This place is a gem. It closes after the first snowfall of the year and will not re open untill it all thaws. But head here in the fall to see the beautiful colors. Outhouse toilet no running water but there are wells to get fresh water. Hiking all over around here.
Lots of family oriented activities. Fire truck ride, flashlight candy scavenger hunt, etc.
Things appear to be clean and well maintained. 50amp didn't seem to work at my site but 30amp was fine.
The mini-golf is in bad shape.
The camp store is well stocked but pricey, even for a convenience store.
The sites are very close together with very little trees or anything to break it up. You are right on top of your neighbors.
Cool little campground right in Mallets Bay on Lake Champlain. Campsites are kind of close together. Nice pool, game room, and little store. Its a fun place for families! No lake access, but close to everything. Ten minutes from Burlington.
Bond cliff trail wooden platforms and a three sided cabin (fills up quickly) at 4360 ft. Getting to the sites is pretty strenuous, but totally worth it!
We got to the site, claimed our platform and hiked over to West Bond to catch a beautiful sunset. Bear box located at a communal “cooking area” and cold spring water located at the site. Composting outhouse was surprisingly very clean!
There are some overflow sites that are more private, which I wish we knew about!
Small fee of $10 to stay, caretakers are awesome and knowledgeable! Would go back again in a heartbeat!
First come first serve off the Kancamagus Highway on the Lincoln side. Pick your site and pay (cash or check) using the envelopes provided.
Stayed here before we hiked the Hancocks. Had to find the caretaker, but he was friendly.
Sites were clean, we went off season so we had the whole place to ourselves. Would go again!
Camping here is always nice since it never closes. Near the river allows for relaxing nights.
I stayed at Hancock campground in mid April this year. Great clean accessible bathrooms, beautiful grounds and large campgrounds. Leashed dogs are allowed. There are both walk-in and drive up tent sites. The walk-in sites are directly next to the beautiful Pemi River. Great overall would return again.
Little River is one of my favorite campgrounds ever! A group of friends and I decided to get one last camping trip in before winter hit - and we came across Little River on this website. Most sites were taken (as they usually are) so plan your stay well in advance. I'd recommend sites 26 (where we stayed), 27, 40, 51, 77 and 81. There's also a few easy historical hiking trails within the campground if you don't feel like leaving for a whole day to hike! For those who stay up late to stargaze - getting down to the reservoir at night can be a little tricky - but its worth it to see the moon/stars reflect on the water.
My girlfriend and I visited last year for a nice getaway and absolutely loved the park. The spots were spacious with enough privacy between sites. The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use. The bathrooms were well maintained along with the showers.
My husband and I stayed here in our popup in June 2018. It was nice to be so close to the city and we were able to ride our bikes everywhere easily. The sites were all very open and close together, and the bathhouses could have used a good scrub, but overall it was an acceptable place given its proximity to the city. Don't bother buying the firewood from the main office, it was not seasoned and impossible to use.
My wife and I went here for our first ever camping experience together when we started dating. We had a small tent, it ended up raining most of the trip, we got soaked. The staff at the campground were so nice, they let us change into one of their cabins. They are such a nice addition to their campground, allowing you to have more space but still be in the wilderness. Since then we’ve been back two other times and would go back in a heartbeat. The reservoir is beautiful and it’s close enough to great food and drink in town.
Nice campsite downstairs and then flat. Plenty of room. Used it for daughter to teach me field hockey. In sept. Got a little cold at night but had plenty to cover up with. Make sure have some dry wood & fire starter help to keep that fire going for s’mores, but we still did some. Only if don’t mind very minimal outhouse type bathroom. Only 1 night while we went to Highland games at loon mountain practically next door the next day. Ate at Chinese food place up the street and went shopping too.
We are -campground owners and get one or two opportunities to escape our campground during the summer for 1 or 2 nights. We always choose to go camping. We love the white mountains and often choose Lost River! We choose the furthest site out next to the river. It's great to be in nature, next to the flow of the river, enjoying a nap or a morning cup of coffee. Lost river is very popular but we escape during the week so things are less hectic, which we prefer. The owners are great and always open to swapping -campground owner stories. We recommend this place to all of our friends.
