Matt T.
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GuideNew Discovery State Park Campground
Great state park
Most sites are secluded. There is a creepy old cemetery in walking distance. Nice showers on site !!
Equestrian Camping near Benton, NH
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New Discovery State Park Campground in Vermont features dedicated horse stalls for equestrian campers, making it one of the few horse-friendly options near Benton, New Hampshire. The campground's two main loops include sites specifically designed for horse owners, with some sites offering direct access to stalls where riders can secure their animals overnight. Sites with stalls are positioned to provide convenient access while maintaining separation from non-equestrian camping areas. The campground provides standard amenities including drinking water, fire rings, picnic tables, and toilets. Showers are available for campers after long trail rides. The bathhouse facilities are generally clean and well-maintained, though occasional maintenance issues have been reported during peak season.
The campground connects to multiple trail systems suitable for horseback riding throughout Groton State Forest. Riders can access trails directly from the horse camping area without trailering to separate locations. The campground is open seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend, with the best riding conditions typically occurring during summer and early fall months. Horse owners appreciate the relatively quiet atmosphere, especially during weekdays when fewer campers are present. The campground's location provides easy access to Osmore Pond, where riders can enjoy scenic views while giving their horses a rest. Most equestrian sites require reservations, particularly during summer weekends when the campground fills quickly with both horse and non-horse campers.
Best Equestrian Campgrounds near Benton (5)
1. Hancock Campground
"This 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."
"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."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 / night
2. Haystack Road
"It is next to the Highway on a paved fire road. So you can hear traffic. And it is paved (which is good if it’s wet and muddy elsewhere). The other spots looked amazing."
"They have a fire pit, plenty of woods around, and are free."
3. New Discovery State Park Campground
"There are even sites with stalls if you're into horses. The bathhouse looks typical and clean.
Not much cell service, but some in places.
Easy access to a lake and a picnic pavilion."
"There is a creepy old cemetery in walking distance. Nice showers on site !!"
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $38 / night
4. Groton Forest Road Campground
"The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use. The bathrooms were well maintained along with the showers."
from $35 / night
5. Gunstock Campground
"Fairly extensive camp ground associated with Gunstock ski area on central New Hampshire."
"I was lucky to receive a tranquil, secluded spot next to a brook - perfect."
Check Availabilityfrom $35 - $80 / night
Drive Time
- 1 hr 28 min from Manchester, NH
- 1 hr 40 min from Burlington, VT
- 2 hrs 25 min from Lewiston, ME
- 2 hrs 37 min from Portland, ME
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Benton, NH
61 Reviews of 5 Benton Campgrounds
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendHancock Campground
Fall Camping
This is our go to spot for late Fall and Winter camping. Just a few hard core cold weather lovers. Close to the slopes and snow shoe/snow mobile trails. Bathrooms are closed during this time. The porta potties are clean.
- MMarie S.
ScoutGunstock Campground
Apparently Your Reserved Site Is More of a Suggestion
⭐**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.**
Nadine R.GuideGunstock Campground
Everything I Love About Camping
This was such a great campground! Before we even left we were planning on returning. It’s clean, has great facilities and a camp store with anything you need or forgot without having to go to Walmart. It’s a fun place for kids, peaceful for parents, plenty to do on site and nearby.
- TTaylor C.
TravelerHaystack Road
Site 11
Amazing spot, great area! Plentyyy of room. Between sites 10 & 11 is the longest distance out the bunch and enjoyed that because it was easy to run a generator at any hour of the day with no one able to be disturbed by it. Loved Haystack Road overall. Had strong AT&T reception even with 1 - 2 bars.
Adam and Suzanne B.GuideGunstock Campground
Disappointing
This is a ski resort trying to make money in the summer. The campground feels like an afterthought. Facilities were not clean Or modern. There are 2 small bathhouses for 250 sites and they are right next to each other in the middle of the campground. Sometimes only one would be open. We camped in the BW area which is just a field. Other areas have many sites very close together. We left 2 days early.
Marc D.GuideGunstock Campground
Great Spot
Fairly extensive camp ground associated with Gunstock ski area on central New Hampshire. We arrived without a reservation a bit after the office closed, but Elena, the manager came out to let us in and allowed us to check in. She was great. Dogs must have proof of rabies vaccine. Very nice showers. Beautiful fall colors.
Sarah B.ScoutGunstock Campground
Everything We Wanted
Just stayed this weekend and Oh. My. God. We will 100% be back!
Miccal M.LegendNew Discovery State Park Campground
Drove through on my way past
This easy-to-access campground has made it on my list of places to stay.
