Pawtuckaway State Park
Rachel P.
Reviewed Jul. 13, 2018

Pawtuckaway State Park

About an 1 1/2 hours north of Boston and 40 minutes west of Hampton Beach lies Pawtuckaway State Park. Many of the reviews I perused before my visit balked at how busy the park was, and it was generally busy, but it was beautiful and turned out to be one of my favorite parks.

After you register its about a 1.5 mile drive before you hit the camping areas. The park isn’t completely isolated, but you get that sense that you’re headed out into the wilderness. You’re passing wetlands, trailheads; there are three separate camping areas- Horse Island, Neal’s Cove and Big Island. Each seems to have their own vibe and feel. The park also has a visitor’s beach, playground, store, plenty of boat access and modern bathroom facilities.

I had site 35 on Horse Island. Gorgeous. It’s a longer “driveway” to the site, but it’s like you’re tucked away in this secret hideout. It was decently sized and shaded, with a fire pit and picnic table. It was also right on the water (Pawtuckaway Lake). There was a small sandy access-you’re not supposed to swim anywhere besides the beach-but I didn’t notice anyone enforcing this. For future notice bring water shoes, but the swimming was amazing. So many other campers had their paddle boards and kayaks out-just such a nice amenity. I really lucked out.

Truly, there really wasn’t a bad site in the park-some are better and more private than others, but this is one of the more solid parks I’ve come across. After some exploring, I compiled a list of some other A-list sites; and while it is by no means exhaustive (ran out of time to explore everything) it could come in handy! As far as Horse Island goes, sites 1, 4 and 48 really knocked it out of the park. 7, 16 and 17 are also some pretty stellar options. If you’re looking for secluded, waterfront- these are excellent sites! On Big Island, my go-to sites would be: 90, 93, 95 and 122. 90-95 aren’t waterfront, but they’re incredibly shaded, private and genuinely seemed to have that in-the-wilderness feel. (at least those are my favorite qualities in a good camping spot!) 111 and 112 are also strong contenders. I didn’t get to explore much of Neal’s Cove, so I will be saving that for my next visit.

I definitely recommend this park-yes there are many campers, seems to be a popular place. But it’s well taken care of, offers a host of amenities and has many beautiful sites to choose from!

Site35
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Pawtuckaway State Park by Rachel P., July 13, 2018
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