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Best Campgrounds near Rochester, NH

917 Reviews

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. Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Barrington Shores Campground both offer waterfront sites that receive high ratings from visitors. 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."

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Best Camping Sites Near Rochester, New Hampshire (212)

    1. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    44 Reviews
    Raymond, NH
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 895-3031

    $35 - $140 / night

    "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."

    2. Old Stage Campground

    9 Reviews
    Madbury, NH
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 742-4050

    $43 - $47 / night

    "Walking distance to rest rooms and showers. Great owners. 1st trip in a hurricane."

    "Learning to get away from the bad campers."

    3. Salmon Falls / Lebanon KOA

    7 Reviews
    Rochester, ME
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 339-9465

    "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."

    4. Beaver Dam Campground

    8 Reviews
    North Berwick, ME
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 698-2267

    "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. "

    5. Bear Brook State Park Campground

    28 Reviews
    Candia, NH
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 485-9869

    $35 - $45 / night

    "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."

    6. Flat Rock Bridge Family Resort

    5 Reviews
    Rochester, ME
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 339-9465

    7. Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp Resort, Lakes Region

    6 Reviews
    Milton, NH
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 652-9022

    $64 / night

    "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"

    8. Lazy Frog Campground

    4 Reviews
    Berwick, ME
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 457-1260

    "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."

    9. Barrington Shores Campground

    4 Reviews
    Barrington, NH
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 664-9333

    "Lots of things to do in surrounding towns and easy access to the river."

    10. Ayers Lake Farm Campground and Cottages

    2 Reviews
    Barrington, NH
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 332-5940

    "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."

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Recent Camping Photos near Rochester, NH

591 Photos of 212 Rochester Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Rochester, NH

917 Reviews of 212 Rochester Campgrounds

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 6, 2025

    Beach Rose RV Park

    Nice park

    Owners were helpful on arrival, level concrete pad full hookups. Sites close together but quiet.

  • Utshob A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Bear Brook State Park Campground

    Convenient and fun

    The park was easy to get to, only about half an hour from Manchester. It has kayak rentals and a very well stocked camp store, that was close to the camp sites. Our campsite was only about a hundred feet away from the camp store but still felt private.

    Our campsite also had a fire pit and a picnic table which were great.

    The size of the sites varies quite a bit though as well as their isolation, some were out in the open.

    For cell service: ATT seems to have pretty decent coverage but not Verizon.

  • Julie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Wassamki Springs Campground

    Great Family campground!

    The amenities here make it a wonderful place for kids and adults!!   Nice,  clean and quiet!    I stayed on a spot by the water, that was totally worth the upgrade.

  • Kaileigh K.
    Aug. 25, 2025

    Sandy Pines Campground

    Amazing location and campground amenities

    We had an amazing long weekend at Sandy Pines and will definitely plan to return. I loved that there was a tent only area that felt a little more secluded and quiet with some nice privacy between sites. The playground and pool were a hit with the kids. The bathrooms were always clean and single user, some had showers as well. The proximity to goose rocks beach was a major plus!

  • S
    Aug. 23, 2025

    Cold Springs Camp Resort

    All Around Exceptional

    This place is just great! They have clean, flat sites, easy to navigate and get our fifth wheel in. The facilities are spotless. There are numerous pools and hot tubs, activities and the people that work there are just the nicest! Our kids were never scolded for being loud and neither were the adults. We have booked our return trip already and can't wait to go back!

  • 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.

  • R
    Aug. 15, 2025

    Sun Outdoors Wells Beach

    Zero wifi or cell signal

    Stayed back in 2023 with travel trailer and experienced almost zero wifi signal as well as verizon cell signal. Returned this past week and found no improvement whatsoever. This on back half of property. Manager stated they are awar and working on it. (For 2 years?). Could not plan anything, check weather unless you walked or drive up front. Light globes at various sites next to campers lit all night and were annoying so covered with bag. Some sites are just bad..huge pine tree at 428 caused camper to park his angled. Fire wood being sold is all pine & burns up immediately.

  • Cassie G.
    Aug. 12, 2025

    Winding River Campground

    Fun laid back place. This campground has a lot of potential. Some info on their website and Facebook isn’t accurate.

    I would like to share my experience this past weekend at Winding River in Exeter NH. My family of 3 Stayed at tent site 523 in the Oak area. We also had family at 553 and 554 and Cabin 2.

    About site 523: I clearly had one of the largest and most private tent sites. It was set back with a long driveway tucked between 522 and 524. It’s a very steep drop into the river making most sites a little nerve wracking with a little one. Online it said water available nearby. Most sites had a hookup but there wasn’t a one on my site. It looked like there may have been one to share on the road, but I didn’t end up needing to figure that out.

    Tent sites 522 and 524: Along with most of the tent sites these sites were very close to each other, much smaller and closer to the road. I wished my family members had gotten 552 and 553 as they blended together nicely if you are tenting in side by side spaces. The ground was very rocky making staking tents down difficult. They were right next to the bathroom which was convenient but loud. Ventilation in the bathroom was not good so the doors were propped open much of the time and loud hand dryers.

