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Best Tent Camping near Portsmouth, NH

611 Reviews

Tent campsites in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire region range from established family-friendly grounds to more secluded walk-in areas. Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester, Massachusetts offers wooded tent sites about an hour's drive south of Portsmouth. Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach in Maine provides tent camping with access to nearby beaches and attractions approximately 40 minutes north of Portsmouth. Browns Ridge Family Farm in New Hampshire features walk-in tent locations with more primitive accommodations.

Most tent campgrounds near Portsmouth feature dirt pads with variable terrain. Cape Ann campsites are set on dirt surfaces that can become muddy during rain, with one visitor noting "when it rained large mud-puddles to drive through." Several locations include fire pits and picnic tables, though amenities vary significantly between developed and primitive sites. Pay showers are common at established campgrounds, with Cape Ann charging 25 cents for 5-minute hot showers. Tent campers should check seasonal availability, as many Portsmouth-area campgrounds operate from May through mid-October only.

Wooded tent sites provide natural shade and privacy at several locations near Portsmouth. The primitive tent setups at Browns Ridge Family Farm require hikers to walk in, offering a more secluded experience than drive-in alternatives. Walk-in tent locations typically provide greater separation between campsites and fewer RVs nearby. Cape Ann Camp Site features "beautiful tent sites" that offer more seclusion than their RV areas, according to visitor reviews. Tent campers at Saco have noted highway noise can be disruptive without air conditioning: "Since I stayed in a tent it was a bit noisy." Sites with tall trees and forest cover tend to offer the most comfortable summer camping experience, with one visitor commenting that "the site we had was shaded by trees during the hot days of July."

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Best Tent Sites Near Portsmouth, New Hampshire (11)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Portsmouth, NH

6 Photos of 11 Portsmouth Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Portsmouth, NH

611 Reviews of 11 Portsmouth Campgrounds

  • M.A.D. P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 1, 2023

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Large and friendly park with plenty of water activity opportunities

    My first time experiencing a park in the New Hampshire Park system. We went down with a group. Pawtuckaway State Park offers a variety of landscapes, with something to do and see for everyone. The park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking, with trails leading to many special points of interest, including a mountaintop fire tower; an extensive marsh where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen.

    The park lines the shore of beautiful Pawtuckaway Lake.  The 192 sites are wooded and many provide views of the lake.  Each campsite has an open fire ring, picnic table, flat areas for a tent, and a parking space. The bathhouses are equipped with running water, flush toilets, and 24 hour showers.  There are no hook-ups at any of the campsites. The park also has a camp store where canoe and kayaks are available, as well as a plublic canoe and kayak launch. Five cabins are available; each sleeps six people, has electricity, and includes a fire ring and picnic table. Pets are not allowed in the campground or beach area of the park.

  • Migdalia G.
    May. 29, 2019

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Nice Wooded Campground in Awesome Area

    We stayed at Harold Parker State Forest Campground during Memorial Day Weekend. Reservation through Reserve America was a breeze. Check in till 9:00 pm was convenient. Checkout by 11:00 am but we paid for an additional night to be able to leave at night the day we checked out. Totally worth it!

    Nice large campsites. The sites’ privacy is very diverse. You could be tucked away from everyone or closer together depending on the site you choose but they are all pretty decent in size. All sites have water which is a plus. All have a fire pit/box, charcoal bbq and a picnic table. Most of them are drive in. 

    Quiet hours from 10 am to 7 am. No alcohol allowed (although I didn’t see an actual enforcement of this rule and guess it’ll happen only if people act out). Rangers are constantly patrolling. Felt pretty safe at night. You can’t bring wood. Bundles are $5 each and it burns really well. 

    Lots of biking/hiking/walking trails, a nice small pond/beach, boat access, a few basketball courts, a volleyball court and a common huge fire pit added to the fun. A ranger ran a program to teach about the area fauna which was pretty interesting for kids and adults alike. 

    Bathrooms were fairly clean although small and showers were free! Some sites were right in front of a lovely pond and there were many group sites available as well. 

    The location is pretty good. Salem, Andover, Boston Are accesible while staying here. Close proximity to Richardson Ice Cream which you CANT miss if you decide to stay.  They have cheap but amazing ice cream, mini golf and battling cages which was entertaining for my whole crew. 

    It rained a lot during one night of our stay and the site (301) did not flooded at all. All sites seemed in pretty good shape the morning after as well. 

    Beautiful and will recommend to families with small kids, groups and couples too.

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Cape Ann Camp Site

    25 cents for a shower

    The aerial photos of this place are very deceiving. This camp ground is the foreground of the main house which, is situated on the top of the hill. The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads. There is no WIFI. There is no sewer hook up however, near the street there is a "dump station."  The camp ground is run down and unmaintained. Our site had a fire ring which, was filled with ash. Our first night we woke up to a trailer filled with smoke because, someone near by had a fire in 92 degree heat. Most campers are full time residents. There is no sight of them during the day light hours but, at night they are up and about on bikes and mingling with each other. 

