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Martha's Vineyard has exactly one campground: the Family Campground in Vineyard Haven. Complete guide to sites, prices, booking, glamping options, and the Cape Cod camp-and-ferry strategy.
Martha's Vineyard has exactly one campground on the entire island: the Martha's Vineyard Family Campground in Vineyard Haven. No glamping resorts, no state park sites, no beach camping. Just one place with 180 sites in an oak forest, a free bus stop at the gate, and a community campfire every night.
So camping here takes planning. Peak-season sites sell out within days of the late-January reservation opening, and the cancellation policy is strict. But if you secure a spot, you'll pay $49–$150 per night on an island where hotel rooms regularly exceed $400.
Everything below was checked for 2026.
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The Feeney family ran this campground from 1972 through three generations; in April 2026 it was acquired by Northgate Resorts, the national operator behind Jellystone Park and Camp Margaritaville, so expect some gradual changes as the new team settles in. Set within a mature oak forest along the main road between Vineyard Haven and Edgartown, it remains the most affordable way to sleep on Martha's Vineyard.
You don't need a car. Take the SSA ferry as a walk-on passenger, bike or bus to the campground, and use the VTA all week. This is the cheapest way to stay on Martha's Vineyard.
Season: May 20 through October 1, 2026.
| Period | Dates | Minimum Stay | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder (Early) | May 20 – Jun 30 | 2 nights | tent and RV sites from about $49/night |
| Peak Season | Jul 1 – Aug 31 | 3 nights | tent and RV roughly $70–90, cabins about $150–220/night |
| Shoulder (Late) | Sep 1 – Oct 1 | 2 nights | tent and RV sites from about $49/night |
Pricing is dynamic. Rates vary by site type, season, and demand through their Campspot booking engine. A one-time $6.00 booking fee applies to all reservations. Seasonal RV sites run $7,900–$8,300 per season (2025 published rates). Maximum stay is 2 weeks.
The campground has approximately 180 sites across 10 wooded acres: roughly 100 tent sites, 27 cabins, 26 seasonal RV sites, and 20 daily/weekly RV sites.
Primitive Campsites. No hookups. Compact to large sizes. Some allow vehicles up to 25 feet; the smallest "No Vehicle" option is tent-only. Best value on the island.
Powered Campsites. 20/30 amp electric and water hookups. Vehicles from under 15 to 24 feet depending on tier.
RV Sites. Full hookups: water, sewer, and 30/50 amp electric. Standard fits up to 30 feet; large fits up to 38–40 feet by request. Back-in only; no pull-through sites available.
Rustic Cabins (One-Room). Sleep 4 on a full bed and twin bunks. Includes mini fridge with freezer, propane grill, fire ring, picnic table. No running water or bathroom inside. Bring your own bedding and dishes.
Rustic Cabins (Two-Room). Sleep 6 on two full beds and single bunks. Same rustic setup with no plumbing.
The sites are wooded and shaded within a mature oak forest. Aerial views show you can barely see the campsites through the tree canopy. Ground is hard-packed sand (bring a quality sleeping pad). The campground maintains a 5 mph speed limit on internal dirt roads.
| Facility | Available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restrooms | Yes | Indoor, open 24/7 |
| Hot Showers | Yes | Free · indoor AND popular outdoor showers |
| Laundry | Yes | Coin-operated |
| Camp Store | Yes | Firewood, food, ice, coffee, accessories |
| Swimming Pool | No | Use island beaches instead |
| WiFi | Yes | Reviews say "great" to "okay for basics" |
| Fire Rings | Yes | Every site · campfires 6 AM to 11 PM |
| Playground | Yes | Plus volleyball, basketball, ball field |
| Recreation Hall | Yes | Ping pong, air hockey, video games, board games |
| Community Campfire | Yes | Nightly gathering, a longtime campground tradition |
| Bike Rentals | Yes | Adult bikes available on site |
| Generators | No | Not permitted |
Peak-season activities include live music, candy bar bingo, movie nights, tie dye, crafts, and root beer floats.
Dogs are NOT permitted during peak season (July 1–August 31). During shoulder season, dogs are welcome on tent sites, RV sites, and pet-friendly cabins on E Road only. Maximum two dogs per site. Contact the campground directly to register dogs. Read our full pet-friendly Martha's Vineyard guide for more dog policies across the island.
The campground enforces 24-hour courtesy hours: all campers in tents by midnight, all site lights off by midnight, campfires 6 AM–11 PM. No late arrivals after 11 PM. Check-in is 3 PM or later. Maximum two sleeping tents and one vehicle per site. Primary guest must be 21 or older. Motorcycles may enter/exit only 8 AM–10 PM.
TripAdvisor 4.0/5 (100 reviews, #2 specialty lodging in Vineyard Haven). RV LIFE 9.5/10. Hipcamp 100% recommend.
