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Best Tent Camping near Exeter, NH

713 Reviews

Tent campgrounds around Exeter, New Hampshire provide woodland camping experiences within reach of both coastal and inland destinations. Cape Ann Camp Site in nearby Gloucester offers wooded tent sites with fire pits and picnic tables, while Huttopia Southern Maine in Sanford features walk-in tent sites in a forested setting. Military Park New Boston Air Force Station provides more primitive tent camping options for those seeking a simpler experience approximately 25 miles west of Exeter.

Most tent sites in the region feature dirt or gravel surfaces with minimal grading, particularly at Cape Ann where campsites are nestled among trees and boulders. Fire rings are standard at most locations, though campers should note that showers often require quarters at established campgrounds. Bathrooms are generally well-maintained but basic. Cape Ann Camp Site charges 25 cents for a 5-minute shower, with clean bathroom facilities available throughout the campground. During peak summer season, reservations are strongly recommended as tent sites fill quickly, especially on weekends.

The tent camping experience in this region offers varying levels of privacy and natural surroundings. According to one visitor at Cape Ann, "the sites are nice and wooded" with sufficient space between campsites to maintain privacy. Areas farther from main roads provide deeper seclusion with natural woodland buffers between sites. Tent-only sections typically offer more shade and quieter atmospheres than mixed-use camping areas. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, many tent campers appreciate the "perfectly level sites in beautiful wooded areas" at Cape Ann, though dirt roads can become muddy after rain. Access to nearby hiking trails, beaches, and small towns makes these tent campgrounds convenient base camps for day trips throughout southeastern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts.

Best Tent Sites Near Exeter, New Hampshire (14)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Exeter, NH

713 Reviews of 14 Exeter Campgrounds

  • Emma N.
    May. 24, 2018

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Secluded Sites

    The night before hiking Mount Monadnock, my husband and I camped here. Monadnock State Park is about a 25 minute drive from the campground, and provides a beautiful hike. The RV sites at Greenfield State Park were relatively secluded, as it is a very wooded area. We visited very early in the season, so the main tent camping loops were blocked off for maintenance. Our site had a picnic table and a fire ring. We drove by a shower facility and a building with restrooms. The restrooms were still locked for the winter, so there were a few port-a-potties right outside- these were absolutely disgusting. It looked as though they had not been cleaned out all winter. Otherwise, the campground seemed nice! Just don’t forget to bring some bug-spray for those New Hampshire mosquitos!

  • M.A.D. P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 1, 2023

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Large and friendly park with plenty of water activity opportunities

    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. 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; an extensive marsh where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen.

    The park 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 kayaks are available, as well as a plublic 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.

  • Migdalia G.
    May. 29, 2019

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Nice Wooded Campground in Awesome Area

    We stayed at Harold Parker State Forest Campground during Memorial Day Weekend. Reservation through Reserve America was a breeze. Check in till 9:00 pm was convenient. Checkout by 11:00 am but we paid for an additional night to be able to leave at night the day we checked out. Totally worth it!

    Nice large campsites. The sites’ privacy is very diverse. You could be tucked away from everyone or closer together depending on the site you choose but they are all pretty decent in size. All sites have water which is a plus. All have a fire pit/box, charcoal bbq and a picnic table. Most of them are drive in. 

    Quiet hours from 10 am to 7 am. No alcohol allowed (although I didn’t see an actual enforcement of this rule and guess it’ll happen only if people act out). Rangers are constantly patrolling. Felt pretty safe at night. You can’t bring wood. Bundles are $5 each and it burns really well. 

    Lots of biking/hiking/walking trails, a nice small pond/beach, boat access, a few basketball courts, a volleyball court and a common huge fire pit added to the fun. A ranger ran a program to teach about the area fauna which was pretty interesting for kids and adults alike. 

    Bathrooms were fairly clean although small and showers were free! Some sites were right in front of a lovely pond and there were many group sites available as well. 