Owners are very friendly and helpful. Has seasonals, tent sites and RV sites. The swimming pool is very inviting and the bathrooms are always attended to. The one thing we loved the most was that the kids could ride their bikes around safely. We also found out that one weekend each summer they close the campground down to the public and fill all the sites with military families. They treat these families to free camping, activities to keep the kids busy and all of their meals for free!
Pool, playground, larger campground for this area. Full hookups, seasonal options, new owners!
This campground has everything! Horse carriage rides, paved roads, 2 pools, playgrounds, mini golf, fireworks…
Awesome owners with a small campground! Swimming pond and pool. Small Playground. Pull through, back in, tent sites.. we go here every memorial day for their 1 set of awning to awning sites with our camping buddies!
Nice place to get away from it all. Very wooded and private sites. Many have lean-tos and brick ovens.
Cute little campground with many sites right on the river. My family has stayed here twice. You can't really swim much in the river, but the kids had a blast playing in it and fishing for little trout.
Some sites are flat, others tiered and divided making your site not always a drive up. But it was quiet and the pond is beautiful. Would love to get a spot by the pond next time.
For site selection, sites 22-26 border Zealand Rd, so you will hear the traffic heading to and from the Zeland and Sugarloaf trailheads. Tent only sites have tent/campfire areas that are a few steps up or down from the parking area. All sites are large and relatively level. This side has a large open area in the middle, great for playing games, running around, and stargazing (though the tall trees will limit the scope of your view). More of these sites are suitable for an RV than the ones at Sugarloaf 1.
As I noted in my review of Sugarloaf I, you won’t have cell service, but you’ll be in a prime location for hitting the trail early, whether you want to head up to Zealand, Hale, or over to Mt Washington. The Mt Washington Cog Railway and Bretton Woods are also just a few miles down the road.
For a short, family-friendly hike, you’ll find the trail to the Sugarloaf Mountains just after Sugarloaf II. There’s a small parking lot just before the Zealand River crossing and the trail is on the far side of the bridge. It hits a saddle and you can bag both middle and north sugarloaf in turn. Venture to the end of the road and you can catch the road to Zealand Falls and Hut, a nice place for a picnic. In addition to Zealand, longer more strenuous nearby hikes include Garfield, Galehead, Twins, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower and more. WMNF trailhead parking is $3/day or you can buy a weekly pass at forest service and other locations; your annual National Parks pass covers parking, too.
Zealand Rd is closed during the winter, opening in the spring only after mud season has passed and the road is dried out. The campground opens after that, in late May and is open until Columbus Day. Print your reservations before you come.
For a shower, head south through Crawford Notch to Dry River Campground where there are coin-operated showers. If you are hiking or exploring in Franconia Notch, there are coin-op showers at Lafayette Place, too, but parking on weekends is a nightmare.
Fosters’ Crossroads in Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods Market and Deli are your closest spots for picking up snacks or forgotten items.
Just a half mile off 302 is the first of the two Sugarloaf Campgrounds. Offering large, wooded sites with more seclusion than the Zealand campground directly on 302, Sugarloaf I and nearby Sugarloaf II offer reservable sites with flush toilets and running water via hand pumps. More of the sites here are better suited to tents rather than RVs. I haven't stayed here, but I've driven through a few times this summer/fall to get a sense of it.
You won’t have cell service, but you’ll be in a prime location for hitting the trail early, whether you want to head up to Zealand, Hale, or over to Mt Washington. The Mt Washington Cog Railway, Franconia Nothc, and Bretton Woods are also just a few miles down the road.
For a short, family-friendly hike, you’ll find the trail to the Sugarloaf Mountains just after Sugarloaf II. There’s a small parking lot just before the Zealand River crossing and the trail is on the far side of the bridge. Venture to the end of the road and you can catch the road to Zealand Falls and Hut, a nice place for a picnic. In addition to Zealand, longer more strenuous nearby hikes include Garfield, Galehead, Twins, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower and more. WMNF trailhead parking is $3/day or you can buy a weekly pass at forest service and other locations; your annual National Parks pass covers parking, too.
