New Hampshire's state parks and forests host a range of campground options from primitive tent sites to full-service RV areas with hookups and amenities. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground in Nottingham accommodates tent camping, RVs, cabins, and glamping with various access points including boat-in and hike-in sites. The White Mountains region contains several highly-rated mixed-use campgrounds like Lafayette Place in Franconia Notch State Park, which primarily serves tent and RV campers. Smaller campgrounds like Dry River Campground in Crawford Notch State Park offer a more secluded camping experience while still providing essential amenities such as picnic tables, fire rings, and potable water.
Most New Hampshire campgrounds operate seasonally, typically from May through October, with a few locations extending into early November. Bear Brook State Park Campground in Deerfield remains open from early May to late October, while Hancock Campground is one of the few year-round options in the state. Advance reservations are strongly recommended, especially for weekend stays during the peak summer months of July and August. Many campgrounds feature both reservable and first-come sites, with the majority of waterfront locations filling quickly. Winter camping requires additional preparation due to limited services and potential snow accumulation. One camper noted, "The electric and water sites we stayed at was just dirt, no grass anywhere. The full hookups looked better from what I saw."
Waterfront camping locations consistently receive positive feedback from visitors, with sites along lakes and rivers being particularly sought after. White Lake State Park Campground in Tamworth provides lake access with amenities including showers, drinking water, and picnic tables. Several campgrounds offer family-friendly environments with activities like swimming and hiking nearby. A recent review highlighted that "The riverfront sights looked absolutely beautiful and some had better/easier access to the water than others." Campgrounds with full hookups tend to attract longer-stay visitors, while primitive sites appeal to those seeking a more traditional outdoor experience. Moose Brook State Park near Gorham maintains high ratings for its combination of natural setting and convenient facilities. Seasonal campers often recommend booking well in advance for prime locations, particularly at popular destinations like Pawtuckaway and Franconia Notch.
$35 - $140 / night
"My first time experiencing a park in the New Hampshire Park system. We went down with a group. Pawtuckaway State Park offers a variety of landscapes, with something to do and see for everyone."
"Driving around this past weekend I did notice that some of the sites had damp spots; site 71 was the worst with deep mud on the long approach."
$35 / night
"My first time in camping in New Hampshire, the whole area is spectacular and I felt lucky to find a spot in this campground next to the stream."
"The White Mountains stretch quite some distance. While the Presidential peaks are often considered the jewel of this range, I find the Franconia Ridge just as beautiful and stunning."
$62 - $209 / night
"The last few years, they’ve added a light display near the entrance at night, which make that last trip to the bathroom before bedtime fun!"
"Nice campground located in the valley of mountains. Wooded sites but close to your neighbors."
$35 - $40 / night
"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."
"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"
$35 - $45 / night
"This state park is located in the small town of Gorham, New Hampshire."
"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."
$35 - $45 / night
"Tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere New Hampshire is it's largest state park. Bear Brook is full of trails, ponds and a fairly large campground."
"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."
$30 / night
"This would be one of few places I find acceptable to camp, that are near other people. I usually don't like camping with 20+ other people in one looped area."
"Used the tent sides a quick hill walk down from the parking lot. River great for splashing around and nearby path to Lincoln Woods trail."
$35 - $105 / night
"Last weekend, our family stayed at White Lake State Park for four days."
"I’ve stayed here a few times and love the location and access to White Lake."
$25 / night
"Our site was big and walking around the grounds the other sites appeared to all be pretty good sized as well. They are not lying when they call their sites secluded either!"
"Cabins and RV sites with hookups are closer yo the entrance, store and road. That latter feature is a bit if a bummer bc the noise from cars and trucks zipping by on route 302 is loud."
"Awesome boondocking in New Hampshire, what a treat in the east coast! Just beautiful scenery, with trees, rivers, creeks, hiking trails with a pond- we absolutely loved our time here. "
"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."
ScoutWhat we liked most about Crow’s Nest was being able to choose between doing absolutely nothing or heading out and exploring. One day we stayed around the campground, went swimming and relaxed by the river. The next day we got out and explored more of the Lake Sunapee area. It made a really good home base and it was always nice coming back to our campsite at the end of the day.