    25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom. Some shady people immediate started to hover near the public restroom once we drove up the hill to use the public restrooms. For $70/nite for a view it's not worth it. I was glad to leave- very creepy.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2021

    Tidewater Campground

    Large campground near, but not on the beach

    First of all, the location is a little quirky and I think I only arrived once without a wrong turn! Watch the GPS carefully. That said, it’s very close to Hampton Beach and you can easily drive or bike over. The campground is parallel to US1, so there is some road traffic noise. Some of the tent sites overlook the marsh. The tent sites are definitely tighter than trailer sites. Some sites back up to each other and it takes a moment to understand where one ends and the next begins. 

    I was here early in the season and placed in a seasonal site with water/electric. Site was level. Neighbors were friendly. The bathroom was a short walk away and spotless. I did notice that in the tent areas, the main bathrooms are supplemented with portable toilets. Sites are mostly wooded, which will offer nice relief from the heat. It's a nice base for exploring the area.

    There’s a gated entry and turtle-speed limit that they take seriously. The pool was not yet open. There’s a small store onsite for ice and essentials. All the big box stores and a number of restaurants are nearby. For a change of pace from seafood, I picked up Shane's Texas Pit BBQ and brought it back to my site. 

    You may request a reservation online, but you have to confirm and pay for it via the phone. You’ll need to arrive before 9pm to check in. Bring $10 for a cash deposit on the gate card. Only 1 vehicle and 1 camping unit (tent or trailer) allowed on a site.

    Downside: They charge for showers, the amount and duration is unclear and the duration varies depending on which shower you choose! Given the rates they charge, this seems petty.

  • Meg T.
    Jul. 30, 2025

    Salisbury Beach State Reservation

    Seagulls hungry for Egg Rolls and sunsets galore!

    Stayed here with my partner for her birthday while we were up in the Plum Island/Rockport area. Beautiful ocean access and great facilities. We stayed in a site right next to a large bathhouse with showers, plentiful stalls, and water bottle fill-up and rinse off station. We were situated next to a kind family who lent us fire starter and offered us some of their snacks they were making when we arrived, while we were setting up we did lose some egg rolls to a hungry seagull but I think he needed them more than we did. Not very private and sites are packed close together, but that is what I expected based off the map! I would absolutely return again, this time to check out the beach and surrounding area!

  • Sable W.
    May. 16, 2018

    Lorraine Park Campground — Harold Parker State Forest

    Spacious, Quiet, Clean and Conveniently Located

    Five friends and I decided to compete in Questival, which came to Boston for May 11-12, 2018. There aren't many campgrounds open in Massachusetts this early in the season, but Harold Parker State Forest was! I snagged a group campsite since we'd have four tents. We had to set up after dark, so we wound up congregating in one corner of the group site. When we woke up we could see just how HUGE the group site was! We had 4 two-person tents; you could easily fit 3x that number of tents. PLENTY of flat ground to set up on, and we were far enough back from the road that we never heard or saw other campers arriving, even though we know most other Questival competitors stayed at this campground. It was about a 5 minute walk to the bathrooms and showers, and potable water was available right on the site. Even though it was early in the season and not very leafy, we could only occasionally see our neighbors' headlamps. There were 4 or 5 fire pits, 5 large picnic tables, and 3 driveways that could fit two cars each. Great value for the cost! We were pleased with the privacy, space, cleanliness, and amenities.

  • Anna C.
    Oct. 15, 2019

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Red Ledge Rebel Shell Rain Pants at Pawtuckaway State Park

    *CAMPGROUND REVIEW*

    This campground is definitely a dazzler and I was fortunate to visit on a quieter weekend. I was able to enjoy an especially picturesque sunset over the lake and I would definitely visit this spot again, especially with how accessible the campground is. There is a nice stretch of sandy beach at the campground as well as canoes and kayaks for rent. The convenience store at the campground had essentially everything you would need for a good camping trip. Definitely do your research on the different site numbers because some sites are much more private and scenic than others. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit as an added bonus.

    Pros: 

    -Within a short driving distance from the Boston area 

    -Lakefront sites available 

    -Canoe and kayak rentals available 

    -Well stocked convenience store 

    -Reasonable cell reception

    Cons: 

     -Can get busy during peak camping times 

     -Some sites have a lack of privacy

    *PRODUCT REVIEW*

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. During this trip, I took out a pair of Red Ledge Rain Pants. While it didn’t rain during my camping stay (great from a camper perspective, not so great from a reviewer perspective), I was able to try out the general fit of the pants. They have a nice stretch fit to them and a certainly one of the more stylish options as far as rain pants go. As is true for most waterproof gear, they run on the warmer side and don’t have a ton of ventilation so they may not be the best choice for hotter weather. Although I didn’t get to test out the pants in a camping setting, I did wear them a few days ago while making the 1.5 km evacuation route trek from my apartment to the flood shelter during one of the biggest typhoons to make landfall in Japan. After about 25-30 mins of walking in record breaking-ly heavy rain, the pants started to saturate around the knees and the upper thigh area started to get a bit soggy. That being said, this is probably the most extreme possible test setting and they did hold up reasonably well. Due to the aforementioned, I would recommend using these pants as a waterproof option when skiing/snowboarding in warmer weather where you still want a snow barrier but may not necessarily need the insulative warmth offered by actual snow pants.

