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The White Mountain National Forest and surrounding areas near Center Lovell, Maine provide multiple camping options ranging from primitive sites to full-service campgrounds. Basin Campground, located in Evans Notch on the Maine-New Hampshire border, offers tent and RV sites surrounded by hiking trails and mountain views. Crocker Pond, a small seven-site campground near Bethel, provides waterfront access with basic amenities. Between these areas, campers can find both developed campgrounds with hookups and more secluded dispersed camping options throughout the region.
Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally from mid-May through mid-October, with weather and road conditions limiting accessibility in other seasons. Basin Campground features flush toilets and drinking water but no showers or hookups, typical of many Forest Service campgrounds in the region. Papoose Pond Family Campground offers more amenities including cabins, electric hookups, and shower facilities for those seeking more developed options. Cell service is limited or nonexistent in many camping areas, particularly in Evans Notch and more remote locations. A camper at Basin Campground noted, "There is no cell service, at least not AT&T or Verizon. If you need it, a short drive down the road gets you service."
Waterfront camping locations consistently receive high ratings from visitors to the region. Crocker Pond Campground draws particular praise for its peaceful setting and proximity to water. Many campsites offer direct water access, allowing for fishing, swimming, and non-motorized boating opportunities. The more remote locations provide exceptional quiet and wildlife viewing opportunities. One visitor to Crocker Pond described it as "beautifully quiet" with good space between sites and privacy, adding it might be "the quietest place on Earth." Campgrounds closer to towns like Bethel offer easier access to supplies while those deeper in the forest provide greater solitude. Firewood is available at some campgrounds, but facilities like showers and hookups vary significantly between primitive and developed sites.
"There were plenty of sites to choose from and most (not all) had access to the river as well as a fire ring. Sites were on a dirt road, but it was quiet for the most part."
"Couldn’t ask for better sites, both sites 9 & 12 were very private and only a short walk through the woods to setup camp along the river."
"If you bring yoyr own kayaks there is a ruver with a take out close to the campground. U could walk back or drive in with a truck for pick up! This place is amazing! Will continue to go every year!"
"Perfect spot to relax and get away from everything. Great amount of amenities and privacy."
"Into the Whites from West Bethel, Crocker Pond is an off the beaten path car camping destination. Beautiful place to set up camp for a night to 14 days."
"With no one else around we thought, “welcome to the perfect campsite.” Each site offers a picnic table, fire ring, and access to the pond."
from $18 / night
Check Availability"It’s located in Evan’s Notch, so close to many wonderful hiking trails and next to lovely Basin Pond. So quiet!"
"This campground has a day use area with a boat launch and picnic area on the right as you drive in. Non-motorized boats are allowed on the water and it’s a great swim spot in the summer."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"Plenty to do at the campground and around the surrounding area for people
of all ages.
Remember you are in the mountains... you will see wildlife."
"Had beautiful gal foliage and was close to some great hikes. Our spot near the river was also very cool"
"These campsites are located on a dead end dirt road. The campsites are spread out so you are not on top of each other (I think there are only 8 sites on the road.) "
"Highwater trail with bridge close by. Great stars. Creek runs through road near sites good for getting water to filter or washing. Trailhead at end of road."
"This is a perfectly situated campground. Just off the main road connection Gorham and North Conway (Route 16), this campground is just minutes from town but has a wonderful wilderness feel."
"My family of 4 tent camped for 1 night as we were making our way from Maine back to Indiana as part of our summer ‘24 New England camping adventure road trip."
from $30 - $44 / night
Check Availability"A large wooden shelter stood over our picnic table, with a decent amount of space next to it for tents or a small camper."
"Great location with easy ride to all North Conway attractions. Nice hay ride and playground. The beach is sandy and lots of room to spread out. We visited Story Land and Mt."
"This campground is just north bordering the White Mountain NF. Close to northern trailheads. NH take care in keeping their parks orderly. Nice site."
"In addition to our designated spot, we had access to a large open space behind that many people utilized to play games or expand their camping area."
from $35 - $45 / night
Check Availability"This state park campground located between Rte 302 and the Dry River in Crawford Notch is a great location for exploring family friendly trails to (Sawyer Pond, Arethusa Falls, Willard Cliffs to name a"
"Cool location right on the edge of the Dry River Wilderness. Great Basecamp for lots of hikes in the area. Some spots are right on the highway with not much tree cover in between so can be loud."
from $35 - $40 / night
Check Availability
GuideThere are no bad camping spots at this charming, scenic, squeaky clean campground. If you love water views, walking trails and exploring low-tide. Run, don’t walk and make a reservation today!
