Map showing campground location near Newry, Maine

Camper submitted image from Grafton Notch Campground

Grafton Notch Campground

SUMMARY PRESENTED BY

Generators are banned here. That single rule shapes everything about Grafton Notch Campground, a 15-site private campground in Newry, Maine, where the loudest thing most nights is the river running behind the first few sites on the right side of the loop road.

Sites are gravel and level, with enough tree cover between them to provide reasonable privacy. Wood-chip paths keep mud off your boots when the ground is wet. A few sites have good hammock trees; one or two have none, so hammock campers may want to request a specific spot at check-in. Cell coverage is limited with at least some carriers, though owner Mo allows campers to use the office porch WiFi. The bathhouse draws consistent praise across years of reviews: two shower stalls per gender, one ADA-accessible, with warm water and good pressure. "Bathrooms are spacious and spotless," notes Elizabeth S.. Two outdoor dishwashing sinks sit just outside the bathhouse, alongside a dump station for RV users.

Mo is an on-site presence, and reviewers mention her local knowledge as often as the facilities. Fred M. calls her "a friendly host with tons of local knowledge on hikes, waterfalls, etc." The camp store carries wood and basic supplies. Brochures and trail maps are available at check-in. The central lawn area has horseshoes and cornhole, and picnic tables sit along the river bank.

Hiking access is the main draw. Grafton Notch State Park is just outside the campground, putting Screw Auger Falls, Table Rock, Baldpate Mountain, and the Mahoosuc Notch section of the Appalachian Trail within a short drive or walk. The campground sees through-hikers during AT season. Moose sightings at dusk and dawn are reported regularly by campers in the area.

The campground runs from mid-May through Columbus Day. Reservations are available. This setup works best for tent campers and small trailer rigs; it tends to work well as a base for multi-day hiking trips into the Grafton Notch corridor, and those exploring campgrounds around Newry will find few options this close to the trailheads.

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Map & DirectionsGrafton Notch Campground is located in Maine near Newry

RV Park

Directions

From Bethel: Follow Route 2 East to Newry Corner (Routes 2 & 26) Turn left. Go 7 miles north on Rt. 26 (Bear River Rd.) Campground is on the left. From Rumford/Farmington: Follow Route 2 West to Newry Corner (Routes 2 & 26) Turn right. Go 7 miles north on Rt. 26 (Bear River Rd.) Campground is on the left. From Errol, New Hampshire (Routes 16 & 26) Travel 24 miles south on Rt. 26. Campground is on the right.

Address

1472 Bear River Road
Newry, ME 04261

Coordinates

44.56367613 N
70.8555794 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Water Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

Contact

General Info

Reservations

+12078242292

Drive Time

1 hr 20 min from Lewiston, ME
1 hr 55 min from Portland, ME
2 hrs 26 min from Bangor, ME
2 hrs 38 min from Manchester, NH

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Reviews13 Camper Reviews - Grafton Notch Campground

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5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

5.0

out of 5

13 Reviews

Visitors often highlighted Mo's exceptional hospitality and local expertise alongside immaculate facilities with free hot showers. Many campers appreciated the quiet, well-maintained sites and prime location near hiking trails and Grafton Notch State Park.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BY

Cheryl K.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2025

Amazing place!

We stayed here 2 nights in late September. The campground is very neat and tidy with lots of nice touches like flowers and seasonal decorations. The sites are gravel & the paths are covered in wood chips - both make walking cleaner because you are out of the dirt and mud. There is a path to the river and 2 picnic tables by the river. The bathhouse is clean and has a large shower with plenty of places to put your soap, shampoo, etc. There are also lots of hooks in the shower and bathroom for your stuff and the shower has a large bench to sit on as you get dressed. There are 2 dishwashing stations outside the bathhouse. Horseshoes and corn hole are on site and there is a well stocked camp store. Lots of information and brochures on the area. The owner is very kind and personable - I am looking forward to coming back!

Site3

Month of VisitSeptember

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 18, 2024

Five years later, still five stars!

General: Small (15-site) campground near Grafton Notch State Park (but not IN the park). No hookups. Not all will agree with me, but I am glad no generators are allowed.

Site Quality: Sites are gravel, level, and have enough trees to afford privacy between sites.

