Bear Brook State Park Campground

I hadn’t camped here in the past 8 years, so decided it was time to revisit; it helped that it was one of the campgrounds still open after Columbus Day weekend. Although reservations are available online, I didn’t need them for closing weekend; 3 sites were occupied when I arrived, about 15 by the end of the weekend. During the peak season, I’m sure it’s a different story given it’s proximity to Concord and Manchester and the variety of activities available. 

  

Mostly level sites sit under towering pines and vary greatly in size. Many of the sites are separated from their neighbors by large, downed pine trees. I was in site 38 and found that the little loop to my campsite was tight to exit(I was towing a 14’ teardrop, not a big trailer) and I had to be careful to swing wide at the corner. This site backed onto an open field with a backstop for baseball/softball. It meant that I could enjoy the the sunny warmth on an otherwise cool morning. Last time I was here I stayed in site 45, a small tent/pop-up site along that same loop, but in the shade. If you are tenting and don’t mind a short walk, reserve site R1 for a raised site overlooking the pond. Sites 13-25 back up against a hill. Site 91 is near the entrance, but large and set back from the camp road, so it offers some extra seclusion. It’s across the street from the playground. I’d avoid site 93 because it is so close to the playground and the fire ring placement makes it seem like families enjoying the playground will be tempted to walk through your site. If you want to be close to the play area, site 90 or the ones on the loop behind it are better options. 

  

There are no hookups, but there is running water and a dump station is available. Bathhouses offer coin-operated showers; I noticed a price difference between the two of them, so went with the less expensive option! It was the final weekend of the season, so that may explain the lack of attention to cleaning and upkeep of the restrooms. Several of the stalls were lacking toilet paper and, although it was nearly empty when I arrived, the bathrooms had little bits of debris scattered on floors and around sinks. The bottom of one of the dishwashing sinks was coated with something that resembled dried coffee grounds. 

  

I was here with a 5-year-old the last time and she enjoyed the playgrounds both at the campground and at the Catamount Pond beach. There’s another beach in the campground itself. Numerous trails call out of exploration, around ponds and up and down hills, with geocaches to be found (if you can, download the info and maps before you get to the park to be sure you have the necessary info). The mountain biking trails are busy even on late October afternoons; some trails allow horses. Canoes and kayaks let you explore and fish. There are two archery ranges and wheelchair accessible docks for fishing. For history, check out the antique snowmobile museum and the Civilian Conservation Corp(CCC) museum. The CCC built much of the infrastructure here and elsewhere in the country. 

  

The camp store offer a few basics and a selection of Bear Brook attire. Cell phone coverage varies from 1-2 bars, not always 4G, on Verizon.

Family friendly with plenty to keep you busy!

Tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere New Hampshire is it's largest state park. Bear Brook is full of trails, ponds and a fairly large campground. This extremely family-friendly campground comes equip with trails, play structures, camp store, beach, and even a small baseball diamond. The sites are fairly large and if you need some privacy, reserve site 12. There is a great trail that is around Beaver Pond, roughly 2-3 miles with plenty of opportunities for dogs to swim, yeah for dog friendly! This campground is beautiful, quiet in places and has everything you need for a great weekend away!  

Everything You Need

I was so impressed by how well the grounds were kept and how clean the bathrooms were. The tent sites were large which was great as we had two tents at ours. The park is very dog friendly for camping as well as hiking. The trails were very well marked and really conveniently close by to the campsites. 

Will definitely be returning!

Great Weekend Getaway Spot

Some sites are right on top of each other, but if you can get a site in a more secluded spot it's very nice. I recommend a hike around the lake on the trails. Maybe an hour hike.

Beautiful lake and owls at night

Camped here two nights in 2015 en route to Maine.  Located in a 10000 acre forest preserve, the campground is heavily forested and very secluded from civilization.  We stayed on site 22, which was spacious and private from the other sites on either side. 

We were there in the fall but the swimming area at the pond looked very  inviting for summer time campers.  I also liked the sites across from ours near the ball field and thought they would make a nice place for a large group of friends to pitch their tents  (Sites 31, 32, 33, 34) 

The bath and shower house was well maintained and a short walk from 22. 

The camp store carried some great souvenirs, snacks, ice cream and even had a coffee machine for those traveling light and in need of a hot cup of coffee.

