Leighton O.
Guide
GuidePawtuckaway State Park Campground
Very nice campground! Some sites right on the lake. Have camped there several times. Lots of space between sites.
Tent Camping near Gilford, NH
Search destinations
Add dates
Several tent camping areas surround the lakes and mountains near Gilford, New Hampshire, offering options for different styles of backcountry and primitive camping experiences. The Squam Lakes Association maintains secluded tent sites accessible by boat or hiking trails, with tent platforms at some locations and fire rings at all sites. Primitive tent camping is also available at Sawyer Pond, a 1.5-mile hike from the nearest trailhead, providing a more remote backcountry experience for tent campers.
Most tent sites in the region provide basic amenities suited for primitive camping setups. The Squam Lakes Association tent sites include composting toilets but no drinking water, requiring campers to pack in their own water or use a filtration system for lake water. Walk-in tent sites typically feature fire rings and sometimes tent platforms, though firewood availability varies by location. Paugus Brook Farm offers five tent sites with vault toilets and drinking water but prohibits fires. Weather considerations affect tent camping accessibility, with higher elevation sites sometimes inaccessible until late spring due to mud or remaining snow.
In early fall, tent campsites throughout the region offer reduced crowds and excellent hiking conditions. The tent-only sites at Sawyer Pond provide direct water access with platforms large enough for multiple tents, though visitors should plan to arrive early, especially on weekends. According to one camper, "Sawyer Pond was completely full on Saturday night" while another noted that "the sites are pretty close together but I was alone so I had privacy." Walk-in tent sites at Squam Lake provide more seclusion than drive-in campgrounds, with one reviewer describing it as "simple, but gorgeous" with campsites that offer peaceful surroundings and spectacular hiking opportunities in the nearby White Mountains.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Gilford (39)
1. Squam Lakes Association
"The association maintains about a dozen campsites in the Squam Lake area -- some hike-in and others boat-in only."
"We really enjoyed our stay here - we prefer tent camping and like to be secluded; we are not into RV parks. This was fantastic. Beautiful trails, excellent kayaking, quiet and serene."
Check Availabilityfrom $50 - $110 / night
2. Viewland Campground
3. Cardigan Campsites
4. Baker Rocks
"I tent camped here while doing some fishing in the area. Baker Rocks had a host of different camping options onsite including tent platforms, yurts, and cabins."
"The campsites are private and spacious, the property is large and beautiful, close to the river. The owners are so kind and accommodating."
Check Availabilityfrom $60 - $325 / night
5. Paugus Brook Farm
"I stayed here tent camping on the way to some fishing on the Saco River."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $45 / night
6. Salmon Falls River RV Resort and Family Campground
"Multiple pools, a water slide, high ropes, a jump pad, mini golf and more!!! My niece had so much fun! Sites are close together and they are short staffed but other than that a great place!"
7. Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach
"The campground sits among tall pine trees which offer nice shade helps alleviate some of the feel of a crowded campground. "
"We tent camped at Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA. The staff was very friendly and when I called to book the site, they assisted in helping us pick out the nicest campsite."
8. AAC Rattlesnake Campground
Check Availabilityfrom $12 - $33 / night
9. Sawyer Pond
"You can reach the backcountry campsites via a 1.5 mile walk from the Sawyer Pond Trail Head off of NH highway 302, or in 4.5 miles from the Sawyer Pond Trail Head off 112(the Kancamangus Highway)."
"Sawyer Pond was my introduction to backpacking more than 40 years ago."
10. Adventurers Campground
Drive Time
- 46 min from Manchester, NH
- 1 hr 33 min from Boston, MA
- 1 hr 54 min from Portland, ME
- 2 hrs 2 min from Lewiston, ME
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Gilford, NH
60 Photos of 39 Gilford Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Paugus Brook Farm
Baker Rocks
AAC Rattlesnake Campground
Cardigan Skyline CampsM
Huttopia Southern MaineH
Lost Boys Hideout
Sawyer Pond
Northern Nursery Brookside CampsitesJ
Fourth Iron Campground
Guyot Shelter - Dispersed CampingL
Ethan Pond Shelter
Velvet Rocks Shelter Backcountry Campground on the AT — Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Tent Camping Reviews near Gilford, NH
1318 Reviews of 39 Gilford Campgrounds
- PPatrick
TravelerPawtuckaway State Park Campground
Great spot with all types of different campsites.
Rebecca W.
ScoutBearcamp River Campground
Bearcamp River Campground
Bear camp River campground is a great place to camp for a weekend or be a seasonal. You can walk 6/10 of a mile to the covered bridge nearby and float right down to the beach at the campground or you can start on one side of the campground and float to the other via river for a good 30 minute float!! You get to Camp right on the Riverside. Owners (Mike and Tabby ) are great. Good place for the kids to run around and explore. The Camp store has sweatshirts and sweatpants , candy and snacks ,s’mores kits, and much much more. They also sell wood and ice on site. There is also hot showers for free, and bathrooms. Two thumbs up from this happy camper.
