Tripoli Road
So much fun!
Went on a weekend and it was still very peaceful! Lots to do on such a beautiful back road. We stayed at two different sites each night we were there and both were equally beautiful and peaceful
270 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Lakes Region surrounding Union, New Hampshire features diverse campgrounds, from family-oriented resorts to more secluded tent camping options within a short drive. Gunstock Campground in Gilford offers 250 sites with both RV and tent camping options, while Lake Forest RV Resort in East Wakefield provides seasonal accommodations from May through mid-October. Several campgrounds in the area straddle the New Hampshire-Maine border, including Salmon Falls/Lebanon KOA and Pine Ridge Campground in Acton, Maine. These campgrounds typically provide amenities such as water hookups, shower facilities, and picnic tables, with many offering waterfront access to the region's numerous lakes and ponds.
Camping seasons generally run from early May through mid-October, with most facilities closing after Columbus Day weekend. Cell service varies significantly throughout the region, with many campers reporting limited or no coverage in wooded areas. As one visitor to Pawtuckaway State Park noted, "Phone coverage is poor; can usually get texts out. If you want to geocache, download the info for offline use!" Reservations are strongly recommended during summer months and fall foliage season when campgrounds frequently reach capacity. Weather conditions remain pleasant through summer, though evenings can be cool even in July and August. Bear activity is common in the region, requiring proper food storage at many campgrounds.
Water access represents a significant draw for campers in the Union area. Lakefront sites at places like Pawtuckaway State Park are particularly sought after, with one camper advising, "Make your reservation well in advance if you're planning to visit during peak season or if you want a prime waterfront site." Family-friendly amenities are common at larger campgrounds, while more rustic options exist for those seeking quieter experiences. The proximity to the White Mountains provides additional recreational opportunities, with many campgrounds serving as convenient bases for hiking and exploring. Winter camping is limited but available at select locations, though facilities are typically reduced and require additional preparation for cold-weather conditions.
"Started with really expensive sites, and we had 4 of them next to one another. Rained the whole time we were there. Wouldnt even consider a discount, nothing."
"This is a glampground, keep this in mind, if your looking for a peacful Shangri-La seek another campground, if your looking to let loose and enjoy an amenity filled experience around other people, give"
from $64 / night
Check Availability"Fairly extensive camp ground associated with Gunstock ski area on central New Hampshire."
"I was lucky to receive a tranquil, secluded spot next to a brook - perfect."
from $35 - $80 / night
Check Availability"Minutes away from scenic hiking, fruit orchards and more. Check them out and leave them some love."
from $44 - $68 / night
Check Availability"We were able to book last minute and got a great tenting site, next to a running river that was great to sleep to. Very buggy, but it's outside, what do you expect?"
"Staff was very friendly and extremely cautious about their surroundings. Plenty of things to do to stay busy during the rainy days."
"Tons of walking trails through the woods, and around the pond. A very relaxing place. The owner Tom is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. Oh, and he provides firewood for free!"
"Owner was around and super nice! Amazing place. My family has stayed here many times and will again!"
from $40 - $85 / night
Check Availability"Driving around this past weekend I did notice that some of the sites had damp spots; site 71 was the worst with deep mud on the long approach."
"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."
from $35 - $140 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $120 - $150 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $48 - $59 / night
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Went on a weekend and it was still very peaceful! Lots to do on such a beautiful back road. We stayed at two different sites each night we were there and both were equally beautiful and peaceful
A mix of seasonal and short term campers. Here for 3 nights I did not feel out of place at all - quite the opposite. Staff are very nice, campground is quiet, clean and has lots of amenities(laundry, games- pool, table tennis, badminton, small kids playground, kayak rental for the placid river, swimming area at the river"beach"). All sites have water and hookup. Couple of excellent tent spots right on the river. I had a small space down by the river for my tent trailer and found it quite spacious. Sites overall are somewhat close together but not overly and it remains peaceful. About 30 minute easy drive to the coast (Portsmouth, Hampton Beach etc.).
⭐**Gunstock Campground: Apparently Your Reserved Site Is More of a Suggestion**
I don't believe I have**ever** left a negative Google review. I generally think that when something goes wrong, you contact the business, give them an opportunity to make it right, and most businesses are genuinely interested in doing exactly that.
