Leighton O.
Guide
GuidePawtuckaway State Park Campground
Very nice campground! Some sites right on the lake. Have camped there several times. Lots of space between sites.
Tent Camping near Pittsfield, NH
1 campground with availability this weekend
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Tent camping options near Pittsfield, New Hampshire include both established campgrounds and more secluded sites across the region. Viewland Campground offers tent camping with limited amenities, though reviews indicate it has evolved into more of a permanent camper community. Other nearby options include Lost Boys Hideout, which provides a more primitive camping experience with tent sites accessible by walking in, located approximately 30 miles southwest of Pittsfield.
Most tent sites in the area require campers to be self-sufficient, particularly at walk-in locations. At Lost Boys Hideout, fires are permitted and firewood is available, but sites lack electric hookups or running water. Toilet facilities are present at most established tent campgrounds, though their condition varies. Squam Lakes Association, located about 25 miles north of Pittsfield, maintains tent campsites that are accessible by boat or hiking trails with a season running from May through November. These sites include fire rings but limited other amenities, with composting toilets available in camping areas.
The tent camping experience in this region offers varied terrain and solitude options depending on location selection. Walk-in sites typically provide more privacy and nature immersion than drive-in options. Areas with boat-in access, such as those at Squam Lakes Association, offer increased seclusion and connection with the natural environment. The elevation and forest cover provide comfortable conditions during summer months, though bug protection is essential. As one camper noted about the Squam Lakes area, "Simple, but gorgeous. The association maintains about a dozen campsites in the Squam Lake area -- some hike-in and others boat-in only."
Best Tent Campgrounds near Pittsfield (22)
1. Viewland Campground
2. 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!"
3. Crown Point Campground
4. Lost Boys Hideout
Check AvailabilityAvailable this weekend
from $49 - $149 / night
5. Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach
"The campground sits among tall pine trees which offer nice shade helps alleviate some of the feel of a crowded campground. "
"We tent camped at Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA. The staff was very friendly and when I called to book the site, they assisted in helping us pick out the nicest campsite."
6. Military Park New Boston Air Force Station New Boston Recreation Area
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. Huttopia Southern Maine
Check Availabilityfrom $248 - $374 / night
9. Sweetwater
from $75 - $175 / night
10. Cardigan Campsites
Drive Time
- 33 min from Manchester, NH
- 1 hr 19 min from Boston, MA
- 1 hr 34 min from Worcester, MA
- 1 hr 46 min from Portland, ME
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Pittsfield, NH
26 Photos of 22 Pittsfield Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Pittsfield, NH
966 Reviews of 22 Pittsfield Campgrounds
- Leighton O.Guide
Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Great location if you find a site within walking distance of the beach. Sites are very close together and get pretty noisy. You have to really like people to enjoy this camping area. Bathrooms and shower are very clean though.
- PPatrick
TravelerPawtuckaway State Park Campground
Great spot with all types of different campsites.
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.
Guide to Pittsfield
Tent camping near Pittsfield, New Hampshire sits within the Lakes Region, offering diverse terrain ranging from pine forests to lakeside settings. Summer temperatures typically reach 80°F during the day and drop to 50-60°F at night, creating comfortable sleeping conditions with proper gear. Most tent sites in this area require advance reservations from May through October, with many closing by mid-November.
What to do
Water activities on Squam Lake: Campers at Squam Lakes Association can access some of the region's best paddling opportunities. "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," notes Jen S.
Hiking at Mount Cardigan: Cardigan Campsites offers a convenient base for summit hikes. "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!" says Madison G.
Beach access from tent sites: Many campers use tent sites as a base for exploring nearby beaches. At Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach, "Great location trolley will pick you up from the campground and take you to Old Orchard Beach," according to Jill P.
What campers like
Private tent sites: Tent campers frequently mention privacy as a key factor at certain campgrounds. One camper at Lost Boys Hideout appreciates the "Simplicity at it best :)" as Steve K. noted.
Clean facilities: When primitive camping isn't preferred, clean bathrooms make a big difference. Brittany M. observed about Sun Outdoors Saco, "The bathrooms were the cleanest I've seen camping and the staff was incredibly friendly!"
All-in-one amenities: Some tent camping locations offer surprising amenities. Samantha N. comments about 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!"
What you should know
Seasonal operations: Most tent campgrounds near Pittsfield have limited seasons. Squam Lakes Association operates from "May 1 - November 1," while Sun Outdoors Saco runs "May 1 to October 15."
Site reservation timing: Popular campgrounds fill quickly during summer months. For Squam Lakes Association, 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."
Campground transformation: Some properties change over time. The new Huttopia Southern Maine was noted by A.C.: "Went last August shortly after they gained ownership, grounds are manicured and aimed to be family friendly."
Check site specifics: Not all campgrounds offer the same amenities. At Squam Lakes Association, there are "some with tent platforms and all have fire rings (camping fee includes 1 bundle of firewood). There is a composting toilet in each camping area, but no picnic table or drinking water. Come prepared with your own water...or a filter."
Tips for camping with families
Look for dedicated activity areas: Some campgrounds offer extensive child-friendly amenities. At Salmon Falls River RV Resort, "A little of everything at this campground, 2 pools 2 hot tubes, a giant water slide that is even fun for the adults!!!" shares Aaron G.
Consider cabin options: When tent camping with small children seems challenging, cabins provide an alternative. Erin M. explains at Sun Outdoors Saco: "We stayed for 3 nights in a pop-up while my mother rented a cabin. We loved that were able to stay right next to each other and were still in nice wooded sites with an awesome space for the fire."
Look for family programming: Structured activities can enhance family camping. "Kid activities were done regularly. Pizza and breakfast is very good if you do lunch want to cook. Outdoor movies were fun," notes Jill P. about Sun Outdoors Saco.
Tips from RVers
Check for tent-only areas: RV-heavy campgrounds often have separate tent sections. When camping at larger RV resorts like Salmon Falls, tent campers should request sites "along the wooded edges of the grounds" for more privacy.
Consider proximity to amenities: Even tent campers appreciate access to RV resort amenities. Ben P. notes about Sun Outdoors Saco, "When I called to book the site, they assisted in helping us pick out the nicest campsite."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Pittsfield, NH?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pittsfield, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pittsfield, NH is Viewland Campground with a 1.0-star rating from 1 review.
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