Nancy W.
LegendSea-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.
Devon B.ScoutCrow's Nest Campground
Play Games
The recreation hall was a nice surprise. We had some rainy weather one afternoon and the kids were able to play games while we relaxed for a bit. Saved the day honestly😂
Riley B.ScoutCrow's Nest Campground
Spend A Few Days
We came up looking for a campground where we could actually spend a few days without constantly driving somewhere. Ended up fishing, swimming, walking along the river and exploring the area. The campground gave us plenty to do, but it was also nice having the option to just sit at the campsite and do nothing. Would definitley come back.
- RRachel J.Scout
Crow's Nest Campground
A Longer Stay
We have a big RV and had no trouble getting settled in. Having the full hookups made things super easy, especially for a longer stay.
Guide to Gilford
Tent camping near Gilford, New Hampshire offers access to the Lakes Region's forested terrain which sits at elevations between 500-1,900 feet. Summer temperatures typically range from 60-85°F, while spring and fall can drop to the 30-50°F range with occasional frost. Several remote sites require hiking distances of 1-5 miles, providing different levels of isolation compared to established campgrounds.
What to do
Climb Mount Cardigan: Just 42 miles west of Gilford, Cardigan Campsites provides a strategic base for hiking the mountain. "Great spot to spend the night before a climb of Mt. Cardigan! The climb is challenging but shouldn't take too long. Great fire tower views at the top too!" notes Madison G.
Kayak on Baker River: The waterways near Gilford provide calm paddling opportunities with mountain views. "Along another bend of the river were two chairs for taking in the scenery," says Justin P. about Baker Rocks, located 35 miles northwest of Gilford.
Rock climbing at Rumney: For adventurous campers, the granite cliffs near AAC Rattlesnake Campground offer world-class climbing routes. "I started climbing at Rumney about a decade before this campground was developed, and man, were we overdue for one! Maintained by the American Alpine Club, pretty much all the campers here are rock climbers," shares Les R.
What campers like
Secluded water access: Many campers appreciate the quiet waterfront sites. "The tent sites are private but across the trail from the pond so no view directly from your tent," explains Erin H. about Sawyer Pond, which requires a 1.5-mile hike from the trailhead.
Well-maintained facilities: Campers consistently mention the quality of facilities. "The composting toilets were clean," reports Jen S. about the backcountry sites at Squam Lakes Association, where both boat-in and hike-in camping options are available.
Quiet weekday camping: Mid-week visits offer the best chance for solitude at popular sites. "I camped on Tuesday night so all but one site were available when I arrived," notes Aubrey V. about Sawyer Pond, contrasting with weekend crowding when sites fill quickly.
What you should know
Limited firewood availability: At many remote sites, collecting firewood can be challenging. "There was very little available firewood near the campsites," explains Hunter P. about Sawyer Pond, where campers should be prepared to search further from camp or bring their own.
Fire restrictions vary: Some campgrounds prohibit open fires entirely. At Paugus Brook Farm, "fires aren't permitted due to area fire restrictions," according to Justin P., though the campground offers five tent sites with vault toilets and drinking water.
Weekend overcrowding: First-come, first-served sites fill quickly, especially at accessible locations. "Sawyer Pond was completely full on Saturday night," warns a camper, suggesting Thursday or Sunday arrivals for better site availability during summer months.
Cell service gaps: Most remote camping areas lack reliable connectivity. One reviewer notes there is "no cell service" on the 9-mile road leading to Sawyer Pond trailhead, making advance planning and printed directions essential.
Tips for camping with families
Beginner-friendly backpacking: For first-time backpackers with children, choose sites with shorter approaches. "This is a great beginner backpacking trip, great even for kids! The site has one shelter and 6 campsites available on the bank of Sawyer Pond," recommends Sarah C.
Kid-friendly amenities: Some campgrounds offer specific features for families. At Baker Rocks, "they even have animals to visit like bunnies and goats (far away from the campsites)," mentions April W., making it appealing for children who enjoy animal encounters.
Alternative accommodations: For families new to camping, consider glamping options. "Baker Rocks had a host of different camping options onsite including tent platforms, yurts, and cabins," notes Justin P., providing comfort options for families with varying camping experience levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Gilford, NH?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Gilford, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gilford, NH is Squam Lakes Association with a 4.0-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
Gilford, NH?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Gilford, NH?
TheDyrt.com has all 39 tent camping locations near Gilford, NH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring