Sweetwater Forest Camping Rsrt, Brewster

This was our first trip to Cape Cod, and we were lucky to get 2 tent sites for ourselves and my brother's family. The sites were private and roomy. The campground was quiet, clean, pleasant and convenient to several beaches and the village. The bathrooms were very clean; the floors got sandy late in the day, but the workers would get things cleaned up pretty quickly. The water temp could fluctuate a bit during peak usage, but it was easy to plan around that (or use a shower in a less-populated area of the campground!) Sweetwater Forest is reasonably priced, too (and the showers are free!) The tall trees and natural setting added to the peaceful ambiance. We noticed that some tent sites were not as private as ours, but others were. We hope to camp there next summer and explore more of the Cape.

We've been camping for more than 20 years. We camp every weekend starting in June thru August and 3 weeks of the summer. We have a pop-up trailer. We go to different places every year, so we've been to a lot of campgrounds! We seem to have a different definition of camping than a lot of people - we look for campgrounds that feel like we're camping, not living in a 5 star luxury RV on a 15' x 35' piece of ground with a couple of trees and neighbours 10' away (if not closer). We have camped at Sweetwater forest several times and we love it. It is a very unique private campground - but then we are looking to camp, to experience the wilderness, to be away from everything electronic, not have all the comforts of home, to have some privacy and space from other campers, to have lots of trees, and to see wildlife. We find it hard to find campgrounds like this, and we have travelled a lot. The sites are a good size, well spaced and wooded. It is located in the middle of Cape Cod in the quaint town of Brewster so it is equal distance from each end of the Cape which is perfect for day trips. The staff have been great every time. Our only complaint is the showers need updating. For people looking to really CAMP this is the best campground on Cape Cod, better than Nickerson State Park where we have also camped. we will be back!

We enjoyed our stay at Sweetwater Forest again, and would highly recommend Sweetwater to any family looking for quiet, clean, camping with plenty to do in the campground, and lots within biking distance, such as Cape Cod Bay less than a mile away, and the Town's Freshwater Lake Beaches less than .10 of a mile away. With Sweetwater's easy with Bike Trail access getting around was a breeze. The message posted below is not accurate per our experiences and Sweetwater is certainly not run by kids. It appeared to us, the youngest employee are the college and high school students who works in the store and kennel. This group has listed some serious inaccuracies! The owners live on the property and work from 5am to midnight when they complete the last "rounds" for the evening are done as the entire campground is inspected for noise, and to be sure all fires are out. There is an emergency answering number, that when called is responded to immediately. We know this first hand as we had to call about a noise issue at 2am and it was the owner himself who took care of the situation in a matter of minutes. As far as rates go, it would not be less expensive to stay at the other Brewster Campground these obviously uninformed people mentioned-and that campground also does not allow two sets of gear on one site-and their rates are higher than Sweetwater's- even for 2 people. When I read that I realized that, unlike many posts this was pure anger because these people couldn't freestyle it and have the rules amended more to their liking. Can you imagine if there were no rules, or if people could pick and choose which rules they'd follow? People like the campers who posted this make us all miserable. Unlike many other campgrounds, Sweetwater Forest permits the public posting of comments about their facility. One poor comment from people who, had they read the rules available online and via snail mail, would have known that they were asking to break the rules! One can only imagine what would happen if a place like Sweetwater just tossed the rules out the door. This post, which we've now seen in a few places, seems to have been written maliciously as a vendetta against being made to adhere to Sweetwater's posted rates & rules, as opposed to a post meant to provide accurate information for other campers. WE are glad Sweetwater Forest continues to stand by their POSTED RULES. Had these campers taken the time to read these rules or listen to the 30 year old "kids" who work in the office, or the owners who're in their 50's, having grown up at Sweetwater Forest, perhaps they would not feel the need to have posted such nonsense. The other 99.9% of the people who stayed during that time had no complaints and in our book majority rules. Again, we highly recommend Sweetwater Forest!!

