🌤 Weather at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31–62 °F | 57–79 °F | 39–71 °F | 26–44 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Chatham Municipal Airport, 16 mi away, elevation 68 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
🏆 Official Guide: Wellfleet Hollow State Campground — 100+ wooded tent sites and three yurts in a pine hollow on the Outer Cape, minutes from the Atlantic beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Wellfleet Hollow State Campground puts you in a shady kettle-hole of pitch pine and oak on the Outer Cape — close enough to the Atlantic that you can be standing on a National Seashore beach within minutes of crawling out of your tent. This is classic old-Cape camping: quiet, wooded, unfussy, and perfectly placed for day trips to ocean beaches, Wellfleet’s harbor and galleries, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
The campground has real Cape history behind it. For six decades it was Paine’s Campground, a family-run institution in South Wellfleet, before the Commonwealth acquired the roughly 30-acre property in 2018 and reopened it as a state campground. That heritage still shows in the layout — more than 100 sites tucked into the contours of the hollow rather than lined up on a grid, connected by narrow, winding camp roads.
What Makes This Campground Unique
Outer Cape Base Camp
Marconi Beach and the wild Atlantic side of the Cape Cod National Seashore are just minutes away — camp in the pines, swim in the surf.
Three Yurts
One of the Massachusetts parks with yurts: three large canvas yurts with bunk beds, table and chairs, and electricity — a step up from tenting without leaving the woods.
Cape Cod Rail Trail Access
The paved Rail Trail’s Wellfleet extension runs close by — ride toward Nickerson State Park and the kettle ponds of Brewster.
Old-Cape Camping Character
Formerly Paine’s Campground, family-run for 60 years — winding lanes and wooded sites shaped by generations of Cape campers, now preserved by the DCR.
Things to Do
Beaches: The Atlantic beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore — Marconi and White Crest among them — are a short drive east, with dune bluffs and genuine ocean surf. Wellfleet’s calmer bay-side beaches and its working harbor sit a few minutes west.
Biking: Pick up the Cape Cod Rail Trail nearby and ride flat, paved miles through the Outer Cape — the classic long ride runs southwest toward Brewster and Nickerson State Park.
Nature walks & wildlife: Trails wind through the surrounding pine-oak woods, and the nearby Wellfleet Bay area is one of the Cape’s best birding zones — expect ospreys overhead in summer.
Camping
Camping is what this place is for: more than 100 wooded sites for tents and smaller RVs (under 35 feet — the camp roads have tight curves), plus three large yurts with bunk beds and electricity. One car and one tent per site, and the campground is open to registered campers only — there’s no day-use crowd. Reserve through ReserveAmerica; Cape Cod sites go fast for summer weekends, so book when the window opens.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Use | Registered campers only — no day-use area |
| Sites | 100+ wooded sites; tents & RVs under 35 ft; 1 car/1 tent per site |
| Yurts | 3 large yurts (bunk beds, table, electricity) |
| Size | ~30 acres in a wooded hollow |
| History | Former Paine’s Campground; state-run since 2018 |
| Location | 180 Old Kings Highway, Wellfleet, MA 02667 (Barnstable County) |
| Phone | (508) 349-3007 |
| Official Info | Mass.gov – Wellfleet Hollow State Campground |
Getting There
The campground sits just off U.S. Route 6 in South Wellfleet, on Old Kings Highway. From the Sagamore Bridge, follow Route 6 east about an hour up the Outer Cape; Wellfleet center and the harbor are five minutes farther north, and Provincetown is about 25 minutes beyond that.
Nearby Parks Worth Combining
Pair a Wellfleet Hollow stay with Nickerson State Park in Brewster (kettle-pond swimming and 10 more yurts, about 25 minutes southwest) or Shawme-Crowell State Forest in Sandwich near the canal. The Massachusetts state parks guide has the full picture, including the statewide yurt lineup.
Facts verified against Mass.gov (DCR) and public records, July 2026. Camping fees and season dates are set by the DCR — check the official campground page before your trip.
