Every once in a while your backyard just doesn’t cut it and it’s time to take your camping adventure outside of your property line. New Hampshire is home to a number of great campgrounds in every corner of the state, so pack up your grill, tent, sleeping bags, bug spray and SNACKS and hit the road! From lake-front camping to poolside fun, there are countless ways and places to camp in New Hampshire.
Adventure Bound Camping Resorts
35 Jellystone Park
New Hampton, NH
(603) 968-9000
www.abcamping.com
Reasons to visit: There are a number of organized recreational activities for the kids including crafts, swimming, movies and campfire s’mores. If you don’t feel like pitching a tent or have your own RV, there are cabins available for rent. Adventure Bound also has an awesome water park area (slides, pool, wading area, etc.) and boat rentals if you want to cruise along the Pemigewasset River. Laundry, restrooms, showers and a mini-mart are all located on property.
Northstar Campground
43 Coon Brook Road
Newport, NH
(603) 863-4001
www.northstarcampground.com
Reasons to visit: Northstar offers a little bit of everything spread across its 100+ acres, including: showers and restrooms, a spring-fed swimming pond, horseshoes, hiking trails, playground and river-front campsites. They also offer a free WiFi hotspot for those who can’t leave home without their smart phones, laptops or tablets. Northstar is also located near other popular area attractions including Montshire Museum of Science, Sunapee State Beach and Mount Sunapee State Park.
Jacobs Brook Campground
46 High Bridge Road
Orford, NH
(603) 353-9210
www.jacobsbrookcampground.com
Reasons to visit: Located in the quiet town of Orford in the Dartmouth/Sunapee Region, Jacobs Brook is the perfect spot for a quiet and relaxing camping trip. This isn’t a resort-style campground but you’ll find they have all of your desired amenities including a pool, showers and restrooms, playground and free WiFi. This campground has 75 campsites spread across 34 acres, so make sure you reserve your spot early before they fill up. Oh, and don’t miss the beautiful gardens – they add perfectly to the peaceful atmosphere.
Israel River Campground
111 Israels River Road
Jefferson, NH
(603) 586-7977
www.israelrivercampground.com
Reasons to visit: Located in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Israel River Campground is a favorite because of the gorgeous vistas views of the Presidential Mountain Range and Mount Washington, hiking and biking trails and fishing along the river. The campground has riverfront camping sites, pool and hot tub, playground, restrooms and showers and a general store. Another bonus is that the campground is close to popular amusements and attractions like Santa’s Village, The Cog and Bretton Woods.
Twin River Campground
Route 302
Bath, NH
(603) 747-3640
www.twinrivernh.com
Reasons to visit: Keep an eye out for moose and other wildlife at the Twin River Campground located along the banks of the Ammonoosuc and Wild Ammonoosuc rivers in Bath. If you’re looking for fun, then make sure you pack your swimsuits and inner tubes and take a ride down the Ammonoosuc River. Twin River Campground also has cabins for rent, mini golf, a heated pool, pavilion, game room and laundromat. If your family loves to play sports, Twin River offers basketball, shuffleboard, volleyball and a children’s playground area. And, you might not strike it rich, but definitely try your hand at gold panning in the Wild Ammonoosuc River – you never know what treasure you’ll find!
Bear Brook State Park
61 Deerfield Road
Allenstown NH
( 603) 485-9869
www.nhstateparks.org
Reasons to visit: You may already know that Bear Brook is New Hampshire’s largest state park with more than 10,000 acres to explore, fish and hike but did you also know that it has 100 campsites? Your family won’t need a pool because there’s plenty of swimming in the ponds and there’s even kayak and canoe rentals available. No water or electric hookups are available, so this camping experience is more of a “roughing it” style. There are, however restrooms, picnic tables and a playground area.
Gunstock Mountain Resort
719 Cherry Valley Road
Gilford, NH
(603) 293-4341
www.gunstock.com
Reasons to visit: Gunstock offers camping with more than 250 campsites across 140 acres. You may have skied Gunstock in the winter but it’s definitely worth coming back to Gunstock in the summer to check out their zipline tours, aerial treetop adventures, and camping. Gunstock’s camping area can accommodate tents, RVs and there are also cabins available to rent. Amenities include restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, pool and camp store (wood, propane, ice and other basic camping necessities). If you’re thinking about checking out one of the Lakes Region’s annual events, then camping at Gunstock would be a perfect place to stay while you play.
Other recommended family-friendly campgrounds to check out:
- Woodmore Family Campground and RV Park in Rindge, NH
- Ames Brook Campground in Ashland, NH
- Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Lakes Region in Milton, NH
- Beaver Hollow Campground in Ossipee, NH
- Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park-Resort Glen Ellis in Glen, NH
- Moose Hillock Camping Resort in North Warren, NH