Zealand Rd is closed during the winter, opening in the spring only after mud season has passed and the road is dried out. The campground opens after that, in late May and is open until Columbus Day. Print your reservations before you come.
For a shower, head south through Crawford Notch to Dry River Campground where there are coin-operated showers. If you are hiking or exploring in Franconia Notch, there are coin-op showers at Lafayette Place, too, but parking on weekends is a nightmare.
Fosters’ Crossroads in Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods Market and Deli are your closest spots for picking up snacks or forgotten items.
I haven't stayed here, but I checked it out on Columbus Day weekend because it's one of the few campgrounds open year-round (plowed, unlike Lafayette Place, which is walk-in) in the White Mountains. Most of the reviews talk about the walk-in tent sites, but there's more to this campground that is located along the Kancamagus Highway just before the Lincoln Woods Visitors' Center.
If you're a tent camper and don't mind carrying your gear downhill to a site, drive straight ahead to a parking lot. A few of the sites (3 & 4) are accessible from the far end of the parking lot, but for most of them you'll head down the steps in the middle with sites in two levels branching out on each side. Sites are large, but close together and although you're in the woods, there's not much to separate you from your neighbors. Even sites 10-20 are directly on the water.
Sites 22-55 are suitable for RVs and tents. Those on the back side of the loop are close enough that you can hear the Pemi River running below. A few of the sites are pull-through. There are no hook-ups, but water available via spigots and flush toilets are available - except in winter. I'd recommend sites on the back side of the loop to provide some more distance from traffic noise. I chatted briefly with a host who remarked that sites on the western end of the loop have some cell phone coverage, unlike the rest of the campground.
If you stay here, you're only a few miles from Lincoln where you can pick up any necessary supplies. This end of the Kanc your nearest hiking options are Lincoln Woods and Greeley Pond for family friendly trails, or Lincoln Woods to head into the Pemi wilderness, including peaks in the Pemi loop and Owl's Head. The Hancocks are via a trail at the hairpin on the Kanc. Franconia Notch and its many hiking trails and the multi-use trail are a short drive away.
Bring cash or a check to pay your camping fee in the iron ranger. Fees cover the first vehicle; a second vehicle is an additional $5.
CAMPGROUND REVIEW:
First off, the campground review. Sugarloaf I campground is located on Zealand Road in Carroll, NH. This is a basic, no-frills US Forest Service site. Zealand Road is the access road for 3 different popular trail heads for hikes in the White Mountains. We chose to stay at Sugarloaf to be closer to the Sugarloaf Mtn. trail head since we planned to do a sunrise hike up to Middle Sugar loaf with our children the next morning. Sugarloaf Campground is less than half a mile from the trail head.
Zealand Rd. is off of Rt 302. The campground is far enough down Zealand Road, that there was not any road noise. We visited the campground in the beginning of October on a Thursday. There are were plenty of extra sites, though several sites had signs indicating that they were already reserved for the weekend. You can call the campground management office to reserve, which would be wise for holiday weekends such as Labor Day or Columbus Day. The website is here.
The top of the campground had nice views of Middle Sugarloaf and Mt. Hale. Our campsite, #5, did not have views, but we were not bothered by this! The campsites are spaced a nice distance apart--we camped next to our friends and did not hear them at all when we were in our separate sites. There was a more energetic group two sites down, and we could hear them, but it wasn't loud.
The bathrooms are basic flush toilets, with a sink for hand washing, but no soap. Fresh water for drinking is available at several pressurized spigots that are interspersed throughout the campground.
The campground would be a PERFECT home base for hiking, or for exploring the area during foliage season. There are many maple trees in the campground, and it was exceptionally beautiful while we stayed there. Even with a little rain, the experience was magical.
