Best RV Parks & Resorts near Charlestown, NH

The owners here will meet your with rudeness and disrespect when enforcing their rules for newer people. And yes, new campers… the owners will haze those who do not plan to give them revenue as a long term rv. The drinking water was terrible… I filled a glass at night and by morning debris collected at the bottom of the cup, I think it was sand?? I do not know but I was relieved to drink bottled water rather than the smog. Their pool was disgusting and the bathrooms smelled like urine. Their is limited space to stay due the crowded rv spaces. The long term campers are loud at night and have very messy grounds that leach into other areas. I recommend finding a better place to camp especially if you are camping in a tent and not long term like using an rv

We enjoyed our stay at Newfound RV Park thanks to their laundry facilities, rec room, and quirky owner. It was a great place to explore Newfound lake from, as well as the Mill Fudge Factory. Our site was full hookup and a pull through site. We used a Passport America discount here.

Pillsbury resides in a very pretty spot nestled around a lake. There are campsites that are car accesable and remote campsites only accessable by boat. Canoe rentals are available at the park. The nearest town is close enough that the first one up goes and buys Dunkin Donuts for the rest each morning.

Pillsbury Campground is described as primitive which means no hot showers, RV hookups and stuff like that. It is a perfect place to get away from all the stuff I don't really need and get a little closer to the stuff I do.

I have stayed at Pillsbury on several ocasions going back year after year.

The campground has a gravel area at the sites where the fire ring and picnic tables are. Where we parked our trailer was some gravel sand and dirt. We were at the end of a lane, backing in was fine we are small, 21 feet including tongue, we fit fine. Great site across from a beach, on French Pond I’m guessing is at least 25 acres. Most of the sights are long term. Camp was pretty much full, even then it was quiet. Restroom closed to covid, some campgrounds kept them open and just cleaned more. Well no complaint here we’re self contained. Some areas could use some tidying up. Still I would gladly stay here again.

We had an awesome stay at Seven Maples with our family of six and dog.

We have a 25 foot trailer and stayed in the Grove area. Our site 19 was spacious and wooded. There was a lot of poison ivy on both sides of us but the kids kept away so we weren’t worried about it. We loved being next to the large field and basketball court where we watched the kids play without having to worry where they disappeared to. The Grove and Hemlock Heights are particularly nice areas with more spacious, wooded and quiet sites. The Safari Field and more central full hook-up sites were pretty crammed. We definitely would have wanted to know our neighbors in those areas!

The campground, pool, playground and bathrooms were very clean. The pool is amazing for kids of all ages with water slides and a splash area. There’s no life guard or staff monitoring the pool area so it did get a little too crazy at times for my little ones. The playground is really big with plenty to do. There’s also a fishing pond and short hiking/biking trails.

There weren’t any extra activities for the kids as some other family-friendly campgrounds have but they did have a reasonably priced Father’s Day breakfast that was outstanding!

This is definitely a place we will return to!

Overall, the park is OK regarding the physical attributes, minus the larger rig issue discussed below. Shower house was clean, sites are relatively spacious and you aren't too close to your neighbor, but the sewer lines were a bit close to you and your picnic table in the loop.  The campground is nice and wooded (see warning below for large rigs), the roads in the campground are good shape with well packed gravel.  They also have roaming chickens with FREE eggs, first come first serve.  

However, my issues are as follows:

