Best Tent Camping near Clarksville, NH

This Camping Park has something for just about everyone. Whether you have an RV (small, medium or large), tent, are looking for a cabin or want a little more of a wilderness feel, this place has something to offer. 

While the campground looks to be primarily RV camping from the road, there are many tent sites tucked away in the trees and even two sites that are walk-in only and are situated right on the Androscoggin River. Additionally, the campground has several nice cabins available as well.

Let's start with the RV sites: there are a bunch! This campground also hosts many seasonal campers who have sites situated around the perimeter of both sides of the campground (split by Route 2). Seasonal campers have some pretty sweet set-ups for sure. The only downside to some of the RV spots is that they can be in the sun almost all day which can be a bit much in the heart of the summer. Otherwise, sites are well maintained and have all the normal hookups for RVs.

Tent sites are well spaced and almost all of them are in the shade which is a huge bonus! Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and nice level spot to pitch your tent. Bath houses are conveniently located throughout the campground and are well maintained. 

The two walk-in tent sites are very secluded and offer fire rings, picnic tables, a bear box and one of the two sites has a wooden tent platform. The second site's tent platform is currently being built (July 2020) and should be at the site and ready for use soon. These sites sit right on the beautiful Androscoggin River, offering a serene backdrop for your camping adventure.

The campground is situated in-between two large tracts of the White Mountain National Forest. 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. There is a campground office that has a small store as well as laundry facilities. They also offer an AT Hiker Hostel. They also 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. They also rent kayaks and you can launch from the campground or they will shuttle you some place near by.

It really is a campground with a little bit of everything! Owned by locals of the community who have run the place for over 25 years.

Private Field and Woods Camping in New Hampshire is a true paradise for lovers of nature and secluded recreation. After spending several days here, I was delighted with the beauty of nature and the comfort that this unique camp offers. The first thing that catches your eye is the amazing landscape.

Situated deep in the forests, the camp is surrounded by spacious fields and wild nature. Sunrises and sunsets at this place are a real miracle that makes you forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the moment. The camp itself provides unique opportunities for close contact with nature.

The opportunity to locate your tent camp in a private field surrounded by forest creates a unique atmosphere of comfort and privacy. The absence of city noise and light pollution allows you to enjoy the silence and sounds of nature. The camp infrastructure also deserves the highest praise. Ecologically built showers and toilets provide everything you need for a comfortable stay away from civilization. Fire pits and cooking areas allow you to enjoy delicious meals cooked outdoors.

Private Field and Woods Camping in New Hampshire is the perfect place for those who want a real getaway in nature, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. I left this place with a feeling of complete relaxation and deep gratitude to the team who created this unique corner of nature.

This is a perfectly situated campground. Just off the main road connection Gorham and North Conway (Route 16), this campground is just minutes from town but has a wonderful wilderness feel. While this is a relatively large campground, a significant portion of it is under construction currently (Summer 2017).

There are several loops of sites here but each site is spacious and wooded, with lot's of shade. There are flush toilets (no showers) and water spigots throughout the campground. Some sites do experience a bit of foot traffic if they are on the way to one of the restrooms.

There is a small welcome/registration building where you stop to register on your way in. Be careful driving through the campground, the roads are in rough shape due to the construction.

Sites have very clean fire pits, picnic tables and plenty of space for pitching a tent or two. There are several sites here that cater more to RVs but many of the sites are very tent friendly (soft, non-gravel real estate). Sites are $22/night and $5 for each additional vehicle.

This is a popular spot with lot's of amazing hiking in the vicinity so reserve early!

Rudy's looked mostly to be an RV park, so my stop was maybe not the usual for this campground. I stopped for one night while I was thru-hiking the Cohos Trail in New Hampshire and had a great experience. There seemed to be much more space at this campground for RV and van travelers, though I didn't check out that part of the facility

I booked a tent site beforehand and on arrival had the choice of right next to Clarksville Pond or another area that I didn't check out since pondside sounded amazing, so my review is specific to the tenting experience.

I stopped by Rudy's before my hike, and they held onto a food drop for me (in a sealed big plastic container) for free, and held onto some extra gear for me so that I didn't need to carry it 

There are maybe ~3-4 tent sites right along the edge of the pond, in front of a few permanent cabins. They are basic tent sites right on the grass, with a fire ring and a picnic bench. The sites were flat and the views were amazing along the pond. 

I was able to get in a morning fly fishing session 5 feet from my tent! The wind was a bit high so no luck for me, but I saw the fish jumping when I stopped by after my hike to pick up some gear I left. Kathleen, the owner of the property, offered a free fly fishing lesson during my stay, but I had to decline to keep up the pace of my hike.