Deep in the beautiful woods 

Family oriented can ground, has a nice playground.  There's a beautiful waterfront with a swimming area and boat rentals.  One of our favorite things was an archery walk through the woods and a little pond for fishing!  Definitely worth the stay

Great little family campground 

Family camping is great here. Traditional camping in deep pines with a quiet lake to swim and places to play for the kids. Nice trail system for weekend hikers. 

Been going since the sixties!

A few modifications. The bathrooms are family style. One family at a time. Check in is at the beginning of the 3-mile road to the campground and the camp store is a walk-up window only. Otherwise, it is the same!

COVID situation

Bear Brook State Park is great because there is probably a campsite for everyone. Love it!

Something for everyone

We enjoyed this campground very much. It's very large with open field sites with large pines for shade and more wooded private areas. There are a number of walking trails right from the campground. There were a lot of mountain bike folks who would ride in late afternoon. Seems like a good place for bikes. There is a nice swimming lake but no lakefront sites. Lots of critters to see on the trails!

Large with open fields and more wooded sites. Swimming lake at campground

Loved this campground. Located in Bear Brook State Park, the campground is tucked away in the woods so you really feel like you're away from the cities in the area. The campsites were very cute, and there is a camp store that has very friendly and helpful staff for anything you need. I didn't get on the water at Beaver Pond, but it looked like a nice small lake to float out on. Plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails in the area too. We hiked the loop around Beaver Pond and it was an easy, kid-friendly hike. Just have to lookout for mountain bikers. Will definitely stay at this place again. 

Cute Campground

Several miles into the woods in the middle of Bear Brook State Park.. none of the options include electricity or running water at the site but there are many water fountains throughout the areas as well as a dump site. There are cabin options and dry camping. Some of the sites are closer together and some further apart best to look at the map before you decide very few of them are real good for solar so make sure you have a backup. I was able to keep the solar up enough to keep going but had to charge one day.. just to top it off. Only saw one shower house but there is another option for restrooms and lots of outhouses. Small swim Beach and I saw kayaks and canoes available as well. There's also a camping store with some last minute items and things like ice and firewood and it's open till 8:00 p.m. which is very convenient. The people here also seem very friendly.. no complaints it has been wonderful! I spent time living within 
just a few miles of here it brings back lots of memories.. 

In the woods camping!

We stated here in October 2020 and loved the atmosphere of the camping. Friendly neighbors and clean bathrooms.

Nice site, clean, quiet and great hiking

Set back deep in the woods, I’d call the sites semi-private. You know you have neighbors all around, but you aren’t tripping over each other. 

No cell service for us on Verizon. 

Nice camp store, friendly check-in folks and I find folks in NH to be very friendly.

Woodsy and Friendly 

Newish campers here - felt like this camp ground had plenty of space between sites. Brought our dog and she absolutely loved it. 

Great campground 

We had 3 nights at site 24, this site is close to the lake/beach area, hiking trail, bathroom/shower. It is very spacious and nice. I would book there again! 

First time camping since I was 16 

Bear Brook SP, NH: Oct 2023
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). I rate based on desire for at least a moderate wilderness type experience w at least some camp site privacy.
Overall Rating:  4.5
Price 2023:    $30 about 
Usage during visit:  10% weekday 
Site Privacy:  Open
Site Spacing:  Very large sites. 
Site surface:   Rocky soil. 
Reservations:   Yes
Campground Noise:   Very peaceful. 
Road Noise:    None.  This is a long drive back through the woods from the highway.  
Through Traffic in campground:    None. 
Electric Hookup:  No
Sewer Hookup:  No
Dump Station:  Yes
Potable Water Available: Spigots are scattered throughout.  See my picture of the map. 
Generators:  Allowed. 
Bathroom:  Clean flush toilets. 
Showers:  Individual shower rooms 
Pull Throughs:   Some. 
Cell Service (AT&amp;T): 1 to 2 bars. 
Setting:   Maple/conifer forest along a pond.  Woods obscure atheist pond’s view.
Weather:  Beautiful day,    High 80s, but the thick woods offers needed shade. 
Bugs:  Yes, there are more mosquitoes than we experienced further north. 
Solar:  Our site, B 31 offered enough solar to equal our minimal output late in the day.  
Host:  I don’t see a host near my location.
Rig size:   Orrery good size rig can fit in some sites. 
Sites:  See map in my photos.  There are some great sites here. Spaciousness is the plus point for this campground.  