Best Cabin Camping near Jefferson, NH

Westward Shores is an expansive resort located on Ossipee Lake. It caters primarily to seasonal campers and those with RVs, but can accommodate tenters as well. There are a couple of camping cabins starting at $70/night shoulder season and cottages that sleep 8-20 (at significantly higher prices).

The campground is so large that many people get around on golf carts. There are ongoing renovations and new areas, so it still looks a little rough around the edges in places. Lots are large and level with pea gravel and hookups; if you are in a tent, you’ll want to be sure to have adequate padding for sleeping. Additionally, you’ll want one of the more basic campsites located near a bathroom. Some of the loops do not yet have facilities (Aug 2019). The bathrooms are basic and clean.

The primary appeal is the location on beautiful Ossipee Lake with beaches, a marina, and kayak and SUP rentals. There is plenty to entertain the children, with playgrounds, bounce pillows, gaga pit, basketball, and tennis to name just a few. Kids were everywhere on their bicycles.

They didn’t offer up prices when we stopped at the office, so I was dreading the worst, but when I checked online, the RV sites range from $50-56 with hookups, picnic table, and fire ring and there are special rates/deals for extended stays. These rates are a significantly lower than a nearby resort campground that starts at $65/night... but then I discovered this is only true during the shoulder season. My fears have been realized... peak season will set you back $87-95/ night and the camping cabin is $117. These are slightly more expensive than a nearby resort that offers a few more/ different amenities, albeit not on Ossipee Lake.

This is a family run campground located on a hillside between Lake Francis and First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH. The area is a favorite for those who enjoy boating or riding ATV/snowmobiles (depending on the season), hunting, and wildlife watching (it's called Moose Alley for a reason). 

There's a public boat launch at Lake Francis and easy access to ATV trails.

Sites may be in a field, partially wooded, or wooded. While there are a number of seasonal sites, there are also many short-term sites available. I was on site 39, in a wooded area best suited for tents and small campers. On the campground map it looks like it's a loop, but they've put a barrier up between two sites, so there's no driving around. There'd been significant rain before/during my stay and the road to my site was quite muddy, but the site itself was dry. Sites 40-42 are parallel to the road, but site 39 was off the end and I was able to back in with my trailer. About half the sites on the 'loop' were occupied and it was quiet and somewhat removed from most of the sites.

The bathroom was clean with large, private rooms providing shower/toilet/sink, a nice bonus during the pandemic. Laundry is also available, a definite win if you're muddy after a day of riding.

I had to call to make reservations; the reservation link on the website is only for the cabin rentals. No one was in the office when I arrived, but there were directions to my site in the office.

If you don't want to cook, the Buck Rub Pub a few miles down the road provides good pub food; it's popular and there can be a wait. For a filling and satisfying breakfast, The Happy Corner Cafe across the street will meet your needs at a reasonable price with good service. For dessert or a treat after a day on the lake or trail, stop by Moose Alley Cones. A drive after dusk or at dawn may reward you with a moose along the roadside.

i had OK cell phone coverage.

My dad grew up going here and so did I. My siblings and I all learned to ride our bikes here. My nieces and nephews are now doing the same. Its where I learned to love nature. I became addicted to kayaking here and am now a wildlife ecologist!!! Its the PERFECT family campground. Kayak, canoe, SUP rentals, a carousel, pool, lake, hike, and sooooo many activities. I've stayed in tents, half moons (kitchen and bathroom but sleep in tent), cabins, RV sites....I LOVE this place so much. Its my childhood

General: 27 sites with electricity and water, two cabins, 33 remote campsites, and four remote cabins in isolated locations around Umbagog Lake accessible only by boat. 

Site Quality: Some sites have a lake view while some are tucked in among the trees. Site 1A was the fourth up from the lakeshore but still gave us a decent view of the lake. A fire ring and picnic table were at the site. My one complaint is that the electric hookup was so far from where we had to park that we were unable to access it without a very long extension cord (which we did not have). Fortunately, we did not need electricity.

Bathhouse: Quite possibly the most immaculate campground bathroom I’ve ever encountered! They are cleaned at 8 am but when we arrived at 6:30 pm, they were still very clean. Soap and paper towels are appreciated. There was also a vault toilet closer to the wooded sites, although it would not be an unreasonable walk to the main bathhouse. 

Activities/Amenities: Boat launch and slips, fishing, and swimming. Canoe and kayak rentals are available. The building that has restrooms, laundry, and showers also has a large deck with chairs so you can enjoy the view. The sunsets can be spectacular! There is a small store at the office. 

Although just an overnight stay for us, it was very enjoyable. We conversed with a ranger in the morning, and he told us that even when the campground was full (in the summer months), it is a very quiet campground.

Large basic cabin that is real rustic.

Great campsite!

Bear box, food area, water source, cabin, Privy, and platforms.

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.

This campground is located in a northern NH state park that is known as host to the Jericho ATV festival in August.  The park offers miles of ATV trails including an offroad 4x4 trail as well as a lake for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, and fishing. There's a large sandy beach with swings and a volleyball net.There are only 20 sites, including 5 cabins and 2 lean-tos.  The cost of a cabin with bunks and mattresses is a good bargain if you prefer a little more comfort. Sites 5 & 6 are slightly removed from the other sites, will require a slight walk from your car, and you're rewarded with a beautiful view. 

Facilities include flush toilets and coin-operated showers, though they're closer to the beach than to the campground loop; there are a couple of pit toilets in the campground itself. Pets are allowed, but not in the cabins. Most of the sites are large enough to accommodate your ATV/trailer, but there is also a large parking lot. The campground was closing down for the season when I was there, but I suspect that in the summer, esp. around the time of the ATV festival, it'll be a busy place.

Really liked this campground,large sites with full hookups. Beach and boat ramp with some cabins on the water. We stayed at site M-9 and M-10

I’ve been visiting Ricker Pond for nearly 20 years (except for the years that I don’t book enough in advance and aren’t able to secure a spot for my desired length of stay). My favorite lean to site is directly on the water, private, and fills up fast. My favorite cabin site, is set back from the water, is private, and also fills fast for the season. I LOVE venturing to Vermont every summer & staying at Ricker. There is an electrical outlet in the basic cabins, quarter-run showers, and an excellent country store/restaurant a few miles away that has anything you may need and might have forgotten. Tents/RV sites are also available. Book in advance for the best availability!

Great little campground

spots for both campers and tents right along the river

ample parking with great surrounding sights of New Hampshire as well as being next door to Clark’s trading post, a New Hampshire Tradition

My family (my wife, two young sons and I) recently stayed here for a short getaway. As a side note, we had planned to stay here last year, but had to cancel. Having said that, I am more than happy with our choice to come to this jewel of a campground. 

Located between the Ellis River and the Saco River, this campground offers so many fantastic amenities. One of the biggest ones that we took lots of advantage of is the swimming and tubing on the Saco River. Our campsite was located fairly close to the river and where you could put in to tube down river. One of the fun things about this is that at the far end of the campground is a place to take out. They have tubes to rent right there which was very handy. The campground also boasts a swimming pool, beach area along the Saco River, free mini golf, playground, golf cart rentals, a fully outfitted camp store and more. Typically when we camp in the White Mountains we like to get out and explore a lot; this is the first time we never left the campground. 

The sites were nice and big, we reserved one that had water and electric as we have some new camping gear we wanted to try out. The campground itself was well maintained, plenty of restrooms and shower facilities spread throughout. The camp staff were very pleasant and knowledgeable. In fact after checking in, one of the camp staff came by because they had forgotten to remind us to take care of our food and gear at night as there are black bears in the area. I appreciated the extra care taken to pass along that information. 

The campground switched over from a local family owned place to be under the Jellystone family. They have lots of activities to do during the day, especially for the kids. There are a lot of campgrounds in the area that bill themselves as family campgrounds, but really aren't. This is place truly is a great family campground.

As a side note, I want to also make a note about COVID-19 safety practices. There were lots of signs reminding campers to keep socially distant and recommended face masks. However, there were many folks who did not have masks on, including staff. New Hampshire doesn't have a mask mandate at the time of this review. I will say that our family felt safe and took our own precautions, but the campground has done a lot as well. This does not impact my overall review of the campground, I simply wanted to share this piece as it is relevant for those who may want to know.

My family loves this camp ground right on the CT River. It has RV sights and cabins they keep the campers busy with fun activities for kids and grown ups. This is what I would call a Glamping campground then a roughing it campground but it’s still amazing.

I stayed here for the first time in August last year, but returned in October this year to enjoy the autumn colors. This is a lovely state park on a large lake, offering drive-in sites with and without water/electric hookups plus a number of primitive boat-in sites around the lake. In 2019 the bathhouse was renovated, delaying the season opening, but it was worth the weight. Bathrooms are clean and bright, offering hot showers ($) and laundry. 

Site fill up on weekends, especially prime lakefront sites.  You can choose something more open and grassy or a wooded site. There's a swimming area and boat rentals. The office has limited hours. If you arrive after 5 or 6 (depending on the day/month), you'll need to check in in the morning and won't be able to buy firewood on site.

Off site, it's a short drive to Grafton Notch State Park (ME) for hiking and waterfalls, a little farther to Bethel, ME for canoeing, biking, and other outdoor activities. The Umbabog National Wildlife Refuge also offers hiking and boating opportunities with moose, loons, eagles, and beavers, to name a few.

It was bitterly cold overnight (24-27 degrees), so I was grateful for my trailer, but it made for some beautiful, if foggy, mornings and brilliantly clear skies for stargazing. If a tent or trailer isn't your chohice, there are cabins available, too.

We love the golf carts and sandy beaches as well as the proximity to North Conway and Lake Ossipee.  Staff are nice, quiet time is a bit over enforced. Strict with dog paperwork as well so be prepared. Cabins were spotless my mother stayed in one. Otherwise the atmosphere is great. Always a good trip.