C Charlie · Line 1: Rentals & Stays
Signal notes
- Nickerson State Park in Brewster covers 1,900 acres and has more than 400 campsites.
- DCR campsites can be booked up to four months before arrival; same-day reservations close at 2 p.m.
- Firewood must be bought at the park, by credit card only.
A campsite is the cheapest roof you will find on Cape Cod in July, and often the most memorable: pine woods, a kettle pond a short walk away and a bike path to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation runs the main public campgrounds on and near the Cape. The prices and rules below come from DCR’s own pages for the 2026 season.
The campgrounds
Nickerson State Park, Brewster
Nickerson is the big one: 1,900 acres of woods and ponds with more than 400 campsites for tents, trailers and RVs. It has eight freshwater ponds, four of them stocked with trout year-round, plus miles of hiking trails, showers, restrooms, a boat ramp and an amphitheater. An 8-mile bike path inside the park connects to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which DCR’s park page describes as a 26-mile paved trail through six towns. Big Cliff Pond is limited to engines of 10 horsepower or less.
Shawme-Crowell State Forest
DCR lists Shawme-Crowell among its inland campgrounds, at a lower base rate than the coastal parks. It also has six yurts, all of them ADA accessible.
Wellfleet Hollow State Campground
On the Outer Cape, Wellfleet Hollow is one of DCR’s coastal campgrounds and offers sites with water and electric add-ons. It has one yurt, which is ADA accessible.
Washburn Island
For something different, the 2026 season announcement says Washburn Island is open for camping Thursday through Sunday nights and is reachable by private boat only. DCR warns there is no on-site parking at the Waquoit Bay reserve or at the Falmouth town lot at White’s Landing, so campers must arrange parking themselves.
What it costs in 2026
| Site type | Massachusetts resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Nickerson basic campsite | $22 per night | $70 per night, plus a $5 trust surcharge |
| Wellfleet Hollow basic campsite | $22 per night | $70 per night, plus a $5 trust surcharge |
| Shawme-Crowell basic campsite | $17 per night | $54 per night |
| Nickerson group site (up to 25 people) | $35 per night | $100 per night |
| Nickerson small yurt | $45 per night | $120 per night, plus a $5 trust surcharge |
| Nickerson large yurt | $55 per night | $140 per night, plus a $5 trust surcharge |
| Waquoit Bay primitive site | $8 per night | $20 per night |
Wellfleet Hollow adds $4 per night for water and $6 for electric. Group sites add $1 per person per night above 25 people. Every reservation carries a $4.50 non-refundable transaction charge.
The booking window
DCR’s 2026 reservations opened to the public on February 18, 2026, at 9 a.m., for a camping season running from April through October across 25 campgrounds. The rule that matters for summer planning is the rolling window: reservations open up to four months before your arrival date. If you want a July 15 arrival, your booking day is in mid-March. Same-day reservations are available until 2 p.m. through ReserveAmerica, the state’s booking system.
Demand is real. DCR says it accepted nearly 65,000 camping reservations statewide the previous year.
Cancellations and no-shows
DCR’s fee page lays out the penalties, and they are stricter than many hotel policies:
- Any change or cancellation costs $10, online or through customer service at 877-620-2267.
- Cancelling on the day of arrival requires a phone call to the campground and costs the first night’s fee plus the $10 charge.
- A reserved site is held until 8 a.m. the day after your scheduled arrival. If you have not arrived or called by then, the reservation is cancelled as a no-show and nothing is refunded.
Tip: If the ferry or bridge traffic is going to make you a day late, call the campground before 8 a.m. the next morning. Silence turns a late arrival into a forfeited booking.
Yurts: not quite a cabin
Nickerson now has 10 yurts, all ADA accessible, after new ones were added for the 2026 season. DCR describes a yurt as a round, wooden-framed structure covered in heavy canvas, with bunk beds, a table, skylights, screened windows, a locking door and access to drinking water. Most have electricity. Before you book, note what they lack:
- No heat, and they are available for the main camping season only.
- No restroom inside; restrooms are nearby.
- No cooking inside. Bring charcoal or a propane grill for outdoor cooking.
- Electricity is limited and DCR says it is not reliable enough for medical devices.
- No pets in yurts or on yurt sites.
- Bring your own linens and utensils. Yurts sleep 4 to 6 people.
Rules that catch people at check-in
Firewood. You must buy firewood at the park, and DCR says firewood sales are by credit card only. Nickerson does not allow firewood brought in from outside.
Pets. All pets must have physical proof of a valid rabies vaccination, and DCR says entry may be denied at check-in without paper verification. At Nickerson, no dogs or other pets except service animals are allowed on the beach.
Visitors. People without a reservation are not allowed in campsites, though day-use areas are open to them. Nickerson does not permit alcohol.
Day visits. If you are not camping, Nickerson charges a daily parking fee from May 23 through October 12: $8 for Massachusetts plates and $30 for out-of-state plates. Parking at the Rail Trail access lot inside the park costs $5 or $20.
Ticks come with the woods
Wooded campsites and grassy trail edges are tick habitat. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends a full-body tick check once a day, repellent with DEET on skin and permethrin on clothing, and removing any attached tick with fine-point tweezers pulled straight out with steady pressure.
Camping pairs naturally with the trail and the beaches. See Biking the Cape Cod Rail Trail: Trailheads, Parking, Trail Rules and the 2026 Eastham Closure for the path that starts at Nickerson, and Cape Cod National Seashore Beaches: The Six Lifeguarded Beaches, Fees, Passes and Pet Rules for the Outer Cape beaches near Wellfleet Hollow.