Race Point only, first come and first served, 21 days per vehicle from 1 July to Labor Day
Outfitting to a published list
Massachusetts is unusual in that the packing list is written for you. Shovel, tow strap or rope or chain or cable of a stated length and diameter, jack, support board of stated dimensions, low-pressure gauge, full-size spare. Sandy Neck adds a bucket for putting out campfires and, for self-contained vehicles, a carbon monoxide detector and something that measures 30 feet.
Buy to whichever list is strictest for the beaches you intend to drive, and carry the printed rules, because two of them require it.
An outfitter is the difference between reading reviews and opening the tent yourself. The good ones stock what works, install what they sell, and will tell you what they took off their own trucks.
What they carry
01Roof tents, awnings and shelter
02Fridges, kitchens and water systems
03Racks, drawers and storage
04Recovery gear and compressors
05Power stations, batteries and lighting
How to choose an outfitter
Look for people who use what they sell.
01Ask whether they install what they sell, and whether the installer is on staff.
02Ask what they run on their own vehicles, and what they stopped running.
03Compare weight as well as price. It all rides on your suspension.
04Ask about returns and exchanges on large items such as tents and fridges.
05Check that they know your vehicle. Fitment is where online orders go wrong.
What to have ready before you ask for a quote
Dimensions prevent returns.
01Vehicle, and rack or bed dimensions if you know them
02How many people travel and sleep
03The kind of trips you take, and how long
04What you already own
05A budget range
Questions people ask
What gear should I buy first?
A way to sleep well, a way to keep food cold, water storage and basic recovery gear. Everything else can wait until a few trips show you what you miss.
Is it worth buying from a local outfitter instead of online?
For anything that has to fit your vehicle or be installed, yes. Fitment mistakes on racks, tents and fridges are expensive to ship back, and an installer who sold you the part will stand behind the install.
Can I try before I buy?
Some outfitters rent roof tents, fridges and even vehicles. Say so in the form if that is what you are after.
How high is Massachusetts?
From Truro at 5 feet to Mount Greylock at 3,491.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
PrincetonThe foot of the Wachusett Mountain summit road1,137 ft
PittsfieldCentral Berkshire services, and the state forest of the same name992 ft
LeeBetween Beartown and October Mountain, the two biggest OHV forests883 ft
North AdamsThe north end of the Mount Greylock roads, where the Mohawk Trail crosses725 ft
BelchertownThe Winsor Dam entrance to the Quabbin Reservoir607 ft
CharlemontThe Cold River end of the Mohawk Trail and its state forest587 ft
Fall RiverThe southeastern forest with the hardest single track in the state120 ft
OrleansThe sticker office for the Nauset Beach over sand trails59 ft
PlymouthServices before Myles Standish State Forest, which allows no off-road vehicles49 ft
BarnstableSandy Neck Beach Park and its front beach driving corridor38 ft
ProvincetownThe oversand permit office at Race Point, and the far end of the corridor29 ft
WellfleetThe four Park Service houses that are most of the state’s federal lodging24 ft
EdgartownThe crossing to Chappaquiddick and the Mytoi and Norton Point gatehouses14 ft
SandwichThe east end of the Cape Cod Canal, the Corps visitor centre and Scusset Beach14 ft
ChathamThe southern half of Nauset Beach, run jointly with Orleans, and the Monomoy islands11 ft
TruroHigh Head, Head of the Meadow and the Coast Guard Beach night fishing route5 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount GreylockThe state high point, and the only summit in Massachusetts with a seasonal auto road to the top. USGS publishes 3,491 feet and our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point agrees3,491 ft
Mount GreylockMount Greylock Scenic Byway3,491 ft
Mount EverettOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the south Berkshires above the Connecticut line2,604 ft
Spruce HillOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the Savoy plateau above the Hoosac Range2,550 ft
Berry MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above the Pittsfield State Forest campground of the same name2,202 ft
Wachusett MountainThe reservation publishes 2,006 feet for the peak the summit road climbs. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 2,0042,006 ft
Wachusett MountainWachusett Mountain summit road2,006 ft
Mount TomOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the traprock ridge above the Connecticut River in Hampden County1,187 ft
Mount HolyokeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the other side of the river gap from Mount Tom934 ft
Great Blue HillThe highest of the 22 hills in the Blue Hills chain south of Boston. Its Summit Road is listed by the reservation as a paved hiking trail, 0.9 miles one way at an average 9 percent slope635 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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