Been a seasonal camper for 6 years but there are many sites available, some right on the lake, for shorter stays. The owners have worked hard to make Vacationland one of the nicest campgrounds around. Crystal Lake is never crowded and perfect for boating, swimming, and fishing.
When we pulled up to this quiet campground during a warm and sunny day in October, the light shone through the trees on an idyllic pond wreathed in fall color. With no one else around we thought, “welcome to the perfect campsite.”
Each site offers a picnic table, fire ring, and access to the pond. The pit toilet bathrooms were clean and centrally located in the campground. There is a hand driven well pump for fresh water close to the boat ramp (canoes, kayaks, rowboats only). The water was a little rusty tasting, but perfectly fine to drink.
A trail lead directly out of the campsite to another pond about a mile away offering a short round trip afternoon hike. Further up the road, about a mile from the campground, the Mt. Albany trailhead offers a longer and more challenging hike up to the summit as well as connection to other trails in the area. Along the way we found amazing views of the surrounding mountains in all their fall glory!
The campground is only 8 miles from the town of Bethel, ME. This small hamlet offers a few restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores.
This small, private campground just outside Grafton Notch State Park offers clean, level, quiet sites with hot showers. If you don’t need wi-fi and hook-ups, this is the place for you! Seasonal decorations and solar lights decorate and brighten the paths. A small field near the bath house offers benches and horsehoes. A river runs behind the first several sites on the right side of the loop road. There’s a dump station available. It’s a great spot to stay if you are looking to hit the trail and want an early start.
I stayed here in site 4 a few years ago during my quest for the New England 4000-footers and stopped by recently to check it out again.
Hiking opportunities abound in the area, including the notorious Mahoosuc Notch stretch of the Appalachian Trail or family friendlier Table Rock as well as Crocker, Baldpate, and the Grafton Loop. At the right time of year, you may have a chance to chat with through hikers. Splash in the pools at Screw Auger Falls or Step Preserve falls on a hot summer day. Look for moose and other wildlife at dusk or dawn. This is a true retreat.
I stayed here for the first time in August last year, but returned in October this year to enjoy the autumn colors. This is a lovely state park on a large lake, offering drive-in sites with and without water/electric hookups plus a number of primitive boat-in sites around the lake. In 2019 the bathhouse was renovated, delaying the season opening, but it was worth the weight. Bathrooms are clean and bright, offering hot showers ($) and laundry.
Site fill up on weekends, especially prime lakefront sites. You can choose something more open and grassy or a wooded site. There's a swimming area and boat rentals. The office has limited hours. If you arrive after 5 or 6 (depending on the day/month), you'll need to check in in the morning and won't be able to buy firewood on site.
Off site, it's a short drive to Grafton Notch State Park (ME) for hiking and waterfalls, a little farther to Bethel, ME for canoeing, biking, and other outdoor activities. The Umbabog National Wildlife Refuge also offers hiking and boating opportunities with moose, loons, eagles, and beavers, to name a few.
It was bitterly cold overnight (24-27 degrees), so I was grateful for my trailer, but it made for some beautiful, if foggy, mornings and brilliantly clear skies for stargazing. If a tent or trailer isn't your chohice, there are cabins available, too.
Checked in late so we weren’t too picky where we set our tent up, but loved all the room there was. Nice table and fire pit and LOVED the view we had!! Bathrooms are clean and take quarters. Wood and ice are able for purchase.
You cannot go wrong. Right on kangamangus highway basically in the mountains. Recommend the sites by the river!
Easy to navigate, quiet, very friendly staff. Great books in office to take or exchange. Close to mountains. Nice pool.
Lonesome Lake hut is one of three AMC huts open year-round. During peak season, your rate includes dinner, breakfast, a bunk with 3 wool blankets. Meals are served family style; if you have food restrictions, let them know when you make your reservation. There's running water in the sinks (peak season) and composting toilets. Bunkrooms are smaller here than at other huts; you'll be sharing a room with 3-6 others and most of the bunks are only two high rather than the triple deckers you'll see elsewhere. During the off-season, a caretaker may start a fire, but you're on your own for meals and bedding. Sit on the deck or down by the lake and enjoy the views, maybe some wildlike. If you're not an AMC member, join and you'll get a discount on the rate while also supporting their work.
