New Hampshire Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots
Key Takeaways
- White Lake State Park is the anchor pick for families — a real swimming beach paired with a genuinely good campground, 30 miles from North Conway
- Diana’s Baths and the Swift River (Kancamagus Highway) are two of our team’s personal favorites — covered in full depth in their own dedicated guide, linked below
- New Hampshire’s coastline is only 18 miles long, so lakes do most of the heavy lifting for family swimming here, not the ocean
- Most state-park campgrounds in the Whites offer electric hookups on at least some sites — check specifics before assuming full hookups
The Whites Are the Draw, But Don’t Skip the Lakes
New Hampshire’s identity is the White Mountains, and rightly so — but Lake Winnipesaukee and the smaller lakes around it do a lot of the actual family-vacation work here. Plan for both.
Campgrounds
White Lake State Park — Tamworth
A perennial favorite — 200+ sites in a pitch-pine forest right on White Lake, with a real swimming beach, boat and kayak rentals, and a shoreline loop trail. About 30 miles from North Conway. This is the campground we’d point most families toward first.
Dolly Copp Campground — Gorham (White Mountain National Forest)
The largest campground in the Whites, with real facilities (showers, flush toilets) and direct access to major day-hike trailheads. A strong base if hiking is the priority.
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Lafayette Place Campground — Franconia Notch State Park
Central to Flume Gorge, the Basin, and the Franconia Ridge trailheads. Popular and wooded — book ahead for summer.
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Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort — Freedom
A big family resort on Danforth Ponds with a sandy beach, heated pools, and organized activities. Near King Pine and White Lake if you want resort amenities alongside the state-park option.
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Gunstock Camping — Gilford
250+ sites at a ski area that runs summer ziplines and aerial adventures alongside standard camping — a good pick if your kids want more built-in activity than a typical campground offers.
Learn moreHiking Trails
Diana’s Baths and the Swift River (Kancamagus Highway)
These are genuine personal favorites of ours, and they deserve more space than a quick blurb — read our full Diana’s Baths & Swift River guide for the complete breakdown of Lower Falls, Rocky Gorge, Sabbaday Falls, Otter Rocks, timing, and safety notes.
Artists Bluff / Bald Mountain Loop — Franconia Notch
A 1.5-2 mile loop with two separate summit payoffs. Easy-to-moderate and great for kids six and up.
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Mount Willard — Crawford Notch
A roughly 3.2-mile out-and-back to a cliff-top view over the notch. Family- and dog-friendly, with a big reward for the effort.
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Arethusa Falls — Hart’s Location
Roughly 3 miles out-and-back to New Hampshire’s tallest waterfall. Rocky with a steady incline, but manageable for families with some hiking experience already.
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Boulder Loop Trail — Albany (near the Kancamagus)
A 2.8-3.7 mile loop with rocky ledge views over the Swift River Valley and glacial boulders kids genuinely enjoy climbing on.
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Welch-Dickey Loop — Waterville Valley
A 4.4-mile loop with open granite ledges and real 360-degree views — a good “first real summit” hike for a family ready to step up from shorter trails.
Learn moreLakes & Swimming Areas
Echo Lake State Park — Conway
A pristine mountain lake beneath 700-foot Cathedral Ledge. One of the prettiest swims in the state, with a small admission fee.
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Weirs Beach — Laconia (Lake Winnipesaukee)
The lake’s largest beach, with a genuinely lively boardwalk scene — arcades, a scenic railroad, and cruise boats. The top pick if your family wants amenities alongside the swimming.
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Wellington State Park — Bristol (Newfound Lake)
A pine-shaded sandy beach on one of the cleanest, spring-fed lakes in the state. Quieter than Winnipesaukee.
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Wentworth State Park — Wolfeboro
A shallow, easy swim area on Lake Wentworth without Winnipesaukee’s crowds — a good pick for families with younger kids.
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Hampton Beach State Park — Hampton
If you do want the ocean, this is New Hampshire’s largest and most popular option, with a lively boardwalk and nightly summer music.
Learn moreRV Spots
Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort — Freedom
Full-hookup sites, heated pools, and organized activities — the top family RV resort near White Lake.
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Lost River Valley Campground — North Woodstock
155 full-hookup sites with sewer and dump stations, close to Franconia Notch.
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Chocorua KOA — Tamworth
Pull-through full-hookup sites with friendly staff and family activities on the Chocorua River.
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Cannon Mountain RV Park — Franconia Notch State Park
A rare find: 7 full-hookup sites within a state park, right at Echo Lake Beach. Tight for slide-outs and awnings, so check your rig’s dimensions.
Learn moreNote: White Lake and Pawtuckaway have electric/water at some sites — good for mid-size rigs, but confirm site positioning before booking.
Planning Your Trip
Start with White Lake as your base if you want the best balance of swimming and campground quality. If Diana’s Baths and the Swift River are the priority — and they should be, they’re genuinely worth the trip — plan a day around the Kancamagus Highway and read our dedicated guide before you go, since timing and safety really matter there. For lake days beyond White Lake, Wellington and Wentworth both give you real swimming without Winnipesaukee’s crowds.