Gunstock Campground has cured me of that quaint notion.
I reserved a full-hookup campsite for two nights. I was unable to make it there the first night, but arrived shortly after 7:00 a.m. the next morning. The camp store, where registration takes place, wasn't open yet, so I headed out for my planned hike— about six miles through the Belknaps, including summiting Rowe twice and Gunstock.
By the time I returned, I was utterly exhausted, starving, and actually feeling weak. My ambitions for the afternoon were modest:**eat something, take a shower, and collapse at the campsite I had paid for.**
The staff at the camp store greeted me warmly, checked me in, and sent me on my way.
I drove to my site. There was already a camper in it. Not merely*parked* there, mind you. They had apparently moved right in. They were hooked up to**my site's water and electric**, with water spraying from their ill-fitting hose connection and forming a rather impressive puddle underneath the camper.
I returned to the camp store to report that someone had apparently activated Gunstock's new**"Choose Any Site You Like"** camping plan. A staff member went down to speak with them and came back to tell me they were "packing up." Excellent! My mistake was assuming" packing up" meant**leaving**. It did not.
Apparently these campers had actually reserved a site**two rows away** that had**no water or electric**. Yet somehow, sometime after arriving the previous night, they had accidentally found themselves two rows over, in my clearly different site, connected to utilities their reservation didn't include.
We've all made mistakes. I've occasionally parked one space away from where I intended. I've never accidentally parked**two rows away, hooked myself up to someone else's electricity and water, and spent the night.**
But perhaps I lack imagination.
After they had now consumed about an hour of my afternoon— which, incidentally, is an hour I normally bill at attorney rates— I went back toward my site expecting to find it finally vacated.
And it was! Because Gunstock had moved these folks to another site**two spaces away from me**, apparently allowing them to pay for the upgrade they had already been test-driving. So the people who knowingly or unknowingly occupied my reserved full-hookup site, used the utilities, and delayed me from getting into the site I paid for were rewarded with...a nearby full-hookup site.
They never walked over to apologize. At that point, I no longer felt comfortable staying. It's difficult to relax at a campground when you've just discovered that site assignments appear to operate somewhat on the honor system— and that when someone helps themselves to your reserved site and utilities, management's solution is apparently to make sure *they* remain comfortably accommodated nearby. So I left. On my way home, I called Gunstock and asked for a refund. Surely, I thought, this would be the easy part. After all, I had paid for two nights, hadn't used the first, couldn't get into my site when I arrived for the second, waited while unauthorized occupants vacated it, and ultimately left because the entire experience had become so unpleasant.
Nope. Instead, the staff member **defended the other campers**. I was told they arrived late and "mistakenly" took my site. I was even told they supposedly **hadn't used the utilities**. This was particularly fascinating information for me to receive because **I PERSONALLY SAW THEM HOOKED UP TO THE WATER AND ELECTRIC.** I also took photographs. Including the enormous puddle underneath their camper from the leaking water connection. But apparently my eyewitness account and photographs were no match for the alternative version of events.
For my inconvenience, however, Gunstock did give me a coupon for a **free Bavarian pretzel**. So there is that.
I paid for a full-hookup campsite. Someone else occupied it and used the hookups. I lost roughly an hour waiting to access what I had reserved. The other campers were accommodated with an upgraded site nearby. I left because I no longer felt comfortable staying. And when I asked Gunstock to make the situation right, they refused to refund me and instead argued with me about things **I had personally witnessed and photographed**. The most disappointing part isn't that another camper took my site. Campers can behave badly. Businesses can't control everything their customers do. **What a business CAN control is how it responds when that happens. ** Gunstock had every opportunity to turn this into a mildly annoying story about a camping mix-up. Instead, they turned it into my first negative Google review.
But hey... **I do have that free pretzel coupon.**
We just came back from a big family weekend there. We had 5 sites with 19 people(including children). This is by far the most rundown campground I've stayed! Only 1 bathroom facility was functioning. Of the 3 times I tried taking a shower, I only succeeded 1 time. The other 2 times(once at night and once the following morning at 6am) I only got drops coming out of the hot and cold faucets. I tried the only 2 stalls. Speaking of bathrooms...these have not been updated since the 60s-early 70s when I was camping with the same style bathroom facilities. The children's playground should be condemned!!! At least 25% of the wood is rotted. Some steps are missing from ladders. My granddaughter was swinging in the childs swing, the bottom unlatched and she fell through the bottom. If she wasn't monkey like in holding on she would have done a face plant to the ground. After looking at the swing, I found the plastic latch broken! 2 positives: the campsites are very nice! and the beach is great! Bottom line, these owners are not putting any money back into the campground and it's facilities. They are running it into the ground. I won't be coming back again!
