4 Great Family Campgrounds in New Hampshire

Camping trips are always a favorite for family travel; they’re a good way to combine sightseeing with outdoor fun. Whether camping in an RV, with a pop-up camper or under canvas, New Hampshire is filled with campgrounds close to its most popular family attractions.

Several excellent choices lie in New Hampshire’s state parks, which have facilities for all kinds of camping styles, with well-maintained facilities and frequent ranger programs to engage children in nature and the outdoors.

White Lake State Park
In the White Mountains and on a lake with a large swimming beach, the more than 200 campsites at White Lake sit under tall pine trees along the shore of White Lake. You can rent boats or canoes to explore the lake or walk a trail around the shore. There’s also a playground and a camp store. The park is only 30 miles south of North Conway, the hub for activities in the eastern White Mountains.

Lost River Valley Campground
On the other side of the White Mountains, the privately owned Lost River Campground in North Woodstock is close to the popular natural attraction of Lost River Gorge. Also nearby are the family attractions of Clark’s Bears and Whale’s Tale Water Park.

Well-spaced campsites and cabins sit in the forest and alongside two mountain streams stocked with brook trout for fishing. The swimming pond has a beach with paddleboat and kayak rentals. Kids love the big pirate boat and the well-equipped playground, and there are courts for tennis, badminton, horseshoes, basketball and volleyball.

Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort
The lake and sandy beach at Danforth Bay are big draws for families, as are the summer activities and events and the well-stocked, on-site store. Sites range from permanent RV sites to lakeside campsites ideal for tents or trailers. All have WiFi and basic cable, along with a fire ring and picnic table. Deluxe, full hook-up sites have a patio with a table, chairs and a charcoal grill.

You can swim in heated pools, rent boats and kayaks to explore the lake, or visit attractions in the White Mountains or Lakes Region, both nearby.

Pawtuckaway State Park
In southern New Hampshire and within easy reach of the seacoast beaches, the large Pawtuckaway State Park has nearly 200 wooded campsites, many with lake views. Along with a sandy swimming beach and a boat launch with canoe and kayak rentals, the park is networked with hiking trails. These trails reveal beaver dams and climb a mountain with a fire tower, but the trails kids love best lead through a forest filled with a natural fun-park of enormous rocks dropped by the glaciers.