Brewster is nicely situated on Cape Cod and is reasonably close to everything. As for camping options, Sweetwater Forest is near the CCRT and offers nicely wooded and private campsites. My wife and I, along with another couple, rented the Upper Group Sites 1 & 2. These sites offer water and electricity hookups and are more than large enough to accomodate 3-4 cars and 4-5 tents, comfortably. The campground, as a whole, is nice. We were forced to get 2 sites, as the other couple are not relatives, yet a family of 4 can comfortably fit on any of the other sites. Realistically, we should only have had to pay for the extra people, not for another site. $294 for 7 nights of camping/couple is quite ridiculous. We figured we would give it a try, but were sorely disappointed. The maintenance and cleanliness of the campground leaves A LOT TO BE DESIRED. Over my 7 day stay, the dumpsters on the campground were only emptied once, which lead to overflowing garbage and recyclables. The garbage stench that permeated the restrooms on the C-Section of SWF, was just plain nasty. Additionally, the restrooms which, during peak season, should be thoroughly cleaned daily, if not twice daily, were merely rinsed with a hose by the young staff, sporadically during the week. It was quite clear that nothing was truly cleaned or disinfected, as bathroom fixtures were still dirty, even moments after the "cleaning crew" had finished. Clearly no adults are keeping track of the campgrounds, so long as the $$$ keeps coming in. I honestly felt dirtier after using the restrooms than I did before I entered. There are too few showers and the ones that are available are ALWAYS DIRTY. Overall, I would say that the site size and privacy is trumped by the garbage smell and the lack of clean bathing and bath facilities. After staying elsewhere last summer, I recommend seeking out Shady Knoll Campground at 6A and Rt 137 if you would like to stay in Brewster. The sites are a bit smaller, but it is much less expensive and the facilities are substantially cleaner and nicer than those at SWF. The staff/family at Sweetwater Forest offers a sub-par overall experience at a price premium. Your best bet is to stay elsewhere.

Sweetwater Forest is one of the nicest places we camp at. Looking forward to another 3 day weekend with the grandkids. Love their Free hayrides, & all they put together for all to enjoy-always @ no charge. Owners live right there & if possible they keep making stays at Sweetwater better & better. LOVE all the trees, long driveways, privacy & the way this place is run. Rates are great & for 4 while most other places on Cape Cod charge more for just 2. Highly recommend! Jason & Anna, Northshore

My husband and I had vacationed here with some friends. We loved the fact that yes, it is well spaced out, ensuring privacy. Also, it is very family oriented, giving a comfy home feel. Being my first time camping since childhood, I really enjoyed it. Everything you may need is rt on site, from ice, to firewood, to a cute small store for milk and eggs, yes marshmallows too!! The only down side for me, bring lots of bug repellant, there are lots of spiders that creep up at night, big but harmless. so be prepared!

I stayed at Sweetwater Forest with my parents many years ago. My wife and I just took our three boys camping for their first time ever at Sweetwater Forest over Memorial Day Weekend. The sites still appear well spaced, with lots of trees between them just as I remembered them in the 1970s. They haven't added more sites but have added more acres. Their kennel worked out great for us because we like camping with our dog, but they didn't want him left in the car while we ate out, etc. The office staff processed us quickly and efficiently. Although the weather wasn't that great on Friday, it was a relief to find our site clean, with a nice new picnic table, and a cleaned out, ready to use fire pit for the boys long awaited s'mores. There was no trash to be seen. It was great to head up to the Log Cabin Welcome to dry out and have coffee, instead of bringing all sorts of wet, muddy clothes into the camper. The restrooms were freshly painted and cleaned twice a day. The 5 playgrounds, fishing dock, basketball, video arcade and miniature golf kept the boys busy enough for us to relax for the first time in 7 years. Everything about this camping trip at Sweetwater Forest was as special, or more, than I remember it was when I was a kid. They had free activities, contests and games planned all weekend. On Saturday night they gave free Hayrides and had a free Ice Cream Sundae Buffet. On Sunday night there was a a free Pizza Party. The winners were announced at the during the Campfire, and called up on stage to get their ribbons and awards. There were also free raffles for free camping, Cape Cod Birdhouses, and more and they gave a special prize to the winners of a secret contest for campers who showed the best Camp Spirit. Sweetwater Forest is a great family campground, although we saw a fair share of couples with big RVs in their other areas.