The camping is a large open area (no shade) with RVs lined up. There are full hook-ups and if you plan to only use the bathroom and shower in your RV it is likely fine. The showers are horrific. There are two different shower rooms, with two showers each. While we were there one whole room was labeled “out of order”. In the other, only one of the coin operated showers was working. So, only one shower for the entire campground. The shower area was FILLED with with bugs and spiders. We unfortunately had to kill one spider that was dangling from the ceiling into the shower we were trying to use. The kids screamed the whole time.
The lake water was deemed to high in bacteria to swim in while we were there, but the natives were swimming anyway, so we did too. The beach was nice and if it wasn’t for the bacteria concern we’d have enjoyed it even more. (Bacteria is why we didn’t skip the shower.)
The view was gorgeous.
We used to come here every year but move on since. It’s been 7 years & we came back for Columbus Day weekend for an overnight. Maybe it was just this weekend but it was pricey at $45 per night. I’ll start with the bad first. The site are very close to each other. If you fart, all surrounding site will here you. Rain, yep, when it rains it floods the sites near the bathroom toward the beginning of the entrance. Big RV will have trouble maneuvering in here because it is tight. On to the good. Each site (except beach) has a wood canopy, picnic bench, electrical, water spigot & designated fire pit. Bathrooms are close to every site. The beaches along the Saco river is awesome but they took away the cliff jumps and put boulders there. I think the rope swings are still there. We used to stay here long term but now it just ehh. Funny fact: NH law says you can’t burn wood from out of state. But the wood that they sell is from Maine. LOL
A little of everything at this campground, 2 pools 2 hot tubes, a giant water slide that is even fun for the adults!!! Campsites are level and site is fairly easy to maneuver with bigger rigs. Have great activities daily for the kids a nice store onsite. If I have one issue it would be that it went to a KOA which isn’t bad but the transition year seemed a bit wanky and hopefully this year will be better as my kids love it there and we’ll continue to go back often
Been a seasonal camper for 6 years but there are many sites available, some right on the lake, for shorter stays. The owners have worked hard to make Vacationland one of the nicest campgrounds around. Crystal Lake is never crowded and perfect for boating, swimming, and fishing.
I hadn’t camped here in the past 8 years, so decided it was time to revisit; it helped that it was one of the campgrounds still open after Columbus Day weekend. Although reservations are available online, I didn’t need them for closing weekend; 3 sites were occupied when I arrived, about 15 by the end of the weekend. During the peak season, I’m sure it’s a different story given it’s proximity to Concord and Manchester and the variety of activities available.
Mostly level sites sit under towering pines and vary greatly in size. Many of the sites are separated from their neighbors by large, downed pine trees. I was in site 38 and found that the little loop to my campsite was tight to exit(I was towing a 14’ teardrop, not a big trailer) and I had to be careful to swing wide at the corner. This site backed onto an open field with a backstop for baseball/softball. It meant that I could enjoy the the sunny warmth on an otherwise cool morning. Last time I was here I stayed in site 45, a small tent/pop-up site along that same loop, but in the shade. If you are tenting and don’t mind a short walk, reserve site R1 for a raised site overlooking the pond. Sites 13-25 back up against a hill. Site 91 is near the entrance, but large and set back from the camp road, so it offers some extra seclusion. It’s across the street from the playground. I’d avoid site 93 because it is so close to the playground and the fire ring placement makes it seem like families enjoying the playground will be tempted to walk through your site. If you want to be close to the play area, site 90 or the ones on the loop behind it are better options.
There are no hookups, but there is running water and a dump station is available. Bathhouses offer coin-operated showers; I noticed a price difference between the two of them, so went with the less expensive option! It was the final weekend of the season, so that may explain the lack of attention to cleaning and upkeep of the restrooms. Several of the stalls were lacking toilet paper and, although it was nearly empty when I arrived, the bathrooms had little bits of debris scattered on floors and around sinks. The bottom of one of the dishwashing sinks was coated with something that resembled dried coffee grounds.
I was here with a 5-year-old the last time and she enjoyed the playgrounds both at the campground and at the Catamount Pond beach. There’s another beach in the campground itself. Numerous trails call out of exploration, around ponds and up and down hills, with geocaches to be found (if you can, download the info and maps before you get to the park to be sure you have the necessary info). The mountain biking trails are busy even on late October afternoons; some trails allow horses. Canoes and kayaks let you explore and fish. There are two archery ranges and wheelchair accessible docks for fishing. For history, check out the antique snowmobile museum and the Civilian Conservation Corp(CCC) museum. The CCC built much of the infrastructure here and elsewhere in the country.