There are two loops of sites, some deep in the woods with great-looking trees, others in a field, and some in between. There are even sites with stalls if you're into horses.
The bathhouse looks typical and clean.
Not much cell service, but some in places.
Easy access to a lake and a picnic pavilion.
Noticed more than a few sites that I could hang at.
Guide to Benton
New Discovery State Park Campground features equestrian facilities designed for riders exploring Vermont's Groton State Forest. The campground offers two main loops with spacious camping areas about 30 minutes from Benton, New Hampshire. Winter temperatures in this region typically range from 10-30°F, while summer averages 70-85°F, creating ideal conditions for camping from late spring through fall.
What to do
Trail riding in Groton State Forest: Equestrians can access multiple trail systems directly from New Discovery State Park Campground. The park connects to extensive riding paths throughout the forest. "We had the most perfect spot in a private site on osmore pond that was accessible only by canoe! quiet, serene. beautiful! can't wait to go back!" notes camper Sambath T.
Winter camping near Kancamagus Highway: For cold-weather enthusiasts, Hancock Campground stays open year-round, providing winter access to trails. Heather B. reports, "Stayed 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...Water would have earned it five stars."
Mountain activities: Just over an hour from Benton, Gunstock Campground offers additional recreation options. "It has pretty spacious sites, they have an aerial obstacle course and a mountain coaster, places to swim, music festivals, hiking, etc.," according to Kasey H., making it a versatile option for riders seeking additional activities.
What campers like
River access for horses: Many equestrians appreciate the ability to let their horses cool off in water access points. Hancock Campground offers riverside sites where riders can take breaks. Tara S. mentions: "There is also a fabulous swimming hole. Clear, cold and deep just off the car camping area."
Private camping areas: Horse owners often prefer secluded sites to minimize disturbances to their animals. At Groton Forest Road Campground, spaces are designed with privacy in mind. Reid B. notes, "The spots were spacious with enough privacy between sites. The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use."
Well-maintained facilities: When returning from long rides, clean restrooms and showers are essential. Campgrounds in the region generally maintain their facilities well. Laura M. at New Discovery reports: "Showers are something like $1 for 8 minutes, quarters only. The lean-to sites are really cool, and if I was tent camping I think they'd be so fun to sleep in."
What you should know
Seasonal challenges: Many campgrounds in the Benton area have limited seasonal operations. Rick S. from New Discovery warns: "There were squirrels that would spend lots of time throughout the day sending loose the green pine cones and then come down and chew them up. Pretty entertaining except for when they drop them on your tarps."
Site selection considerations: When booking horse-friendly campsites, research the specific layout. Sarah C. advises: "Site size various pretty vastly as you travel through the campground. There are two main loops, one is more secluded and spaced out than the other."
Wildlife awareness: The forests around Benton host diverse wildlife that horse owners should prepare for. Laura M. cautions: "We saw fresh moose poop on a hike but sadly no moose or other wildlife. There are bears around the area though so please be bear smart when camping here."
Tips for camping with families
Book walk-in sites for quieter experience: For families with horses, quieter sites create a more controlled environment. At Hancock Campground, Tara S. recommends: "We were lucky to score a walk-in tent site on a Saturday in August, and while it did feel a bit like a tent city, we loved that there were no cars at the campsites. It made the tenting area feel more like a community."
Pack water treatment options: Some equestrian sites have limited water access. Laura M. notes: "The spigots for the water are not threaded. We tried our water bandit, with messy wet results. Luckily, we found we could unscrew the head of the hose at the dump station and had no problem filling our tank with potable water."
Bring quarters for showers: After riding, hot showers are essential for families. Most campgrounds in the region require quarters. At New Discovery, shower costs are predictable: "Showers are something like $1 for 8 minutes, quarters only."
Tips from RVers
Select sites carefully: RV sites vary significantly in size and suitability for horse trailers. Melissa B. from Gunstock advises: "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?)."
Consider ambient noise: When parking horse trailers and RVs, factor in surrounding activities. Melissa adds: "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."
Check seasonal access: RVers with horse trailers should verify road conditions, especially in shoulder seasons. Molly G. suggests: "We came at the end of October to try to hike Franconia Ridge (there ended up being a blizzard when we go to the top and we had to return in the warmer weather) and we stumbled upon this campground. We were the only ones in it."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian
campsite near Benton, NH?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Benton, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Benton, NH is Hancock Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 28 reviews.
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equestrian camping near
Benton, NH?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Benton, NH?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Benton, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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