Bath/Shower House: It is immaculately clean. Each gender has two stalls and one ADA-accessible shower. The shower has nice warm water and a great flow. There is also a very clean vault toilet.

Activities/Amenities: Horseshoes and cornhole in the lawn area in the center. Information on many local hikes. Rocky beach has tables where you can sit and relax. There are two dishwashing sinks, potable water, and a dump station.

What makes this campground shine is the owner, Mo. We’ve stayed in many campgrounds but hands down, Mo takes more pride in her campground than any other we’ve been in. Seasonal decorations, flower pots, and Mo is an on-site presence to answer questions, engage in conversation, and make sure the sites and all facilities are pristine. We stayed here five years ago and look forward to hopefully staying again in the future. About the only thing I can find fault with is the proximity to the road but even at that, road noise is minimal.

Site4

Month of VisitSeptember

(17) View All

Ian T.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 17, 2024

Impressed!

Had a short weekend stay but we were impressed at how clean and well ran the campground was! Mo was welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed. The showers were hot and spacious. We were in Site 3 and it was perfectly distanced between the store and bathrooms. Will definitely be back soon!

Site3

Month of VisitJune

Elizabeth S.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2021

Best managed campground!

I have stayed in many many campgrounds, but this was far and away the best run place I have ever visited. The owner, Mo, is amazing and is friendly and runs a quiet, clean and easygoing campground. Bathrooms are spacious and spotless. We got lots of great recommendations for hikes and swimming holes.

Site10 & 13

Month of VisitAugust

Andrew

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2021

Great Campground, Very Clean

We had a great experience at this campground, the sites were fairly private and very well maintained. The bathrooms were well maintained and kept very clean. As a hammock camper, some of the sites had plenty of spots, while only 1 or 2 of the sites had no convenient places to hang hammocks.

I had no cell coverage at all with Verizon, but Mo, the owner of the campground, is very gracious about people sitting on the office porch to use their WiFi.

Overall, Grafton Notch Campground was a very pleasant experience and perfect location to access Grafton Notch State Park!

Site9

Month of VisitJuly

(6) View All

Gary C.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 19, 2021

Quaint camping

Small campground, 15 sites. You'd be happy to stay here. Fairly private, well maintained sites with a clean bathhouse. Some intriguing hiking and natural beauty sites nearby. Mo the owner is very knowledgeable of the area and a great hostess. I stayed here due to it's proximity to the AT but it serves much more.

Site9

Month of VisitJuly

Fred M.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 26, 2021

Great campground

Terrific campground! Ideal for tents or small trailers. Owner Mo is a friendly host with tons of local knowledge on hikes, waterfalls, etc. Lovingly cared for, super clean, hot showers, well stocked little store. What else could you ask for?!

Sitesite 2

Month of VisitJune

(6) View All

Jason R.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 12, 2020

Great campsights.

Not too expensive, nice people. No cell service but front desk has wifi.

SiteDid not stay overnight.

Month of VisitSeptember

Erika H.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 13, 2020

10/10

Great little campground right next to the notch. Could hear the coyotes from afar during the night.

Very clean bathroom with incredibly friendly staff.

Jean C.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 23, 2019

Small, friendly campground in a perfect spot!

This small, private campground just outside Grafton Notch State Park offers clean, level, quiet sites with hot showers. If you don’t need wi-fi and hook-ups, this is the place for you! Seasonal decorations and solar lights decorate and brighten the paths. A small field near the bath house offers benches and horsehoes. A river runs behind the first several sites on the right side of the loop road. There’s a dump station available. It’s a great spot to stay if you are looking to hit the trail and want an early start.

I stayed here in site 4 a few years ago during my quest for the New England 4000-footers and stopped by recently to check it out again.

Hiking opportunities abound in the area, including the notorious Mahoosuc Notch stretch of the Appalachian Trail or family friendlier Table Rock as well as Crocker, Baldpate, and the Grafton Loop. At the right time of year, you may have a chance to chat with through hikers. Splash in the pools at Screw Auger Falls or Step Preserve falls on a hot summer day. Look for moose and other wildlife at dusk or dawn. This is a true retreat.

(46) View All

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 28, 2019

Wish all campgrounds were this nice!

