220 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Rochester, New Hampshire and surrounding areas offer a mix of established campgrounds for tent, RV, and cabin camping. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, located about 15 miles west of Rochester, features water access and accommodates various camping styles including tent, RV, and cabin options. Other notable facilities include Old Stage Campground in nearby Dover and Ayers Lake Farm Campground in Barrington, which provide developed sites with amenities like electric hookups, water access, and shower facilities. Most established campgrounds in the region accommodate both tent and RV camping, with several offering cabin rentals for those seeking additional comfort.
Camping season in the Rochester area typically runs from May through October, with most campgrounds closing during winter months. Pawtuckaway State Park operates from May 1 to October 31, while many private campgrounds like Old Stage and Barrington Shores maintain similar seasonal schedules. Reservations are strongly recommended during summer weekends and holidays when facilities often reach capacity. Several campgrounds provide amenities including electric hookups, water access, sanitary dump stations, and shower facilities, particularly at the privately operated sites. A camper familiar with the area noted, "Ayers lake campground in New Hampshire is a well kept secret. Small and family owned and operated, this campground offers some of the greatest vistas of a small New Hampshire pond we have seen."
Many campgrounds near Rochester feature water access, which remains a primary attraction for visitors. The Rochester area's top-rated campgrounds include waterfront sites at Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Barrington Shores Campground that receive high praise from campers. Families particularly appreciate campgrounds with recreational amenities - Salmon Falls/Lebanon KOA includes features like water slides, swimming pools, and organized activities. Sites along lakes and rivers tend to book quickly during peak season. Forested campgrounds provide natural shade and cooler temperatures even during summer heat. According to review data, visitors frequently mention clean facilities and friendly staff as highlights of their camping experiences. One reviewer described Lazy Frog Campground as "a cute campground, just off the beaten path" where the "owners have worked hard to improve this little gem."
"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."
from $35 - $140 / night
Check Availability"Walking distance to rest rooms and showers. Great owners. 1st trip in a hurricane."
"Learning to get away from the bad campers."
from $43 - $47 / night
Check Availability"We were able to book last minute and got a great tenting site, next to a running river that was great to sleep to. Very buggy, but it's outside, what do you expect?"
"Staff was very friendly and extremely cautious about their surroundings. Plenty of things to do to stay busy during the rainy days."
"Campground is superior in its warmth, cleanliness, dog friendly and access to points of interest."
"LOTS OF GREAT restaurants there and nearby, like Ogunquit Maine and York Maine, etc. THERE is plenty to do if you canoe or kayak, there is a pond right there, there is a swimming area in the pond. "
"Started with really expensive sites, and we had 4 of them next to one another. Rained the whole time we were there. Wouldnt even consider a discount, nothing."
"This is a glampground, keep this in mind, if your looking for a peacful Shangri-La seek another campground, if your looking to let loose and enjoy an amenity filled experience around other people, give"
from $64 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $35 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Lazy Frog is a cute campground, just off the beaten path. The owners have worked hard to improve this little gem. We stayed in August when it is was hot."
"Owner was around and super nice! Amazing place. My family has stayed here many times and will again!"
from $40 - $85 / night
Check Availability"Ayers lake campground in New Hampshire is a well kept secret. Small and family owned and operated, this campground offers some of the greatest vistas of a small New Hampshire pond we have seen."
"On lake site. Great management and owner."
ScoutThe location is what made this place for us. Waking up and being able to walk right down to the water was great. We spent most of our stay fishing, sitting outside, and just enjoying the campground. It is not one of those huge campgrounds packed with activities, which was honestly exactly what we wanted. Small, peaceful, and a nice place to enjoy some downtime.
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.**
ScoutWe stopped at Berry’s Grove while traveling through Massachusetts and were really happy with our stay. The hookups were convenient, our site was easy to get into, and having water and sewer right there made things simple.