"The campground has to be the best value ever on Martha's Vineyard. We book in January of each year to go in July, and we have never had anything less than a stellar time."
Common praise: Immaculately clean facilities, friendly staff, the outdoor hot showers, the nightly community campfire, and the VTA bus stop at the entrance. (Most of these reviews predate the April 2026 ownership change.)
Heads up: Skunks. Every reviewer mentions them. "Oh so many skunks" and "skunks use this campground as much as humans do." They're harmless if you don't startle them, but store food properly and don't leave scraps out.
The campground uses the Campspot online platform at www.campspot.com/book/marthas-vineyard-family-campground. Reservations also available by phone (9 AM–3 PM) and email, though email does not guarantee a site. Payment in full is required at booking.
| Date | Time | Who Can Book |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 22 | 9:00 AM | Stays of 10+ nights |
| Sunday, January 25 | 9:00 AM | Stays of 5+ nights |
| Wednesday, January 28 | 9:00 AM | All stays (general release) |
Peak-season July/August sites sell out within days to weeks of the January release. Be online with your account ready and dates finalized.
Important: Book your Steamship Authority ferry reservation BEFORE booking the campground. Vehicle ferry reservations open in February and fill within hours for peak weekends. If you can't get a ferry, the campground will not refund you.
All cancellations must be submitted in writing via email:
No refunds for weather, ferry cancellations, or early departure. The campground strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance.
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If you're imagining safari tents overlooking the ocean, that doesn't exist here. Martha's Vineyard has essentially one glamping-style option.
Operated through Island Spirit Kayak, this is a permanent luxury yurt structure completed in 2020, not a tent but a fully built yurt home. It features a round skylight, radiant concrete floors, full kitchen with Bosch appliances, primary bedroom, loft sleeping area, private patio with fire pit, enclosed outdoor shower, and HVAC. Complimentary kayaking and paddleboarding included. In-season rates run well into the hundreds per night; check current pricing when you book.
This is Martha's Vineyard's only verified yurt. It is a luxury rental more than a campsite.
Some travel articles incorrectly list Winnetu Oceanside Resort as offering yurts or glamping. This is wrong. Winnetu is a full-service luxury family resort in Edgartown with traditional hotel rooms, suites, and cottages. No yurts, no tents, no glamping of any kind.
Under Canvas, Collective Retreats, and Glamping Hub have zero Martha's Vineyard listings. The nearest brand-name glamping is AutoCamp Cape Cod in Falmouth: Airstreams, luxury tents, and tiny houses from roughly $150–200/night in the off-season, plus a nightly amenity fee (summer rates run much higher), just minutes from the Woods Hole ferry.
So much of the island is conservation land that camping stays tightly capped, the trade-off for keeping it this wild.
Why only one? Because almost every acre is spoken for.
Beach camping is banned across all six towns. Chilmark's rules explicitly threaten "loss of beach privileges, fines and arrest." Every town enforces this through bylaws.
Manuel F. Correllus State Forest (5,300+ acres): no camping. The island's largest open space explicitly prohibits camping and fires. DCR actively enforces this, clearing unauthorized camps annually. The primary concerns are wildfire risk in the fire-prone coastal pine barrens and protection of globally rare sandplain habitat.
All conservation lands prohibit overnight stays. Felix Neck (Mass Audubon), Trustees of Reservations properties (Cape Poge, Wasque, Long Point, Menemsha Hills), MV Land Bank (4,200+ acres), and Sheriff's Meadow Foundation all prohibit individual camping. The former Webb's Camping Area in Oak Bluffs closed in the late 1990s, the land became conservation property, and the Land Bank voted unanimously in December 2022 to permanently ban camping there.
Martha's Vineyard has no National Forest, no BLM land, and no federal public lands. The island is approximately 100 square miles where virtually every acre is privately owned, conserved, or developed. Sleeping in vehicles is also prohibited island-wide outside the campground.
No site? Camp on Cape Cod and ride the ferry over for the day. The island is a 45-minute boat away.
For budget-minded visitors, the "camp on Cape Cod, day-trip to Martha's Vineyard" strategy works. Use our Trip Cost Calculator to estimate your total budget.
Just 4–5 miles from Woods Hole (10 minutes by car), this family-run campground offers ~100 sites with full or partial hookups, cabin rentals and a few tent-style structures. It sits on the Shining Sea Bikeway and provides a free daily shuttle to Woods Hole, beaches, and Falmouth.
24 miles / 35 minutes from Woods Hole. 285 campsites plus 6 yurts on 700 wooded acres. No hookups. Rates: $17/night MA residents, $54/night non-residents. Yurt rates are higher and vary by residency; check the DCR reservation site. Reservations via ReserveAmerica, opening 4 months before arrival. Season: Memorial Day through Labor Day (full), October–April weekends only.
