Best Tent Camping near Canterbury, NH

There are 2 Big Rock Campgrounds in NH and they are very different! This is not the resort campground convenient to ATV trails, but a rustic campground offering large, level, wooded sites along the Kancamagus Highway just 2 miles east of the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center. It's a great location for exploring the sites and beautiful vistas along the Kancamagus, easy access to Franconia Notch and Lincoln, NH. Lincoln also offers a grocery store, restaurants, stores selling outdoor gear, moose tours, and adventure tours (zip/climbing).

Some of the sites are tent only, with parking separated from the tent pad/fire ring/picnic table. Others are large and level with ample space for RVs. You'll get some traffic noise, but there's less here than at places along 3 & 93.

There are no reservations; all sites are first-come, first serve and it's open from mid-May to mid-October. Bring cash or a check to pay for your campsite. It's self-service with an iron ranger. Fee (2018) is $22, an extra $5 for a second car.

Water is available. There are vault toilets and no showers. No cell phone service.

i stayed here for one night with a large group (maybe 40ish people) prior to setting out on our backpacking weekend.

This is a great campground, very clean. toilets available, and dumpster for trash were very convenient. There was potable water available also, and picnic tables. parking was tricky for our large group, and we had a bit of trouble fitting in all of the cars, but if you have a smaller group it should be no problem.

campground was very quiet, no real road noise or anything could be heard. ground was soft and grassy, although i would still recommend using a sleeping pad, was not as hard as some other campgrounds I have stayed at. had a nice big grassy area for the large group.

I tent camped here while doing some fishing in the area.

Baker Rocks had a host of different camping options onsite including tent platforms, yurts, and cabins. I booked one of the tent platforms.

The site had a large tent platform they could fit multiple tents, a brand new picnic table, a fire ring (with a free bundle of firewood), two chairs by the fire ring, and even a few strings of solar lights around the camp area.

The tent sites are within the wooded area around the property and felt very secluded. There was a bit of road noise overnight.

The facilities here were great. There is a full bathhouse with individual rooms for showers and sink/toilets, with running water.

Around the campground there was a little beach along the Baker river. I only caught a few minnows when fishing but that may have been more to do with the angler. Along another bend of the river were two chairs for taking in the scenery.

Check-in was super easy with the camp hosts who were very flexible with timing and wanted to make sure I had a great stay. The property and individual sites are deliberately designed with guests in mind.

I would definitely stay here again if I’m in the area and might try some of the glamping options as well.

The night before hiking Mount Monadnock, my husband and I camped here. Monadnock State Park is about a 25 minute drive from the campground, and provides a beautiful hike. The RV sites at Greenfield State Park were relatively secluded, as it is a very wooded area. We visited very early in the season, so the main tent camping loops were blocked off for maintenance. Our site had a picnic table and a fire ring. We drove by a shower facility and a building with restrooms. The restrooms were still locked for the winter, so there were a few port-a-potties right outside- these were absolutely disgusting. It looked as though they had not been cleaned out all winter. Otherwise, the campground seemed nice! Just don’t forget to bring some bug-spray for those New Hampshire mosquitos!

I stayed here tent camping on the way to some fishing on the Saco River.

The location is a great place to either explore the immediate area (Mount Chocorua and Chocorua Lake) or head further north to Conway and North Conway).

The camping area is a field in the back with fairly level ground and lots of space, and is a very short walk from the designated parking area.

The outhouse is brand new and super clean and right nearby, though there are no picnic tables and fires aren’t permitted due to area fire restrictions.

Communication with the host was fast and helpful.

This is a first come campground, which means that you can't make a reservation in advance. I arrived on a Saturday in June a little after 9am and had not problem getting a site, the place was mostly empty at that time. In order to reserve the site you must find an empty site, and leave something there (ie: your tent) to signify to others that the site is taken, then you need to pay in the little envelope at the front gate.

I had site 11, which is in the smaller of the two loops, close to both the bathroom (outhouse) and water spigot. Since I was only staying for one night, I liked being close to these. It was a bit buggy in the morning setting up my tent, and also making dinner. Once the sun went down the mosquitos settled and it was fin.

There is no camp store or anything here, so make sure to by your firewood or anything you need on your way through town and bring it with you. Also the ground here is quite packed down and hard, so make sure to be prepared with a good sleeping pad. sites do have a picnic table and fire ring.

Over all this was a great campground, and very convenient to hike hedgehog and/or potash in the morning directly across the street, or numerous other great hiking trails along 112.

White Ledge Campground is in the White Mountain National Forest and should not be confused with nearby White Lake State Park. Located a few miles south of the Kancamagus and Conway, you have ready access to the Carter Ledge trail up Mt Chocurua or shorter loop trails. 

The sites are generally large and wooded. Designated tent sites are not suitable for RVs/trailers because the site may require a short walk or steps. Facilities include potable water and vault toilets. There are no hookups and no dump station. The lack of amenities contributes to the low fee of$20/night, though online reservation fees will add somewhat to that. If you want a shower, they are available at Jigger Johnson campground along the Kancamagus Hwy, about 20 minutes away.

If you head up on a holiday weekend, get an early start or be ready for traffic. The loop for sites 14-28 parallels NH16; you WILL hear and even see road traffic and Rte 16 is busy.  Sites 2-5 are more open, larger, and suitable for RV or tent. Site 10 is a nicely wooded, level site for tent or RV. About half the sites are reservable. The campground is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.