ScoutWhere does one even begin to explain how great this campground is?! There’s truly a little bit of something for everyone here!
We absolutely loved our campsite. It had plenty of room, a good amount of privacy, and great tree coverage. Even when it rained, our fire pit somehow stayed pretty dang dry, which was a huge plus!
The rec hall was awesome and had so many cool arcade games to check out. They also offer kayak and canoe rentals for the pond, which has surprisingly clear, beautiful water.
One thing that REALLY stood out to us was how incredibly clean the bathrooms and showers were. They were well maintained and practically bug-free, which is almost unheard of at a campground!
On top of all that, everyone we came across—from the staff to the other campers—was super friendly, welcoming, and down-to-earth. It just had an all-around great atmosphere.
Seriously, don’t skip over this campground. If you’re on the fence, just book it. You won’t regret it! We’ll definitely be back!
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.**
ScoutCrow’s Nest was a really convenient stop for us while traveling through New Hampshire. Getting our RV situated was easy and we had everything we needed for a comfortable stay.
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.
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.
ScoutWe brought the kids here for a few days and they had a blast. Between swimming, exploring around the campground, and just riding around and making friends, they always had something to do. For us, it was nice being able to actually relax while the kids stayed entertained. We cooked at the campsite most nights and spent the evenings around the fire. Great family trip.
TravelerStayed 8 nights with complete solitude. Bugs weren't too bad. There were plenty of dead birch trees and beech trees for firewood. Not any evergreens though. Site 16 has two campsites. I took the further one with plenty of room. Good size fire pit, but people before me left some large pieces of wood not completely put out along with lit coals.
ScoutThe Sugar River was probably our favorite part of staying here. There is something really relaxing about waking up, making coffee, and being able to walk down by the river first thing in the morning. We spent our days fishing, hanging around the campground, and exploring the area. Crow’s Nest has a classic New Hampshire campground feel and we would definitely come back.
Camping in New Hampshire offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an action-packed getaway, there's something for everyone.
Camping in New Hampshire is a great way to enjoy nature and create lasting memories. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best campgrounds in New Hampshire for families?
New Hampshire offers excellent family-friendly campgrounds with amenities that keep children entertained. Bear Brook State Park Campground stands out as the state's largest park with family-friendly facilities including play structures, a camp store, swimming beach, and even a baseball diamond. Families will appreciate the numerous trails and ponds to explore. Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages is another excellent option, offering beautiful lakeside views and a well-maintained family atmosphere. The small, family-owned operation provides a peaceful setting where kids can enjoy water activities and parents can relax with scenic vistas. Both campgrounds provide the perfect balance of outdoor adventure and necessary amenities that make camping with children manageable and fun.
Where are the most scenic camping sites in New Hampshire state parks?
New Hampshire's state parks offer breathtaking scenic camping with natural beauty at every turn. Lafayette Place Campground — Franconia Notch State Park provides spectacular mountain views and streamside sites in one of the state's most picturesque regions. The campground serves as an ideal base for exploring the dramatic scenery of Franconia Notch. Jigger Johnson Campground along the scenic Kancamagus Highway offers another stunning option with sites nestled among beautiful forest surroundings. The location provides easy access to hiking trails, swimming holes, and the natural wonders of the White Mountains. Both campgrounds showcase New Hampshire's diverse landscapes, from majestic mountain panoramas to peaceful woodland settings.
What are the most accessible places to camp in NH for first-time visitors?
First-time visitors to New Hampshire will find several easily accessible campgrounds that provide a welcoming introduction to camping in the Granite State. The Pastures Campground offers an ideal starting point with spacious sites featuring tables and fire rings, clean facilities including bathrooms, showers, and even a laundry room. Its location near the Vermont border provides convenient access while still delivering authentic New Hampshire camping. Country Bumpkins Campground and Cabins is another excellent choice for newcomers, offering riverside camping with ample parking and proximity to popular attractions like Clark's Trading Post. The campground's straightforward setup and convenient location make it perfect for those just beginning their New Hampshire camping adventures.
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