Lake Dennison Campground Entrance — Attraction in Winchendon

This is our first time staying at a DCR campground west of 495, simply because none of them have water and electric. Now we have a basic solar kit to keep the batteries charged I was ready to go for it.

This place is BEAUTIFUL. Pros and cons aside for a minute, we didn’t want to leave. My husband is the beach lover but said this was probably his favorite we’ve camped at so far. (Granted some of it had to do with it being less than perfect weather and come Sunday morning we had almost the whole section to ourselves.) In our opinion the north side is nicer, and more set up size-wise for trailers. Any site from 101-112 is truly lake side and you can put your kayak or canoe in the lake right from there. We stayed at 116, and that section is more of a steep drop off but you still have wonderful lake views. But, it is also set up somewhat awkwardly with having to drive over the grass with not super clear markings. (119 is in front of 116 FYI. We felt bad setting up as we blocked some of their view.) That said, if you camp with friends, esp. tent camping it’s a great area to reserve.

The row of pull-through sites one up from the lake-side still offer a great water view and nice privacy between.

The drawback is that if you are a family with young kids the access to the beach/swimming area is over at the east side. The bathrooms on the north side are small, very rustic and don’t have dishwashing stations. However the ladies room shower has been updated to a real shower head and dial control that will let you regulate the hot water and stays on, not like the push button ones at Scusset or Salisbury! They were as clean as they could be, meaning they are old with an eroded cement floor so not much could be done.

Oh and other reviews have mentions the traffic noise from 202 is loud at those sites that are nearest to roadway, and yes, we rode our bikes over there and it was terrible. And FYI some of the east side noise travels across the lake if you are at 113-118.

Overall a totally different experience from Horseneck Beach, Scusset or Salisbury if you’ve been to those, but we...

We had such a great time camping at Lake Dennison and would definitely recommend it with little ones. My son (15 months old) slept well, and the whole experience felt easy and relaxed. Staff drove around periodically to check in, which gave us peace of mind.

We stayed in the upper campground in campsites 141, 142, 143, and 148. Our friends in 148 had their dog with them, and it turned out to be a perfect spot since it was tucked a little away from the bathrooms and other campsites but still close to ours, which helped their skittish dog feel comfortable. The upper campground is also close to the smaller beach near campsite 109, which has a big sandbox that our kids loved. Dogs are welcome as long as you bring proof of rabies vaccination. About half a mile from the upper campground, there’s a recreation area with a larger beach and lots of nature and hiking trails.

The bathrooms were simple but had what we needed: two stalls, a standing shower, and a drinking water spigot. Campsites were surprisingly spacious compared to other campgrounds we’ve visited, so you don’t feel like you’re on top of your neighbors. Each site came with a fire pit and grate, picnic table, food storage bin, and two ways in/out. Firewood was available for $7 a bundle. There’s also a larger group campsite (for 8+ people) you can reserve. Rates were very reasonable: $17/night for MA residents, or $35/night for the group site.

I'm glad we went later in the year. With school in session it was quieter, the water was still warm, and we didn’t see a single tick. (A friend who camped in the summer said ticks were everywhere, even...

Very nice state campground. Can't bring in wood, but they were selling bundles for $7 at the entrance. The North camping loops were very nice for RVs. Many were large pull through sites that looked like they could accommodate ginormous rigs. Most sites along the lake shore actually had great views. Sites were fairly large. Bathroom/showers were decent and cleaned in the mornings. The Eastern loops looked like some could accommodate RVs but more geared towards tents I think. The sites along the road got to hear the traffic very well. I couldn't find any good hiking trail maps. There are hiking trails from the East loop to the beach that is marked locally by a sign. There is also a nice trail from the North loops to the beach but there is no sign. One of the attached pictures is of a sign indicating where sites 101 to 119 are located. A bit to the right of that sign (West) is an unmarked trail. Go there. The other end by the beach is marked as...