It's about 1.6 miles and 1000' elevation gain from Lafayette Place trailhead, making it a family-friendly destination. NOTE: parking at the trailhead is at a premium and you may need to park at the hiker shuttle at Cannon Mountain. If that's the case, drop off the majority of your crew so that only 1 person has to pay the shuttle fee.
In winter the trail is so frequently travelled that you may not need snowshoes, but I would definitely recommend spikes to minimize the risk of sliding on ice. Your reward is a beautiful view (on a clear day) across the notch to Franconia Ridge. The Kinsman Ridge towers over you to the west. If you're bagging 4000-footers, it's great to hike up here in the evening one day and then head up to the ridge for the Kinsmans and Cannon the next, to make it just a little easier.
I discovered this small family-run campground while driving to another one and my curiosity was piqued, so I had to check it out. After a friendly welcome, I was allowed to explore. They offer wooded campsites, some of them along a a brook and others near a pond; There's no boating or swimming in the private pond because of steep sides, but it's stocked and license-free fishing is possible for trout and catfish. The brook runs into the Pemi river. There is also a swimming hole, but I didn't get a chance to explore that.
The 31 sites vary in size, but are reasonably level, no hookups. A clean, bright bathhouse provides toilets and coin-operated showers; a dumpstation is also available for RVs.
The office is also a store with minimal supplies and firewood. Let them know when you plan to arrive and call if you'll be late to hold your site. They're open full-time Memorial Day to Labor Day, and then weekends only through Columbus Day.
As far as the individual sites go, they are fairly standard. Roomy enough with a picnic table and fire ring and most are reasonably spaced far enough apart with trees to provide privacy. However, the noise from Highway 93 is intolerable! 18-wheelers blowing by at all hours of the day and night, making it very difficult to enjoy a restful sleep. I had reserved site 46 because it was across the street from the Pemigewaset River but I could not hear the river over the highway noise. You can hear the highway noise from all the sites, but I think 33, 34, and 35 are the quietest. The Lonesome Lake Trail runs right through the campground which is good news/bad news. Easy access to the trail but there are a number of sites that directly border the trail, which could impede privacy. No cell service. There is a store, and two restrooms with pay showers; one of these also has a dishwashing sink, and washer and dryer, a nice perk. Franconia Notch State Park has a lot to offer and this campground is centrally located. If it wasn’t for the horrible highway noise, I would give this campground 4 stars; however, it is the ONLY campground in the park, so I guess that’s that!
Moe and her husband built this campground after he retired (sadly, he has since passed away so now Moe and her energetic dog, Rusty, run the place). It is located just a few miles down the road from the state park with the same name (I was a bit confused at first, thinking the state park has a campground, which it does not). This is a small, fifteen site campground located on the Bear River, and it is immaculate. It is obvious that Moe takes great pride in her campground with many little touches like flowers and seasonal, yet tasteful decorations. There was only one additional site occupied when we were there, so it was very quiet. Our site (site 7) backed up directly to the river with a path to access it. The restrooms were spotless, as was the shower. There is no additional fee to use the shower and it had plenty of hot water and a great spray. Sites are all level and trees provide sufficient privacy between them. In the middle, there is a grassy area with a table, several Adirondack chairs, and a horseshoe pit. There is potable and non-potable water, and a dump station and an information board with information on nearby hiking trails and weather.
When planning this trip, I was perusing The Dyrt (as usual) and came across this place. Previously unreviewed, my curiosity was piqued so I clicked on this glamping site and was directed to Tentrr. I had no knowledge of or experience with Tentrr but was intrigued enough to give this place a try as part of our 34th wedding anniversary celebration, which was two days before our arrival. Like Air BnB, you submit a request for your preferred dates and wait to hear back. It did not take very long for us to be accepted. Pre-payment is required and there is a 72-hour cancellation policy. We arrived around 5:30 pm (check-in is much earlier, I believe noon) and we were met by George and Lucy, our hosts. They were very welcoming, obviously taking great pride in their property and making sure they showed and explained everything to us. The site is VERY private and is accessed via a path through the woods. The canvas tent is set up on a wooden platform and there was a picnic table, all the pots and pans you would need to cook, a dishwashing station, four jugs of well water, paper towels, dish soap, hand sanitizer. Basically, EVERYTHING you could possibly need for your stay, all set up under a huge tarp. There is also a solar shower, a camping loo, and plenty of firewood, including birch bark which burns even when wet, and kindling. We enjoyed a fire at night and again the next morning and there was still wood left over. We were also welcomed with a basket with all the supplies needed to make s'mores. It poured during the night, but we stayed cozy and dry in the canvas tent (and everything under the tarp stayed dry as well).
There was some confusion regarding e-mails sent to us from Tentrr. I’m thinking they are standard boilerplate correspondence, but they told us that bedding and firewood were not provided. This was no problem as we travel with sleeping bags, but it was a nice surprise to find these things were, indeed, provided (I’m guessing these are not standard).
The season runs from May to mid-October but the best months to visit are July– beginning of October. We were there toward the end of September and the rain notwithstanding, the weather was ideal temperature-wise. You would contend with black flies in May and ticks in June.
The only two (minor) things to note are that the steps to the platform are steep and you need to be careful to watch your footing and the platform is on a slight downward slope so that our heads were higher than our feet. Staying here was an indulgence but we are so glad we did. We left feeling like we had two new friends in George and Lucy and would highly recommend you give this place a try if you are in eastern New Hampshire!
Very large campground outside of Lancaster, NH. Offering a variety of options for camping-tents, RVs, few cabins as well as a motel. Offer reservations as well as seasonal options. We are traveling for work with our travel trailer (34ft) from Indiana and were able to call about 2wks prior to coming and they offered us a seasonal stay, may-October ~2250. Not sure of their other rates. Laundry room behind office as well as arcade, swimming pool, and smaller play ground. 30mins from Gorham, 1hr 20min from Conway. Very beautiful view of presidential traverse from campground.
This is a huge campground with very nice wooded spots! We stayed on a Friday night and there weren’t many people. The bathrooms and showers are nice as well. The campground has a trail to the beach of the lake! Many trails are available in the park too.
This is a nice campground with access to the Swift river! Short hike will take you to the river from the campground. There are a lot of spots! We went on a slow day so we had it to ourselves with a few more campers! Bathrooms available with running water and trash cans!
The ranger at this campground was so helpful. The spots are nice and secluded. The showers are great and they have a full bathroom. There are hiking trails in the campground as well, which is nice to have!
This campground is in a good location to explore the kanagamus highway and the white mountains! It is close to Franconia notch and plenty of hiking/other activities. Bathrooms and running water available! Nice spot.
Small campground with access to a lot of ATV trails! The campground has amazing views of the lake and also had access to kayaking. There are showers and bathrooms as well. Nice place!
I went to this campground in both 2017 and 2018. We had a great time here for fall camping, we were able to drive up and get a site that day. The waterfront sites are the best and unfortunately we were unable to get one of these sites (though our friends did). The campground is easy access to Franconia Notch and Lincoln. The bathhouse was clean. As stated in previous reviews, staff is friendly, but also particular about the rules and the showers are a little more expensive than average. Overall good campsite and would recommend it.
Campground Review
Stillwater State Park in Groton VT is a delightful retreat, nestled on the shores of Lake Groton. The campground has a mix of lean-tos and tent sites. There are waterfront, waterview, and regular sites. Depending on the site booked, the price can vary by a few dollars. I made a short notice reservation, and we managed to score a waterfront site that someone else had cancelled.
Having our own personal shoreline was wonderful. I was camping with a group of 12-14 year old girls. They enjoyed sitting on the large rocks, watching the ducks and fish in water. We also brought kayaks, which were fun to launch from our site. Our site(site 8) had two fire pits--an older, stone hearth one, and the newer round metal type with a grill. We ended up using the stone hearth to store wood and supplies, and primarily cooked over the round fire pit. The site was large enough for an 8 person tent, a 4 person tent, and a whole bunch of bikes.
We were within easy walking distance of the beach and pavilion. The girls mostly biked everywhere. There is even a nice path through the woods to the local camp store. This was very helpful the first morning when I discovered the bowls had been left at home! The prices at the camp store are reasonable, and they sell many essentials, including ice cream!
The lake water was beautiful and clear. There was enough sand at the camper beach for sand castles and other beach games. We did see a few leeches here and there--none right at the swimming area, but more to the side, close to the vegetated areas.
Stillwater's bathrooms were clean, and there were enough bathhouses that it was never far to one. On our second day, there was an interpretive program at the the pavilion. The ranger led visitors in making bark boats out of materials found in the park. The project was a great idea, as the kids could test their boats right there in the lake. Our group had varying degrees of success, but all the girls agreed it was a super fun activity.
We stayed at the campground on a busy weekend when every site was booked. I was impressed by how quiet the campground ones considering the number of people. The resident campground staff do a good job patrolling to keep things quiet. He even came and check on us because the girls were a little too loud!
In trying to come up with a list of cons, I am having trouble! It was a very positive experience. My only piece of advice would be to make sure you bring the right provisions. This area of VT is 25-30 minutes from any type of grocery store. There is the camp store, but their stock is limited. Just FYI. Also, there is cell service near the water, but it is very inconsistent. Generally, I like limited service since leaving technology is one of the things I love about camping!
Overall, a highly recommended camground. If you have a certain week you want to camp, make sure you book early in the spring, otherwise you might have to wait for a cancellation like I did. The proximity to hiking, boating, swimming, and biking in Groton State Forest makes this a very popular summer campground.
Gear Review
As a Ranger for the The Dyrt, I periodically am given gear to review. This trip, I was stoked to review gear from Banner and Oak. I tested out their women's Pathfinder hat during this trip. I selected it because it had lighter colors, while still looking stylish. I was not disappointed! This hat is structured enough to stand up to abuse and still look good. It is a more feminine riff on the tradition trucker hat style. The back is made out of a stiff mesh, while the front is made of cotton duck fabric. It adjusts with the classic plastic tab system on the back. I loved this hat! It is perfect for throwing on over a braid or pony tail on those messy-hair camping days. It also hides dreaded "helmet hair" after biking. It is now a permanent part of my outdoor gear kit. My 12 year old daughters want their own, and keep wearing mine.
The one area I see room for improvement is in the plastic mesh back. I felt it could be a bit softer, but overall found it comfortable. Definitely check out Banner and Oak if you are looking for solid options for hats!
Moose Brook State Park was beautiful! The bathroom were super clean they had a washing station that had hot water that’s a awesome plus to help get those dishes super clean. Most of the outer campsite where spread apart we searched out most of the site we loved 5,6,7,8 and the dead end loop 11,12,13 and camp site 37! The inner loop with the wide open field was beautiful but sites had limited amount of separation and just isn’t our speed. The loop/trials across the street was a great walk for the dogs. There is a Walmart close by and tractor supply less then 5 minutes away for forgotten or need supplies. We stayed at campsite 7
Campground was clean, easy to find, spots are nestled into wooded areas so you feel very isolated from other campers. We enjoyed this privacy. Campground has toilets, fire pits, big picnic tables, nice areas to set up your tent. Each site is a little different so you can choose which one works best for your needs. Close by hiking.
Decent campground with pretty good amenities (camp store, showers, actual flushing toilets). Only disappointment was that the campsites themselves are way closer together than advertised on the pictures on the website. They also have very little trees or cover in between them, which leaves them relatively open and exposed to other sites.
Overall good experience though. We really enjoyed having the river/creek right near to our site to give us some nice white noise. We would stay there again, but might look into some other campgrounds if we had the option.
The first time my wife had gone camping. We have a bell tent and fit perfectly.
This is probably the smallest campground I have been to. 10 sites around a loop. Some sites are quite open while a couple are nicely secluded! The location is ideal if you hike the Presidential in the White Mountains. Amenities are basic…water pump and pit toilet. You can however drive a few minutes to Dolly Copp campground next door and take a shower (bring quarters) and bathrooms are new and sparkling clean. There is a fire ring and a table with benches on site too. Favorite sites are 1 and 8. You can book ahead and register at Dolly Copp.
A beautiful cozy little park with allot to do for the whole family, we went late to see or hear allot of loans but we still heard some we'll definitely be camping here again!
We spent one night here in our 24ft RV. The campground was not very crowded. There is a restaurant on site, which is great bc there aren’t many options for food around. The owner was very helpful and the campstore was well stocked. We did not check out the restroom facilities.
This is a nice little campground if you're doing the Saco, has a nice bath house, has a bunch of campsites, a good store that has everything that you might have forgotten! The river is right there and you can splash around in it
This is an amazing little campground off in the middle of nowhere. My friends and I went up here for a weekend and we love how isolated it was. It had a beautiful waterfront, it was quiet, and dog friendly!
There is also no cell service up there so no phones as distractions!