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.
Camping near Raymond, NH
5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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State parks and forests surrounding Raymond, New Hampshire feature a variety of camping experiences within a short drive. Bear Brook State Park, New Hampshire's largest state park, sits approximately 10 miles northwest of Raymond, offering wooded campsites under towering pines with access to multiple ponds and extensive trail systems. Pawtuckaway State Park, located about 7 miles east in Nottingham, provides lakeside camping with opportunities for swimming, kayaking, and hiking to a fire tower. Private campgrounds like Wakeda Campground in Hampton Falls and Calef Lake Camping Area in Auburn complement these state facilities with full hookup options for RVs and family-oriented amenities. The region supports tent camping, RV sites with utilities, rustic cabins, and some glamping accommodations.
Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally from May through October, with peak season running Memorial Day through Labor Day. Advance reservations are strongly recommended during summer weekends and holidays when waterfront sites fill quickly. New Hampshire state parks have varying pet policies, with many restricting dogs during peak season. As one camper noted about Bear Brook State Park, "The campground is tucked away in the woods so you really feel like you're away from the cities in the area." Cell service can be spotty in more remote locations, particularly at Pawtuckaway where visitors report Verizon coverage limited to text messages. Mosquitoes are prevalent in summer months, especially near water features, prompting many reviewers to recommend bringing ample repellent.
Waterfront sites consistently receive the highest praise from visitors, though they typically require booking well in advance. A reviewer at Pawtuckaway State Park commented, "Generally large and level sites, many with water access. Make your reservation well in advance if you're planning to visit during peak season or if you want a prime waterfront site." The wooded settings provide natural privacy between many campsites, with tall pines offering welcome shade during summer heat. Facilities vary widely, with state parks typically offering more basic amenities like pit toilets or coin-operated showers, while private campgrounds often feature full bathhouses, camp stores, and recreational facilities. The proximity to both lakes and the Atlantic coast (about 30 minutes east) makes the Raymond area popular for campers seeking water activities.
Best Campgrounds near Raymond (173)
1. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground
"Driving around this past weekend I did notice that some of the sites had damp spots; site 71 was the worst with deep mud on the long approach."
"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."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $35 - $140 / night
2. Bear Brook State Park Campground
"Tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere New Hampshire is it's largest state park. Bear Brook is full of trails, ponds and a fairly large campground."
"Site 91 is near the entrance, but large and set back from the camp road, so it offers some extra seclusion. It’s across the street from the playground."
Check Availabilityfrom $35 - $45 / night
3. Wakeda Campground, LLC
"We had bathrooms located near our site. They were four separate bathrooms that had a sink and toilet and were clean. They did offer showers in another area but I did not use them."
"Our full hookup site was very close to other sites, so unfortunately we had to deal with some noise issues."
Check Availabilityfrom $48 - $97 / night
4. Calef Lake Camping Area
"Beautiful location in southern NH! Located Beside a lake, The water is great for swimming, and the playground is absolutely perfect for kids and adults alike."
"They originally booked us on a site so small, our tent wouldn’t even fit so we weren’t going to be able to have a fire because our tent was so close to it."
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $40 / night
5. Tuxbury Pond RV Campground
"entrance (seems to happen frequently, I guess)."
"We went just for one night with a tent because our 5 years old loooves camping, so we reserved this at the last minute, and when we get there, well, the tent sites are way too close to each other, thank"
6. Wellington Camping Park
"Had to walk around to find signal for phone call."
"Sites are wide I parked my truck next to camper and still had enough space for a safe fire in the pit."
Check Availabilityfrom $45 - $55 / night
7. Salisbury Beach State Reservation
"We love that it is right on the water, and we can walk to the beach. We also appreciate that it is pet friendly, and our dogs love it too."
"The electrical post and water hookup were placed way behind our site and we could not reach even with our 40’ electrical cord."
148 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $28 - $38 / night
8. Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park
9. Pine Acres Resort
"Swimming, fishing, hiking, climbing (near by), biking. What ever your into its here. Volleyball, softball, tent sites, cabins, RV sites..seriously all the amenities."
10. Exeter Elms Campground
"Site across the path was a little loud, but we were too I imagine... bet it'd be lots of fun for the kiddos."