⛺ Camping at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground: Campgrounds & Cabins
| Campsites | 108 sites — 108 wooded, tent- and pop-up-only campsites (RVs, trailers, and 5th-wheels aren't accommodated), including a compact loop suited to two-person parties, accessible campsites, one group campsite, and a communal hike/bike site. Some sites have 20-amp electric hookups. Each site is limited to one tent or one pop-up/mini-trailer with a box of 15 feet or less, plus one vehicle. |
|---|---|
| Cabins & Lodging | No cabins or yurts are offered at Wellfleet Hollow; it's a tent- and pop-up-only campground. |
| Pets | Pets are not permitted at this campground, and generators aren't allowed either. |
| Reservations | Reservations are required - no walk-in camping. Book through the DCR's ReserveAmerica system. New inventory is released at 8 a.m. ET daily during the peak season (April 1 through Labor Day) and at 9 a.m. weekdays/10 a.m. weekends the rest of the year; same-day bookings are accepted until 2 p.m. on the arrival date. Check-in is 1:00-9:00 p.m.; check-out is by 11:00 a.m. Reservations booked at the 4-month maximum window can't be changed or cancelled until 18 days after booking. Changes and most cancellations cost $10; cancelling on the day of arrival requires a phone call and forfeits one night's fee plus the $10 fee. Every reservation carries a $4.50 non-refundable transaction charge. |
| Special sites | The campground includes a compact loop for two-person parties, accessible campsites (one comfort station is ADA-accessible), one group campsite, and a communal hike/bike site. No RVs, trailers, or 5th-wheels are permitted. |
| Season notes | Peak-season booking (with the 8 a.m. daily release time) runs April 1 through Labor Day. Campers and camping equipment are limited to 14 cumulative days in the park between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There's no dump station on site. As of July 2026. |
Camping questions about Wellfleet Hollow State Campground
Can you camp at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground?
Yes. Wellfleet Hollow State Campground has 108 campsites. 108 wooded, tent- and pop-up-only campsites (RVs, trailers, and 5th-wheels aren't accommodated), including a compact loop suited to two-person parties, accessible campsites, one group campsite, and a communal hike/bike site. Some sites have 20-amp electric hookups. Each site is limited to one tent or one pop-up/mini-trailer with a box of 15 feet or less, plus one vehicle.
How do you reserve a campsite at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground?
Reservations are required - no walk-in camping. Book through the DCR's ReserveAmerica system. New inventory is released at 8 a.m. ET daily during the peak season (April 1 through Labor Day) and at 9 a.m. weekdays/10 a.m. weekends the rest of the year; same-day bookings are accepted until 2 p.m. on the arrival date. Check-in is 1:00-9:00 p.m.; check-out is by 11:00 a.m. Reservations booked at the 4-month maximum window can't be changed or cancelled until 18 days after booking. Changes and most cancellations cost $10; cancelling on the day of arrival requires a phone call and forfeits one night's fee plus the $10 fee. Every reservation carries a $4.50 non-refundable transaction charge.
Are there cabins at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground?
No cabins or yurts are offered at Wellfleet Hollow; it's a tent- and pop-up-only campground.
Are pets allowed at the Wellfleet Hollow State Campground campground?
Pets are not permitted at this campground, and generators aren't allowed either.
Source: mass.gov (verified July 2026). Details change seasonally — confirm when booking.
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground
- Pets allowed? statewide rule
- The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) welcomes dogs on-leash in most state parks, forests and reservations, though a list of specific properties prohibits dogs for safety, health or habitat reasons.
- Leash rule statewide rule
- Leash of no more than 10 feet in on-leash areas; dogs must be on-leash in all parking areas.
- Beaches & swim areas statewide rule
- Dogs are not allowed on DCR coastal beaches or in designated swimming areas of inland beaches from May 1 through September 15; shorebird-nesting beaches are closed to dogs April 1 - September 15.
- Cabins & lodging statewide rule
- Dogs are not allowed in cabins, yurts and the encompassing areas (no pet-friendly cabin program).
- Statewide exceptions statewide rule
- Designated off-leash areas at ~20 properties (e.g. Bark Place at Breakheart Reservation); max 4 dogs per person; dogs banned entirely at Walden Pond, Moore State Park, Sandy Point and Boston Harbor Islands.
Are dogs allowed at Wellfleet Hollow State Campground?
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) welcomes dogs on-leash in most state parks, forests and reservations, though a list of specific properties prohibits dogs for safety, health or habitat reasons. Individual parks can post stricter rules — check signage on arrival.
Rules verified July 2026 via mass.gov. More: Massachusetts state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
Park Location
Plan your gear for Wellfleet Hollow State Campground
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