The camp store offer a few basics and a selection of Bear Brook attire. Cell phone coverage varies from 1-2 bars, not always 4G, on Verizon.
When we pulled up to this quiet campground during a warm and sunny day in October, the light shone through the trees on an idyllic pond wreathed in fall color. 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. The pit toilet bathrooms were clean and centrally located in the campground. There is a hand driven well pump for fresh water close to the boat ramp (canoes, kayaks, rowboats only). The water was a little rusty tasting, but perfectly fine to drink.
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 up to the summit as well as connection to other trails in the area. Along the way we found amazing views of the surrounding mountains in all their fall glory!
The campground is only 8 miles from the town of Bethel, ME. This small hamlet offers a few restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores.
This is our first visit to Sandy Pines and we are so impressed with how well groomed this property is. We stayed in the Beach Rose section and we have full hookups. We took a mid- September vacation and love how nice it is with fellow campers spread out. We are not resort campers, but this is very nice now that children are back in school. The pool is heated and very inviting. There is a playground. So many choices of cabins or glamping tents to rent. Dogs are welcome. Big rig friendly. Very close to attractions and restaurants and stores. We will be back next year with friends. We camped in our Minnie Winnie travel trailer. The Wi-Fi is hit and miss unsecured. Mostly miss.
*CAMPGROUND REVIEW*
This campground is definitely a dazzler and I was fortunate to visit on a quieter weekend. I was able to enjoy an especially picturesque sunset over the lake and I would definitely visit this spot again, especially with how accessible the campground is. There is a nice stretch of sandy beach at the campground as well as canoes and kayaks for rent. The convenience store at the campground had essentially everything you would need for a good camping trip. Definitely do your research on the different site numbers because some sites are much more private and scenic than others. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit as an added bonus.
Pros:
-Within a short driving distance from the Boston area
-Lakefront sites available
-Canoe and kayak rentals available
-Well stocked convenience store
-Reasonable cell reception
Cons:
-Can get busy during peak camping times
-Some sites have a lack of privacy
*PRODUCT REVIEW*
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. During this trip, I took out a pair of Red Ledge Rain Pants. While it didn’t rain during my camping stay (great from a camper perspective, not so great from a reviewer perspective), I was able to try out the general fit of the pants. They have a nice stretch fit to them and a certainly one of the more stylish options as far as rain pants go. As is true for most waterproof gear, they run on the warmer side and don’t have a ton of ventilation so they may not be the best choice for hotter weather. Although I didn’t get to test out the pants in a camping setting, I did wear them a few days ago while making the 1.5 km evacuation route trek from my apartment to the flood shelter during one of the biggest typhoons to make landfall in Japan. After about 25-30 mins of walking in record breaking-ly heavy rain, the pants started to saturate around the knees and the upper thigh area started to get a bit soggy. That being said, this is probably the most extreme possible test setting and they did hold up reasonably well. Due to the aforementioned, I would recommend using these pants as a waterproof option when skiing/snowboarding in warmer weather where you still want a snow barrier but may not necessarily need the insulative warmth offered by actual snow pants.
Pros:
-Stylish look
-Stretch fit
-Waterproof
Cons:
-Trap heat
-Not typhoon proof
Site wise it’s more of a rv camp but they do have some tent sites. I would recommend mosquito repellent.
Some of the sites are a bit too close to each other but there are some that are nice and private. Mountain biking is awesome here, can ride right off the campground and onto the trails! Will def be coming back
Some sites are awesome and somewhat private others are on top of each other. We hammock camp so we took a chance and the employees were able to give us an okay site. We drove around and checked other sites out (huge campground!) and are excited to go back
I discovered this small family-run campground while driving to another one and my curiosity was piqued, so I had to check it out. After a friendly welcome, I was allowed to explore. They offer wooded campsites, some of them along a a brook and others near a pond; There's no boating or swimming in the private pond because of steep sides, but it's stocked and license-free fishing is possible for trout and catfish. The brook runs into the Pemi river. There is also a swimming hole, but I didn't get a chance to explore that.
The 31 sites vary in size, but are reasonably level, no hookups. A clean, bright bathhouse provides toilets and coin-operated showers; a dumpstation is also available for RVs.