    The location is pretty good. Salem, Andover, Boston Are accesible while staying here. Close proximity to Richardson Ice Cream which you CANT miss if you decide to stay.  They have cheap but amazing ice cream, mini golf and battling cages which was entertaining for my whole crew. 

    It rained a lot during one night of our stay and the site (301) did not flooded at all. All sites seemed in pretty good shape the morning after as well. 

    Beautiful and will recommend to families with small kids, groups and couples too.

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Cape Ann Camp Site

    25 cents for a shower

    The aerial photos of this place are very deceiving. This camp ground is the foreground of the main house which, is situated on the top of the hill. The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads. There is no WIFI. There is no sewer hook up however, near the street there is a "dump station."  The camp ground is run down and unmaintained. Our site had a fire ring which, was filled with ash. Our first night we woke up to a trailer filled with smoke because, someone near by had a fire in 92 degree heat. Most campers are full time residents. There is no sight of them during the day light hours but, at night they are up and about on bikes and mingling with each other. 

    25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom. Some shady people immediate started to hover near the public restroom once we drove up the hill to use the public restrooms. For $70/nite for a view it's not worth it. I was glad to leave- very creepy.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 28, 2023

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Loved it here

    We stayed here for a night in mid October, as they were getting ready to close for the season, so more than half of the campground was closed off. But the part that we did see was awesome. Each site was huge, separated from its neighbor, private, mostly flat, and beautiful. No hookups in the campground, and sites are hit or miss with tree coverage, some sites may have enough opening for solar or starlink, but I wouldn’t count on it. 

    There are hiking trails throughout the campground, but our dog got covered in ticks so watch for that. There are water spigots throughout the campground and a dump station. Showers were free and nice and clean, and you can control the temperature and let the water run (no button to push). 

    The dump truck driver was there picking up garbage and I asked him about recycling and he said they have their own transfer station where the waste is sorted, so all recycling and garbage goes into the dumpster. 

    We paid $23 for a site because it was primitive season, but I think normally it’s $25. No other taxes or fees were charged. There’s a little store in the ranger office with basic supplies and gifts, ice cream, fire starters, ice, etc. There’s also a little free library exchange behind the office. And to top it off, we had cell service here. Great stay, highly recommend! Beware of ticks!

  • Jessica N.
    Sep. 13, 2021

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Great Park, big sites

    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.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2021

    Tidewater Campground

    Large campground near, but not on the beach

    First of all, the location is a little quirky and I think I only arrived once without a wrong turn! Watch the GPS carefully. That said, it’s very close to Hampton Beach and you can easily drive or bike over. The campground is parallel to US1, so there is some road traffic noise. Some of the tent sites overlook the marsh. The tent sites are definitely tighter than trailer sites. Some sites back up to each other and it takes a moment to understand where one ends and the next begins. 

    I was here early in the season and placed in a seasonal site with water/electric. Site was level. Neighbors were friendly. The bathroom was a short walk away and spotless. I did notice that in the tent areas, the main bathrooms are supplemented with portable toilets. Sites are mostly wooded, which will offer nice relief from the heat. It's a nice base for exploring the area.

    There’s a gated entry and turtle-speed limit that they take seriously. The pool was not yet open. There’s a small store onsite for ice and essentials. All the big box stores and a number of restaurants are nearby. For a change of pace from seafood, I picked up Shane's Texas Pit BBQ and brought it back to my site. 

    You may request a reservation online, but you have to confirm and pay for it via the phone. You’ll need to arrive before 9pm to check in. Bring $10 for a cash deposit on the gate card. Only 1 vehicle and 1 camping unit (tent or trailer) allowed on a site.

    Downside: They charge for showers, the amount and duration is unclear and the duration varies depending on which shower you choose! Given the rates they charge, this seems petty.