    Shower:

    • This is the smaller of the two bathrooms in the campground. There are 2 showers there. Each with a single insufficient curtain and no hooks on the wall or bench to place things down. Water was hot enough, pressure was ok if you set it to the high power massage-like setting.
    • The showers in other bathroom (near the town center area) had a door and two curtains. Some had hooks (some of which were broken). I almost tripped going in and out of these bathroom stalls because they are raised up but there is no marking on the ground to indicate that.

    Cabin 2: Ac worked well. There was a good sized bed downstairs, smaller beds in two lofts. I was surprised the couch didn’t pull out. Fridge and all dishes were nice and clean. All the cabins seem to have different back porch setups. This porch was smaller than C1. There was a propane grill that smelled rancid with sooo much caked on The burners. The location of the ceiling fan under the other lights in the ceiling gave them a flashing effect that really bothered me.

    Pros:

    • Lower price compared to other campgrounds (but I don’t feel like I got everything advertised on the website)
    • Two playgrounds, both were nice.
    • Water slide was fun
    • We arrived Thursday at the gate and were told how to get to our site, to set up and then come over to the office which was nice.

    Cons:

    • The river is very low and yucky so none of the boating or fishing advertised was possible. likely causing the massive amount of mosquitos.
    • The whole arcade building was was “out of order”
    • The laundry room had two washers (one was broken) and two dryers 2.50 each per load. Not sufficient for a campground this size (especially when people leave their clothes in the machine for 30 mins after they’re done!)
    • Camp store was poorly stocked (multiple empty coolers).
    • Ice $3 per SMALL bag.
    • Wood $10 per bundle and rules say you can’t bring from off-site. I saw people with huge metal bins of wood but was never offered that option when I payed for multiple bundles.
    • Camp store closes at 3 on Sunday and doesn’t open until 11 am during the week (which is also checkout). This made it a little confusing when I wanted to return the golf cart. They have a small area with icecream that is scooped and maybe a kitchen. I never saw it open but I think the sign said open morning to 12 and then again in the evening.
    • The pool was green and cloudy on day 3. I called the office and was told they had just shocked it and that was a result of the copper. I am not informed enough on pool safety so I opted out of swimming on the hottest day of our stay. My son was bummed.
    • Planned activities were only scheduled for Friday and Saturday, when online mentions “daily”. During adult kareoke there were plenty of kids and really poor wifi (wasting so much time between songs).

    And just to add:

    • Staff I encountered was friendly enough, but It would be nice if they wore shirts to identify themselves.
    • Golf cart was great, but cost more than the site per night.
    • Pedal go-carts were available for rent (I didn’t ask a price).
  • Rae Y.
    Aug. 11, 2025

    Saddleback Campground

    Uncomfortable feeling for my girls

    I made everyone stay in the trailer every night , we just didn’t feel comfortable with our girls being out after dark. There was def a lot of questionable rif raf that were definitely on something and it was obvious that there were a few girls there that were working.   Always men working on vehicles.  Family will not go back. Don’t want my daughter around that

Guide to Rochester

Camping near Rochester, New Hampshire, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Hiking: Explore the numerous trails in the area. Campers have enjoyed the variety of landscapes, with one reviewer mentioning, "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."
  • Water Activities: Enjoy kayaking or swimming at places like Pawtuckaway State Park Campground. One visitor noted, "Lots of great spots on the water, easy to put a kayak in from."
  • Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for local wildlife. A reviewer shared, "The park includes a large family beach on the lake... where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen."

What campers like:

  • Scenic Views: Campers love the beautiful surroundings. One happy camper said, "Great location with lake views, trails etc. Can't beat it for only an hour from Boston."
  • Clean Facilities: Many appreciate the well-maintained amenities. A reviewer mentioned, "Clean facilities, camp store and beach are great."
  • Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Campgrounds like Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Campground are noted for being great for families. One family shared, "Such a great place for families. West Bay has a playground, a great shower house, water access, and kayak rentals."

What you should know:

  • Pet Policies: If you're bringing a furry friend, check the rules. At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, pets are allowed on hiking trails but not in the campground or beach area during the summer season.
  • Site Privacy: Some campgrounds have sites that are close together. A camper at Bear Brook State Park Campground noted, "The sites were 4' apart in the section I was staying in."
  • Water Quality: Be aware of the water quality at certain campgrounds. A visitor at White Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "Water from the spigot is absolutely HORRID tasting."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with amenities for kids. One reviewer at Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Campground said, "Great place for kids with lots of variety, animals and low traffic back roads for bike riding."
  • Plan Activities: Make sure to have a list of activities. A camper at Pawtuckaway State Park Campground mentioned, "So many lovely waterfront sites, clean facilities."
  • Pack for Comfort: Bring items to keep everyone comfortable. A family shared, "The campground is close to Lincoln, NH so if you need supplies you can easily run into town for food and drink."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Some sites can be tight for larger rigs. A reviewer at Lorraine Park Campground noted, "Some of the FHU sites are pretty tight, but overall the campground is nice."
  • Be Prepared for Road Noise: Campgrounds near highways may have noise. A visitor at Crawford Notch Campground mentioned, "The sites are all nice... but the noise from cars and trucks zipping by on route 302 is loud."
  • Utilize Dump Stations: Make sure to know where the dump stations are located. A camper at Bear Brook State Park Campground appreciated the availability of a dump station, saying, "Dump Station: Yes."

Exploring the campgrounds around Rochester, NH, can lead to memorable experiences filled with nature, family fun, and relaxation.

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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