We stayed one night in a teepee rental at Turner Falls Park, and while the place itself is beautiful, the check-in experience really ruined the start of our trip.
When we arrived, we were helped by Laura. We had reserved two teepees that were supposed to be next to each other, but somehow they were booked on separate campsites. When we asked her to fix it, she was rude and dismissive the entire time. She kept making snarky comments and acted like we were inconveniencing her by asking for help.
While she called her “boss,” she had us standing out in the sun at around 4 p.m. for over 15 minutes. When I asked if she could be a little more accommodating or at least nicer about it, she just pointed over her shoulder to the car check-in booth and basically told us if we were “getting too hot,” we could go stand there for shade.
While all this was happening, another car pulled up behind us. Instead of just managing the line normally, Laura stuck her head out and told them they’d have to go somewhere else because, and I quote, “these people aren’t moving until I satisfy them.” She even put her boss on speaker phone when we wouldn’t move aside until the issue was handled.
After more than 30 minutes, she finally sent us to the Headquarters office, where Olivia was polite and helpful and quickly fixed everything so we could actually start our stay.
As for the teepee itself, it was fine overall. Just a few things people should know:
Bathhouse: Each teepee has access to a private bathhouse with its own toilet and shower. The bathhouse was really nice—clean, new, and secured with a personal code. But there’s no sign anywhere saying it’s a bathroom. It looks exactly like all the other rental cabins, and nobody told us where it was at check-in. We only found out because someone else staying nearby mentioned it.
Seating: There is a metal picnic table at each teepee, which is fine for meals, but if you want to sit around the fire pit, you’ll need to bring your own chairs. The photos make it look like chairs and a table are included out front, but that wasn’t the case for us.
Firewood: You’ll need to bring firewood or buy some at the Trading Post if you plan on using the communal fire pit.
Overall, the actual accommodations were nice, especially the bathhouse, but the way we were treated at check-in was completely unprofessional. I wouldn’t expect that level of rudeness anywhere, much less at a place where you’re paying to stay.
If you plan to book here, I’d recommend double-checking your reservation ahead of time, asking clearly where everything is when you arrive, and bringing your own seating for the fire. The park is beautiful, but the service could definitely use improvement.