The office is also a store with minimal supplies and firewood. Let them know when you plan to arrive and call if you'll be late to hold your site. They're open full-time Memorial Day to Labor Day, and then weekends only through Columbus Day.
Spent the weekend here for their Halloween weekend. So much to do at this campground! The only issue was Saturday night. Golf carts are available to rent but there was a lot that went buzzing by after quiet hours & kept us awake.
When planning this trip, I was perusing The Dyrt (as usual) and came across this place. Previously unreviewed, my curiosity was piqued so I clicked on this glamping site and was directed to Tentrr. I had no knowledge of or experience with Tentrr but was intrigued enough to give this place a try as part of our 34th wedding anniversary celebration, which was two days before our arrival. Like Air BnB, you submit a request for your preferred dates and wait to hear back. It did not take very long for us to be accepted. Pre-payment is required and there is a 72-hour cancellation policy. We arrived around 5:30 pm (check-in is much earlier, I believe noon) and we were met by George and Lucy, our hosts. They were very welcoming, obviously taking great pride in their property and making sure they showed and explained everything to us. The site is VERY private and is accessed via a path through the woods. The canvas tent is set up on a wooden platform and there was a picnic table, all the pots and pans you would need to cook, a dishwashing station, four jugs of well water, paper towels, dish soap, hand sanitizer. Basically, EVERYTHING you could possibly need for your stay, all set up under a huge tarp. There is also a solar shower, a camping loo, and plenty of firewood, including birch bark which burns even when wet, and kindling. We enjoyed a fire at night and again the next morning and there was still wood left over. We were also welcomed with a basket with all the supplies needed to make s'mores. It poured during the night, but we stayed cozy and dry in the canvas tent (and everything under the tarp stayed dry as well).
There was some confusion regarding e-mails sent to us from Tentrr. I’m thinking they are standard boilerplate correspondence, but they told us that bedding and firewood were not provided. This was no problem as we travel with sleeping bags, but it was a nice surprise to find these things were, indeed, provided (I’m guessing these are not standard).
The season runs from May to mid-October but the best months to visit are July– beginning of October. We were there toward the end of September and the rain notwithstanding, the weather was ideal temperature-wise. You would contend with black flies in May and ticks in June.
The only two (minor) things to note are that the steps to the platform are steep and you need to be careful to watch your footing and the platform is on a slight downward slope so that our heads were higher than our feet. Staying here was an indulgence but we are so glad we did. We left feeling like we had two new friends in George and Lucy and would highly recommend you give this place a try if you are in eastern New Hampshire!
This place was absolutely amazing! The campground is on the same land as an organic dairy farm! You get to be a part of the farm experience and see how a farm operates. We saw them milking the cows and feeding the other animals. There are also greenhouses and plants everywhere. A lot of the spots are right on the water, which is beautiful. There are trails to the shore along the campground. Showers and bathrooms were great!
I loved the camp ground. Friendly and helpful staff, fun activities, beautiful pool. Everything was clean and worked. Lots to do in the area. Just one sour note at the campground: the noise. There was a lot of it. Worst was our neighbors who were unaware of the many children with them. The kids would step on our sewer hose. They were riding bikes on our hose. The entirety of the 2 families were still up at 2 am blaring music. The camp owners were great though. They came buy at 8 am and kicked them out. Had to wake them to do it, hehe…
Very nice campground, on the lake. We were just passing through and didn’t explore much, but this place is definitely going on the “return” list. Staff is great, sites are spacious and great.
This is a nice campground with access to the Swift river! Short hike will take you to the river from the campground. There are a lot of spots! We went on a slow day so we had it to ourselves with a few more campers! Bathrooms available with running water and trash cans!
The ranger at this campground was so helpful. The spots are nice and secluded. The showers are great and they have a full bathroom. There are hiking trails in the campground as well, which is nice to have!
This campground is in a good location to explore the kanagamus highway and the white mountains! It is close to Franconia notch and plenty of hiking/other activities. Bathrooms and running water available! Nice spot.
I went to this campground in both 2017 and 2018. We had a great time here for fall camping, we were able to drive up and get a site that day. The waterfront sites are the best and unfortunately we were unable to get one of these sites (though our friends did). The campground is easy access to Franconia Notch and Lincoln. The bathhouse was clean. As stated in previous reviews, staff is friendly, but also particular about the rules and the showers are a little more expensive than average. Overall good campsite and would recommend it.
