Merrimack Valley area offers many campgrounds with excellent facilities

Campgrounds with very reasonable rates operate at state parks in the Merrimack region of New Hampshire, including at Bear Brook State Park and Pawtuckaway State Park. Campgrounds in the Merrimack valley region of NH offer a wide variety of amenities in terms of bathrooms, showers, dumping and hookups. Also, accessibility to nearby fishing, hunting and other outdoor sports varies widely. Be sure to contact individual campgrounds for detailed information on accommodations, which can change seasonally. Visitors to the Merrimack region enjoy Manchester’s performing arts venues, museums, science center, and restored textile mills, while the capital city of Concord, a delightfully walkable small city, has a planetarium, and nearby Canterbury Shaker Village.

Bear Brook State Park

Off Route 28 Allenstown, NH 03275 Phone: 603-485-9874

This park is set on 9,600 acres, amid lakes, hills and forest. Visitors will find hiking trails, play areas, archery ranges, a nature center, and museums dedicated to camping, snowmobiling and the Civilian Conservation Corps. There are hunting areas, fishing in streams and ponds, mountain biking trails, nature programs, boating, a beach and canoeing. Wintertime offers cross-country ski trails, snowmobile trails, and dog-sledding. A public campsite is available.

Pawtuckaway State Park

128 Mountain Road Nottingham, NH 03290 Phone: 603-895-3031

This park features a beach, changing facilities, swimming, boating, canoeing, hiking trails, mountain biking, and a picnic area. In the winter, snowmobile and cross-country ski trails are open. A public campground is also available.