• Larger rigs might want to avoid loop 6-14, especially for sites 8-12. Tree placement and a pretty sharp 110+ degree turn makes it challenging to maneuver.  I don't think campground staff is familiar with their own campground and that larger rigs are likely to have issue in this loop.  I witnessed several neighbors in my 10 day stay with major issues navigating.  
• Initially offered site 1 but wanted to be out of the way. After being on site, my 35' rig wouldn't have fit at all, may have been without site and likely w/o refund.   A ~20-25' TT was in that spot comfortably.  I don't think the staff is aware of their own campground details, how large the spaces are
• WiFi: exists, but 100% unreliable.  Not just slow, often was entirely offline or connected without Internet.  When it did work, it was actually halfway decent. 
• (sorry for the length of this complaint).  If you have packages sent to the campground, be ready for some frustration. Apparently, the process for USPS packages are to deliver next door, then "Vicki" brings them over at some point (UPS and FedEx appear to be delivered to the campground). (only read on if you want more detail, otherwise go to next bullet)....  I had to call the Post Office to be rudely informed that since the gas company and the RV park are owned by the same people that the owner wants all RV park mail to go to the gas company and that I should have known (so no excuses for the readers of this post ;o).  Front office had no clue on how USPS packages were handled at the RV park and told us they often get mis-delivered to an address 30 miles away, probably also incorrect.  It is appalling the RV park didn't know this and it might have saved me a lot of time and headache had this place been better managed.  The gas company employees were aware of the process, but had no idea if my package had been delivered or picked up by Vicki.  I don’t know how many people asked me during my package search if I had talked to Vicki yet, because she might have it, I assume she's the owner.  Vicki was NOT a familiar face during my 10 day stay, nor did I have any access to her.  The audacity of everyone to ask this question.  On my final day, I decided to make a last ditch effort of calling the gas company again, and it turns out the last package had been riding in Vicki's car for roughly the last day. Mind you, the day before at 4PM she supposedly told the gas company staff that she had NO packages going to the RV park; it must have been sitting in her car!  This is honestly the reason I bumped the RV park down from a 4 to a 2.  Pure cluelessness by so many parties involved… I don't believe they know what is happening.  Note: this happened TWICE, not just once.  All packages finally arrived.  I should not have been the person that informed the front office on how the RV park owners handle USPS packages.  Should have been opposite, and how they have a ridiculous process of how packages make it to the park and when I might see my actual package….  Or another novel idea… deliver packages addressed to the RV park to the RV park, it was an entirely different address! I blame the ownership, based on the hate I received this information from the local post office!
• Front desk, while very nice and very polite, seemed clueless on most questions.  Granted mostly due to the issue above, but a few other questions got a blank stare and a "don't really know" answer. Didn't appear the front office was informed to sufficiently answer questions.   
• Another minor issue, which I gave up on dealing with in light of the other mess, 1 dryer (I think #2) didn't even come close to drying my clothes, so that was an extra $2 spent and another hour waiting on clothes to dry.

Mostly seasonal with a back row for short term campers. Used by a lot of offroad bikes on weekends. Great swimming pool! Spent a week plus there and had no problems with the dirt bikes and loved the pool. All sites are full hookups with several primitive tent sites.

Staff assisted to guide us into our space. 25' travel trailer, full hookups. Lot 6, backs onto a little creek. Some old campers onsite that look to have overstayed due to condition. Nice to be at a non corporate campground, a few bruises, but overall great experience. Dog friendly, relaxed environment.

We thought this park was o.k.– nothing special but nothing bad but we really wanted to see the area since we were told the town of Dorset was so pretty. When we checked in, there was a sign that personnel were working in the park and there was a phone number for us to call. They responded right away and met us at the office and showed us where our site was. 

The campground was clean and tidy with nice tall trees. The roads and campsites are gravel and a little tight to get around because of all the trees but we were able to manage in our 45’ motorhome. There were a scattering of amenities like a rec room with games, shuffleboard, playground, volleyball, horseshoes, laundry, and showers. There are community activities like bonfires, bingo, pot luck dinners, and complementary donuts& coffee every Sunday morning. 

Our site was level but some definitely were not. We got twenty or so television channels with the cable hookup. The hookups were all well-placed and we didn’t have any issues with the electric and the wifi at our site worked well. We had a picnic table and fire pit. The sites next to us were not occupied which was nice because otherwise it would have felt a little tight. We did notice a bit of road noise when sitting outside. There are some really nice tent sites set away from the RV sites that sit under large trees and have nice space. The only drawback is they are farther away from the bathrooms. 

Loved the area, the Green Mountains are beautiful so there is plenty of sightseeing to do. Dorset is a cute tiny town that is beautiful in the fall. The nearby town of Manchester is home to Orvis and there is an interesting fly fishing museum next door. Overall, the park was fine for us and we would stay again if we were in the area. We paid ($47/night) for our full hookup, 50-amp site.