    Pros: 

    -Stylish look 

     -Stretch fit 

     -Waterproof 

     Cons: 

     -Trap heat 

     -Not typhoon proof

  • k
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Dixons Coastal Maine Campground

    LOTS of people but lovely campground

    This is an extremely large campground.  It seems that most of them on the coast of Maine are.  We didn't get a very good sight, but the person who answered the phone basically told us that when we called and it was all they had, so I can't say too much about that either (#17).  The sight was small and between the two driveways.  All of the sights seem to have rocky ground, so I recommend a sleep pad and a footprint for your tent so you don't rip the bottom.  

    Now, on to the other stuff.  There is a small playground that is weathered but in decent shape.  The pool is lovely and meticulously kept.  The grounds, bathrooms and showers are spotless.  It's 50 cents for 5 minutes to take a shower (unheard of) with hot water.  There is even hot water to wash your dishes next to the bathrooms.

    They sell ice, wood ($7) and many "I forgots" in the store (bacon, milk, etc...).  They give you a security card to get into the grounds ($10 deposit).  The campground was SUPER quiet and quiet hours go to 8am (thank you)!  Only an RV about to leave made a ton of noise at 7.

    I would go there again.  It was a safe place close to so many things.  The beach and everything else is VERY close but not so close as to be annoying.... 5 minutes at most.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 12, 2018

    Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    Home

    Home is the place in the world where we can just be. For me, this is home. Maybe it's because I was born and raised not so far away, and I've visited the park for years, marking my growth by the granite boulders dispersed throughout the park. Yet, even as a child, I was always drawn to Pawtuckaway, the still waters, the quiet sunset, the loons calling across the ripples in the lake, and the soft pine needles below bare feet.

    Pawtuckaway is a great spot to set up camp in New England. It is a preserve for loons and dotted with islands where they nest. It is close enough to the White Mountains of NH and all they have to offer (Lost River, Flume Gorge, etc.), NH's seacoast and colonial Portsmouth, the seacoast of Southern Maine with its widow's walks and seafaring charm, and Boston with all of its heritage, history, and great food.

    The campground and park offer several amenities, including a swimming beach, boat rentals, snack bar, playground, showers, and a small campstore where firewood and ice are sold. There is a grocery store, a laundromat, and a Dunkin' Donuts only a few minutes from the park. If you are not from New England, you may not understand the Dunkin' Donuts reference, but trust me, it's relevant. There are several shower houses, although hot water may be an issue--or maybe it was just getting in after a woman decided to stand under the shower for 40 minutes while others were waiting?

    The camping is divided into three main areas: Horse Island, Big Island, and Neal's Cove. All offer lakefront campsites, and there is at least one remote, hike-in site on Big Island. The lakefront sites easily accommodate kayaks and canoes for instant access to the water. The campsites are all very spacious and fairly private.

    When visiting, site selection is everything (as we discovered). We first ended up with an interior site. A handful of the sites on Big Island, and even in Neal's Cove may be lying next to a wet, muddy and wooded area--and # 97 was one of those. In the evening so many mosquitos swarmed our site that we couldn't stand outside long enough to cook (we didn't even dare to open our mouths). That was a Saturday night. On Sunday, campsites opened up that were otherwise available for the rest of our stay. We swapped our reservation to site number 6 on Horse Island. Our family picked up the still-pitched tent and marched it down the road with air mattresses hanging out of the back of our van. Site 6 was absolutely amazing (and there wasn't a single mosquito). The breeze from the lake and lack of standing water makes these sites ideal (not to mention, they are lakefront). Lesson learned: be weary of interior sites! Some of the interior sites are on high ground and quite fabulous, offering few mosquitos, but a few them are an absolute disaster.

Guide to Portsmouth

If you're looking for tent camping near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, there are some fantastic options that offer a variety of amenities and activities to enhance your outdoor experience.

Tent campers should check out Salmon Falls River RV Resort and Family Campground

  • This campground features multiple pools, a water slide, and a lazy river, making it a hit for families with kids.
  • Enjoy the convenience of electric hookups and drinking water, ensuring a comfortable stay while you immerse yourself in nature.
  • With activities like mini-golf and high ropes courses, there's no shortage of fun for all ages at this well-reviewed spot.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • At Huttopia Southern Maine, you can explore the beautiful Sand Pond, perfect for swimming and kayaking.
  • Take a short drive to Crown Point Campground for hiking trails that showcase the stunning New Hampshire landscape.
  • Enjoy the local charm of Salem while staying at Winter Island Park, where you can easily access the city’s attractions.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Portsmouth, NH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Portsmouth, NH is Cape Ann Camp Site with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Portsmouth, NH?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Portsmouth, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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