Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Jackson? Camping with your horse in Jackson just got easier. With our help, you'll find the best New Hampshire equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Located at the western end of the scenic Kancamagus Highway, this campground serves as an excellent place to start your White Mountain adventure. The nearby Lincoln Woods Visitor Center is the jumping off point for numerous hiking trails leading into the Pemigewasset Wilderness; the Kancamagus Highway is an extremely popular scenic byway with numerous hiking, picnic, and swimming spots; and the town of Lincoln offers many amenities. Hancock Campground has 56 wooded sites.
$27 / night
Voted Best of NH 2023 by NH Magazine, Gunstock Mountain Resort's campground puts you in the heart of New Hampshire's Lakes Region, close to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Surrounded by three mountain ranges, numerous lakes, a diverse assortment of recreational opportunities and small New England villages, Gunstock offers a rustic alpine setting for your visit to New Hampshire. Backed by over 80 years of camping experience, Gunstock's tradition of catering to recreational families ensures memorable vacations. Relax at your campsite and enjoy the natural habitat around the mountain or take a pleasurable drive to one of the many local attractions.
Has winter camping.
$35 - $80 / night
Traveler
We enjoyed this campground! The staff upon arrival was so nice. It was so quiet at night! Got to walk to hike Gunstock. Wished there was a restaurant within walking distance. But not a show stopper. We will be back!
Guide
Open year round. Most sites are close together with very little privacy
A few sites are pretty much right on the river which is awesome. There's a nearby swimming hole. Campground is only short drive away from an endless amount of hiking options
LegendI just spent a cold rainy, snowy weekend camping here in January, and had a blast. The campground is plowed, sites have their access plowed with various widths depending on the site. The sites are a little close together, and for winter there was a number of them being used.
The campground is close to Lincoln, NH so if you need supplies you can easily run into town for food and drink. It's even closer to Loon Mtn and the Pemigewasset wilderness allowing for some amazing outdoor activities.
There are many dumpsters and bear boxes throughout the campground, the walk-in sites all have bear boxes. Every site has a fire pit. The campground is easily accessible by pavement.
RangerSome pros and lots of cons. We stayed at a walk-in site by the river.
I never fully appreciated just how much camp hosts do. There was no ranger and no host. We arrived early on a Thursday, hopeful we could get a spot by the water. There are only two spots that are truly private in any way. They were both taken- fine. However, one of the groups had not registered and stayed until 4 or 5pm until everyone else had already set up for the day…then they left! So uncool. The site went unused because at that point, no one was going to move all their stuff. Maybe a camp host would’ve noticed that?
The sites were FILTHY with trash, dog poop and food waste. Pretty crazy considering this was supposed to be a bear area. There was also a bad smell wafting around, hmm…maybe because of the trash and dog poop? Stepping in dog poop and trying to clean off your boots is a significant bummer. The site we were stuck at also had ashes and chunks of wood all over the picnic table. Cleaning up this much in order to feel comfortable really sucked.
There was no running water at any of the pumps and the pit toilets were quite full.
There is a bridge nearby but the river covered any vehicle noise very well. It was also nice to be right off the highway and five minutes from town, yet it felt like a proper national forest experience.
There’s an upper loop with drive in sites. They didn’t seem very private and you could see the road. I wouldn’t stay up there.
Being by the river was beautiful. I would stay here again, but with more preparation for the campground’s limitations.
GuideThis is an awesome campground! Lots to do with a nice pool and lots of land to walk the dogs. Seasonal camping is better here.
GuideI was lucky to receive a tranquil, secluded spot next to a brook - perfect. This campground has nothing to do, or plenty you can do - walking, hiking, biking, and close access to all Gunstock's adventures.
TravelerLarge campsites, clean amenities, nice dog park, great store with everything you need and located near like Winni.
LegendHancock is a first-come, first-serve campground close to the visitor center as you enter the Whites. It is also close to Loon Mountain Resort. Camping at this campground provides you river access, or is relatively close to the Hwy, depending which site you choose. One area is your standard campground - parking area, tent area, next site. The other area, only for tents, is a communal parking area with walk-in campsites near the water.
This campground had clean pit-toilets, no shower, spotty cell service, and both trash and recycling dumpsters, which were nice to see!
RangerFun place! The mountain coaster and chairlift were great for the little ones and the ziplines are epic! They give discounts to campers. We stayed in 255, which was really nice, wooded, and right by the creek. Site 254 next door us easily the best trailer site in the entire place. It is huge and has two levels and tons of creek frontage. These two sites are nestled in a quiet tent area. The grid RV area was not very impressive, but all of the tent sites in the woods were really cool. The open field rv area was really exposed but close to amenities. Our family stayed in the cabins and they are nicely situated for privacy. Rustic and no AC or bathrooms but clean and nice little porch. The pool was nice, two excellent playgrounds, and everything well kept. You get your own keycard for the gate. Epic views from top of mountain!