There was also access to the bathhouse with free heated showers, full bathrooms, and coin-op laundry. This was a great free amenity after 7 days on my hike for a necessary refresh.

The owner and other residents of the campground were super friendly. This was a great stop along my hike to refresh and connect with a few folks along the way.

General: Small (15-site) campground near Grafton Notch State Park (but not IN the park). No hookups. Not all will agree with me, but I am glad no generators are allowed.

Site Quality: Sites are gravel, level, and have enough trees to afford privacy between sites. 

Bath/Shower House: It is immaculately clean. Each gender has two stalls and one ADA-accessible shower. The shower has nice warm water and a great flow. There is also a very clean vault toilet. 

Activities/Amenities: Horseshoes and cornhole in the lawn area in the center. Information on many local hikes. Rocky beach has tables where you can sit and relax. There are two dishwashing sinks, potable water, and a dump station. 

What makes this campground shine is the owner, Mo. We’ve stayed in many campgrounds but hands down, Mo takes more pride in her campground than any other we’ve been in. Seasonal decorations, flower pots, and Mo is an on-site presence to answer questions, engage in conversation, and make sure the sites and all facilities are pristine. We stayed here five years ago and look forward to hopefully staying again in the future. About the only thing I can find fault with is the proximity to the road but even at that, road noise is minimal.

I would not call the Valley Way trail from the parking area at Appalachia to the tent sites "easy" as you'll gain 2800 feet in elevation over the 3+ miles to the camping area. The land is steeply sloped here but there are six level dirt pads as indicated on the map, each of which could probably accommodate two 2-person tents. There is a suspended cable for hanging food, and a locking bear box as well. The composting toilet is in a large shed with a clear roof, making it very well lit inside.

I had a few bars of service from Verizon service. It was sufficient for texting, but I did not test speed or voice.

CAMPSITE REVIEW:

Imp Shelter and Tentsite is a remote campsite maintained and authorized by the U.S Forest Service. During the summer months, it staffed and maintained by a caretaker, however, we were there during the off season. Imp Shelter is right off of the Appalachian Trail, down a short spur trail along the Carter-Moriah ridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

NOTE: This shelter cannot be accessed without hiking in. It is is at least 5 miles from any trail head. Furthermore, there are no supplies stored at the site, so bring your own of whatever you need--even toilet paper! Make sure to have a water filtering set up, a cooking stove, and ample sleeping set up. NO FIRES ARE ALLOWED.

We were quite impressed by the Imp Shelter site. There are 5 tent platforms, nicely spaced through the woods. The outhouse is centrally located, but not too close to anyone's sleeping spot. We especially liked the bear box, because it is one less thing to worry about--and especially important when there are marauding squirrels about!

The shelter itself is well built. There is a lower floor, and then a loft that is about 4 feet above the main floor. The floor and loft were both level, and the boards were even and free from snags and splinters. There is not a door on the shelter, so be sure to protect your food and gear from the very curious squirrels that lurk about. There are pegs on the wall to hang gear on. We slept well--a few times the playful squirrel noises woke me up, but otherwise it was quiet. We had the whole place to ourselves.

We learned form the log book that all the timbers used for constructing the shelter were harvested from the woods nearby. Pretty neat!

The water supply is a freely flowing little flume just down a little path from the shelter. The water seemed to have tannins, but was fine, and were filtered it anyways. Make sure you get plenty of water here, as there is no other easy sources on the Carter ridge.

There is a bench in the campsite, right where there is a small clearing for views, which we thought was a nice touch.

All in all, this would be a great spot to spend a night while doing a hike along the Appalachian Trail, or while exploring many of the other beautiful trails in the region. There is a fee during the summer season, but in the off season the caretaker leaves and there is no charge.

GEAR REVIEW:

As a Dyrt Ranger, I am given opportunities to test out cool gear from outdoor companies. Earlier in the summer, I received items from Wild Zora Foods to test out. We didn't use up all of the product,so for this trip, we brought along our remaining pouch of freeze dried Summit Savory Chicken. Basically, it is similar to a standard freeze-dried meal--a zip top, heat resistant bag with a meal inside. The bag is designed to even be eaten from if necessary. The thing that sets Wild Zora apart is that they don't use any artificial ingredients, they source organic where possible, and all sweeteners are natural and simple.

We had been backpacking in cold, damp conditions for 7 miles, so we were quite excited to get into camp with the promise of a high-protein, easy meal. We fired up the alcohol stove, an d watched the water slowly begin to boil. After pouring the hot water into the pouch and stirring, it took about 10 minutes for the food to be fully saturated and ready to eat.

