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Dover, New Hampshire and the surrounding area feature a variety of campground options within a short drive of the city. Old Stage Campground, located directly in Dover, provides tent, RV, and cabin camping with wooded sites near a small river. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, situated about 20 miles west of Dover, offers lakeside camping with tent, RV, and cabin accommodations in a forested setting. Several mixed-use campgrounds in the region accommodate multiple camping styles, with most facilities operating seasonally from May through September or October.
Most campgrounds in the Dover area require reservations, particularly for weekend stays during the peak summer season. The camping season typically runs from May through October, with many facilities closing after Columbus Day weekend. Water and electric hookups are common at developed campgrounds, though sewer connections are less prevalent. Weather conditions remain favorable for camping throughout the summer months, with cooler temperatures in spring and fall. Cell phone coverage varies throughout the region, with spotty service in more remote areas. A visitor noted that "sites are narrow but wooded. Bathrooms are modern and spotless. The pond is tranquil and our site was right on the pond."
Waterfront camping represents a significant draw for visitors to the region, with several campgrounds offering lake or pond access. Beaver Dam Campground in nearby Berwick, Maine provides tranquil pond-side sites approximately 15 miles from Dover. Bear Brook State Park Campground, located about 25 miles west, features multiple ponds, extensive trail systems, and diverse recreational opportunities. Campers frequently mention the clean facilities and family-friendly atmosphere at many of the developed campgrounds. A review highlighted that "the park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking, with trails leading to many special points of interest, including a mountaintop fire tower." The proximity to coastal areas and urban centers like Portsmouth provides additional recreational options for campers based near Dover.
"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."
"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."
from $35 - $140 / night
Check Availability"Walking distance to rest rooms and showers. Great owners. 1st trip in a hurricane."
"Learning to get away from the bad campers."
from $43 - $47 / night
Check Availability"We had bathrooms located near our site. They were four separate bathrooms that had a sink and toilet and were clean. They did offer showers in another area but I did not use them."
"Our full hookup site was very close to other sites, so unfortunately we had to deal with some noise issues."
from $48 - $97 / night
Check Availability"Small quiet campground not too far from Dover, NH. Sites are narrow but wooded. Bathrooms are modern and spotless. Owners on site are wonderful."
"Campground is superior in its warmth, cleanliness, dog friendly and access to points of interest."
"Had to walk around to find signal for phone call."
"Sites are wide I parked my truck next to camper and still had enough space for a safe fire in the pit."
from $45 - $55 / night
Check Availability"So clean, friendly staff and plenty to do here or close by. Minutes away from some very nice beaches"
"Their location is close to Hampton Beach and Rye sea walk and good restaurants including a doughnut shop within walking distance."
"You are steps away from the beach from the time you arrive to the time you departed the staff is always available and always willing to help, answer any questions and give recommendations where to go eat"
"Love the location & the town of York! The views are beautiful!"
from $50 - $125 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $35 - $45 / night
Check Availability"We were able to book last minute and got a great tenting site, next to a running river that was great to sleep to. Very buggy, but it's outside, what do you expect?"
"Staff was very friendly and extremely cautious about their surroundings. Plenty of things to do to stay busy during the rainy days."
"There is even hot water to wash your dishes next to the bathrooms. They sell ice, wood ($7) and many "I forgots" in the store (bacon, milk, etc...). "
"Our plan was to spend two nights for a rest from driving. The day spent here was to wander along the coast and bask in the sea air. So this was a pretty good campground for that purpose."
ScoutWe had plans on both sides of the state line, so the location worked really well for our trip. We spent one day around Massachusetts and another up toward New Hampshire without having to relocate the RV. Nice option if your trip isn’t centered around just one destination.
ScoutWe travel in a larger RV and always check campground access before deciding where to stay. We were able to get situated without turning arrival day into an ordeal, which anyone with a big rig knows is a win.
TravelerI recently spent 5 days here camping with my dog and my family and we enjoyed it immensely! The staff was all extremely kind, helpful, and they worked hard to keep the campground clean. The bathrooms especially wete always clean. Its nice to be able to be comfortably in the woods while also having other amenities within 15-20 minute driving to pick up things we forgot or a little adventure. The sites were huge and had plenty of space for all our stuff and were all extremely well maintained.
