Center Strafford is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Center Strafford is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Center Strafford, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Pawtuckaway State Park Campground lines the shore of beautiful Pawtuckaway Lake. The 192 sites are wooded and many provide views of the lake. Each campsite has an open fire ring, picnic table, flat areas for a tent, and a parking space. The bathhouses are equipped with running water, flush toilets, and 24 hour showers. There are no hook-ups at any of the campsites. The park also has a camp store where canoe and kayak rentals are available, as well as a public canoe and kayak launch. Five cabins are available; each sleeps six people, has electricity, and includes a fire ring and picnic table. Pets are not allowed in the campground or beach area of the park.
$25 - $30 / night
$25 - $40 / night
Wakeda Campground is a friendly family campground, nestled in the pines only 8 miles from Hampton Beach. A mile off the road, surrounded by woods, Wakeda is a world all its own. Wakeda first “opened its woods” to campers in 1965 and is owned and operated by three generations of the Savage family. Located just 20 minutes from Historic Portsmouth, the Kittery Outlets and beautiful Newburyport, MA, as well as just an hour north of Boston, we’re the perfect vacation home base! Come enjoy all the wonderful beaches, dining, shopping, outdoor and family-friendly attractions the Seacoast and surrounding region has to offer, or simply enjoy the peace and tranquility of life beneath Wakeda’s towering pines!
$48 - $97 / night
$43 - $47 / night
Voted Best of NH 2023 by NH Magazine, Gunstock Mountain Resort's campground puts you in the heart of New Hampshire's Lakes Region, close to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Surrounded by three mountain ranges, numerous lakes, a diverse assortment of recreational opportunities and small New England villages, Gunstock offers a rustic alpine setting for your visit to New Hampshire. Backed by over 80 years of camping experience, Gunstock's tradition of catering to recreational families ensures memorable vacations. Relax at your campsite and enjoy the natural habitat around the mountain or take a pleasurable drive to one of the many local attractions.
Has winter camping.
$35 - $80 / night
$27 - $40 / night
Salisbury Beach state reservation overlooks the point at which the Merrimack River feeds the Atlantic Ocean. It's a great place to swim, boat, or camp. Salisbury Beach offers 484 campsites for tents, trailers, or R.V.
$35 / night
$26 - $30 / night
Pawtuckaway State Park Campground lines the shore of beautiful Pawtuckaway Lake. The 192 sites are wooded and many provide views of the lake. Each campsite has an open fire ring, picnic table, flat areas for a tent, and a parking space. The bathhouses are equipped with running water, flush toilets, and 24 hour showers. There are no hook-ups at any of the campsites. The park also has a camp store where canoe and kayak rentals are available, as well as a public canoe and kayak launch. Five cabins are available; each sleeps six people, has electricity, and includes a fire ring and picnic table. Pets are not allowed in the campground or beach area of the park.
$25 - $30 / night
$25 - $40 / night
Wakeda Campground is a friendly family campground, nestled in the pines only 8 miles from Hampton Beach. A mile off the road, surrounded by woods, Wakeda is a world all its own. Wakeda first “opened its woods” to campers in 1965 and is owned and operated by three generations of the Savage family. Located just 20 minutes from Historic Portsmouth, the Kittery Outlets and beautiful Newburyport, MA, as well as just an hour north of Boston, we’re the perfect vacation home base! Come enjoy all the wonderful beaches, dining, shopping, outdoor and family-friendly attractions the Seacoast and surrounding region has to offer, or simply enjoy the peace and tranquility of life beneath Wakeda’s towering pines!
$48 - $97 / night
$43 - $47 / night
Voted Best of NH 2023 by NH Magazine, Gunstock Mountain Resort's campground puts you in the heart of New Hampshire's Lakes Region, close to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Surrounded by three mountain ranges, numerous lakes, a diverse assortment of recreational opportunities and small New England villages, Gunstock offers a rustic alpine setting for your visit to New Hampshire. Backed by over 80 years of camping experience, Gunstock's tradition of catering to recreational families ensures memorable vacations. Relax at your campsite and enjoy the natural habitat around the mountain or take a pleasurable drive to one of the many local attractions.
Has winter camping.
$35 - $80 / night
$27 - $40 / night
Scout
I use up my two weeks allotted here at Harold Parker every year. A great place to enjoy family in the outdoors .clean sites. clean bathrooms and friendly staff. I live in a neighboring town to Andover. It’s so easy to get to.
