Camping near Berlin, New Hampshire places visitors in the northern White Mountains region where elevations range from 1,000 to 3,000 feet with average summer temperatures of 75-80°F days and 50-55°F nights. Most camping facilities operate from mid-May through mid-October, with several state parks offering both primitive and developed camping options within a 30-mile radius of Berlin. Winter camping is extremely limited due to below-freezing temperatures and significant snowfall averaging 70 inches annually.
What to do
Trail hiking from camp: Moose Brook State Park offers direct access to multiple hiking trails. "Lot's of great hiking is available at the campground as well as a short drive away. If hiking is a hobby of yours, look no further! This is a great location to base yourself out of to get some solid miles under your belt," notes a camper at White Birches Camping Park. The park maintains connections to the Presidential Rail Trail, with one visitor adding, "The way back is downhill."
ATV adventures: 4x4 trails are accessible directly from Jericho Mountain State Park Campground, making it popular with off-road enthusiasts. "This campground is at the entrance of miles and miles of atv trails," reports a visitor. The park serves as headquarters for the annual Jericho ATV festival in August, with another camper noting "the park offers miles of ATV trails including an offroad 4x4 trail as well as a lake for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, and fishing."
Water activities: Swimming and paddling opportunities exist at several campgrounds. At Mollidgewock State Park, "I spent three days camped by the river with my little 12 ft pack boat. Caught about a dozen small rainbows anchored at the head of the rapids." The park also "rent[s] kayaks and canoes on the property which was fun (saw a bald eagle)."
What campers like
Natural privacy between sites: Many campgrounds maintain wooded buffers. At Dry River Campground, "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." A visitor elaborates: "Very private sites, clean bathrooms and coin operated showers ($0.25 for 3 minutes) and laundry."
Cleanliness of facilities: Most campgrounds maintain high standards. "New shower and bathroom building was clean. Campsites were well spaced," notes one visitor to Moose Brook State Park. Similarly, at Dolly Copp Campground, a camper highlights "new bathrooms with showers, roadways, and sites with and without electric hookups."
Specialized amenities: Several campgrounds offer unique features. At Timberland Campground, campers appreciate "a heated swimming pool up front, coin-op showers, as well as a pinball/game room and laundry." Another visitor mentions "a great nature trail along the Androscoggin River."
What you should know
Wildlife awareness: Bears and moose sightings require proper precautions. At Dolly Copp Campground, "Upon entering campground we saw many 'beware of bear signs'. The campground ranger station confirmed that black bear are prominent and will venture across picnic tables and sites, so be certain to store food & toiletries safely per rules!" Mollidgewock State Park Campground is known as "the moose capital of NH" where "Rte 16, along where Mollidgewock is located, is one of the most prominent places for spotting moose in NH."
Train noise: Some campgrounds experience railroad disruptions. At Timberland Campground, "There are active tracks literally on the other side of the line of sites (lower sites are even worse as they aren't at least elevated) and there are freight trains that come through regularly including all hours of the nights."
Limited cell service: Coverage varies by location. One camper notes at Milan Hill State Park, "Access is easy for any vehicle, minimal cell coverage." Most campgrounds in more remote areas have similar limitations.
Tips for camping with families
Playgrounds and pools: Several family-oriented campgrounds offer recreation facilities. At Lantern Resort Motel & Campground, "They have a nice heated swimming pool, playground and many other amenities. When there isn't a global health pandemic, they have a bouncy house for the kids. They often show movies on the lawn when the weather cooperates."
Family activities: Many campgrounds organize events for children. A visitor to Moose Brook State Park mentions "Fishing, swimming, river walks, biking and movie nights!" Some campgrounds offer "Craft time, petting zoo, campfire smore and story time" according to another camper.
Proximity to attractions: Family-friendly locations save driving time. Lantern Resort is "walking distance to Santa's Village" and "it's really easy to cross the street and go to Santa's village, or walk back across when the kiddos are overstimulated for a little break."
Tips from RVers
Site levelness variations: RV sites differ significantly between campgrounds. At Jefferson Campground, "Some complaints that some sites weren't level, but ours was acceptable." Another camper reports "The RV sites have full hookups and the tent area is tucked into a wooded area with wild apple trees."
Power considerations: Electrical service quality varies by location. At one campground, an RVer warns "The power at this place is clearly overloaded. On the weekend I was getting warnings that the voltage was in the 95v range(120v)... Below 100v you can start to see damage to electronics and motors as this is a brownout."
Larger rigs: Certain campgrounds better accommodate big RVs. At Dolly Copp, "This campground is one of the largest in the forest system that I've been to. It's got tons of space which will fit almost any size camper from tent to the largest RV." However, others note "the roads are in rough shape due to the construction."