Stayed for a weekend (1 night). Easy access to a bathroom (which was very clean). Quiet neighbors, everyone around us observed the quiet hours (10p-7a) and even during the day no one was super loud. Very respectful drivers made biking feel fun and safe for kids. Campers beach was lovely. Sure the water was a little weedy, but we didn’t mind. The lake is a great spot for kayaking (although it is a little bit of a walk from the parking lot with a heavy boat) and the sunset on the lake definitely didn’t disappoint. Nice partially shaded and level site with good access for backing in our small trailer. Playground, camp store, convenient check-in at office, firewood available for $6, lots of trails and fairly level for easy biking. State park camping (no hookups) but there’s a dump station near the exit and water spigots dispersed around the campsites. Absolutely would go again.

I stayed here in mid-July, a week after the holiday weekend. Although the majority of the sites are season, there are about 25 sites available for short-term campers, including a number that are within site of the water(although most of the waterfront in the area is occupied by boat slips, there is a walkway to the beach). Four sites are near the rec hall. Near the entrance are 10 sites(half of them pull-through) that are a combination of grass and shade, near the ballfield. My site was in this area. The sites were spacious and level. Sites T 1-10 tended to have sloped access and sometimes had trees to maneuver around, but I saw large trailers in some of these sites; most had tents. All sites offer water/electric. A dump station is available near the entrance. I had 3 bars of Verizon service.

As a seasonal campground, there are a lot of weekends scheduled throughout the weekend. While I was there, there were organized cribbage& horseshoe tournaments, cornhole, and bingo as well as a potato roast. Most of the seasonal campers have golf carts, so you’ll see them buzzing around the campground and providing seats for tournament viewers. The playground with swings, slides, and a see saw saw a lot of kids action throughout the weekend, as did the tennis court and basketball court. The ballfield was the only area I didn’t see in use.

The beach is sandy with a roped off swim area and raft; a boat ramp gives you a spot to launch. Fishing from the boat ramp area yielded bass and bluegill. Millfoil is a problem in the lake, particularly the southern end, and boats needs to be cleaned to prevent spread.

I wasn’t given a map when I checked in, so I looked it up online to locate the bathroom. Initially I only saw the one nearer the beach, which was a bit of a hike from my campsite. It was also very tight with limited space between the sink vanity and the toilet stalls. There was 1 shower in this area. Closer inspection of the map revealed a second, larger bathroom, that had more space, toilets, and showers. That said, they need to do a better job lifting the mats and cleaning the shower drains so they’ll drain. I was grateful for shower shoes! To turn on the shower, you have to pull on a rope or bar hanging from just above the showerhead. As long as you are pulling the rope, the water is on. I’m not sure a child could reach it. It’s annoying, but it certainly enforces a ship-shower approach to water conservation. If you have a self-contained unit, I'd rate the campground a 4.

You’ll need to call to make a reservation and plan to pay by cash or check; no credit cards allowed. My site was assigned upon arrival; I was able to call just a few days earlier to obtain a site, but the weather was bad leading into the weekend, so that may have affected it.

Seasonal site setups vary from spotless and landscaped to ones that have seen a better day, but as a short-term camper, you really only need to pass by them en route to the rest rooms or the beach. 

There are a couple of restaurants nearby if you want take-out: Rustic Table and A1 Pizza are just around the corner. Pisgah State Park is nearby with miles of hiking trails and ponds.

Pillsbury is called a 'primitive' campground which means no showers or electric hookups. 

Most of the campsites are accessable by car with space to park a car or two at the campsite. Many campsites are on the lake. None are very far from the lake. 

There are also a few 'remote' campsites that are not accessable by car. They are accessable by a sort walk or boat. 

There is at least one handicap accessible site, which I have used, near the toilet facilities. It provides a good sized very level area to set up a tent and park your car. There may be other handicap sites. I have only used this one and never checked for others. 

Note: Not all New Hampshire State Parks are dog friendly. If you have a dog check which parks are as part of your trip planning.

This web page  says this about Pillsbury.

Pillsbury State Park is one of the more primitive and lesser known gems of the New Hampshire State Park system. Heavily wooded and sprinkled with several ponds and wetlands, its diversity of habitats makes it home to a great variety of wildlife, including moose and loons. Canoe and kayak rentals are available. Crossed by a network of hiking and mountain bike trails, the park is an important link in the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, a 51-mile hiking trail that connects Mount Monadnock with Mount Sunapee to the north.

Pillsbury State Park

100 Pillsbury State Park Rd

Washington, Nh 03280

Phone: 603-863-2860