ScoutMountain coaster, lift, and zip like courses were all amazing. Will come once a year because it’s so fun! Bonus points for site #202!
ScoutVery well kept and quiet grounds. The lot I was in was not wooded but still quiet. Check in was quick and friendly. All other guests were friendly as well. I’ll be back for sure.
TravelerGreat campground. Stayed at site #32. This side was near the street but at night there is minimal traffic. Higher side is by the river so the preferable side to stay on.
There is an area for tents only where you park in a lot and walk to the site.
This campground is first come first serve.
Some of the restrooms have running water. Some are only privies.
As for showers or areas to wash dishes, i was not able to find either. There is potable water.
Stayed here the night before i started the Pemi loop, and it was perfect.
GuideThis campground overall is very nice. The camp store has most everything you could need, and the campground is gated so you have to make sure you keep your key card with you whenever leaving in order to get back in. Most of the sites are out in the open though, or very close together. Not so bad if you're camping in trailers or RVs, but if tent camping you won't really have any privacy in those locations. I recommend the sites back in Breezy Knolls (K01-K17 I think?) and then I believe sites 203 and 205 were nice and tucked away in the trees as well. There is a zip line course and a metal "slide" or coaster behind the Breezy Knolls area which can get kind of noisy between the sounds of the gear and the kids screaming. Lol. But it didn't really bother me personally. The wooded area back there is beautiful though so the sites definitely made up for it. Campground has a fenced in dog park, playground, showers, clean bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Would definitely camp here again. I just prefer the wooded/shaded tent sites...which are limited at this place.
TravelerMost amazing spot I’ve ever camped and not too many people. Used the tent sides a quick hill walk down from the parking lot. River great for splashing around and nearby path to Lincoln Woods trail.
GuideStayed here for two nights in late December. Site #40 along the river was close to the bathroom yet had plenty of privacy from other sites. The campgrounds were well cared for and the staff was friendly. There are some nice looking tent only sites we plan to experience come springtime. Water would have earned it five stars.
TravelerWe’ve been going to Hancock for a couple of years now. We just saw our first bear in the campground which was awesome. We love the location and being at that elevation the stars are amazing at night. Lots of fun to be had whether it’s hiking, seeing waterfalls, stargazing, swimming in the Pemigewasset River, shopping in North Conway, eating at one of the many local restaurants, etc. There’s something for everyone and this campground is dog friendly too. Great sites that are well maintained and clean bathrooms.
ScoutWe camped here Wednesday-Friday on one of the riverfront tent sites. We arrived around 11:15 am and got the last site on the river, which had a nice little opening to the water and had a bit more tree coverage to separate us from our neighbors; the only remaining sites otherwise were a bit small and clustered together or tandem so that we’d have lots of foot traffic through and around our site. These sites were carry-in only, which wasn’t convenient, and it was a lot of work to carry all of our gear from the parking lot to the site (the main part of the path was a hill).
Big negative: Our site was completely swarmed with bees. We checked a few vacant sites to see if maybe it was just our site, but we found them all around, including all over the cars in the lot. They calmed down in the evening once it got chilly, but otherwise, they were constant. They were the worst on our last day; we planned to hang out, make breakfast, enjoy the river, and take our time packing up. But they were unbearable and we had a couple stings, so we rushed to pack up and left early, which was very disappointing and felt like a waste.
The river access was great, though the water was very low. We appreciated having a bear box on our site, especially since we couldn’t keep anything in our car. It was big enough to fit our grill, cooler, trash, and bag of groceries. The campground also has flush toilets, which was a big plus, since most other campgrounds in the area only have vault toilets. There were vault ones near our site, but I preferred to walk a bit further to the flush ones. They were near the campsites by the main road; the traffic was loud in this area and the sites didn’t have bear boxes, but there were no bees to be found.
We’d likely stay here again if something was done about the swarms of bees, and would probably bring some sort of cart to get our stuff from the car to the site.
RangerPros: Beautiful area, not a bad size campground, quiet nights (but this could be because 3 out of the 4 sites right near us were empty), free hot showers that are not dirty, lots of trails on edge of the grounds, lots and lots of tent sites, platform on campsite, pool and playground available, camp store, bike & Segway trails, quick access to some of NH’s most beautiful mountains. Staff is friendly. Cons: So many roots all over the sites, the platform did not fit our tent for 12 on it. More of the sites have very little separation from the neighboring campers near you. We explored the grounds & noted some sites that were a smidge more secluded and plan to return again sometime!