ScoutReally nice little campground. We loved how peaceful it was, especially in the mornings when the lake was quiet. We made coffee, sat outside by the camper, and watched the water before starting our day. The campground was clean and our hookups worked perfectly. Nothing complicated or overdone, just a comfortable place to camp and enjoy being outside. We would definitely return.
TravelerA mix of seasonal and short term campers. Here for 3 nights I did not feel out of place at all - quite the opposite. Staff are very nice, campground is quiet, clean and has lots of amenities(laundry, games- pool, table tennis, badminton, small kids playground, kayak rental for the placid river, swimming area at the river"beach"). All sites have water and hookup. Couple of excellent tent spots right on the river. I had a small space down by the river for my tent trailer and found it quite spacious. Sites overall are somewhat close together but not overly and it remains peaceful. About 30 minute easy drive to the coast (Portsmouth, Hampton Beach etc.).
ScoutWe wanted somewhere outside the city where we could stay with our RV but still be close enough to drive into Boston for the day. Berry’s Grove worked really well for that. After spending the day sightseeing, it was nice coming back somewhere quiet and relaxing by the lake.
ScoutWe wanted to spend a day in Boston but had zero interest in bringing the RV into the city. Berry’s Grove gave us a completely different experience. We could do the sightseeing and crowds during the day and come back somewhere much calmer at night.
ScoutThe location is what made this place for us. Waking up and being able to walk right down to the water was great. We spent most of our stay fishing, sitting outside, and just enjoying the campground. It is not one of those huge campgrounds packed with activities, which was honestly exactly what we wanted. Small, peaceful, and a nice place to enjoy some downtime.
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.**
The Dover area offers several tent, RV, and cabin camping spots within 30 miles of the city. Located in southeastern New Hampshire's Seacoast region, the area features both wooded inland campgrounds and coastal access points. Camping season typically runs May through October with average summer temperatures ranging from 60-80°F, while overnight temperatures can drop to 50°F even in summer months.
River activities: At Old Stage Campground in Dover, campers can enjoy the small river that runs alongside the property. "We stayed at this campground for a month and a half while we finished up our obligations before we hit the road full time. The sites were spacious in wooded area near a small river," notes one visitor.
Water recreation: Pawtuckaway State Park Campground offers multiple water activities with equipment rentals. "This a a fantastic little camp for if you want to go canoeing or kayaking or boating of any kind! It's set up of three islands and a large majority of the campsites are right on the water," shares a camper.
Mountain biking: The extensive trail system at Bear Brook State Park, approximately 25 miles from Dover, provides excellent opportunities for mountain bikers. "The biking trails were a blast. We'll definitely be back again," writes one visitor, while another adds, "Mountain biking is awesome here, can ride right off the campground and onto the trails!"
Beach access: Coastal campgrounds like Sea Coast Camping provide easy access to New Hampshire beaches. A reviewer notes its "location is close to Hampton Beach and Rye sea walk and good restaurants including a doughnut shop within walking distance."
Waterfront sites: The lakefront sites at Pawtuckaway State Park are particularly popular among campers. "The sites on the water book up quickly but they're perfect for fishing and boating. Also, the view!" writes one visitor. Another mentions, "If you plan ahead and get a water front site it's amazing... but all the sites are roomy and lovely to camp at!"
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds in the region maintain high standards of cleanliness. "This is one of the cleanest, most meticulously maintained campground we have been to. So quiet and peaceful as well," reports a visitor to Sea Coast Camping.
Wildlife viewing: The natural setting provides opportunities to observe local wildlife. A camper at Bear Brook State Park recalls, "Walking around we saw wild turkeys, bunnies, and a hummingbird." Another visitor to Pawtuckaway mentions, "I forgot the daily visits from the ducks, like clockwork morning and dusk a family of ducks visited looking for grub."
Proximity to attractions: The strategic location of Beaver Dam Campground offers easy access to coastal towns. "It is 9 miles from Wells Maine which is on the ocean. LOTS OF GREAT restaurants there and nearby, like Ogunquit Maine and York Maine, etc. About an hour from Freeport Maine, Also Portland is not far and great food there."
Site privacy varies: Campground layouts differ significantly across the region. At Old Stage Campground, "The sites were spacious in wooded area," while at Wakeda Campground, "Great employees, clean reliable power. No issues great spread out sites."