Moe and her husband built this campground after he retired (sadly, he has since passed away so now Moe and her energetic dog, Rusty, run the place). It is located just a few miles down the road from the state park with the same name (I was a bit confused at first, thinking the state park has a campground, which it does not). This is a small, fifteen site campground located on the Bear River, and it is immaculate. It is obvious that Moe takes great pride in her campground with many little touches like flowers and seasonal, yet tasteful decorations. There was only one additional site occupied when we were there, so it was very quiet. Our site (site 7) backed up directly to the river with a path to access it. The restrooms were spotless, as was the shower. There is no additional fee to use the shower and it had plenty of hot water and a great spray. Sites are all level and trees provide sufficient privacy between them. In the middle, there is a grassy area with a table, several Adirondack chairs, and a horseshoe pit. There is potable and non-potable water, and a dump station and an information board with information on nearby hiking trails and weather.

Site7

Month of VisitSeptember

(11) View All

Molly G.

Legend

Reviewed May. 23, 2019

So Glad to Find this Place!!

This spot is an absolute gem of a campground. Not only does it have hot showers (that are free!), clean bathrooms, and spacious sites, but the owner is the nicest lady who is extremely knowledgeable about the area. The spots were all affordable and set up as first come first serve, and they have some awesome hammock trees (which is how we like to spend our nights.) There was an adorable sitting area outside of the shower house with a fire place and a horseshoe pit for entertainment. My dog was welcomed and she enjoied the giant site we were at. There is a small store at the check-in desk and a ton of wood to choose from for the campfires at night. We were so happy and felt safe and got a great night sleep for our 4kfooter in the morning!

(8) View All

Sarah C.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 24, 2017

Small & Secluded

This campground is privately owned and is situated in an amazing spot in the mountains of Western Maine. Open from mid-May through Columbus Day, this campground offers 15 well wooded sites close to great hiking and natural sightseeing spots within steps (or minutes) of the campground. Moose Cave, Screw Auger Falls and the AT are all near the campground.

You can count on this place to be on the quiet side, as generators are not aloud. Dogs are welcome as long as they are leashed. There campground has hot showers, flush toilets and sites have picnic tables and fire rings. The owners are kind and always willing to help out. Great spot to stay for a visit to the Mahoosucs as well as a first/last night option if you're spending time hiking the Grafton Loop Trail and backcountry camping.

Month of VisitJuly

(8) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the camping experience like at Grafton Notch Campground?

Grafton Notch Campground offers a peaceful woodland experience with 15 well-wooded, private sites nestled in the mountains of Western Maine. The small, family-owned campground provides clean, level sites, free hot showers, and spotless bathrooms. There's a small field near the bath house for recreation, and a well-stocked store on-site. Sites accommodate tents and small trailers, with some suitable for hammock camping. The campground is known for its quiet atmosphere (no generators allowed), natural beauty, and excellent maintenance. Many visitors appreciate the owner Mo's friendly hospitality and extensive knowledge of local hiking trails, waterfalls, and other attractions in the area.

Is camping available inside Grafton Notch State Park?

No, camping is not available inside Grafton Notch State Park itself. Grafton Notch Campground is a private facility located just a few miles from the state park, not within park boundaries. This creates some confusion for visitors who might assume the similarly-named campground is part of the state park. The campground serves as an excellent base for exploring the state park's attractions, including Moose Cave and numerous hiking trails, but they are separate entities with different management.

Where can I find camping options near Grafton, Maine?

Grafton Notch Campground is the primary camping option in the immediate Grafton area, offering 15 wooded sites ideal for tents and small trailers. This privately-owned campground is located just outside Grafton Notch State Park and operates seasonally from mid-May through Columbus Day. The campground features clean facilities, hot showers, and a small store. For hikers, it's conveniently situated near the Appalachian Trail. While cellular service is limited in this remote mountain region, the campground does offer WiFi at the front desk. For additional camping options, you may need to explore surrounding towns in Western Maine.

How do I make reservations for camping at Grafton Notch State Park?

Since there's no camping within Grafton Notch State Park itself, you'll need to make reservations at the nearby private Grafton Notch Campground. This campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis for its 15 sites. No advance reservations are required. The campground is open seasonally from mid-May through Columbus Day. For current availability or questions, contact the campground directly as they don't offer online booking. The sites are affordable and provide a convenient base for exploring the state park's natural attractions.

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