"Sites weren’t bad, clean campground, pool & canoe rentals, family activities offered, short drive to the beaches. Primitive camping, waterfront sites & cabins available :)"
Check Availabilityfrom $45 - $59 / night
Drive Time
- 12 min from Manchester, NH
- 59 min from Boston, MA
- 1 hr 14 min from Worcester, MA
- 1 hr 21 min from Portland, ME
Recent Camping Photos near Raymond, NH
346 Photos of 173 Raymond Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Pine Acres Resort
Pawtuckaway State Park Campground
Calef Lake Camping Area
Bear Brook State Park Campground
Saddleback Campground
Wellington Camping ParkR
Winding River CampgroundL
Great Bay CampingM
Wakeda Campground, LLC
Tuxbury Pond RV Campground
Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages
Old Stage Campground
Recent Reviews near Raymond, NH
848 Reviews of 173 Raymond 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.
- Leighton O.Guide
Winter Island Park
Nice location if enjoy walks by the ocean. Staff is very friendly. Bathrooms and showers could use some work.
- PPatrick
TravelerPawtuckaway State Park Campground
Great spot with all types of different campsites.
- kkevinTraveler
Spacious Skies Minute Man
Beautiful place about an hour from Salem Boston and Plymouth. Be careful getting in Sharp Hill coming up and down lots of scrapes on the ground tight navigation through sites lots of beautiful trees.
Nancy W.
LegendWinter Island Park
Basically a parking lot but with great views!
I’m not going to lie this was a little tricky for big rigs to get to, but with lots of patience and skillful driving, it is doable. Salem is an old New England town so there are many narrow streets and some low clearances. Follow the directions on the parks website as they are designed for RVs– don’t use Google Maps unless you are a small camper. Even getting into the park is kind of challenging because of the way the entrance is laid out with the entrance booth and some low hanging trees. This campground is in a municipal park with a marina, beach, a short walking trail, and picnic areas. The campground has different sections and totally different feels to them. We arrived on a weekend and section we were in the section which is in the parking lot of a busy marina. The parking lot was half full which made for navigating our 45’ bus into our site pretty hard.
No sites have fire pits but you can have a fire if you bring your own above ground pit. Tent sites have picnic tables but nothing else. Some sites you can drive to and have a car onsite and others are non-vehicle access sites (11, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27& 38) in which you have to park in a parking lot. Some RV sites have great water views and others are in a back gravel lot. In my opinion, the best RV sites are 12-16(A-D) because they have a water view. Sites 16B-D are a little tricky for big-rigs to get into because of the tight space. Our site (#13) had a slight downhill slope. We pulled in forward so we could have a view of the harbor which meant the utilities (water electric only) were in the front of our site but we were able to reach without an extension cord. We loved watching the action in the harbor. There is a gazebo by the water which we enjoyed siting under and watching boats go in and out of the harbor while it rained.
There is a nice sandy beach onsite which attracts a lot of day use vistors. The grounds are interesting to walk around as the water views are nice and there is an old fort to explore. Nearby town of Salem Willows is(about½ mile away) is a cute old seaside town with restaurants and arcades. They have a Bluebike rental station which is an easy way to get downtown and explore the area if you don’t have a car.
- Nancy W.Legend
Sea-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.
Guide to Raymond
Campsites near Raymond, New Hampshire offer convenient access to diverse outdoor recreation within a 30-minute radius. The region sits at elevations between 200-400 feet, characterized by mixed pine-hardwood forests interspersed with numerous small ponds and streams. Cell service varies significantly between campgrounds, with several locations reporting only text message capabilities for Verizon customers while ATT coverage tends to be more reliable in the area.
What to do
Paddling opportunities: Bear Brook State Park provides multiple ponds for water activities. "I hadn't camped here in the past 8 years, so decided it was time to revisit... During the peak season, I'm sure it's a different story given it's proximity to Concord and Manchester and the variety of activities available," notes one visitor to Bear Brook State Park Campground.
Mountain biking: The extensive trail network at Bear Brook supports riders of all skill levels. "We camped here to check out the mountain bike trails in the park and we're not disappointed on either count. The campground is nice and spacious, well kept and the staff is friendly. The biking trails were a blast," shares a camper who visited Bear Brook.
Golfing: For campers who enjoy golf during their outdoor stays, Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park combines camping with a 9 or 18-hole course. "This campground is 1300 acres owned and operated by the Simonsen family in Derry, NH. The main attraction of this campground is the golf course of 9 or 18 holes. There is a pro shop, golf cart rentals, etc."
What campers like
Spacious, wooded sites: Many campgrounds in the region offer larger sites under tall pines. "Mostly level sites sit under towering pines and vary greatly in size. Many of the sites are separated from their neighbors by large, downed pine trees," writes a reviewer about Pawtuckaway State Park Campground.