I was looking for a campground near the Suncook Valley Rotary ballooon festival in August and the fact that the Lazy River was just a short drive away and offered a river for tubing and swimming, too, made this my choice. I really wanted to love this place (I've been on a quest for a campground with tubing this summer), but the downsides keep me from giving it 4 stars.
The good:
- location in the middle of the state, so it is a relatively quick getaway from the city or southern NH
- a newly built store and game room with a friendly welcome from staff
- the river offers a beach and tubing without having to drive anywhere; the water was on the low side late in the season, but there were still people tubing
- beautiful pool, very popular with families; there's a kiddie pool, too
- All the sites include electric
- nice playground with an open field
- riverfront sites
- Fields and equipment for volleyball, horseshoes, etc.
- Laundry
The opportunities:
Folks will tell you that a bathroom makes or breaks a campground and, here, the bathrooms hurt. One of the 3 bathhouses was out of order with a sign directing you to the one in the playground field. That one was clean, but there were no latches on any of the doors on the women's side. To get a shower, you have to journey over to the seasonal loop, which may be a bit of a walk depending on your campsite location. Once there, there's no guarantee a shower will work. The first day I found a shower that worked (coin operated), but the next day none of the 3 seemed to be working (one with an error on the meter, others wouldn't turn). Another camper was there and she couldn't get anything to work, either. Ventilation isn't great in that bathroom, so the ceiling is a bit mildewy. It does have a nice long counter with sinks.
Camp roads would benefit from grading, but they're navigable.
If you're on the river, you may hear some traffic noise from 28 on the other side of the Suncook River. It didn't bother me, but I can sleep through anything!
Some of the seasonal sites look cluttered.
Would be nice if you could make reservations online, but had no problem getting through on the phone.
All in all, great place to hang out on the water, whether the river or the pool, but would be even better with bathroom improvements.
We have stayed at Danforth Bay for several years now. At least two long weekends every year. One of these weekends we have a large group of friends that come every year. This is the only time we see each other during the year. We enjoy sitting out by the fire after the kids go to bed catching up. The campground has a rule that fires have to be out at 11:30. We are quiet and no one is around us because we all rent the sites around us. The security people have been extremely aggressive to us. I could understand if they asked us respectfully not to add to it but the woman got right in our face yelling at us and telling us that she wasn’t leaving until the fire is out including the coals. The thing that sucks is this campground have everything else we could ever look for except that rule and the security’s attitude. Apparently we are not the only people to have issues with them. The other campers not with us said they had the same problem with the attitudes but for things. I am giving the campground 1 more chance because we love the campground minus the security but if it doesn’t go well we won’t be back again.
This a a fantastic little camp for if you want to go canoeing or kayaking or boating of any kind! It's set up of three islands and a large majority of the campsites are right on the water
Great camping here!!! Campground host was wonderful and so considerate. The sites are a little close together but some are set back. Campground was not full when we stayed. Dog friendly, toilets, SHOWERS, and the most adorable communal outdoor covered kitchen that had a sink, microwave, free library, and donation boxes with beverages, snacks and veggies. All around great place to stay. Everything was so clean and the staff was more than friendly. We will be going back for sure!
Lots and LOTS of trails surrounding the campground. Great for biking and trail running.
The first time my wife had gone camping. We have a bell tent and fit perfectly.
Pros: this was a seemingly nice family-oriented campground with lots of nice amenities - the restrooms were in decent shape, there was a dish-washing sink available, and they even do movies in the amphitheater. The lake is also very nice as well. And even though there was an extreme lack of privacy, it was one of the quietest campgrounds I've ever been to, which surprised me a lot.
Cons: virtually no privacy between sites.
There are a handful of sites right on the beach by the lake. If I could get one of those sites, or one a little more private than what we had, I would go again in a heartbeat.
This is probably the smallest campground I have been to. 10 sites around a loop. Some sites are quite open while a couple are nicely secluded! The location is ideal if you hike the Presidential in the White Mountains. Amenities are basic…water pump and pit toilet. You can however drive a few minutes to Dolly Copp campground next door and take a shower (bring quarters) and bathrooms are new and sparkling clean. There is a fire ring and a table with benches on site too. Favorite sites are 1 and 8. You can book ahead and register at Dolly Copp.