Scout
We stay here a couple of times a year. It is our first stay of the season and our last. Very quiet, sites are large and staff is friendly. I am disappointed that the new owners have changed the campground to seasonal instead year round. My children are grown but would think not much for them to do there. For children I would think Clearwater campground across the street would be better. (Same owners)
Traveler
Con: Signage is awful! Hard to find park, office and cabins! Once there, Looong drive to both campground and Cabins.
Pro: cabins are on a remote lake. Perfect for star gazing! Rustic but comfy (beds) cabins. Bring all your own stuff. No electricity, so no lights. Our cabin had a steep path. Others did not.
Legend
Bit expensive
LegendBit expensive
Traveler
I found this place on The Dyrt app, so I came to check it out, I made a reservation online just to make sure I guaranteed my spot when I arrived, which I didn’t had to worry about either way because there was lots of empty spaces, but you never know, even though I made my reservation my spot didn’t have my name on it or any information about when I was suppose to arrive and leave, there was nobody there, but made me wonder if there was someone already there, besides that, it’s a great place to camping, clean, quite, bathroom was close by, shower and everything, besides all that I was able to use my phone with no problems, I have AT&T btw, there is a Dunkin, General store and a gas station like 3 minutes driving, which is great in case you forgot to buy something or are too lazy to make coffee and breakfast, I stayed for 2 night, can’t complain, and will come back for sure, I highly recommend this place, although I recommend to get the side from 33 to 57 it’s on the other side and not too close from the highway.
GuideNeed to make reservations before 2pm!! This campground is nice and calm with a lot of space and bathrooms. There are water hookups at tent sites. Didn’t have any issues, just it is a little expensive for someone from out of state. We paid $54 because we are from Ohio
Ranger
We came into the park on a Wednesday in mid September and found that over half the spaces were open. We grabbed a spot about 60 feet from the lake.
The camping sites are large enough for a tent and a couple of vehicles. There are a few larger sites here and there. Sites are very close to neighboring camp sites so Privacy is poor
There are very nice bathroom facilities with hot showers, dish rinsing sinks and hot showers.
The view from the lake is amazing. We walked to the beach every morning with our chairs for coffee. VERY RELAXING!
There is a building near the entrance of the state park that says its a store but it looks pretty old and closed.
The young lady who delivered our park permit was exceptionally friendly and helpful. However, the people that clean the restrooms are about as polite as construction workers in Queens. They do have a garbage dumpster but it is located about a mile from the campground. Not very convenient for tent or van camping.
Overall the price charged for the sites seems higher than the value received.
Scout
Friendly staff, hard gravel access roads, level gravel sites. No issues with electric, sewer or water hookups. Some of the best clear, clean, drinking water at high pressure we have come across. Great access to beaches, numerous eateries and shopping minutes away. This is our second time we have been here and here for the month of September.
I would reccomend Seacoast RV Park to other campers.
Guide
2 pools, golf carts for rent, nice new sites. Not much shade where we were so bring umbrellas/shades. The store is well stocked, the employees are all super nice, fun activities for the kids like the wibit lake jumping obstacle course, 2 swimming pools, canoeing, and TONS of add-on activities like tie-dying, hay rides etc and you can have their mascot deliver donuts to your campsite on certain days. Very nice clubhouses. Full hookups. The list goes on and on!
We will be back, it was a big hit!!
GuideThis is one of the best places we saw. We were here during a quiet period in August. The pitches are spacious and shaded.
The sanitary building is clean with good showers.
There is a lovely pond in which you can swim. It is somewhat small when crowded but nevertheless very lovely.
The water in the pond is not streaming so be prepared for mosquitoes when camping close to the water.
There is a well maintained playground for kids and there are activities planned for kids and adults.
We would definitely return.
Traveler
A friendly place but very crowed campground and tight getting a 21’ trailer in. About 1/2 of the sites are seasonal. Lots of beach traffic in the area and while we are glad we stoped by we wouldn’t go back
Guide
I only stayed one night because I couldn’t find a spot anywhere close to 95 . The campground is huge and the spaces are very tight ,not to mention $148 for a full hook up pull thru site that my 42 ft 5w barley fit. I would not go back .