GEAR REVIEW:
As a member of the Dyrt Ranger team, I am given opportunities to test out gear from various companies. This trip I was chosen to test out a RoM Pack from RoM Outdoors. I chose the pack in the Tan color.
The RoM pack is a creative design--basically an origami style design that allows it to transform from a pack to a waterproof blanket and also into a hooded poncho. The outside of the pack has large, detachable zippered pouches which are great for things like headlamps and maps. The inside of the pack is made of a soft, brushed microfiber, while the outside is a super tough nylon fabric.
I was excited to test the pack out on this particular trip because we were undertaking a sunrise hike with a bunch of kids ages 4-12, and I needed a pack that would be comfortable, while also holding plenty of gear. I was also excited because the temps on the mountain would be below freezing, and I knew the kids would want something insulating to sit on instead of bare rock. The hike I tested it on was 3.2 miles round trip.I overloaded the pack with hats, sweaters, granola bars, plenty of water, and a down sleeping bag.
I found the straps to be surprisingly comfortable, considering they are wider than any of my other pack straps. The distributed the load well. The waist and sternum strap system was a little tricky, but they did help disperse and balance the load.
The true test of the pack was when I ended up needed to give my 4 year old a ride up the mountain. I carried her in my arms, and the pack stayed secure and comfy while I huffed and puffed my way up the mountain. I really liked that once we were on the mountain, and I had unfolded the blanket, the little removable pouches kept everything small organized, so it was easy to reattach them and not lose things when we were ready to hike back down.
9 kids ended up sharing the waterproof blanket as a seat, and they all thought it was great!
IMPROVEMENTS: I wish there was a way that the back of the RoM pack could be stiffer. It tends to morph to the shape of whatever is inside it, so a bit of stiffness would distribute the load even better. Because of this, I wouldn't take it on long, strenuous hikes, but it is perfect for shorter distances where you want the option of a nice place to sit, and don't mind the slightly heavier weight.
I also wished that the water bottle pockets were slightly larger--I have Klean Kanteen regular sized bottles, and it was a tight fit to get them in.
My mom and I don't have the same camping styles, at all. She was treating my boys and I to an adventure which included Clark's Trading Post (the bear show is a must-see) less than 30 minutes away. I wasn't going to be picky so I conceded. I was pleasantly surprised! They thought of nearly everything. There was a playground and activities for the kids, an indoor pool, and store (must spend $10 to use a card by the way). The sites were smaller than I'm used to with dispersed camping but they were still decently sized. We stayed in one of the little adorable cabins, for convenience sake, which had potable water. The boys loved it. I loved it. But no, this doesn't guarantee I'll trust my mom's camping choices from now on. Great spot nonetheless!
Nice comfortable campground with lean tos close to mount Mansfield
While this campground is small and your lucky if you can get milk in thr camp store. The location is amazing. We had a river site. It was huge! But tight getting our 30 ft camper in the site but after setting up camper and 2 10 men tents we still had so much room. Close enough to walk to town and shop eat or bar hop! Close enough to some of the north country sites like the basin ect. Also a car museum. Small campground!
There are 2 Big Rock Campgrounds in NH and they are very different! This is not the resort campground convenient to ATV trails, but a rustic campground offering large, level, wooded sites along the Kancamagus Highway just 2 miles east of the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center. It's a great location for exploring the sites and beautiful vistas along the Kancamagus, easy access to Franconia Notch and Lincoln, NH. Lincoln also offers a grocery store, restaurants, stores selling outdoor gear, moose tours, and adventure tours (zip/climbing).
Some of the sites are tent only, with parking separated from the tent pad/fire ring/picnic table. Others are large and level with ample space for RVs. You'll get some traffic noise, but there's less here than at places along 3 & 93.
There are no reservations; all sites are first-come, first serve and it's open from mid-May to mid-October. Bring cash or a check to pay for your campsite. It's self-service with an iron ranger. Fee (2018) is $22, an extra $5 for a second car.
Water is available. There are vault toilets and no showers. No cell phone service.