ScoutThis is a great simple campground, near a lot of hiking trails. The campground was very clean, and has hot showers and washer/dryers (coin operated) available. Most sites have a lot of privacy. We stayed at #20. This was probably one of the biggest sites there, I think it was meant for popups or 5th wheelers, but we stayed in a tent. Only complaint for the site was that there was a lot gravel, so a little uncomfortable having a tent set there (so I would probably choose another site on the campground for a tent). Also, we did see a bear one morning, our dog barked at it and it walked off. Just be mindful of picking up trash, and don’t have any food in your tent. Theres a dumpster at the entrance you can use. Overall it was a great campground, I would stay again.
TravelerNo toilet, no showers, no Wi-Fi, no electricity Love it I’ve been primitive camping since before I could walk and def glad this app exist
First use of the app and found the perfect spot away from my friends Airbnb and still close enough to go hangout with them. The site is the perfect size for a single or couple and it gives off the right kind of privacy
Thanks Dyrt
ScoutWent on a weekend and it was still very peaceful! Lots to do on such a beautiful back road. We stayed at two different sites each night we were there and both were equally beautiful and peaceful
Scout⭐**Gunstock Campground: Apparently Your Reserved Site Is More of a Suggestion**
I don't believe I have**ever** left a negative Google review. I generally think that when something goes wrong, you contact the business, give them an opportunity to make it right, and most businesses are genuinely interested in doing exactly that.
Gunstock Campground has cured me of that quaint notion.
I reserved a full-hookup campsite for two nights. I was unable to make it there the first night, but arrived shortly after 7:00 a.m. the next morning. The camp store, where registration takes place, wasn't open yet, so I headed out for my planned hike— about six miles through the Belknaps, including summiting Rowe twice and Gunstock.
By the time I returned, I was utterly exhausted, starving, and actually feeling weak. My ambitions for the afternoon were modest:**eat something, take a shower, and collapse at the campsite I had paid for.**
The staff at the camp store greeted me warmly, checked me in, and sent me on my way.
I drove to my site. There was already a camper in it. Not merely*parked* there, mind you. They had apparently moved right in. They were hooked up to**my site's water and electric**, with water spraying from their ill-fitting hose connection and forming a rather impressive puddle underneath the camper.
I returned to the camp store to report that someone had apparently activated Gunstock's new**"Choose Any Site You Like"** camping plan. A staff member went down to speak with them and came back to tell me they were "packing up." Excellent! My mistake was assuming" packing up" meant**leaving**. It did not.
Apparently these campers had actually reserved a site**two rows away** that had**no water or electric**. Yet somehow, sometime after arriving the previous night, they had accidentally found themselves two rows over, in my clearly different site, connected to utilities their reservation didn't include.
We've all made mistakes. I've occasionally parked one space away from where I intended. I've never accidentally parked**two rows away, hooked myself up to someone else's electricity and water, and spent the night.**
But perhaps I lack imagination.
After they had now consumed about an hour of my afternoon— which, incidentally, is an hour I normally bill at attorney rates— I went back toward my site expecting to find it finally vacated.
And it was! Because Gunstock had moved these folks to another site**two spaces away from me**, apparently allowing them to pay for the upgrade they had already been test-driving. So the people who knowingly or unknowingly occupied my reserved full-hookup site, used the utilities, and delayed me from getting into the site I paid for were rewarded with...a nearby full-hookup site.
They never walked over to apologize. At that point, I no longer felt comfortable staying. It's difficult to relax at a campground when you've just discovered that site assignments appear to operate somewhat on the honor system— and that when someone helps themselves to your reserved site and utilities, management's solution is apparently to make sure *they* remain comfortably accommodated nearby. So I left. On my way home, I called Gunstock and asked for a refund. Surely, I thought, this would be the easy part. After all, I had paid for two nights, hadn't used the first, couldn't get into my site when I arrived for the second, waited while unauthorized occupants vacated it, and ultimately left because the entire experience had become so unpleasant.
Nope. Instead, the staff member **defended the other campers**. I was told they arrived late and "mistakenly" took my site. I was even told they supposedly **hadn't used the utilities**. This was particularly fascinating information for me to receive because **I PERSONALLY SAW THEM HOOKED UP TO THE WATER AND ELECTRIC.** I also took photographs. Including the enormous puddle underneath their camper from the leaking water connection. But apparently my eyewitness account and photographs were no match for the alternative version of events.
For my inconvenience, however, Gunstock did give me a coupon for a **free Bavarian pretzel**. So there is that.