Traveler
We had a great stay at white lake state park. I was surprised that there was only a large log separating our site from the next one but luckily it was just my brothers family so it wasn’t awkward. Our sites (2-11 and 2-11a) survived a 2 hour monsoon with some water running through but other sites had some major flooding so just something to be cognizant of.
Traveler
We had a great time here camping with our kids and grandkids. River is not much to look at but the pool was great and there were great events like foam parties, DJ at the pool, pancake breakfast and live music to name a few. Staff were friendly and helpful.
Traveler
This is a great campsite. So many amenities that work. Great sense of community. Overly friendly people at the front desk that are accommodating. The spaces are very close to each other. The Wi-Fi does not work very well (WFH employees trying to see the world). Other than the Wi-Fi, everything exceeded our expectations.
Guide
Beautiful and very well maintained. The staff is awesome. There are SO many amazing activities for the whole family. Would absolutely recommend!
Scout
great Pool, alot of woods and nature feel
frindly staff
quite
Scout
This is my favorite campground by a mile! The people here are so friendly and accommodating, the campground facilities are clean and well kept, the kids activities are top notch, and the free trolly to Old Orchard Beach and Pine Point Beach is so convenient and the drivers are AMAZING. The nightly entertainment is also outstanding, especially the hypnotist. There are three nice pools, several playgrounds, two stores, a mini golf course, several ponds for fishing, and a really great restaurant with a huge selection of foods and decent prices. There’s also an adult pool with its own bar and restaurant that’s also very good! They serve a yummy brunch too. I really can’t say enough about Bayley’s. We travel 9.5 hours to come here each year and when we arrive, it simply feels like home. Old Orchard Beach is beautiful and is just a 5 minute trolly ride away. Just come! And don’t forget to bring your boogie boards!!
Guide
The 30 amp sites are very close together.
The campground layout is quite unusual, with campers parked lengthwise along the road. This means that you share the space where you sit outside with the camper behind you, resulting in very little privacy. It feels cramped, and you’re constantly close to your neighbors. If you’re looking for a peaceful, secluded camping experience, this setup might not be ideal.
The facilities are ok but dated and could be cleaner. The beach is a short 15-minute walk.
For children, there is a swimming pool, a basketball court and a small playground
All in all, this is a good campground if you are on the road and want to spend a night or two exploring the area.
Traveler
This is one of the dirtiest camp grounds I’ve been to. It smelled of septic gas and trash. The bathrooms were disgusting, the pool and playground were a slimy mess. Camp sites are small and buggy. Open septic line everywhere. Picnic tables were all rotten. Not a pleasant stay at all. This is a trailer park not a camp ground.
Scout
Autumn Hills Campground is AWESOME! It’s remotely located and the amenities and activities are amazing, something for everyone! The staff is so friendly and helpful and I can’t say enough how clean the bathrooms, laundry room and store are! The super nice owners, Adam& Jennifer are constantly making upgrades and changes and have really created a beautiful, family oriented campground! I recommend you take the virtual tour online so you can pick a sight that works for you and book it soon.
Traveler
We stayed for 3 nights in late July. The campground is peaceful and quiet, with the sounds of birds and the trees being the main thing you hear - it is quite relaxing. The trees are quite tall and create a lovely canopy overhead. There is some road traffic noise, but it’s minimal. The sites that face the marsh are the best sites - they have some grass and lovely views. We were in site 5, which faces the woods and was dirt. It had a slight bump in it which made hooking and unhooking our travel trailer a little difficult. The sites are close together, and do not have any foliage buffers between them. The bathrooms were very clean. The people we met who worked at the camp were friendly and helpful. It is within a mile of the Audubon center, where you can either put in your own kayak/canoe or rent one. The Eastern Trail is 1.3 miles away, and good for walking, running or gravel biking.
Scout
I am not one to give a Terrible review. However I booked two kayaks and upon arrival at 9am they said it was a first come first serve ordeal. I was not camping there but rented kayaks. They then charged me the rest of the fee then said well there are actually 2 groups ahead of you. Well wait I thought it was first come first serve but now after they take my money they said there were 2 groups ahead and it would be a 1 and half hour wait. At that point I had gone to another place up the rd and called and canceled within 20 minutes I told them to keep my deposit but to re- fund me the charge of the rentals. They wouldn't. I will never recommend or ever use them again. They definitely choose favorites and I am extremely disappointed with them.
