Best Tent Camping near Goshen, NH
Tent camping options surrounding Goshen, New Hampshire include a mix of established state park campgrounds and more remote backcountry sites along the Appalachian Trail. Sunapee State Park Campground offers tent camping facilities with drive-in, hike-in, and walk-in access approximately 7 miles east of Goshen, while Cardigan Campsites provides more rustic tent camping areas near Mount Cardigan about 18 miles northwest.
Most tent campgrounds in the region operate seasonally, with Sunapee State Park typically open from late May through early October. Facilities vary significantly between sites, with Sunapee offering drinking water and electric hookups for tent campers who prefer some amenities, while Cardigan Campsites features more primitive conditions with vault toilets but no fires allowed. The tent-only areas throughout the region generally provide basic facilities. One visitor at Cardigan Campsites mentioned that "staff is very friendly," though amenities remain minimal compared to larger campgrounds.
The surrounding mountains and forests create ideal settings for tent camping near Goshen. Several backcountry tent camping options exist along the Appalachian Trail, including shelters like Velvet Rocks and Moose Mountain, which require significant hiking to access. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, these backcountry tent sites feature "standard AT 3-sided wood structure" shelters with "some slightly slanted spots around the main shelter area" for tent setup. Most backcountry tent campgrounds have seasonal water sources that may be unreliable during dry periods. Tent campers seeking more solitude often prefer these remote sites over the more established campgrounds. The region's tent camping areas provide excellent access to hiking trails and natural features, with Mount Cardigan offering what one camper called "challenging but shouldn't take too long" hiking opportunities with "great fire tower views at the top."