Wildlife viewing: The wetlands and ponds attract various animals. "We forgot the daily visits from the ducks, like clockwork morning and dusk a family of ducks visited looking for grub... The next day I bought uncooked Quaker Oats and some grapes that I cut in quarters for them," describes a visitor to Pawtuckaway.
Swimming options: Several campgrounds feature dedicated swimming areas. "The sites are level and roomy. The bathroom was clean. The walk to the beach was along a public parking lot. The beach was clean. The small store is well stocked. You can rent kayaks here. Lots of small people powered boats on the lake," notes a Pawtuckaway camper.
What you should know
Seasonal variations: Most campgrounds operate May through October with significant differences in crowding and amenities. A visitor to Salisbury Beach State Reservation observed, "As there are a lot of campsites and with this being a popular beach area, the campground is probably full in the summer. Most of the sites are wide open so getting satellite is possible."
Insect preparation: Mosquitoes are prevalent, particularly in wooded sites and near water. "The bug situation can be intense, especially in early summer when sites back up to wetlands or ponds," report multiple reviewers.
Site selection matters: Research specific site numbers before booking. "I was in site 38 and found that the little loop to my campsite was tight to exit (I was towing a 14' teardrop, not a big trailer) and I had to be careful to swing wide at the corner," shares a camper about Bear Brook State Park.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Some campgrounds feature extensive play areas. At Wakeda Campground, families appreciate the recreation options: "They also had a recroom attached which has a pool table. They do rent canoes for the river. The shower/toilet house was very clean and open for use."
Entertainment options: Many campgrounds schedule regular activities. "Adult bingo every Friday, DJ for kids every Saturday," mentions a visitor to Exeter Elms Campground.
Water safety considerations: Lakes and ponds often lack lifeguards and have varying water conditions. "The swimming area at the pond looked very inviting for summer time campers. I also liked the sites across from ours near the ball field and thought they would make a nice place for a large group of friends to pitch their tents," notes a Bear Brook camper.
Tips from RVers
Hookup locations: RVers should check site diagrams before arrival as utility placement varies. At Wellington Camping Park, a camper noted, "Sites are wide I parked my truck next to camper and still had enough space for a safe fire in the pit. Nice painted picnic table, water turns on with ball valve, sewer has 2 inlets, electric service was sturdy and proper."
Dump station access: Not all campgrounds offer full sewer connections. "Good sites, with water and 30 amp electric. Easy walk to the beach. Dog friendly, big dump site, and good prices," reports a visitor to Salisbury Beach State Reservation.
Leveling challenges: Many sites require leveling blocks. "The sites were a little close and difficult to set up with more than one tent in our specific campsite," mentions a reviewer about Bear Brook, which applies to RVs as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there family-friendly campgrounds near Raymond, New Hampshire?
Are there family-friendly campgrounds near Raymond, New Hampshire?
The Raymond area has excellent family-friendly camping options. Bear Brook State Park Campground is New Hampshire's largest state park and offers a truly family-oriented experience with play structures, a camp store, beach, and even a small baseball diamond. Woodmore Family Campground and RV Park is another great option with plenty of activities for families, clean facilities, and friendly owners. Families also appreciate Exeter Elms Campground for its range of amenities and accessibility. Most family campgrounds in the region offer reservable sites, proper restroom facilities, and recreational activities to keep children entertained throughout your stay.
What campgrounds are available in Raymond, NH?
What campgrounds are available in Raymond, NH?
Raymond, NH and its surrounding area offer several excellent camping options. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground is nearby and features wooded sites, many with water access, where you can enjoy swimming, hiking, kayaking, and fishing. Calef Lake Camping Area in nearby Auburn provides drive-in access with reservable sites, toilets, and accommodations for larger RVs. The region also has several private campgrounds including Wellington Camping Park and Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park, both offering various amenities for campers. Most campgrounds in the area require reservations, especially during peak summer months, so booking in advance is recommended.
What is the best time of year to camp in Raymond, NH?
What is the best time of year to camp in Raymond, NH?
The prime camping season in Raymond, NH runs from late May through early October. Summer (June-August) offers warm days perfect for swimming and water activities at places like Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages, which provides beautiful vistas of a small New Hampshire pond. Early fall (September-early October) brings spectacular foliage and comfortable temperatures, making it ideal for hiking and outdoor exploration at parks like Roots and Wings Homestead. Spring camping (May-early June) can be beautiful but expect cooler nights and occasional rain. Many campgrounds in the region open Memorial Day weekend and close after Columbus Day, with reduced services during shoulder seasons. Summer weekends book quickly, so make reservations well in advance.
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