Last weekend, our family stayed at White Lake State Park for four days. While initially drawn to the campground because of its proximity to Chocorua, one of the most rewarding hikes in the Whites, we barely left the campground. We spend our days enjoying the park's pleasant beach and clear water.

Our kids loved padding their kayak around the small lake. The shallow water allowed them to explore safely.  We set up a hammock on the beach and enjoyed resting while watching them play.

A 2-mile walking path surrounds the lake and can be easily accessed from the campground.  Here we spotted a family of ducks, some wild lilies, and lots of interesting conifers. 

Pros:

• Beautiful beach within an easy walk
• Gorgeous mountain views
• Near some incredible hiking trails up Chocorua 
• Easy spots to launch kayaks, canoes, and other small boats
• Well-shaded sites with lots of hammock-prefect trees.
• Grills and picnic tables available at the beach. Trash is carry-in, carry-out.
• Two large playgrounds entertained the kids when they needed a break from swimming.
• "Camp clean" bathrooms. Yes, they did get dirty on the busy weekends, and I would not consider them clean if they were in my home. But they were cleaned frequently and at a high standard for most campgrounds.
• The dishwashing area was clean and very easy to use. 
• A large field provided opportunities to play soccer, frisbee, and tag. 

Cons:

• Very crowded on the weekend. All of the sites were booked on the weekend and the campground became loud and smokey. By Sunday night, we had the campground to ourselves and enjoyed it much more.
• Rodents rummaged sites for food. Make sure you store all your food and trash in your car and not in your tent! The resident raccoon knows how to open tents and knock over food bins. The chipmunks will nibble holes in your trash bags to get interesting scraps.
• Our site was near the bathhouse. The lights from the bathhouse were very bright at night and some traffic to and from disturbed our sleep. 
• There were no lifeguards on duty.