  • Sable W.
    May. 16, 2018

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Spacious, Quiet, Clean and Conveniently Located

    Five friends and I decided to compete in Questival, which came to Boston for May 11-12, 2018. There aren't many campgrounds open in Massachusetts this early in the season, but Harold Parker State Forest was! I snagged a group campsite since we'd have four tents. We had to set up after dark, so we wound up congregating in one corner of the group site. When we woke up we could see just how HUGE the group site was! We had 4 two-person tents; you could easily fit 3x that number of tents. PLENTY of flat ground to set up on, and we were far enough back from the road that we never heard or saw other campers arriving, even though we know most other Questival competitors stayed at this campground. It was about a 5 minute walk to the bathrooms and showers, and potable water was available right on the site. Even though it was early in the season and not very leafy, we could only occasionally see our neighbors' headlamps. There were 4 or 5 fire pits, 5 large picnic tables, and 3 driveways that could fit two cars each. Great value for the cost! We were pleased with the privacy, space, cleanliness, and amenities.

  • Meg T.
    Jul. 30, 2025

    Salisbury Beach State Reservation

    Seagulls hungry for Egg Rolls and sunsets galore!

    Stayed here with my partner for her birthday while we were up in the Plum Island/Rockport area. Beautiful ocean access and great facilities. We stayed in a site right next to a large bathhouse with showers, plentiful stalls, and water bottle fill-up and rinse off station. We were situated next to a kind family who lent us fire starter and offered us some of their snacks they were making when we arrived, while we were setting up we did lose some egg rolls to a hungry seagull but I think he needed them more than we did. Not very private and sites are packed close together, but that is what I expected based off the map! I would absolutely return again, this time to check out the beach and surrounding area!

Guide to Exeter

Tent campsites near Exeter, New Hampshire range from rustic wilderness spots to more developed facilities within driving distance of the New England coast. The region sits at elevations between 100-300 feet above sea level with a humid continental climate that features warm summers and cold winters with significant snowfall. Campgrounds in this area typically operate from May through mid-October, with July and August bringing average temperatures in the 80s and occasional evening thunderstorms.

What to do

Beach exploration: 10 minutes from Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach offers easy access to coastal activities. According to visitor Rachel P., "Old Orchard Beach is a trip. It is a throw-back from your childhood when carnival rides and funnel cakes made you so happy. The town smells like fried food and pizza."

Wildlife viewing: 25 miles west of Exeter at Military Park New Boston Air Force Station provides opportunities to spot native New England wildlife. Camper Shuang W. notes it's a "Great Outdoor Place! Nice scenery with fresh air and freedom sunshine!"

Urban camping adventure: 65 miles south at Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers unique island camping with city views. Martha H. explains, "During the day you can take small ferries to a variety of other islands to go swimming or explore. This is a great adventure for kids."

Paddle sports: 5 miles from Old Orchard Beach lets you explore marsh ecosystems. Nancy W. recommends: "If you like to paddle, head to the Saco River Marsh. Here you can put in your own boats or rent some and paddle through beautiful marsh – just watch the tides."

What campers like

Level tent sites: Campers consistently mention the quality of tent pads at Cape Ann Camp Site, about 30 miles south of Exeter. Camper Dan notes, "We had a great time camping and going to the beach. The camp ground is full of beautiful boulders and fire pits. We were tent camping and were very happy with our site."

Wooded privacy: The natural spacing between sites creates seclusion at many campgrounds. According to Rebecca S., the Cape Ann campground is "clean but very rustic" with "great beach access and friendly staff."

Water activities: Multiple swimming options exist at Salmon Falls River RV Resort, 12 miles northwest of Exeter. Samantha N. shares, "Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!! My niece had so much fun!"

Clean facilities: Despite rustic settings, campers note well-maintained bathrooms. Matt R. from Sun Outdoors Saco says, "Great campground. Sites are not too close, clean bathrooms, friendly service."

What you should know

Seasonal operations: Most tent campsites near Exeter operate from May through mid-October. According to Della S., "Call and they will help you find a spot if you have questions."

Shower costs: Budget for coin-operated showers at many locations. Ben E. notes at Cape Ann, "The showers require payment with quarters. I don't know how many quarters it takes because I don't carry change."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Exeter, NH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Exeter, NH is Cape Ann Camp Site with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Exeter, NH?

TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Exeter, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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