I paid for a full-hookup campsite. Someone else occupied it and used the hookups. I lost roughly an hour waiting to access what I had reserved. The other campers were accommodated with an upgraded site nearby. I left because I no longer felt comfortable staying. And when I asked Gunstock to make the situation right, they refused to refund me and instead argued with me about things **I had personally witnessed and photographed**. The most disappointing part isn't that another camper took my site. Campers can behave badly. Businesses can't control everything their customers do. **What a business CAN control is how it responds when that happens. ** Gunstock had every opportunity to turn this into a mildly annoying story about a camping mix-up. Instead, they turned it into my first negative Google review.
But hey... **I do have that free pretzel coupon.**
TravelerPros: We have the p lube nearly to ourselves, thus it was very similar to dispersed camping. Nice little campground with two small ponds (One for fishing, the other for swimming). Nothing very remarkable, though.
Cons: As others have mentioned, if you want flush toilets and pay showers, you have to either stay at the more crowded, larger loop or walk across the highway to get to those amenities.
ScoutWe stayed midweek and the park was 1/2 empty. Lots of kids activities. Wonderful bathrooms and showers. Great laundry. Close to Freeport but not the water
ScoutWe just came back from a big family weekend there. We had 5 sites with 19 people(including children). This is by far the most rundown campground I've stayed! Only 1 bathroom facility was functioning. Of the 3 times I tried taking a shower, I only succeeded 1 time. The other 2 times(once at night and once the following morning at 6am) I only got drops coming out of the hot and cold faucets. I tried the only 2 stalls. Speaking of bathrooms...these have not been updated since the 60s-early 70s when I was camping with the same style bathroom facilities. The children's playground should be condemned!!! At least 25% of the wood is rotted. Some steps are missing from ladders. My granddaughter was swinging in the childs swing, the bottom unlatched and she fell through the bottom. If she wasn't monkey like in holding on she would have done a face plant to the ground. After looking at the swing, I found the plastic latch broken! 2 positives: the campsites are very nice! and the beach is great! Bottom line, these owners are not putting any money back into the campground and it's facilities. They are running it into the ground. I won't be coming back again!
TravelerIt was everything we were looking for, right on the river, quiet and clean, the section we stayed in was all tent camping so we weren’t sandwiched in between a bunch of RVs blocking the view. There was no lights, generators or loud music. Alcohol wasn’t permitted so that really cuts down on a lot of unnecessary nonsense. Pets are permitted and our dog loved it. It was very pleasant and relaxing. Can’t wait to go back.
Dispersed camping opportunities near Center Lovell, Maine range from primitive riverfront sites to established campgrounds with pond access. The region sits at the western edge of Maine's Oxford County, where elevations vary from 400 feet in the valleys to over 2,000 feet in the nearby mountains. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing from November through April, making most camping areas seasonal with peak availability from late May through early October.
River tubing and swimming: Town Hall Road Dispersed Camping offers direct river access for cooling off during summer months. "Great sites. Some right on water. First come first serve, can get busy," notes Nickolas H. Sites along the Saco River at Jellystone Park™ Glen Ellis provide similar water recreation. "Located between the Ellis River and the Saco River, this campground offers so many fantastic amenities. One of the biggest ones that we took lots of advantage of is the swimming and tubing on the Saco River," explains Joseph N.
Hiking trails right from camp: Several campgrounds feature trail access without driving. "A trail lead directly out of the campsite to another pond about a mile away offering a short round trip afternoon hike. Further up the road, about a mile from the campground, the Mt. Albany trailhead offers a longer and more challenging hike," reports Shari G. about Crocker Pond. At Basin Campground, "There are hiking trails in the campground as well, which is nice to have!" according to Rebecca A.
Fishing opportunities: Many campsites provide fishing access, especially at pond-side locations. "Nice little campground right off the 'pond' (which is excellent for catching a meal)," writes Elliott B. about Crocker Pond. The seven-site campground's small size means fewer anglers competing for fish. Waterfront sites at Lakeside Pines Campground also offer fishing on Long Lake, though "Rocks make direct access to the water from the site difficult," notes Katie B.
Secluded sites with privacy: Campers consistently praise sites that offer separation from neighbors. At Dry River Campground, "Sites are spacious, level, and wooded, though some have no real demarcation between them. Because most of the sites are on the outside of the loop or opposite sides of the road, you won't feel surrounded," explains Jean C. Similarly at Town Hall Road, "We loved this spot. There were plenty of sites to choose from and most (not all) had access to the river as well as a fire ring. Sites were on a dirt road, but it was quiet for the most part."
Natural soundscapes: The quiet environment ranks highly among camper reviews for the best places to camp near Center Lovell. At Crocker Pond, "We were pleased to find the campground mostly empty 4th of July week. It's beautiful and peaceful (if you're alone). Lots of bullfrogs, the water was pristine and the barred owls were singing," shares Dennis B. At Dry River Campground, "You could hear the river babbling at night and had incredible views of Frankenstein Cliffs as you walked to the wash house," according to Nathan S.