40 miles / 1 hour from Woods Hole, but Cape Cod's best-known campground. 418 campsites across 1,900 acres with 8 freshwater kettle ponds for swimming. Rates: $22/night MA residents, $70/night non-residents plus a $5/night surcharge. Connected to the 26-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail. Extremely popular. Book the day reservations open.
| Expense | Daily Cost (couple) |
|---|---|
| Cape Cod campsite | $17–$75 |
| SSA ferry round-trip (2 walk-ons) | $44 |
| Woods Hole parking | $25 |
| Total | $86–$144/day |
Compare that to several hundred dollars a night for a modest MV hotel room. On the island, the fare-free VTA bus plus bike rentals ($30–$40/day) make car-free exploration easy.
Martha's Vineyard is among the highest-risk areas for Lyme disease in the United States. The island has approximately 5,000 white-tailed deer, each hosting hundreds of ticks. MV Hospital reported a 38% increase in tick-borne disease tests from March to May 2024.
Three species are present: deer ticks (transmit Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis; nymphs are poppy-seed-sized), lone star ticks (can trigger red meat allergy), and dog ticks. Peak nymph activity runs May through July, exactly when camping season opens. Read our complete tick safety guide for detailed prevention protocols.
A boardwalk through the scrub on an island trail: long pants, closed shoes and a tick check when you get back to camp.
Essential: Treat all clothing with permethrin before the trip. Apply DEET 20–30% to exposed skin. After outdoor activity: shower within 2 hours, run clothes through a dryer on HIGH for 15 minutes. A deer tick must be attached 24–48 hours to transmit Lyme; early removal prevents infection.
These salt-marsh breeders attack with scissor-like jaws from roughly the last two weeks of July through the first week of August. They are largely immune to conventional insect repellent. Physical barriers are your best defense: wear light-colored clothing (they're attracted to dark colors), cover skin, and seek windy areas. Most active 10 AM to dusk.
Leave behind: Bug zappers (prohibited: attract wildlife), generators (prohibited), firewood from the mainland (buy on island to prevent invasive species).
No bears. Martha's Vineyard has been bear-free for centuries. The main wildlife at the campground are skunks (extremely common, harmless if not startled) and raccoons. Store food properly and use the dumpsters.
Late September and October: warmer water, empty sites, and the island slowing down after Labor Day.
If you can be flexible on dates, September is the best month for it: ocean water is at its warmest, crowds thin, prices drop, greenhead flies are gone, early fall foliage begins, and dogs are allowed at the campground. The trade-offs are cooler evening temperatures and some businesses operating limited hours.
Sleeping in a car or on a beach is banned in all six towns; the rules and etiquette guide explains which of the island's rules are bylaws with fines and which are custom.
May and June offer similar advantages with longer days and wildflower blooms, though ocean water is still cold. See our month-by-month visitor guide for detailed seasonal planning.
Mid-week arrivals are significantly easier to secure than weekend starts during any season.
No. Beach camping is prohibited across all six towns with penalties including fines and arrest.
No. Manuel F. Correllus State Forest explicitly prohibits camping and fires. DCR actively enforces this.
No. Sleeping in vehicles is prohibited island-wide outside the campground.
For July/August: book during the January release window (January 22–28). Sites sell out within days to weeks. For shoulder season: 2–3 months ahead is usually sufficient.
No. The VTA bus (currently free) stops at the entrance. Combined with campground bike rentals, you can explore the entire island without a car. See our car-free guide.
Nantucket has no public campgrounds at all. The Vineyard's one campground is an edge for budget travelers. See our MV vs Nantucket comparison.
Island tip of the day Transport No. 9 of 86 New tip at midnight, island time
For real-time bus tracking, use vta.mytransitride.com or download the Transit App. Set these up before arriving. They show live bus locations and estimated arrivals.
The Martha's Vineyard honeymoon guide from a local: the best month to come (September), the eight inns that are actually romantic with 2026 rates, a five-day plan from Edgartown to the Aquinnah cliffs, the dinners worth a Resy reservation, the catboat and tall-ship sails, the dry-town bottle rule, and a worked budget for five nights.
How renting a house on Martha's Vineyard actually works: agencies versus owner sites, the January booking rush, weekly rents by size with the 11.7 percent tax on top, which town suits which week, what the lease leaves out (linens, keys, trash, air conditioning), the 2026 town rules on short-term rentals, the scams, and the beach passes that come with a lease.
Where to stay on Martha's Vineyard in 2026. From $40 hostel bunks to $1,000 luxury inns, plus vacation rentals and camping across all six towns.
Stay at JADE Home-Run in West Tisbury, a family-run B&B offering cozy rooms, homemade breakfast, and genuine island hospitality.
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