We dug in and were impressed by the freshness of the flavors. However, it was a bit bland, and did feel like it could use more seasoning, and also additional salt. However, the chicken tasted like real chicken, as apposed to some sort of weird meat by-product. Also, there are not any artificial flavors, yeast extracts,, or other flavor enhancers common to freeze tried foods.

There is a ton of protein--the bag says it serves one person, which means there was 45 grams of protein for one person. However, my husband and I split the bag, and with some instant noodles on the side, it was a perfect amount of food. In terms of calories, given the amount of protein per bag, there was not a lot of extra calories. The vegetables used for the meal were not high-caloric ones, so bring along noodles, or other dense carbs if you want to refuel properly while hiking.

The Takeaway: I was very impressed by the simplicity of ingredients. The ingredients were all real food--someone on the AIP or Paleo diet could definitely eat this. The flavor was not exciting, but it was totally tolerable. I have heard that since I bought this meal, Wild Zora has actually reformulated ALL of their freeze dried meals, so I bet this tastes even better now. Here is the link to the updated version.

I will definitely be buying meals from this company for future trips. The simplicity of use, and the high quality ingredients are worth the price.

This campsite is along the Forest Legacy Trail and while the trail is managed by one entity, the remote campsites are managed by another. The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust maintains the trails in and out while Cupsuptic Campground manages the campsites.

There is a tent platform at Smudge Cove but it is in desperate need of repair and it sounds like that's in the plans for next summer. There is a nice picnic table available as well as an established fire ring. The site is just off the water and there is a nice long dock that makes it super easy to boat into and unload. You can also backpack in and enjoy some pretty cool Maine forests along the way. There is also relatively easy access to the water by way of the rocks, beside the dock.

These sites are secluded and offer a lovely amount of privacy and rest assured, the only sounds you will hear at night are the loons!

This is an RV campground w a handful of tent spots. We stayed at T4, a site w electric right on the lake. I was initially very excited to be so close to the lake but my enthusiasm waned a little after a swim- the lake bottom was murky sticky mud which is fine it’s just not my favorite. My fiancé went swimming and got a leech or leech-like thing on his foot so swimming for him was pretty much over. Being at the lake meant a lot of noise from others including the campers that use the facility, I mean like actual camp, like groups of kids and counselors. I don’t mind kids but others might. It was the usual kid squealing and stuff. When we arrived a counselor was using our site and picnic table, spilling cheese-it’s all over the place which made us popular with the many many seagulls. She left when she saw us pulling in but left the mess behind so the birds were an issue. They continued to be an issue the whole 3 days we were there- every day we’d come back to our tent to find our stuff scattered a bit- not a huge problem but a present nuisance nonetheless. We tried to keep our things contained but still they tried to carry some stuff away. On the lake shore was a lot of seagull feathers and goose presence, poop, it’s not my favorite way to swim. The bathrooms were ok, pretty basic, very much reminiscent of when you get sent to camp as a child, bare bones. The stalls in the bathroom are uncomfortably short so when you stand up your head is poking out over the door, you can make eye contact w everyone else in the room which is just weird! We went two days without paper towels being restocked to dry your hands, I finally had to call the office. (Everyone in the office was super awesomely nice, always!) Sunday morning there is a group that makes breakfast in the pavilion I guess for donations which they use to beautify the campground. This is a lovely gesture. However the pavilion is right next to the tent sites and the group started setting up about 6:30 AM, which included honking their car horn, and talking very loudly with complete disregard for quiet hours or the full row of tent sleepers. My fiancé finally approached them and told them they must be unaware of how much their voices are carrying but that everyone was still sleeping. They didn’t apologize or say anything and honestly I don’t think they cared or lowered their voices at all. Our site was comfortable, water and electric worked fine, clean fire ring, we didn’t use it. The group next to us talked late past quiet hours (I didn’t not approach the campground about it we just dealt w it), and used a drone which was extremely uncomfortable, loud, and disruptive. I did call the office about that the next day and asked if there was a drone policy, she said there was not but that she would address it if they used it again, they ended up leaving so it wasn’t a problem but there should definitely be a policy about it. All in all, people were nice but the lake location meant a LOT of additional noise from other users and there did not seem to be any reminders about quiet time. Don’t come here if you’re looking for solitude but do come here if you’re looking for a great location in northern Vermont close to a cute town and amenities. Just set your mindset that it’s not a secluded or quiet spot but a spot w stuff to do and lots of people to interact w. We did not use the boat rentals or tennis courts or other stuff.