Clean facilities: Many established campgrounds maintain well-kept bathrooms and shower facilities. Moose Brook State Park Campground receives consistent praise for cleanliness with "Clean bathrooms. Nice Shower building. Good wash-sinks," according to Peter C. Similarly, at Dry River Campground, "They have outhouses, bathrooms, showers, laundry, potable water and a dishwashing station all included for the nightly rate of $25 + $6.50 reservation fee," notes Skyler.
Cell service limitations: Many camping areas have limited or no connectivity. At Basin Campground, "No cell service, at least not AT&T or Verizon. If you need it, a short drive down the road gets you service," explains Jamie D. This pattern continues throughout the region's more remote sites. Town Hall Road Dispersed has "Few Solar/Starlink Options. If all we needed was a campsite with no solar or starlink, this would be 5 star review... But if you need solar or starlink, there's only 1 or 2 viable spots," warns Rebecca B.
Site-specific challenges: Campground layouts can present unexpected issues. At Lakeside Pines Campground, "The sites are a little small and do not have any trees between them to shield you from those next to you... Also, the road is tight so be prepared to drive close to trees," cautions Katie B. At Eastern Slope Camping Area, "Sites are really close together and hard to maneuver a RV into," according to Melissa S.
Wildlife awareness: Bears are active in certain camping areas. At Jellystone Park™ Glen Ellis, "We spent 5 days and wished it was longer. The campground was clean, staff was wonderful and the amenities were great! There were 2 active bears while we were there. They circled our camper at night. It was incredible to watch. Of course we never left any food out!" reports Liz S. For Basin Campground, visitors report seeing "lots of trillium and lady slippers on a nearby hike" plus "dragonfly larva emerging from the pond."
Campgrounds with kid-specific activities: Papoose Pond Family Campground and Cabins focuses extensively on family entertainment. "We have tent camped here for a week (if not twice) every summer for the last 5 years. Pond with rentals, pool, mini golf, daily activities, crafts....so family friendly," shares Carrie T. The campground offers "Tuesday trivia, Wednesday beach party, Thursday dance party, and Friday karaoke- the latter being the most fun! There are so many things for kids to do throughout as well," adds Jessica W.
Kid-friendly water access: Safe swimming areas rank highly for family campers. Jellystone Park™ Glen Ellis features "swimming and tubing on the Saco River. Our campsite was located fairly close to the river and where you could put in to tube down river. One of the fun things about this is that at the far end of the campground is a place to take out," describes Joseph N. At Moose Brook State Park, there's "Fishing, swimming, river walks, biking and movie nights!" according to J L.
Budget-friendly options: Dispersed camping provides economical alternatives for families. At Town Hall Road Dispersed Camping, "Take Town Hall rd off of 302 and go until it is no longer residential. You'll see the WMNF signs and the sites begin shortly after that," explains Erin H., adding it's "Ten minutes from grocery/gas etc in Bartlett." This free camping location offers river access without fees, though lacks amenities like bathrooms or drinking water.
Size restrictions: Many campgrounds in the region limit RV sizes. "The sites are a little small and do not have any trees between them to shield you from those next to you. It appears that a majority of the tenants who were there during our visit were long term tenants... Also, the road is tight so be prepared to drive close to trees," cautions Katie B. about Lakeside Pines. Similarly, Eastern Slope Camping Area has sites that are "really close together and hard to maneuver a RV into."
Hookup availability: RV services vary significantly between campgrounds. At Basin Campground, there are "no hookups" while Town Hall Road Dispersed Camping has sites that can accommodate "tent, rv" but without amenities. Some parks like Jellystone Park™ Glen Ellis offer full hookups including "sanitary-dump, sewer-hookups, showers, toilets, trash, water-hookups" for larger rigs.
Off-grid considerations: For those boondocking, "If you need solar or starlink, there's only 1 or 2 viable spots. We were lucky to snag on one a Monday afternoon (last site before turnaround on FR38) and stayed all week," advises Rebecca B. about Town Hall Road. For better sun exposure, look for sites near clearings or with southern exposure rather than heavily wooded locations that dominate the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Center Lovell, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, Center Lovell, ME offers a wide range of camping options, with 275 campgrounds and RV parks near Center Lovell, ME and 12 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Center Lovell, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Center Lovell, ME is Town Hall Road Dispersed with a 4.7-star rating from 22 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Center Lovell, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 12 free dispersed camping spots near Center Lovell, ME.
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