Best RV Parks & Resorts near Hanover, ME

We chose to stay at this campground because it was close to downtown Bethel, had river access, and had a full hook-up site for our 45’ RV. Campsites vary from full hook-up pull through to grassy shaded private sites perfect for tent camping. The sites are pretty close together and ours was a buddy site which meant our patio faced our neighbor’s patio. Since the sites were so close, we were practically sitting next to them. Luckily, they were nice people and we enjoyed talking to them. 

Not all sites are level and we found it difficult to get into because of the tight roads and dangling tree limbs. Some of the best sites are unfortunately reserved for work campers. These are pull-ins with a view of a grassy field. The wifi at our site (#21) was horrible and we never used it. There is no cable and we were not able to pick up any over-the-air television channels. The campground is pretty wooded which was nice for the shade but meant we were not able to get satellite reception with our dome mounted receiver. We ended up using our portable receiver and after two days of moving the unit we were finally able to lock into the satellites. 

We selected a 50-amp full hookup pull through site which was $46/night. Our sewer was uphill at our site which is a big pet peeve of ours and super annoying when it comes to empty the tanks. The 50-amp worked well and it was well-placed in the site as was the water. The roads and campsites are gravel and the patios are a mix of gravel and grass. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The campground is adjacent to a paved walking/biking path that leads to downtown Bethel. We used the path to walk over to the farmers market and found it very convenient to walk our dog. There is also a mowed path through a field that we also liked for walking our dog. 

The best aspect of this campground is the access to the Androscoggin River. The park rents kayaks, canoes, and tubes and has a shuttle service that will take you up river for so you can float back to the campground. We used the campgrounds shuttle livery service to take our kayak and paddleboard up river for a leisurely float down the river so we could enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, and fish. (Since we used our own boats, the coast was cheaper.) The campground offers this service to non-campers which meant there were a lot of people walking through the campground. The bathroom in the campground was old and tired and heavily used by people floating the river which and was pretty dirty. They also have a sluice on the property, where (for a fee) you can get a bucket of mined material and get to sort through it looking for minerals and gems. Whatever you find, you keep. 

The campground is located off Route 2 which is fairly convenient but the road noise was pretty loud as this is a heavily trafficed road. Downtown Bethel is just a few minutes away and has a brewery, grocery, restaurants, shops, and the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum. About five miles away is Sunday River which is a ski area. We took the chair lift up the mountain so we could hike around and take in the beautiful views.  On the way, we stopped at Sunday River Brewery and had a delicious meal and great beer.

This is one of the rare New Hampshire campgrounds that is open year round. For years I drove by this campground deterred by the run-down, deserted red building next door that is NOT associated with the campground. On a last-minute whim I called and snagged one of the final two sites for the holiday weekend, spending 3 nights here. I wanted to be someplace where I could track the baseball playoffs, so finding a place with wifi (fair, better closer to the bath house) and 2-3 bar 3G/4G Verizon access was a plus. This campground has a large number of seasonal sites, but also has sites available for the occasional camper, with discounts available if you stay for a week.

Sites are wooded, generally moderately sized, though the seasonal sites are much larger. Tent sites do not have hook-ups, but they have small shelters that provide additional protection fro the weather. Some of the tent sites are sloped. They also tend to be long and narrow, opening up to a wider area with the picnic table, fire pit and tent pad. Tent sites in the K row are near the road, so although you don't get much campground noise, you do hear road traffic.

The bathhouse is clean, well-lit, and heated (a treat on those cold autumn mornings). There's also a laundry room with 4 washers and dryers if you need to clean up or dry out after a rough day on the trails. Sites are close to each other. They've separated sites with fence panels in some places to provide some privacy. There's an inground pool, a large playground, and a horsehoe pit.

Activities in the area include very convenient access to hiking trails ranging from family friendly Surgarloafs to classic 4000-footers along Franconia Ridge, and peaks along the northern ridge of the Pemi Wilderness (Garfield, Galehead, Twins), trails to Mt Washington and the Presidentials, as well as numerous peaks and waterfalls in the Crawford Notch area. Cog railway is just a few miles down the road if you want to catch an early ride. Trails for ATVs and snowmobiles are also nearby.

This hilltop RV park is still in its infancy, but offers pull through sites, seasonal sites with sewer. Water is available from a tank; you'll need to provide your own power, whether solar or generator. You'll need to be self-contained, with no bathroom facilities available. The sites are separated by grass and some small trees/shrubs in places.

