Best Dispersed Camping near Sunapee, NH

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Sunapee

16 Reviews of 7 Sunapee Campgrounds

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Small campsites/No amenities

  Drove in on a Wednesday afternoon and drove past 4 or 5 sites, which were all occupied.

  Then saw a car ahead that was backing up. Long story short, they were afraid to drive across a dry wash in their new Jeep. No place to get by. Had to back my trailer about a quarter mile, so they could get out.

  Camped in a very small spot, just barely enough room for our SUV and small teardrop to get off the road.

  There was only a 20 foot by 12 foot space to camp jn with no water, no dumpster, no toilet, no view of anything and lots of other campers that appear to be long term residents.

  OK for an overnight stay but not a desirable camping location overall.

• 

  Thomas and James S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Last light on Michigan Brook

  The Last Light

  Love this site! The very last spot on the right hand side. If you’ve reached the closed gate you’ve missed the site! Keep it clean!

• 

  Lisa

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Tripoli Road

  Love Tripoli

  Love everything about Tripoli. 1st come 1st serve. We have out favorite sites but have had to venture out and take other sites often times. No electricity, no showers. Portta potties every so often. Always close enough to walk to. Love the sites on the water. Have been going here for over 10 years. My kids now love it too

• 

  Miccal M.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 1, 2024

  Road's End Dispersed Camp

  End of the road hide-away

  great private spot when nothing else is around.  The drive in is a little rough, but doable for most vehicles.  The only thing you will find here is a fire ring.

• D

  Dom L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 29, 2023

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Car camping at elbow pond

  This is an awesome spot for camping. They have a couple different spots where you can park and walk up to your site or they have sites you can pull right up next to them. Some of the camping spots have fire pits but not all. Theres a nice pond with great views and good fishing. Some of the sites are close together but there are some that are a good distance apart. The road in is pretty rough and is not recommended for sedans or lower riding cars. Overall this is a great place to camp if you’re looking for free camping spots. Also it is first come first serve

• N

  Nels M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 23, 2022

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Really nice quiet spot

  Really nice spot, I wouldn’t recommend trying to take a normal sedan or something down there and the sites are a little less spread out than I wanted

• 

  Danielle B.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  Tripoli Road

  Real hiking experience

  hiked down a trail and found the most relaxing spot right by the river!

• J

  Joseph A.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 13, 2021

  Tripoli Road

  Awesome

  This is a great spot to start getting into camping with less amenities and more outdoors. I have been going there for 20 years and I still recommend it. Drive up the dirt road and find a nice riverside camp site. 3 miles of seclusion if you want. Great hiking trails directly off Tripoli . Hiking the loop trail is amazing.

• 

  Ali B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 28, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  Primitive Car camping

  Great spot for the weekdays, hardly anyone around and got a great site right by the river (mid-sept.). We left on a Friday morning and a lot more people were coming in so I imagine it could get really loud during busy summer weekends/holidays. A lot of sites were right next to each other so if it's crowded, you might not get a lot of privacy. However, there are little camp spots all over this road, too many to count so it's a good bet of getting one, especially on the weekdays. Definitely watch out for bears though, didn't see any but saw plenty of evidence.

• 

  Kat B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 26, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  My always camp spot

  Fantastic secluded options, highly recommend getting a good spot by the river. Park staff are great and spots are well maintained. Downsides are there are few bathrooms (and they are Portojohns), and the road can be irritating/cars kick up dust as they drive by. It's also first come first serve, so be sure to get up early on Friday for a weekend campout. But this is by far one of my favorite spots!

• 

  Kris Z.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  Came through in the 24th hr...

  Awesome adult spot, pretty much free reign, no quiet time, and, watch out for bears... #kudos

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2019

  Tripoli Road

  Dispersed camping, be bear aware!

  Tripoli Road is a seasonal road, opening in late May most years and closing in autumn. Check the White Mountain National Forest Facebook page for up to date road closures/status. The section before Russell Pond often opens before the rest of it, which is graded, not paved. The road runs between the Waterville Valley area and I-93 exit 31. This is roadside camping, no frills, first come, first served. You must stay at a site with a fire ring, but sites are not numbered. Road signs demarcate no camping zones; some areas look like they could be campsites, but will also be marked with no camping signs. 

  You must register at the ranger station on the western end of the road, shortly past the entrance to the Russell Pond campground. Rates are a flat rate set per car and per weekends or weekday period. In other words, you pay one rate for 1-5 weekdays ($20 in 2019) and another fee for a weekend($25-30 - holidays). It’s self service most of the time, with the ranger available Friday and Saturday evenings. 

  The sites vary from sites near and level with the road to ones set above or well below the road. Some are near a river, most are wooded. Some are isolated, others are close together. There are no reservations, so you'll be choosing your own when you arrive. Downhill sites closest to the Russell Pond area seem to be most popular. Most of these were occupied on a late June weekend, while those farther down the road remained empty.

  There are port-a-potties near the western entrance, but otherwise you’re on your own with cat holes or portable toilet solutions. Nearest showers are at Russell Pond. Please keep it clean and protect the area. I’ve passed through several times while hiking My Osceola and have observed that these sites are often filled with groups or families with multiple tents. On a late June weekend there are numerous empty sites, so they seem to be more available than the dispersed sites along Gale River Rd and Haystack Rd (farther north in Twin Mountain). Excessive drinking and noise can be an issue. 

  You need to be aware that bears are in the area. Following the July 4, 2019 holiday, the camping area was closed after bears visited campsites and got into food that was left in the open and not secured in vehicles or bear canisters. The camping area re-opened July 19, but check the White Mountain National Forest FB page before heading up there. If the issue recurs, I wouldn't be surprised if they close it again.

  Hiking in the region include the Osceolas (moderate hike with beautiful views, exceedingly popular and crowded on autumn weekends - get there early!), Tripyramid, and Tecumseh. Shorter treks include Welch-Dickey (great open ledges) and Snow's Mountain (along a river with falls). Nearby Russell Pond offers ranger programs, fishing, and you can put a kayak or canoe in. The Pemigewassett offers tubing and kayaking put ins. Outfitters one exit south can provide you with transportation and rentals. Exit 32 for Lincoln, Woodstock, and the Kanc is less than 5 miles north.

  Cell service is decent at nearby Russell Pond (Verizon seemed to offer better service than AT&T).

• 

  Ryan M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 2, 2019

  Tripoli Road

  Road side camping has never felt so off the grid

  Can be pretty remote. Choose your own site. Some are better than others, some have streams going thru them. Lots of local hiking

• 

  Beau B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2018

  Tripoli Road

  Tripoli Camp Grounds

  Easy access to trailhead for Tecumseh Mountain. Rustic sites with no water or electric. We found there to be a couple of large group camping areas but they were spread out enough not to bother each other. Port-a-Johns right as you get in but not much more after that. Several areas on the road are labeled as “no parking” just watch the signs. All in all a great get away!

• 

  Laura

  Scout

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Tripoli Road

  great hidden spot

  Would call this a solid car camp spot. Went on a Saturday afternoon after a long hike and there were plenty of spots open. You can pick any spot, each one has a different variety wIth size and how deep into the woods you want to walk. No showers or bathrooms, a porter potty at the entrance but that’s about it. Only complaint I had were a couple cars kept flying back and forth down the road at night. Camp a little further in and you’d be fine

• 

  Mike M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 2, 2018

  Tripoli Road

  Primitive

  True primitive sites. First come first serve. Awesome feel. Cool road. Great access to tripyramid hikes. Somewhat isolated.