Wonderful stay! Clean bathrooms/showers. Woodsy and quiet. Clean campsites with water and electric. The people were super helpful and friendly! Wonderful stay, would easy stay here again :)
Stayed 8 nights with complete solitude. Bugs weren't too bad. There were plenty of dead birch trees and beech trees for firewood. Not any evergreens though. Site 16 has two campsites. I took the further one with plenty of room. Good size fire pit, but people before me left some large pieces of wood not completely put out along with lit coals.
Beautiful campground. Private spaces. Staff is very friendly.
We booked three nights of dry camping and arrived Friday excited to start our weekend. Unfortunately, we barely made it 24 hours before deciding to leave because of the way we were treated. We were told by another man at the campground that we were permitted to run our quiet generator overnight. The posted cutoff time was 9:00 AM, and we fully intended to shut it off by then. At approximately 8:50 AM the following morning, a woman who lives on-site who is named Karen(no pun intended)- and appeared to run the facility came pounding on our RV door, yelling at us about running the QUIET generator all night. We tried to explain that we had been told we were allowed to do so and that we were going to shut it off at the required time. Instead of having a reasonable conversation, we felt that we were essentially pushed out and harassed during the short time we were there. We also had our baby with us, and it was a hot summer night. Being told that we should have simply opened the windows was incredibly frustrating and felt completely dismissive of our situation. We came to enjoy a three-night camping weekend and instead left after barely 24 hours because of how uncomfortable and unwelcome we were made to feel. We have never experienced this kind of treatment at a campground before. Unfortunately, based on this experience, we will never be returning to Hampton State Park RV Camping. The way we were treated was completely unacceptable and left us extremely disappointed and disgusted with the experience. She told us and I quote“this is a campground, not a prison” But clearly it wasn’t.
I am writing because I am deeply concerned about the treatment of my disabled adult daughter: today and last week at Pine Acres. She loved the campground and sent me literally 100s of pictures of the wildlife and activities.
She had a friendly connection with Brendan and some other staff; she had a terrible Christmas last year, and she told me how doing a Christmas craft and attending your Christmas party healed that for her. She was happy, and I can’t imagine she was an issue other than the crying.
She sent me pictures of the“ neighborhood” she was moving into for the rest of the season. She was happy. She’s been struggling so much since the loss of that dog. I felt like she had found a place to heal, was having fun, and was going to be ok. She mentioned wanting to be friendly( greeting people is hard for her) and make the park a better place, like picking up others' trash. I was shocked to hear she was asked to leave simply for having an autistic meltdown, a neurological event she will experience for the rest of her life, like a seizure. Even if this made others uncomfortable, she didn’t damage any property, threaten anyone, or do anything that could possibly warrant this treatment. It seems that someone was uncomfortable with the intensity of autistic emotions, and she and I now faced devastating consequences, including additional costs. Moreover, I also have a traumatized daughter who is scared to settle again kicked out for crying.
This never needed to be handled like this. She tried to advocate for herself and ask for one more night to prepare, but she never refused to leave; she was packing well, advocating. She was also advocating, believing that the people who had been so kind would be reasonable. Then she was retaliated against for that advocacy. Grace is reasonable, and a resolution could have been reached to address any non-discriminatory concerns; instead, you chose violence. Grace is kind; I realize she is a bit awkward, but that doesn’t mean she wanted this mistreatment.
Camping sites near Union, New Hampshire offer access to scenic lakes and woodland settings within the White Mountains foothills. The region sits at approximately 500-700 feet elevation with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F during the day and 50-60°F at night. Campers should note that thunderstorms are common during summer afternoons, with July typically receiving the most precipitation.
Fishing opportunities: At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, the lake provides excellent fishing spots directly accessible from waterfront sites. "The sites on the water book up quickly but they're perfect for fishing and boating. Also, the view!" notes camper J L. Morning and evening are prime fishing times when wildlife is most active.
