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Patrick
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TravelerPawtuckaway State Park Campground
Great spot with all types of different campsites.
Camping near Rye, NH
2 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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The New Hampshire coast near Rye has camping options ranging from family sites to state parks. Minute Man Campground works well for families who want good facilities and room to spread out. About 20 minutes from Rye, Wakeda Campground sits among trees that create natural breaks between sites. Campers looking for water activities often head to Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, where the lake supports both fishing and paddling. Most campsites around Rye can be reached without much trouble, though you might need to carry gear a short distance at some of the more private spots. The campgrounds typically come with basic needs covered – water, bathrooms, and tables for meals. Trees provide good screening at many sites, while others have more open layouts with less privacy. Many campers use these areas as a base for day trips to Hampton Beach or to explore Portsmouth, both just a quick drive away. Weather dictates the camping season here, with many places shutting down once cold weather arrives. If you're planning a summer weekend trip, book ahead since spots fill quickly. Camping in the Rye area works well whether you want quiet time outdoors or days filled with activities.
Best Campgrounds near Rye (149)
1. 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
2. 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
3. Sea Coast Camping and RV Resort
"Their location is close to Hampton Beach and Rye sea walk and good restaurants including a doughnut shop within walking distance."
"The two sides are separated by a tree line where the tent sites are located. The park is in a good location and pretty close to the beach, restaurants, shopping and access to Route 1."
4. 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
5. Beach Rose RV Park
"Simple, clean, perfect pool set up, quiet and close to beaches and New Hampshire coastline."
"Beach Rose RV Park in Salisbury, Massachusetts is a small, friendly, family-owned campground near the beach."
6. Hampton Beach State Park Campground
"Oceanfront camping at its best—full hookups just steps from the beach. Located in popular Hampton Beach, you'll be close to nightly bandshell concerts and vibrant nightlife."
"One side of the campground is bordered by an inlet that fishing boats use to head out from the harbor. Another side is sand dunes, that are the south end of Hampton beach."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $70 / night
7. Seacoast Camping and RV Resort
"The two sides are separated by a tree line where the tent sites are located. The park is in a good location and pretty close to the beach, restaurants, shopping and access to Route 1."
"The campground is located on Route 1 which means you are convenient to a lot of things but there is lots of traffic."
Check Availabilityfrom $38 - $48 / night
8. Libbys Oceanside Camp
"You are steps away from the beach from the time you arrive to the time you departed the staff is always available and always willing to help, answer any questions and give recommendations where to go eat"
"Love the location & the town of York! The views are beautiful!"
Check Availabilityfrom $50 - $125 / night
9. 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"
10. Old Stage Campground
"Walking distance to rest rooms and showers. Great owners. 1st trip in a hurricane."
"Learning to get away from the bad campers."
Check Availabilityfrom $43 - $47 / night
Drive Time
- 37 min from Manchester, NH
- 1 hr 1 min from Boston, MA
- 1 hr 6 min from Portland, ME
- 1 hr 19 min from Worcester, MA
Recent Camping Photos near Rye, NH
306 Photos of 149 Rye Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Recent Reviews near Rye, NH
769 Reviews of 149 Rye Campgrounds
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.
Briggs M.
ScoutBerry's Grove Campground
Nice Place To Relax
We were visiting family around Nashua and needed somewhere to park the RV nearby. Berry’s Grove ended up being a really good fit. We could come and go easily and still have a nice place to relax at the end of the day.
- KKurt B.Scout
Hampton Beach State Park Campground
Oceanfront camping at its best—full hookups just steps from the beach. Located in popular Hampton Beach, you'll be close to nightly bandshell concerts and vibrant nightlife. There is a lottery system in place for stays during the summer.
Harvey R.ScoutBerry's Grove Campground
Never Got Old
Waking up with the lake right outside the camper never got old. We would have breakfast, sit by the water for a while and then head out to explore the area.
- SSienna M.Scout
Berry's Grove Campground
Our Dog Loved
Our dog loved it here. We spent alot of time outside and there was enough space around the campground for him to get some exercise too.
Guide to Rye
New Hampshire's coastal region near Rye experiences cool, humid summers with average highs around 80°F in July and August. The camping season typically runs from May through October, with many campgrounds closing once temperatures drop below freezing at night. Most camping spots near Rye sit within 10 miles of the Atlantic Ocean, creating a unique mix of coastal and woodland camping environments.
What to do
Beach access from camp: Hampton Beach State Park Campground offers RV camping with full hookups right near the water. "Oceanfront location is classic NE style summer camping. Also classic NE style, it's packed in the summers. We caught the tail end of the season last year and the beach was super peaceful and much quieter than in high season," notes Lyssa M.
