites

A wide, flat rectangle in the woods. On the right is pavement with an electrical pedestal and on the left is crushed stone with a picnic table and a pedestal grill.
One of the accessible sites at Massasoit State Park.

  • Massasoit State Park, Taunton. Several sites have a 16-foot wide paved area for parking, and a hard crushed stone surface in the rest of the camp site. Water and electricity are on an accessible route. Please note that the surface in the camping area may be too hard for tent stakes, so these sites are recommended for RVs only. The beach has a sunbathing beach wheelchair. The park's large playground is accessible and has a poured-in-place surface.

    • Site B024: Standard electric, 35 foot back-in

    • Site B025: Standard electric, 40 foot back-in

    • Site B027: Standard electric, 40 foot back-in

    • Site B031: Standard electric, 35 foot back-in

    • Site B044: Standard electric, 25 foot back-in

    • Site B051: Standard electric, 25 foot back-in

  • Scusset Beach State Reservation, Sandwich. You can get to the beach via a boardwalk and beach mat, or use the 4 sunbathing and 2 floating beach wheelchairs. The fishing pier on the Cape Cod Canal is also accessible. These RV sites have electricity and water hookups on an accessible route, a 20-foot wide paved parking area, and a crushed stone camping area. All sites have a maximum RV length of 40 feet.

    • Site 30

    • Site 40

    • Site 89

    • Site 90

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