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Horse camping near East Merrimack, New Hampshire requires traveling to surrounding regions as no campgrounds within immediate proximity offer dedicated horse facilities. Gunstock Campground in Gilford, about 40 miles north, permits pets but lacks specialized horse corrals or dedicated equestrian facilities. The 250 campsites accommodate tents, RVs, and cabins with full hookup options including water, electric, and sewer connections. The campground provides a gated entrance with keycard access and maintains clean bathroom facilities and hot showers. Many sites in the wooded sections offer more privacy and natural settings, particularly in the Breezy Knolls area which features sites K01-K17, while sites 203 and 205 are noted for being nicely tucked into trees.
Trail riders seeking overnight accommodations may find Tippicanoe Campground approximately 50 miles northwest of East Merrimack offers a more suitable environment for horses, though specific equestrian amenities are limited. This campground features sites with water, 50-amp electric, and sewer hookups in a clean, well-maintained setting. The property sits adjacent to Rand Pond, a spring-fed sandy bottom pond stocked with rainbow trout by the state of New Hampshire. Motorized boats are restricted to under 10 HP on the pond. The campground's proximity to natural areas provides potential riding opportunities, though riders should contact management directly regarding specific horse accommodation policies and nearby trail access. Ramblewood Cabins and Campground, while farther from East Merrimack, offers spacious sites with views that may accommodate equestrian needs with advance arrangements.
"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."
from $35 - $80 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $45 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $35 - $45 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $50 / night
GuideFairly 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.
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.
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!
TravelerWe 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!
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.
Scout⭐**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.**
LegendFun 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!
GuideThis 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.
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.
Horse campgrounds near East Merrimack, New Hampshire provide limited dedicated equestrian facilities within close proximity. The region sits at elevations ranging from 200-500 feet with a temperate climate featuring warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Most campgrounds in this area experience peak season from May through October when overnight temperatures remain above freezing.
Trail access options: Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park spans 1,300 acres with potential riding areas, though riders should verify horse policies before arrival. "The main attraction of this campground is the golf course of 9 or 18 holes. There is a pro shop, golf cart rentals, etc," notes reviewer Christy C., highlighting alternative activities available at this multifaceted property.
Water activities: Fishing opportunities abound at campgrounds within driving distance. At Tippicanoe Campground, "Rand Pond is the body of water at the campground and is restricted to under 10 HP boats. It is stocked with rainbow trout by the State of NH and is a spring fed sandy bottom pond," according to David G.
Mountain recreation: Gunstock Campground offers access to numerous mountain activities beyond just camping. Reviewer Kasey H. states, "They have an aerial obstacle course and a mountain coaster, places to swim, music festivals, hiking, etc." Guests can walk directly to hiking trails on Gunstock Mountain from their campsite.
Helpful management: Many campgrounds receive praise for staff assistance. At Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park, one camper reported, "Our generator was down and we needed to pick up our friend at the airport. Lauri loaned us her minivan to go to the airport and Drew loaned us some tools to work on the RV. They were so helpful and treated us like family."
Security features: Gunstock Campground implements controlled access systems. "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," notes Melissa B., adding a sense of security for campers and their belongings.
Pet amenities: Dog-friendly accommodations include specific facilities at some locations. Ryan P. mentions that Gunstock offers a "nice dog park" among other amenities like "large campsites, clean amenities, great store with everything you need."
Site conditions vary: Not all campsites offer ideal terrain for comfortable camping. One visitor to Hidden Valley noted, "The site had very long grass, bare rock and mud. It was not a site we would have wanted to stay on any longer than the one night."
Wooded vs. open sites: Privacy levels differ significantly between campsite locations. At Gunstock Campground, "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," according to Melissa B.
Seasonal population: Many campgrounds host long-term seasonal campers. As Shawn C. observed at Hidden Valley, there are "alot of seasonal residents" alongside "plenty of tent sites," which can create a different atmosphere than campgrounds with primarily short-term visitors.
Utility placement challenges: RV hookup configurations can present difficulties. Carry M. found at Hidden Valley that "The water and electric were between our site and the next on one side and sewer between our site and the one on the other side. This made it difficult to place our trailer on the slanted site and reach all services."
Noise considerations: Some activities can create background noise that may affect certain campsites. Melissa B. notes at Gunstock Campground, "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."
Wi-Fi access points: Teenagers and children may appreciate internet connectivity. At Hidden Valley, one reviewer mentioned, "The kids were given a lot of grace and hung out in the grill/game room area for hours on end to use the wi-fi."
Recreation variety: Campgrounds offer different activity options for children of various ages. Ramblewood Cabins and Campground provides "spacious sites with views" according to Anne G., who has "stayed here a few times and really enjoyed sites and hospitality."
Site selection strategies: Choose campsites based on shade and privacy needs. For Gunstock Campground, "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," advises Melissa B.
Campground navigation: RVers should research site conditions before arrival. Sara D. found at Gunstock that there are "so many roots all over the sites," which could present challenges for leveling and setup.
Store provisions: On-site supplies eliminate the need for trips to town. Ryan P. appreciated that Gunstock has a "great store with everything you need" alongside other amenities that enhance the camping experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near East Merrimack, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near East Merrimack, NH is Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near East Merrimack, NH?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near East Merrimack, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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