There is a small pool that should re-open after the coronavirus restrictions are eased.  If you're driving a big rig and have an ATV or other toys, you'll want to take a look here. There's plenty of space for your vehicle, trailer, and toys!

It's right next door to Milan Hill State Park and is convenient to ATV trails as well as hiking, walking, and biking opportunities in the area. Take a walk over to Milan Hill SP and climb the fire tower! Sites at the top of the hill provide a view of peaks in the distance. Jericho Mtn with its trails is also within 30 minutes drive.

Follow them on FB and they'll help you stay up to date with trail openings and closures. If you need to register your OHRV, you can do that at the campground.

If you've forgotten something, Berlin is nearby and Gorham offers a Walmart Supercenter.

It was the end of the season when I visited and there were signs of ongoing development.

There aren't many campgrounds open in the winter in NH, but this campground just before the entrance to the larger Dolly Copp campground in Gorham is one of them. During the summer, it offers 11 sites for groups only with reservations required. 

There's a blend of wooded/open sites located in a loop. So often it seems that group sites are wide open fields with minimal separation. Barnes Field provides clearly defined sites with picnic tables and fire pits. Water is supplied by a hand pump and toilets are vault. There are showers ($) nearby in Dolly Copp. 

Rates in summer start at $40 for 10 campers and increase by $10 increments to $70 for 40. In winter you pay a per vehicle fee of $15.

There were youth groups and adult AMC groups at the campground. 

Site 8 is more secluded and up a small hill. Site 7 is in inside of the loop, wooded, and wet around the perimeter.

It's located in close proximity to hiking trails in the northern Presidentials and Carter range. Wildcat ski is 6 miles south. There are numerous trails around for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and ATVs.

I've stayed here 3 times now, once for just a quick overnight and twice for full weekends. It tends to be quiet due to restrictions against playing music outside your tent/trailer. There are also few, if any, seasonal campers - I think those are probably in the field around the pool as the site numbers do not appear on the campground map. It is now open year round, but I don't know what the facilities are like in the off-season.

Many of the sites offer water and electric, but a number of them do not. A few offer sewer. The campground is located along the river, but not all sites have easy access to the river, making it something pretty to look at, but harder to get to. Sites are generally level with easy access. You do need to call to make reservations, which in this day and age drives me crazy. If you have more than one vehicle, the second one needs to park in a separate lot and there is a daily fee.

The pool and large playground offer entertainment options for the kids; there's also a volleyball net. There is cell phone coverage at the campground (Verizon), but if you are going very far afield, consider downloading necessary maps and information before you go. When you get into the Notches, cell phone coverage is poor to absent.

The camp store has souvenirs, clothing, and a variety of food and camp supplies. There's a restaurant on site with picnic tables out front or you can get it to go and take it to your campsite. If you need something else, Fosters' Crossroads is just around the corner and offers an even greater variety as well as gas. Yayas Market and Deli is another option a short distance north on Rt 3. 

Activities abound in the area, offering everything from hiking, biking, wildlife watching, or a cog railway trip up Mt Washington. Franconia Notch is 15 minutes south, where you can do a family friendly hike to Artists Bluff or Lonesome Lake or something more rigorous and classic (if well equipped) to Franconia or Kinsman Ridges. The Sugarloafs and hikes to Zealand Hut are also family friendly and just up the road. Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge offers access to the Presidential Rail Trail and wildlife watching. Catch a sunset or a brilliant night sky from the scenic view pull-off on 115 (near Sunset Paradise Rd), just a 10 minute drive from the campground.

I have a love– hate relationship with KOA campgrounds. They tend to be overpriced and not consistent. You will find one that has nice sites at a decent price. Then, there are the others which are complete opposite. This KOA is on my good side.  There are lots of site choices, cabins, yurts, and tent sites to choose from.  The location is good as it is about 10-15 minutes far from the town of Freeport(home to L.L. Bean and tons of outlet stores), the pretty coastal town of South Freeport, four craft breweries and a cidery, and Bradbury Mountain State Park. The owners and work campers are very friendly and the super welcoming. Normally I am not concerned how nice people are but they go out of their way to make sure you get all the discounts you can and put you in a site that you prefer. 

