Matt W.
Yelp
Recently got back from a weekend camping trip with a friend at Wompatuck. It was our first time there, we usually camp in the White Mountains off the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. We chose Wompatuck mostly because of distance, it is less than an hour away from us and they were one of the only passes in Massachusetts with vacancy on pretty short notice. There were plenty of pros and cons about this place.. but in the end, I'm not pleased with our first (and only) experience here.
PROS:
- Overall the place is beautiful, very scenic
- Plenty of room, this place is enormous. There's 250+ campsites and plenty of room for walking, hiking, biking, etc.
- The campsites individually are huge. They all look like they could support an RV (and there were many RV's) with room to spare
- The front desk we dealt with (this does not include the park rangers) were incredibly friendly
- Very cheap camping rates. They were cheaper than what were used to paying in NH, we paid $15 a night for the site (in state resident with electric hookup at site).
- Good amount separation from your neighbor, lot of trees in between sites.
- Lots of trails
- Sites with either electric hookups or no hookups (only a few dollars price difference)
- Sites have open fire pits for campfires AND a cooking grid directly behind it
- Watering stations very nearby-- came in handy after cooking
- Flush toilets and free hot showers in bathrooms (I was surprised by this, we get vault toilets and no showers at Blackberry in NH).
- They do not charge extra for more than one car at a site (another nice benefit I wasn't expecting)
CONS:
- Our campsite was dirty on arrival. The fire pit and site itself were not raked or groomed at all. There were wrappers and other trash in the fire pit and on the ground
- Our site was more gravely/sandy than anything else. We did not have a lot of grass.
- The bundles of fire wood they sell at the front desk were small ($5 a "bundle")
- As is the rule at all Massachusetts state parks, alcohol is prohibited. They strictly enforce this rule (this is addressed below--read on)
- It's a LONG drive from the front gate up to the camping area (I know this part isn't really their fault, but it should be mentioned)
- The park ranger has an attitude problem and clearly thinks he's some big shot (this is also addressed below)
- The bathrooms and showers were dirty and badly littered.
- They need more signage, it's very easy to get lost here
Quiet hours start at 10:00pm, and of course the ranger was on our site by 10:06pm. We were not being very loud, we were not causing any problems, we were not ruining other campers good time, yet this ranger decided to sneak up on us and barge into campsite. We were almost immediately given a warning reprimanded because I had a mixed drink, and my friend had a few beers in our cooler. We were honest, respectful and courtesy to this ranger who was nothing but arrogant, rude, and sarcastic to us. I was standing up and my friend was sitting in a camping chair.. when the ranger came onto our site (for no reason, by the way) and approached us the first thing he said to me was "SIT DOWN" in an authoritative, annoyed tone. Hey State of Massachusetts.. I don't enjoy being treated like a criminal. I haven't done anything wrong and this park ranger is barking orders at me like I'm some inmate.
He "reminded" us of the no alcohol policy, and that we "probably knew about it anyway", so he basically called us liars (very rude) - I actually did not know the rule, or else I wouldn't be holding a mixed drink in front of a park ranger, you dope! He initially ordered us to pour out everything we had in his presence, which I found to be unbelievably childish. My friend asked if we could just put it back in our trunks, which the ranger agree to. He acted like he was doing us this huge favor by not fining and/or evicting us immediately. We were also reprimanded because supposedly one of us swore and he heard it. My question is why are you hoovering over my campsite listening to my conversations? Get lost. I'm a tax paying Massachusetts adult citizen, this rule is absolutely ridiculous and childish. Don't get me wrong, I would understand some sort of responsible alcohol policy in place-- people who are loud and disruptive ruin the experience for others, I get that. But an outright ban is completely babyish.
I enjoy the freedoms and no attitude I receive when I go to NH State Campgrounds, and I will be returning there in the future. I will not being camping Wompatuck, or any other Massachusetts State Park for that matter, ever again.