Adventure activities: Gunstock Campground offers more than just camping with its aerial adventure course and mountain coaster. As Kasey H. mentions, "It has pretty spacious sites, they have an aerial obstacle course and a mountain coaster, places to swim, music festivals, hiking, etc." The adventure activities operate daily from 10am-5pm during summer months.
Water recreation: Many campgrounds feature swimming areas and boat rentals. "This a a fantastic little camp for if you want to go canoeing or kayaking or boating of any kind! It's set up of three islands and a large majority of the campsites are right on the water," shares Matt R. about Pawtuckaway State Park. Canoe and kayak rentals typically cost $25-40 per day depending on the location.
Quiet surroundings: For campers seeking tranquility, Potters Place Adult Camping Area offers a 21+ environment. "This is a beautiful campground with easily accessible sites, meticulously maintained grounds and it's super quiet. Tons of walking trails through the woods, and around the pond," explains Shannon G. The adults-only policy means no children are allowed on the property.
Waterfront access: Many reviewers highlight lakefront camping as a major draw. "We stayed in sites 110 and our friends stayed in 109 on Big Island. Those were wonderful sites, level with great views of the lake and are situated right across from the bath/shower," shares Ellen C. about her Pawtuckaway experience. Waterfront sites typically cost $5-10 more per night than standard sites.
Clean facilities: Campers consistently mention facility cleanliness as important. "Large campsites, clean amenities, nice dog park, great store with everything you need and located near like Winni," notes Ryan P. about Gunstock. Most campgrounds in the area provide shower facilities that are free or coin-operated ($0.25-$1 for 5-10 minutes).
Reservation timing: Campgrounds fill quickly, especially for premium sites. "Just stayed this weekend and Oh. My. God. We will 100% be back!" says Sarah B. about Gunstock Mountain Resort, highlighting its popularity. Book 3-6 months ahead for summer weekends and holiday periods.
Site preferences: Not all sites offer equal experiences. "This campground overall is very nice...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," advises Melissa B. about Gunstock. Study campground maps before booking to select sites with desired features.
Woodland vs. open sites: Campgrounds offer varying levels of shade and privacy. "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," suggests Melissa B. Wooded sites stay cooler during hot summer days but may have more mosquitoes.
Kid-friendly amenities: Salmon Falls / Lebanon KOA offers numerous activities for children. "This Campground is family friendly and has a lot to offer. Our camping group consisted of children from the ages of 8-17 yrs old. No one was bored," shares J B. The campground features a water slide, mini-golf, and organized weekend activities.
Water activities: Many families appreciate water recreation options. "Very big campground with a nice water park for kids," notes Staci G. about Salmon Falls KOA. Most campground beaches have designated swimming areas with gradually sloping shorelines suitable for younger swimmers.
Noise considerations: Family-oriented campgrounds can be lively. "We were able to book last minute and got a great tenting site, next to a running river that was great to sleep to. Very buggy, but it's outside, what do you expect?" shares Ben J. about Salmon Falls KOA. Sites near playgrounds or activity areas tend to be noisier during daytime hours.
Site amenities: Lake Forest RV Resort in East Wakefield caters specifically to RV campers. "I loved it perfect for our new RV the owners were great," mentions Amanda W. The resort offers full hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer connections from May through mid-October.
Hookup availability: Most established campgrounds near Union provide various hookup options. "Many of the sites are private and spacious. Interior roads are mostly gravel and well maintained...Most have water and electricity. No sewer, but free dump station," notes Steve C. about Potters Place. Campgrounds typically charge $10-15 more per night for sites with hookups versus basic sites.
Site access: Pay attention to site dimensions when booking. "The lot I was in was not wooded but still quiet. Check in was quick and friendly," shares Ryan F. about Gunstock. Most campgrounds post maximum RV length limitations on their websites or reservation systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Union, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, Union, NH offers a wide range of camping options, with 270 campgrounds and RV parks near Union, NH and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Union, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Union, NH is Jellystone Park™ Lakes Region with a 3.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Union, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Union, NH.
What parks are near Union, NH?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Union, NH that allow camping, notably Hopkinton-Everett Lake and White Mountain National Forest.
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