Best Tent Camping near Tuftonboro, NH

Note: This is a back country shelter site that is hike-in only on the Appalachian Trail. There can be seasonal water sources but water is not guaranteed.

I had a great night here tent camping while doing a week-long section hike of the AT.

The shelter is a standard three-sided shelter. There were a host of large, flat tent sites around the shelter, and I tented in one of these.

The shelter did stand out with a bench overlooking a clearing in the brush with a view (see photos) which was a great place to enjoy my freeze dried dinner.

The privvy was also new and very spacious.

All-in this was a great place to stop along the Appalachian Trail but I wouldn't consider it worthy of a destination hike.

This campground overall is very nice. The camp store has most everything you could need, and the campground is gated so you have to make sure you keep your key card with you whenever leaving in order to get back in. Most of the sites are out in the open though, or very close together. Not so bad if you're camping in trailers or RVs, but if tent camping you won't really have any privacy in those locations. I recommend the sites back in Breezy Knolls (K01-K17 I think?) and then I believe sites 203 and 205 were nice and tucked away in the trees as well. There is a zip line course and a metal "slide" or coaster behind the Breezy Knolls area which can get kind of noisy between the sounds of the gear and the kids screaming. Lol. But it didn't really bother me personally. The wooded area back there is beautiful though so the sites definitely made up for it. Campground has a fenced in dog park, playground, showers, clean bathrooms, and laundry facilities. Would definitely camp here again. I just prefer the wooded/shaded tent sites...which are limited at this place.

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. I booked one of the tent platforms.

The site had a large tent platform they could fit multiple tents, a brand new picnic table, a fire ring (with a free bundle of firewood), two chairs by the fire ring, and even a few strings of solar lights around the camp area.

The tent sites are within the wooded area around the property and felt very secluded. There was a bit of road noise overnight.

The facilities here were great. There is a full bathhouse with individual rooms for showers and sink/toilets, with running water.

Around the campground there was a little beach along the Baker river. I only caught a few minnows when fishing but that may have been more to do with the angler. Along another bend of the river were two chairs for taking in the scenery.

Check-in was super easy with the camp hosts who were very flexible with timing and wanted to make sure I had a great stay. The property and individual sites are deliberately designed with guests in mind.

I would definitely stay here again if I’m in the area and might try some of the glamping options as well.

This is one of the rare New Hampshire campgrounds that is open year round. For years I drove by this campground deterred by the run-down, deserted red building next door that is NOT associated with the campground. On a last-minute whim I called and snagged one of the final two sites for the holiday weekend, spending 3 nights here. I wanted to be someplace where I could track the baseball playoffs, so finding a place with wifi (fair, better closer to the bath house) and 2-3 bar 3G/4G Verizon access was a plus. This campground has a large number of seasonal sites, but also has sites available for the occasional camper, with discounts available if you stay for a week.

Sites are wooded, generally moderately sized, though the seasonal sites are much larger. Tent sites do not have hook-ups, but they have small shelters that provide additional protection fro the weather. Some of the tent sites are sloped. They also tend to be long and narrow, opening up to a wider area with the picnic table, fire pit and tent pad. Tent sites in the K row are near the road, so although you don't get much campground noise, you do hear road traffic.

The bathhouse is clean, well-lit, and heated (a treat on those cold autumn mornings). There's also a laundry room with 4 washers and dryers if you need to clean up or dry out after a rough day on the trails. Sites are close to each other. They've separated sites with fence panels in some places to provide some privacy. There's an inground pool, a large playground, and a horsehoe pit.

Activities in the area include very convenient access to hiking trails ranging from family friendly Surgarloafs to classic 4000-footers along Franconia Ridge, and peaks along the northern ridge of the Pemi Wilderness (Garfield, Galehead, Twins), trails to Mt Washington and the Presidentials, as well as numerous peaks and waterfalls in the Crawford Notch area. Cog railway is just a few miles down the road if you want to catch an early ride. Trails for ATVs and snowmobiles are also nearby.

My first time in camping in New Hampshire, the whole area is spectacular and I felt lucky to find a spot in this campground next to the stream. There was a microburst over the campground the night I was there but the water drained down into the stream so I was not sleeping in a puddle. My site was in the row closest to the road where there was truck noise for much of the night. I recommend getting a site as far away from the road as possible.

We went the last weekend they were open for the season (sometime in October) and it was a blast! Tent sites were spacious and had a decent amount of privacy. Electric and water hookups at tent sites. General store and amenities were clean and well taken care of! A lot of families around but it wasn’t distracting since the sites were private enough. Definitely recommend!

Spent 2 weeks in 40ft RV. Good utilities, amenities, bathrooms/showers. From tent camping to trailers and motorhomes, a very nice place to stay.

We pulled in and went right to the office. The man was very nice and gave us a map to our tent site. We bought some wood from the campground. The tent site has water, electric, and a fire pit. They brought us a picnic table to use for the night. The tent was on a nice smooth spot, which was comfortable. The camp sites were very close together, but there was enough space to fit everything. We were there with only a few other campsites in use, but it would be kind of tight when full.

Facilities are very clean. The staff are great. We book a site every year. The tent sites are large and well maintained.

We stayed one night on our way to Acadia and the tent sites were extremely small and very close together. Seems more of an RV spot

Camped here twice in 2023. Once tent camping in July and the other was in our TT on Columbus day weekend. While the sites may be a bit close, they have everything to will need for a pleasant stay.

We have tent camped here for a week (if not twice) every summer for the last 5 years. Pond with rentals, pool, mini golf, daily activities, crafts....so family friendly. love the half moon and kitchen and bath sites.

If you like yurts, cabins, or tent camping they have it all. The general store is stocked with your general food items and other camping needs items. Great for groups if you are getting/sharing a cabin. Bathhouse is large and nearby.