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Great spot with all types of different campsites.
Tent Camping near Loudon, NH
1 campground with availability next weekend
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The forested areas surrounding Loudon, New Hampshire offer several tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts seeking both established campgrounds and more primitive experiences. Lost Boys Hideout provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities including drinking water, fire rings, and toilet facilities. About 30 minutes northeast, Squam Lakes Association maintains tent-only campsites that can be accessed by hiking or boating in, offering a more secluded backcountry tent camping experience. Military Park New Boston Recreation Area, located approximately 25 miles southwest of Loudon, provides year-round tent camping with reservable sites.
Tent campsites in the Loudon region vary considerably in terrain and amenities. Walk-in tent sites at Lost Boys Hideout feature mulched areas with improved fire pits, while Squam Lakes' primitive tent camping areas offer fire rings but no picnic tables or drinking water. Campers should bring their own water or filtration systems when visiting more remote locations. Seasonal considerations affect water availability, particularly during drought conditions when streams and natural sources may run dry. Most tent-only sites include basic toilet facilities ranging from vault toilets to composting privies, though toilet paper is not always provided. Fire restrictions may apply during dry periods, especially at field camping locations.
In early spring and fall, tent campers experience fewer crowds at most locations. One visitor to Baker Rocks noted that "tent sites are within the wooded area around the property and felt very secluded," though they mentioned occasional road noise overnight. At Squam Lakes Association, campers reported "beautiful trails, excellent kayaking, quiet and serene" conditions ideal for those who "prefer tent camping and like to be secluded." The association's sites fill quickly when reservations open February 15th, with campers appreciating the conservation focus. Cardigan Campsites offers tent camping with convenient access to hiking trails, making it popular for overnight stays before tackling nearby mountain summits. Most backcountry tent sites along the Appalachian Trail provide flat tent pads adjacent to three-sided shelters.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Loudon (24)
1. Lost Boys Hideout
Check AvailabilityAvailable next weekend
from $49 - $149 / night
2. Viewland Campground
3. Military Park New Boston Air Force Station New Boston Recreation Area
4. Salmon Falls River RV Resort and Family Campground
"Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!! My niece had so much fun! Sites are close together and they are short staffed but other than that a great place!"
5. Sweetwater
from $75 - $175 / night
6. Crown Point Campground
7. Squam Lakes Association
"The association maintains about a dozen campsites in the Squam Lake area -- some hike-in and others boat-in only."
"We really enjoyed our stay here - we prefer tent camping and like to be secluded; we are not into RV parks. This was fantastic. Beautiful trails, excellent kayaking, quiet and serene."
Check Availabilityfrom $50 - $110 / night
8. Cardigan Campsites
9. Huttopia Southern Maine
Check Availabilityfrom $248 - $374 / night
10. Baker Rocks
"I tent camped here while doing some fishing in the area. Baker Rocks had a host of different camping options onsite including tent platforms, yurts, and cabins."
"The campsites are private and spacious, the property is large and beautiful, close to the river. The owners are so kind and accommodating."
Check Availabilityfrom $60 - $325 / night
Drive Time
- 24 min from Manchester, NH
- 1 hr 10 min from Boston, MA
- 1 hr 25 min from Worcester, MA
- 1 hr 51 min from Portland, ME
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Loudon, NH
28 Photos of 24 Loudon Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Loudon, NH
891 Reviews of 24 Loudon Campgrounds
Rebecca W.
ScoutBearcamp River Campground
Bearcamp River Campground
Bear camp River campground is a great place to camp for a weekend or be a seasonal. You can walk 6/10 of a mile to the covered bridge nearby and float right down to the beach at the campground or you can start on one side of the campground and float to the other via river for a good 30 minute float!! You get to Camp right on the Riverside. Owners (Mike and Tabby ) are great. Good place for the kids to run around and explore. The Camp store has sweatshirts and sweatpants , candy and snacks ,s’mores kits, and much much more. They also sell wood and ice on site. There is also hot showers for free, and bathrooms. Two thumbs up from this happy camper.
Nancy W.
LegendSea-Vu West Premier RV Resort
Pleasantly surprised.
This campground is mostly seasonal, privately owned park models, but has 45 spaces for RV’s. I was a little skeptical about staying at this campground with so many park models and seasonals but was pleasantly surprised at how nice, clean, and tidy all the sites were. They obviously take pride in how things look because the grounds and campsites were very well-kept.
All campsites are 50/30-amp full hook-up with level gravel pads with grassy patios, a picnic table, and fire pit. We stayed in site#702 which was long enough for our 45’ motorhome and tow car. All the utilities were easy to reach and the electric worked well. The only problem was that we were parked under a large oak tree that was profusely shedding large acorns. There are some sites that are in the open which I would definitely choose, if I came back in the fall. The campground is gated which is a nice feature. It is located a mile or so off Route 1 which means you don’t get the road noise and traffic, but still conveniently located near shops and restaurants.
One nice feature are the shaded walking trails in the park. While they are not super long, it is a nice change from walking the roads (which are paved). Other amenities include a decent size swimming pool (closed while we were there), a basketball court, playground, laundry, and camp store. I thought it was a little expensive at $75/night (for full hook-up) at the end of the season, especially since the pool was closed.
- Nancy W.Legend
Sun Outdoors Wells Beach
Tight sites and expensive, busy area along the Maine coast
We stopped here in the summer to check out the coastal towns in southern Maine. There are many campgrounds in the area and we chose this one because they had a 25% off coupon (on a 7-night stay) which gave us the best nightly price in the area. However, the nightly rate was still$74/night, one reason being they charge a “resort fee” of$15/day which is ridiculous. This is a typical resort-style campground with lots of amenities (most of which we never use). But, for some people, this is a destination campground because of all the amenities- a large heated swimming pool, basketball courts, sand volleyball, bocce, fitness center, two playgrounds, 18-hole minigolf (that you pay extra for), and more.
The campsites in the front of the park are sandwiched between the swimming pool and Route 1 which is very busy and noisy. Campsites in the far back portion of the campground are shaded and a much quieter section. Camping pads and patios are a mix of gravel and sand. Many sites have shade and some have an astroturf patio (I think those are “premium” sites). Our campsite was in the middle section which was fairly quiet but the sites are close together with no privacy. The site was a long and level pull thru with a gravel pad and gravel/sand patio. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit.
There is a tent-only section and they have renal cabins. There is lots to do for families in the area including the beach and amusement and water parks. Restaurants of all sorts are nearby. You can easily walk to Congdon’s Donuts which is a Maine classic.
- Nancy W.Legend
Seacoast Camping and RV Resort
Nice Campground, Love the area!
This is a nice, clean, well-maintained campground for RV and tenting. The campground is located on Route 1 which means you are convenient to a lot of things but there is lots of traffic. Half the campground is seasonal/long term campers and the other side is mostly transients. The roads and campsites are fine crushed gravel with nice grassy patios. The campground is very well maintained (the best part being that the mower collects they cut the grass so no clippings get tracked in your camper). There are some mature trees that provide shade but don’t impede navigating in and out of sites or impacting slide outs.
Campsites range from tent with water/electric to RV water/electric and RV full hook-up 50-amp and full hook-up 30-amp. There are three bathhouses on the property (one of which has a dishwashing sink) and laundry. Tent sites 50-55 are in an are set away from RV sites and more private. They are also close to a large bathhouse with multiple toilets and showers. Tent sites 90-100 are across from a large playground which can be quite chaotic, but if you have kids, this is a great spot.
Our site (#147) was a long pull-thru with a descent amount of space between our neighbors. We got about half a dozen over-the-air channels (one being a major network station) and were able to connect with eastern arc satellites with our Dish Satellite. The 50A electric was good as was the water pressure.
The campground does not have much in the way of amenities except for a game room, basketball court, and playground. The game room is pretty cool with lots of arcade-style games, a pool table, foosball, and table tennis. While we were there, they just finished putting in all new playground equipment and enlarged the size making it really big and a hit with the kids in the park. Once convenience is that maintenance picks up garbage at your site (between 8am– 3pm). Unfortunately, people leave them out after hours and animals got into them and scattered garbage everywhere. We've stayed here before and always enjoy being in the area as it is close to the fun cities of Portsmouth and Newburyport.
Devon B.ScoutCrow's Nest Campground
Play Games
The recreation hall was a nice surprise. We had some rainy weather one afternoon and the kids were able to play games while we relaxed for a bit. Saved the day honestly😂
Riley B.ScoutCrow's Nest Campground
Spend A Few Days
We came up looking for a campground where we could actually spend a few days without constantly driving somewhere. Ended up fishing, swimming, walking along the river and exploring the area. The campground gave us plenty to do, but it was also nice having the option to just sit at the campsite and do nothing. Would definitley come back.
- RRachel J.Scout
Crow's Nest Campground
A Longer Stay
We have a big RV and had no trouble getting settled in. Having the full hookups made things super easy, especially for a longer stay.
Myles T.TravelerSpacious Skies French Pond
Gorgeous pond filled with lily pads!
Guide to Loudon
Tent camping near Loudon, New Hampshire offers varied terrain from riverside settings to forested hills, with elevations ranging from 500 to 1,200 feet throughout the region. Summer temperatures typically reach 75-85°F during daytime hours, dropping to 55-65°F overnight. Local campgrounds maintain restrictions on gathering firewood from surrounding forests to prevent spread of invasive insects.
What to do
River recreation access: Baker Rocks provides direct access to the Baker River where visitors can fish or simply relax. According to Justin P., "There is a little beach along the Baker river. I only caught a few minnows when fishing but that may have been more to do with the angler. Along another bend of the river were two chairs for taking in the scenery."
Hiking preparation: Cardigan Campsites serves as a strategic base camp for accessing Mount Cardigan trails. As Madison G. notes, "Great spot to spend the night before a climb of Mt. Cardigan! Or after! The climb is challenging but shouldn't take too long. Great fire tower views at the top too!"
Water activities: Boat-in camping provides unique access to water recreation. Squam Lakes Association maintains sites specifically designed for kayakers and canoeists. Jen S. reports, "We really enjoyed our stay here - we prefer tent camping and like to be secluded; we are not into RV parks. This was fantastic. Beautiful trails, excellent kayaking, quiet and serene."
What campers like
Private site layouts: Tent campers appreciate the secluded feeling at many campgrounds despite proximity to amenities. One camper at Baker Rocks noted, "The tent sites are within the wooded area around the property and felt very secluded. There was a bit of road noise overnight."
Conservation-focused camping: Squam Lakes Association sites appeal to environmentally-conscious campers. Shari G. explains, "The sites are pricey and fill up quickly when reservations open for the year on Feb 15, but the money supports the conservation of the area via the Squam Lakes Association."
Upgraded accommodations: Some campgrounds continually improve facilities. At Lost Boys Hideout, Steve K. observed, "Nice new tents provided at Sleepy Hollow site. Improvements to the firepit, area all mulched, even some games and water are provided!"
What you should know
Reservation timing: Popular sites book quickly within specific windows. For example, Squam Lakes Association campgrounds open reservations February 15th each year and fill rapidly.
Toilet facilities: Composting toilets are common at primitive sites. According to Jen S., "The composting toilets were clean" at Squam Lakes Association sites.
Site amenities: Amenities vary significantly between established and primitive sites. Justin P. described Baker Rocks amenities: "The site had a large tent platform they could fit multiple tents, a brand new picnic table, a fire ring (with a free bundle of firewood), two chairs by the fire ring, and even a few strings of solar lights around the camp area."
Insect preparedness: Insects can be problematic during summer months. April W. advises, "Do bring bug spray, the mosquitoes at certain times of day were aggressive, as to be expected."
Tips for camping with families
Diverse accommodation options: Families can choose from traditional tent sites to more comfortable options. April W. shared about Baker Rocks, "We stayed 2 nights in the double bell tent with two clean full size beds and a 3rd night in the yurt both were spacious and wonderful, among tall trees and pines."
Animal encounters: Some campgrounds incorporate small farm animals. April W. notes, "They even have animals to visit like bunnies and goats (far away from the campsites)."
Activity-focused campgrounds: Family-oriented campgrounds often provide extensive recreational facilities. Samantha N. described Salmon Falls River RV Resort: "If you have young kids this place is so fun! Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!! My niece had so much fun!"
Tips from RVers
Site accessibility: Some campgrounds near Loudon have challenging access roads. At Viewland Campground, Kirsten J. observed, "The road to get to Viewland Campground is very steep. The campground loop is a one-way loop that is not easily marked. The road was very narrow and we were very close to some RV's that had been on the property for decades."
Seasonal operation: Most RV facilities operate seasonally. Salmon Falls River RV Resort maintains a May 15 - October 15 season, closing during winter months when freezing temperatures affect water systems.
Transition management: Ownership changes can affect service quality. Aaron G. noted about Salmon Falls, "If I have one issue it would be that it went to a KOA which isn't bad but the transition year seemed a bit wanky and hopefully this year will be better as my kids love it there and we'll continue to go back often."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Loudon, NH?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Loudon, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Loudon, NH is Lost Boys Hideout with a 3.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
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What is the best site to find tent camping near Loudon, NH?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Loudon, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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