ScoutWe just came back from a big family weekend there. We had 5 sites with 19 people(including children). This is by far the most rundown campground I've stayed! Only 1 bathroom facility was functioning. Of the 3 times I tried taking a shower, I only succeeded 1 time. The other 2 times(once at night and once the following morning at 6am) I only got drops coming out of the hot and cold faucets. I tried the only 2 stalls. Speaking of bathrooms...these have not been updated since the 60s-early 70s when I was camping with the same style bathroom facilities. The children's playground should be condemned!!! At least 25% of the wood is rotted. Some steps are missing from ladders. My granddaughter was swinging in the childs swing, the bottom unlatched and she fell through the bottom. If she wasn't monkey like in holding on she would have done a face plant to the ground. After looking at the swing, I found the plastic latch broken! 2 positives: the campsites are very nice! and the beach is great! Bottom line, these owners are not putting any money back into the campground and it's facilities. They are running it into the ground. I won't be coming back again!
ScoutWonderful stay! Clean bathrooms/showers. Woodsy and quiet. Clean campsites with water and electric. The people were super helpful and friendly! Wonderful stay, would easy stay here again :)
ScoutBerry’s Grove was exactly what we were looking for. It is small, peaceful, and right on the water. We brought our RV and had everything we needed at the site, so getting settled was quick and easy. We especially liked being able to spend the afternoon by the lake without having to drive anywhere. It feels tucked away but you are still close enough to town if you need groceries or want to grab something to eat. Really nice campground for a relaxing weekend.
ScoutWe really enjoyed our stay at Berry’s Grove. It is a smaller campground, which gave it a much quieter and more relaxed feel than some of the bigger RV parks we have stayed at. Being right on the lake was definitely the highlight for us. We spent a lot of time sitting by the water and fishing off the dock. Our site was clean and the full hookups made everything easy. It was a nice place to slow down for a few days and we would definitely stay again.
ScoutBeautiful campground. Private spaces. Staff is very friendly.
ScoutWe booked three nights of dry camping and arrived Friday excited to start our weekend. Unfortunately, we barely made it 24 hours before deciding to leave because of the way we were treated. We were told by another man at the campground that we were permitted to run our quiet generator overnight. The posted cutoff time was 9:00 AM, and we fully intended to shut it off by then. At approximately 8:50 AM the following morning, a woman who lives on-site who is named Karen(no pun intended)- and appeared to run the facility came pounding on our RV door, yelling at us about running the QUIET generator all night. We tried to explain that we had been told we were allowed to do so and that we were going to shut it off at the required time. Instead of having a reasonable conversation, we felt that we were essentially pushed out and harassed during the short time we were there. We also had our baby with us, and it was a hot summer night. Being told that we should have simply opened the windows was incredibly frustrating and felt completely dismissive of our situation. We came to enjoy a three-night camping weekend and instead left after barely 24 hours because of how uncomfortable and unwelcome we were made to feel. We have never experienced this kind of treatment at a campground before. Unfortunately, based on this experience, we will never be returning to Hampton State Park RV Camping. The way we were treated was completely unacceptable and left us extremely disappointed and disgusted with the experience. She told us and I quote“this is a campground, not a prison” But clearly it wasn’t.
Camping spots near Rochester, New Hampshire range from lakeside sites to forested retreats within a 20-mile radius. The region sits at the junction of coastal and inland forest ecosystems, with summer temperatures averaging 75-85°F and frequent evening cooling. Most camping areas experience a microclimate that's slightly cooler than nearby urban centers due to tree cover and proximity to water features.
Hiking options: Bear Brook State Park Campground offers extensive trail networks. "Pretty serious trail up and around some mountains, to a fire tower, ponds. There are at least three campground areas, one of which is on an island and has tent sites along the water," notes camper Harry H.
Water activities: Pawtuckaway State Park Campground provides multiple water recreation options. "This a a fantastic little camp for if you want to go canoeing or kayaking or boating of any kind! It's set up of three islands and a large majority of the campsites are right on the water," shares Matt R.
Recreational facilities: Campers with children can enjoy structured activities at Salmon Falls / Lebanon KOA. "This Campground is family friendly and has a lot to offer. Our camping group consisted of children from the ages of 8-17 yrs old. No one was bored," according to J B.
Waterfront sites: The lake views at Ayers Lake Farm Campground receive consistent praise. "This campground offers some of the greatest vistas of a small New Hampshire pond we have seen," mentions Bob H., who appreciates the quieter atmosphere.
Clean facilities: Beaver Dam Campground maintains high standards for their amenities. "Campground is superior in its warmth, cleanliness, dog friendly and access to points of interest. The owners are friendly and maintain the grounds which include lots of activities for young and old," reports Nancy.
Privacy between sites: The layout at some campgrounds provides separation between campers. At Bear Brook, "Many of the sites are separated from their neighbors by large, downed pine trees," and sites vary greatly in size, offering options for different camping styles.
Seasonal restrictions: Dog policies vary by campground and season. At Pawtuckaway State Park, one reviewer noted, "Tried to plan ahead this year and get a prime site to learn they don't allow dogs anywhere in the campground during summer months."
Reservation timing: Prime spots book quickly, especially waterfront sites. "The sites on the water book up quickly but they're perfect for fishing and boating," shares J L. about Pawtuckaway State Park.
Weather considerations: Spring camping can be challenging with temperature swings. "We went in early May, when it was still a bit cold at night (in the low 40s) and not many people were around," reports Kris M. about their Pawtuckaway experience.
Terrain variations: Old Stage Campground sites can be sandy rather than grassy. One camper mentioned, "The sites were spacious in wooded area near a small river. The road in is dirt but is mostly level."
Campground size considerations: Smaller campgrounds offer a different experience than larger ones. Lazy Frog Campground receives praise for its manageable size: "We love the small space. Its a great local campground with activities going on all the time. We love the fishing pond and its pet friendly!"
Activity planning: Schedule around peak usage times for amenities. At Pawtuckaway, "The closest bath/shower was well kept, with four bathroom stalls and the one huge shower, I imagine that the wait times in the summer months might be a hassle but in the off season it was hardly used."
Wildlife encounters: Prepare for local wildlife interactions. One camper at Pawtuckaway described, "I forgot the daily visits from the ducks, like clockwork morning and dusk a family of ducks visited looking for grub."
Noise levels: Some campgrounds are quieter than others. A Bear Brook visitor noted, "We went in early May, when it was still a bit cold at night and not many people were around. The campground, though we had neighbors in every adjoining site, was pretty quiet."
Electrical management: During peak periods, power supply can fluctuate. A Lazy Frog camper shared, "We have a 50 amp unit but reduced down to 30 amp. Once the weekend campers arrived our surge protector kept tripping due to low voltage. To remedy the situation we used only one air conditioner, used propane for our hot water and refrigerator."
Site selection: At Barrington Shores Campground, waterfront sites are limited but worthwhile. One RVer mentioned, "Few transient sites but beautiful spots. 119 on water by the beach and fishing spot. Would definitely come back."
Access considerations: Some campgrounds have tight turns or challenging access points. At Bear Brook, a camper noted, "I 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."
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there tent camping sites available near Rochester?
Yes, several campgrounds near Rochester offer excellent tent camping opportunities. Covered Bridge provides spacious tent sites in a quiet setting, perfect for first-time campers. Bear Brook State Park Campground offers tent sites in New Hampshire's largest state park with trails, ponds, and family-friendly amenities. Other options include White Ledge Campground with primitive tent sites and Roots and Wings Homestead for a more rustic experience. Most tent campgrounds in the area feature fire rings, picnic tables, and access to restroom facilities.
Where can I find campgrounds near Rochester, NH?
Rochester offers several excellent camping options nearby. Barrington Shores Campground is a convenient choice with drive-in access and full hookups for RVs. Just a short drive away, Pawtuckaway State Park Campground offers a beautiful wooded setting with water activities. Other nearby options include Old Stage Campground near Dover and Beaver Dam Campground near Berwick. The region provides a mix of private and public campgrounds, with options ranging from lakeside settings to forested retreats.
What amenities do Rochester, NH campgrounds typically offer?
Campgrounds near Rochester typically offer a range of amenities to enhance your camping experience. Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages provides firewood and scenic lake views in a family-owned setting. Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort features extensive facilities on nearly 200 acres with lakefront access. Most area campgrounds provide water hookups, toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. Many also offer additional amenities such as camp stores, swimming areas, playgrounds, dump stations, and hiking trails. Private RV parks tend to have more services like full hookups, while state parks focus on natural amenities with basic facilities.
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