Best Tent Camping near Sandown, NH

Tent campers visiting Sandown, New Hampshire have several established campgrounds within a 30-mile radius offering tent-specific sites. Cape Ann Camp Site in Gloucester, Massachusetts provides wooded tent sites with natural privacy barriers, while Lost Boys Hideout in New Hampshire offers more rustic walk-in tent camping experiences. Military Park New Boston Air Force Station Recreation Area, approximately 20 miles west of Sandown, maintains year-round tent sites in a more secluded setting.

Most tent campgrounds in the region feature basic amenities including fire pits, picnic tables, and access to toilet facilities. Cape Ann's tent sites are set among trees and boulders, providing natural separation between campsites. Water access varies significantly between locations, with some requiring campers to bring their own drinking water. Seasonal considerations affect availability, with many campgrounds operating from May through October. Campers should verify fire regulations before arrival as restrictions may apply during dry periods. The terrain at most sites consists of natural forest floor with minimal site preparation.

Tent camping in this region offers distinct advantages over other accommodation types. The wooded sites at Cape Ann provide shade and natural screening that creates a more immersive outdoor experience. Walk-in tent sites at Lost Boys Hideout require a short hike but reward campers with greater seclusion. According to one visitor, "Cape Ann Campground is clean and quiet with beautiful tent sites. The RV sites are not as secluded as the tent sites." Another camper noted that Cape Ann's sites are "surrounded by trees so it felt pretty private." Primitive tent camping areas typically see fewer visitors than developed campgrounds, especially during weekdays. Many tent sites serve as convenient bases for exploring nearby hiking trails, beaches, and natural areas throughout southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts.

Best Tent Sites Near Sandown, New Hampshire (13)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Sandown, NH

668 Reviews of 13 Sandown Campgrounds


  • Emma N.
    May. 24, 2018

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Secluded Sites

    The night before hiking Mount Monadnock, my husband and I camped here. Monadnock State Park is about a 25 minute drive from the campground, and provides a beautiful hike. The RV sites at Greenfield State Park were relatively secluded, as it is a very wooded area. We visited very early in the season, so the main tent camping loops were blocked off for maintenance. Our site had a picnic table and a fire ring. We drove by a shower facility and a building with restrooms. The restrooms were still locked for the winter, so there were a few port-a-potties right outside- these were absolutely disgusting. It looked as though they had not been cleaned out all winter. Otherwise, the campground seemed nice! Just don’t forget to bring some bug-spray for those New Hampshire mosquitos!

  • 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.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 28, 2023

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Loved it here

    We stayed here for a night in mid October, as they were getting ready to close for the season, so more than half of the campground was closed off. But the part that we did see was awesome. Each site was huge, separated from its neighbor, private, mostly flat, and beautiful. No hookups in the campground, and sites are hit or miss with tree coverage, some sites may have enough opening for solar or starlink, but I wouldn’t count on it. 

    There are hiking trails throughout the campground, but our dog got covered in ticks so watch for that. There are water spigots throughout the campground and a dump station. Showers were free and nice and clean, and you can control the temperature and let the water run (no button to push). 

    The dump truck driver was there picking up garbage and I asked him about recycling and he said they have their own transfer station where the waste is sorted, so all recycling and garbage goes into the dumpster. 

    We paid $23 for a site because it was primitive season, but I think normally it’s $25. No other taxes or fees were charged. There’s a little store in the ranger office with basic supplies and gifts, ice cream, fire starters, ice, etc. There’s also a little free library exchange behind the office. And to top it off, we had cell service here. Great stay, highly recommend! Beware of ticks!

  • Jessica N.
    Sep. 13, 2021

    Greenfield State Park Campground

    Great Park, big sites

    Stayed for a weekend (1 night). Easy access to a bathroom (which was very clean). Quiet neighbors, everyone around us observed the quiet hours (10p-7a) and even during the day no one was super loud. Very respectful drivers made biking feel fun and safe for kids. Campers beach was lovely. Sure the water was a little weedy, but we didn’t mind. The lake is a great spot for kayaking (although it is a little bit of a walk from the parking lot with a heavy boat) and the sunset on the lake definitely didn’t disappoint. Nice partially shaded and level site with good access for backing in our small trailer. Playground, camp store, convenient check-in at office, firewood available for $6, lots of trails and fairly level for easy biking. State park camping (no hookups) but there’s a dump station near the exit and water spigots dispersed around the campsites. Absolutely would go again.

  • 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.