RangerThis campground is in a good location to explore the kanagamus highway and the white mountains! It is close to Franconia notch and plenty of hiking/other activities. Bathrooms and running water available! Nice spot.
LegendWe had a last minute change of plans to our hiking trip due to a delay. We wouldn’t have the time to hike into our pre planned area before dark, so decided to set up shop here. This place was actually pretty great. Each site was pretty large and most of them had access to the river. Which had nice areas for swimming and wading. Each site had its own bear box and it was only a short hike down from the car. The park connected directly to some beautiful AT trails that we took advantage of the next day. It was also pretty cheap! $12 or $15 if I remember correctly. All self registration.
GuideThis place is a gem. It closes after the first snowfall of the year and will not re open untill it all thaws. But head here in the fall to see the beautiful colors. Outhouse toilet no running water but there are wells to get fresh water. Hiking all over around here.
TravelerThis was my first visit to the campground. The staff and everyone was friendly. I stayed in the woods and it was great being out in nature. I went in 2018 and this year I am being my sister and nieces. Love the Segway tour and the adventure zip lining and the coaster it’s a fun place and I can’t wait to return.
GuideCamping here is always nice since it never closes. Near the river allows for relaxing nights.
ScoutI stayed at Hancock campground in mid April this year. Great clean accessible bathrooms, beautiful grounds and large campgrounds. Leashed dogs are allowed. There are both walk-in and drive up tent sites. The walk-in sites are directly next to the beautiful Pemi River. Great overall would return again.
LegendI haven't stayed here, but I checked it out on Columbus Day weekend because it's one of the few campgrounds open year-round (plowed, unlike Lafayette Place, which is walk-in) in the White Mountains. Most of the reviews talk about the walk-in tent sites, but there's more to this campground that is located along the Kancamagus Highway just before the Lincoln Woods Visitors' Center.
If you're a tent camper and don't mind carrying your gear downhill to a site, drive straight ahead to a parking lot. A few of the sites (3 & 4) are accessible from the far end of the parking lot, but for most of them you'll head down the steps in the middle with sites in two levels branching out on each side. Sites are large, but close together and although you're in the woods, there's not much to separate you from your neighbors. Even sites 10-20 are directly on the water.
Sites 22-55 are suitable for RVs and tents. Those on the back side of the loop are close enough that you can hear the Pemi River running below. A few of the sites are pull-through. There are no hook-ups, but water available via spigots and flush toilets are available - except in winter. I'd recommend sites on the back side of the loop to provide some more distance from traffic noise. I chatted briefly with a host who remarked that sites on the western end of the loop have some cell phone coverage, unlike the rest of the campground.
If you stay here, you're only a few miles from Lincoln where you can pick up any necessary supplies. This end of the Kanc your nearest hiking options are Lincoln Woods and Greeley Pond for family friendly trails, or Lincoln Woods to head into the Pemi wilderness, including peaks in the Pemi loop and Owl's Head. The Hancocks are via a trail at the hairpin on the Kanc. Franconia Notch and its many hiking trails and the multi-use trail are a short drive away.
Bring cash or a check to pay your camping fee in the iron ranger. Fees cover the first vehicle; a second vehicle is an additional $5.
TravelerHas restrooms and showers and lots of fun activities to do.
RangerThis would be one of few places I find acceptable to camp, that are near other people. I usually don't like camping with 20+ other people in one looped area. The sites here are pretty well spread out. Not ALL of them, but look around. We found what I would think is the best. The one we ended up at had stairs leading from the car down to our site. It was further away from the other sites and had the pretty much private stream running by it. The area we had for use was pretty huge, we had a giant tent 10-12 plus a pop up tent to put over the picnic table, and there was still a ton of room for the car, fire pit and general run around area for our dog. I never felt like we had to lock up everything we owned either. A short walk to the toilets from all sites. Bring a headlamp of course. TP is in the outhouses bring a spare hand sanitizer bottle to use after.
FYI there is a pretty awesome hike close by you can do. I mean you have to drive there but it wasn't far. It goes up to Mt Moosilauke. We ended up taking Beaver Brook Trail to the Cascades, checked out the shelter and headed to Moosilauke Summit. A crazy hike pretty much going up the side of a waterfall. The peak was 4,802ft. Worth it! I'd say an 8 mile trek from the car, up, and back. I included just a couple pictures to entice you since its not about the campsite! There are a TON of trails near this campsite, this would just be my favorite of the 6 or 7 we did.
New Hampshire offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with several campgrounds providing excellent amenities and access to beautiful trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Jackson, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Jackson, NH is Hancock Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 28 reviews.