Scout
Personal Connection
Baker River Campground will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I was first introduced to camping as a child. My first visit was in 1969 when I was eight years old. Last year, I returned for the first time in over 50 years. While much has changed, the basic layout of the camp remains the same, and it’s still family-owned, which is wonderful.
Current Stay
I stayed on site#20 with my class B van. Here are some highlights and details of my experience: Site Location: Conveniently near the road going out and to the beach. Amenities: Electrical and water hookup, a well-placed fire pit, and a bathroom/shower house right across from my site. The facilities were very clean, thanks to regular cleaning. Campground Condition: Maintained excellently, largely due to Reno, the full-time staff member who oversees the place. He was outstanding. The only reason I gave it a 5 was because of him. Environment: Located on the Baker River with a cozy beach. Limited amenities(horseshoe pit and a small playground), but both were in excellent condition. The campground is perfect for those who prefer a traditional camping experience without additional frills. During the week, the campground was quiet, but it got crowded on the weekends with seasonal campers and tent setups closer to the river. I appreciate the layout and the ambiance of the campground.
Negative Aspects
Unfortunately, a recent change in ownership to a corporation has brought noticeable changes: Loss of Personal Touch: The campground has lost its personal feel. Reno is still a lifesaver, but he’s the only one maintaining the old charm. Neglect by Management: The focus has shifted to another campground, Riverbrook, which is evident from their social media presence and activities. Baker River is largely neglected, and even basic acknowledgments from the management are lacking. Lack of Engagement: The director of both campgrounds visited but did not engage with campers. When Reno was on vacation, there was no other staff available to assist. Seasonal Campers' Discontent: Long-term campers have noticed the decline and are considering not returning next year. Corporate Focus: The corporation seems more interested in raising prices and saving money rather than maintaining and improving Baker River Campground.
Final Thoughts
I write this review out of a deep passion for Baker River Campground. It’s painful to see the decline in care and attention. I believe each campground should be treated as a separate entity with full-time events and dedicated management. The current corporate approach appears to prioritize profit over the well-being of the campground and its community. It’s a shame to see such a beloved place being neglected. I hope the management will take these concerns seriously and work towards restoring the charm and personal touch that made Baker River Campground special.
Mike Weild
Weild on Wheels
Scout
Branch Brook Campground is a true haven for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Nestled in a serene forest setting, it offers a perfect blend of tranquility and adventure. The campsites are well-spaced, providing privacy while still feeling part of a community of fellow campers. The amenities are superb, with clean and modern facilities that make camping comfortable and convenient. Hot showers and well-maintained restrooms were a pleasant surprise, ensuring that every aspect of the stay was enjoyable. The campground's natural beauty is enhanced by the peaceful sounds of the Pemi River and the gentle rustling of leaves, creating a soothing ambiance that is perfect for relaxation. The staff at Branch Brook Campground are incredibly welcoming and helpful, adding a personal touch that makes you feel right at home. Whether you're hiking the scenic trails, tubing on the Pemi River, or simply lounging by your campfire under the starry sky, every moment spent here feels like a cherished memory in the making. Overall, Branch Brook Campground is a hidden gem that deserves recognition for its exceptional service, beautiful surroundings, and commitment to providing a memorable camping experience. It's a place where you can truly unwind, recharge, and reconnect with nature. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a peaceful and rejuvenating retreat!
LegendThis was my first time staying at Bear Brook, it's an easy campground to get to, once you get to the west gate it's about a 4-mile drive to the campground, if you're coming from the east it's about 1.5 miles.
The first impression was impressed by the size and how organized everything was. Check-in was easy, then driving to my site (#7) took a minute.
That's when I realized the sites were 4' apart in the section I was staying in. Other sites on each end are further apart.
The campground has a beach, a playground, a Ball field, and a store. The roads are all easy to drive on but narrow.
Camping near Center Strafford, New Hampshire, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping around Center Strafford, New Hampshire, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to check the specific campground rules and amenities to make the most of your trip!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Center Strafford, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Center Strafford, NH is Pawtuckaway State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 43 reviews.
What parks are near Center Strafford, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 12 parks near Center Strafford, NH that allow camping, notably Hopkinton-Everett Lake and Edward MacDowell Lake.