  • B
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Gilson Pond Area Campground — Monadnock State Park

    Beautiful State Campground

    This was my first time to New Hampshire so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the state parks there. I was not disappointed. I arrived after 7, so there was no one to check me in but I had reserved a campsite ahead of time so I was I went right to my site and set up. The site was big with 2 platforms, a nice picnic table and a fire pit with a grill. I was right next to the bathroom but there was a lot of woods in between my site and the facilities so it didn’t matter at all. In fact I barely noticed any of the neighboring campsites. There is quite a bit of space between each site. The bathrooms and dish washing area are new and well kept. Bring quarters for hot water. The only bad thing was the only place to buy wood for a fire was the camp store which was closed, but my fault for coming late. It was open both days I was there until 6. The hiking is incredible, both from the site and by driving to the headquarters to park. The people working there were friendly and jump started my car when the battery went dead. It was a wonderful weekend away and I will definitely be back.

  • 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.


Guide to Sandown

Tent camping near Sandown, New Hampshire provides access to both wooded forest sites and more developed facilities within a 30-mile radius. The region sits at approximately 315 feet above sea level in southern New Hampshire's temperate climate zone, with camping season generally running May through October. Seasonal temperature swings can be dramatic, with summer daytime temperatures averaging 80-85°F and nighttime lows sometimes dipping into the 50s.

What to do

Beach access: 15-minute drive. The Sandown area's campgrounds provide convenient bases for water recreation. Cape Ann Camp Site is located "close to a nice beach" where "low tide was unexpected as you could walk for ever," according to camper Ron C.

Historic exploration: Multiple options within 25 miles. Boston Harbor Islands State Park Campground offers unique historical features to explore. One camper mentioned, "Exploring the island was awesome. We found all kinds of bunkers and a brick house."

Wildlife observation: Dawn and dusk best. Several campsites offer opportunities to spot local wildlife. At Cape Ann Camp Site, campers report seeing "wild turkeys, deer, etc." according to John S., making early morning and evening ideal times for wildlife watching.

What campers like

Natural site separation: Significant space between sites. At Lost Boys Hideout, tent sites feature recent upgrades with "improvements to the firepit, area all mulched, even some games and water are provided!" according to Steve K. The natural surroundings create privacy without feeling isolated.

Walk-in site seclusion: Short hike required. Some campers prefer the more remote feel of sites requiring a short walk. Lost Boys Hideout specializes in this type of camping experience, with one camper describing it as "Simplicity at its best."

Beach proximity: Under 1 mile from several sites. Many campers appreciate the beaches near camping areas. A visitor to Cape Ann Camp Site noted it has "great beach access and friendly staff" with sites that are "clean but very rustic."

What you should know

Shower facilities: Variable by location. Some campgrounds charge for showers. At Cape Ann, showers "require payment with quarters" according to Ben E., who noted, "I don't know how many quarters it takes because I don't carry change."

Site conditions: Mostly natural surfaces. Most tent sites in the region are unpaved. One camper at Cape Ann noted, "The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads."

Cell service: Limited in some areas. Connection quality varies significantly across the region. Military Park New Boston Air Force Station Recreation Area has particularly spotty coverage due to its more remote location, though campers praise its "Nice scenery with fresh air."

Tips for camping with families

Water activities: Multiple options available. Families enjoy the variety of water-based recreation options near Sandown. Salmon Falls River RV Resort is particularly family-friendly, with one visitor calling it "Kids Paradise" and noting "Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!! My niece had so much fun!"

Educational opportunities: Nature programs available. Several campgrounds offer environmental learning experiences. Camp Nihan Education Center provides what one camper called the "Perfect blend of rugged and convenient for small kid camping" and is "adjacent to Breakheart Reservation, which had a great shallow pond with life guard on duty."

Short-duration trial camping: Weekend packages available. For families new to tent camping near Sandown, shorter stays can be ideal. Camp Nihan is particularly suitable as it's "super close to parking and yet the terrain is rugged enough that it always felt like we were really in the woods."

Tips from RVers

Site privacy comparison: Tent sites generally more secluded. At many mixed-use campgrounds near Sandown, tent sites offer more privacy than RV areas. When visiting campgrounds with both RV and tent options, consider the layout differences.

Utility access: Varies by campground. While many sites offer electric hookups, water access can be inconsistent. One camper at Salmon Falls River RV Resort noted they "have great activities daily for the kids a nice store onsite" but mentioned that the "sites are close together."

Seasonal considerations: Booking windows and weather. Most RV-friendly campgrounds near Sandown operate seasonally. Huttopia Southern Maine runs from "Mother's Day to Columbus Day" and features "grounds are manicured and aimed to be family friendly" according to one visitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sandown, 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 Sandown, NH?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Sandown, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.