We have stayed here a few times and are always impressed how well-cared for the grounds are and how and clean the common areas, bathrooms, and pool are. The grass is always cut, weeds trimmed, fire pits cleaned and there is no trash lying on the ground. There are lots of seasonal sites but they are in the back portion of the park with the transients being in the front. The park has nice super long 50 amp FHU pull-thrus in the front of the park which will fit any length RV and tow vehicle. Some of these sites are “buddy” sites with a shared patio, but are so wide that even if you don’t know your neighbors, it would not be a bother because you are far enough apart. The only downside to these pull thrus is there is no shade. We tend to be there in cooler months so shade is not a problem. However, the rest of the campground has a very park-like feel with over 50 acres there is plenty of room to roam and even a short nature trail through a wooded area. Many sites backup against the woods or are in wooded areas so keep that in mind when making your reservation. We give this park two thumbs up for their dog park which is ten times the size of the average KOA dog park. My lab had plenty of room to run and chase a ball and there were never any other dogs there which was nice. Plus, it was clean and free of dog poop! Normally, there are plenty of activities like s’mores by the fire, crafts, pony rides (yes, they have their own ponies on site), ice cream social, hay rides but this year they were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t use those amenities anyway so that wasn’t a problem but can see that would be fun activities for kids. We were in a buddy sites with our friends and liked the shared patio. Since we were in the open area, we were able to get both satellite with our roof-mounted dome and some over-the-air channels from Portland which is about 45 minutes away. All of our hook-ups were in an accessible place but we were also in a long pull thru and could position the RV in the site accordingly. 

Some of the cons for this park are the lack of cable, so-so wifi, and the dusty gravel roads and pot holes. There are a few restrooms buildings scattered around the park which may not be close depending on what site you are in.

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 few) or longer excursions to Mt Washington and other peaks in the Whites & Presidentials. Story Land is an easy drive, too, if you have young children.

Fees are a reasonable $25/night. Facilities include clean bathrooms with showers. In addition to the full-service, handicap accessible wash house, there are vault toilets around the loop. Cell service is poor to absent throughout Crawford Notch. If you need to connect, drive south toward Bartlett or North to Bretton Woods.

Sites are spacious, level, and wooded, though some have no real demarcation between them. This can be good if you are with friends and reserve sites side by side (2 & 3; 12 & 13), Because most of the sites are on the outside of the loop or opposite sides of the road, you won't feel surrounded. There are no hookups. Site are back-in. A few of the drive-to sites include small lean-tos. In addition, there are a few sites that are more secluded, set back further in the woods and providing a tent platform as well as a fire ring and picnic table. The entire campground is close to the road, so you will hear traffic noise. Sites 27-31 are particularly close to the main road. Although sites 2-7 appear to be far from the river, it's still just a short walk. There's a formal trail to the river from the back of the loop, near 16B (lean-to). Reservations open 11 months in advance. Mid-Oct to Dec 1 sites are walk-in only. Pre-register online and bring your print-out with you to save yourself some time.

There's no camp store, though they do have firewood for sale if you see someone. During the peak season, i expect the sites fill up in advance, but this early in the season there were sites available for Friday night when I checked in (though most only for 1 night; Saturday night was definitely harder to come by). If you haven't stocked up in advance, your best bet for groceries when coming from the south/east are Grant's Supermarket at the junction of 302 & 16 or your choice of major supermarkets in Conway.

If you're looking for a nice secluded spot a little bit out of the way but not totally in the middle of nowhere, this is a great spot. The campground is 5.5 miles off of state route 113 down a gravel Forest Service road that is well maintained, however the road is gated and not maintained in winter.

The campground is a small USFS run facility with two small loops of sites. One loop has three sites and the other has 9. All sites are nicely shaded and have fire pits and picnic tables. The three sites in the lower loop are all pull through or back in sites. The remaining 9 are a bit elevated and have a small parking area about 20 yards (nice or take) from each site. Some require climbing a small set of stairs to access.

The lower loop's sites are right on the Wild River and are a bit larger than the others. The campground has two sets of vault toilets which are well maintained and odor free (at least in the fall). The campground only had two other sites occupied so it was like we had the place to ourselves.

There is a water spigot available for fresh water and serves as the only running water at the campground. There is a camp host on site that is eager to help and answer questions if needed. Sites are $18/night and there is an "iron ranger" (pay station) at the entrance.

If you're looking for something a little off the main road, this is your spot!