Fishing opportunities: At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, fishing spots abound along the lake shores. "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.
Explore nearby towns: From Seacoast Camping and RV Resort, visitors can easily reach Portsmouth and Newburyport. "The park is in a good location and pretty close to the beach, restaurants, shopping and access to Route 1. You are also just twenty minutes or so to Portsmouth and Newburyport which are some of our favorite New England coastal towns," notes Nancy W.
What campers like
Waterfront sites: Many campers praise the lakeside spots at Pawtuckaway State Park. "The sites on the water book up quickly but they're perfect for fishing and boating. Also, the view!" shares J L.
Proximity to beaches: Salisbury Beach State Reservation offers camping within walking distance of the ocean. "Clean facilities, super quick access to the beach, friendly staff, sites are pretty close together with little separation between each other. RV & tent sites available. Our family loves both the ocean & camping so it is a win-win!" says Sara D.
Off-season tranquility: Hampton Beach State Park becomes much quieter after summer peaks. "Extremely crowded in high season, empty in off season. Extremely close to the beach," mentions Caitlin B.
What you should know
Site spacing varies significantly: At Wakeda Campground, sites offer more privacy than many coastal options. "Great employees, clean reliable power. No issues great spread out sites," reports Zachary W.
Weather considerations: Fall camping requires preparation for cooler nights. Temperatures in September and October can drop into the 40s overnight, with increasing rainfall.
Reservation timing matters: Most waterfront sites book up 6-12 months in advance. Hampton Beach State Park reservations "are usually made a year in advance," according to Kevin K.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Sea Coast RV Resort provides child-friendly amenities. "Very clean, very quiet. Not a lot for kids to do," says Karen, while Crystal notes they have a "big playground."
Swimming options: Old Stage Campground offers a pool for families. A camper described it as "Kid. Accommodating. Family friendly. Kid infested. Safe. Scenic. Perfect."
Beach alternatives: When oceanfront spots are full, consider inland options with other water features. "There is a very large playground, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, basketball, and camp store," at Seacoast Camping and RV Resort according to one reviewer.
Tips from RVers
Site selection: At Sea Coast RV Resort, some sites require careful navigation. "The roads in the park are fairly narrow and we had to drive over the grass across from our site in order to back in," reports Nancy W.
Power considerations: Many campgrounds offer both 30-amp and 50-amp service, but not all. "Good sites, with water and 30 amp electric. Easy walk to the beach. Dog friendly, big dump site, and good prices," notes John O. about Salisbury Beach State Reservation.
Extended stays: Several campgrounds offer monthly rates for longer visits. "We stayed here for a week, our site was large with full hookups and the area was very clean, some sites in other sections are closer together," reports Betty H. about Tuxbury Pond RV Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping options are available within walking distance of Rye Beach?
What camping options are available within walking distance of Rye Beach?
There are limited camping options within walking distance of Rye Beach itself. Beach Rose RV Park is one of the closest options, offering a clean, quiet setting with a pool and convenient access to New Hampshire's coastline. For those willing to travel a short distance, Sea Coast Camping and RV Resort is nearby and provides easy access to Rye's sea walk. Both campgrounds are well-maintained and serve as excellent bases for exploring Rye Beach. While not directly within walking distance, these options provide the closest accommodations for campers looking to enjoy Rye Beach without driving far.
Where can I find campgrounds near Rye Beach, NH?
Where can I find campgrounds near Rye Beach, NH?
Several quality campgrounds are located within a short drive of Rye Beach. Seacoast Camping and RV Resort offers clean, well-maintained facilities with both full hook-up and pull-through sites for big rigs at reasonable rates for coastal New England. Another excellent option is Hampton Beach State Park Campground, which provides convenient beach access. For those willing to travel slightly further, Salisbury Beach State Reservation offers beachfront camping with electrical hookups and picnic tables, though be prepared for potential challenges with utility placement at some sites.
Is camping allowed directly on Rye Beach?
Is camping allowed directly on Rye Beach?
No, camping is not permitted directly on Rye Beach. Like most New Hampshire beaches, overnight camping on the beach itself is prohibited to protect the natural environment and ensure public access. For beach camping experiences in the region, consider Wild Duck Adult Campground & RV Park, which offers quiet spots near the beach. Alternatively, Thousand Trails Moody Beach provides good proximity to coastal beaches, though with tighter spots. For camping with beach access in New Hampshire, your best option is to stay at established campgrounds near the coastline and make day trips to Rye Beach.
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