Bugs can be challenging: The wooded environment can mean dealing with insects. One camper at Old Stage Campground mentioned, "The bugs, however, really prevented us from enjoying spending time outdoors."
Seasonal population: Many campgrounds host numerous seasonal campers. A visitor to Old Stage noted, "The majority of the campground were seasonal campers who had really settled in. We felt a little out of place."
WiFi limitations: Internet connectivity can be spotty at many campgrounds. At Wellington Camping Park, a visitor reported: "Wi-Fi is barely usable after 8am. And phone signal is spotty at best. Had to walk around to find signal for phone call."
Mixed staff experiences: Camper interactions with staff vary by campground and timing. One Old Stage Campground visitor reported, "Our experience with the staff and owners was hit or miss. Sometimes they were extremely nice and friendly, other times it was like they were looking for an argument."
Water activities: Salmon Falls / Lebanon KOA offers numerous water-based recreational options. "This Campground is family friendly and has a lot to offer. Our camping group consisted of children from the ages of 8-17 yrs old. No one was bored," shares a visitor. Another adds, "Very big campground with a nice water park for kids."
Playground access: When selecting a site, consider proximity to play areas. At Bear Brook State Park, one camper advised, "I'd avoid site 93 because it is so close to the playground and the fire ring placement makes it seem like families enjoying the playground will be tempted to walk through your site."
Kid-friendly atmosphere: Some campgrounds specifically cater to families with children. Old Stage Campground received this review: "Kid. Accommodating. Family friendly. Kid infested. Safe. Scenic. Perfect."
Beach options: Pawtuckaway State Park provides swimming areas suitable for children. A visitor notes, "Kayaking, swimming area and hiking were all 5 stars!" Another mentions, "The beach was clean."
Site selection: At Bear Brook State Park Campground, RVers should choose sites carefully. "I noticed that the little loop to my campsite was tight to exit (I was towing a 14' teardrop, not a big trailer) and I had to be careful to swing wide at the corner."
Seasonal considerations: Off-season camping provides a different experience. A camper at Bear Brook noted, "We went in early May, when it was still a bit cold at night (in the low 40s) and not many people were around. The campground, though we had neighbors in every adjoining site, was pretty quiet."
Hookup availability: Sea Coast Camping recently added improved RV accommodations. "The park recently added new 50-amp full hook-up sites (some of which are pull-thrus) so there are plenty of options for big-rigs."
Road conditions: Access to some campgrounds may present challenges. A visitor to Old Stage Campground mentioned, "The road in is dirt but is mostly level."
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best campgrounds near Dover, NH for tent camping?
For tent camping near Dover, Pawtuckaway State Park Campground offers a lovely wooded setting with large, level sites. Many sites have water access, and the park provides swimming, hiking, kayaking, and fishing opportunities. Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of landscapes and extensive trail system. Another excellent option is Bear Brook State Park Campground, New Hampshire's largest state park. This secluded campground features trails, ponds, play structures, a camp store, beach, and even a baseball diamond. Both parks are popular during peak season, so advance reservations are recommended for securing the best sites.
What family-friendly camping options are available in and around Dover, NH?
Families camping near Dover have several excellent options. Beaver Dam Campground offers a quiet, wooded setting with modern, spotless bathrooms and tranquil pond-side sites. The on-site owners provide exceptional service, making it perfect for families seeking a peaceful retreat. Another great choice is Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages, a small family-owned property offering stunning views of a New Hampshire pond. Families wanting more amenities might consider Wellington Camping Park, which features reservable sites with water and toilet facilities, suitable for both tent and RV camping. Most family-friendly campgrounds in the area provide fire rings, picnic tables, and access to hiking trails or water activities.
Are there any RV rental options available in Dover, New Hampshire?
While Dover itself has limited RV rental services, nearby campgrounds offer RV accommodations that can be more convenient than traditional rentals. Beach Rose RV Park provides a simple, clean RV setup with a pool and proximity to the New Hampshire coastline. For those seeking more amenities, Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort offers a massive 300-site property on nearly 200 acres along a beautiful lake. Located between the Lakes Region and White Mountains, this resort provides plenty of activities both within and outside the campground. For RV rentals, check with these campgrounds directly or look into RV sharing platforms that connect owners with renters in the Dover area.
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