Yes there is a 1/2 mile walk to the trail and then 1/2 mile walk back to your parked car no biggie don't let that deter you from doing this hike. Agree there are better views in other parts of NH but this is ok. Bugs are vicious on certain parts of the trail and better off brining a bug net because someone else posted they don't care if you have bug spray I mean I even walked with can, I would still hike it though I prefer paid for parking on the website it's 5.00$ a person and you can use the whole state park for all day It was full of camps for swimming so if your not a fan of a lot of people maybe this lake is not for you Hope everyone enjoys there time there read more

Pawtuckaway State Park - Parks Near Me - Nottingham, New Hampshire

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Our walk/hike on the Shaw & Fundy Trails were perfect because they are well-trodden, pine-needle carpeted trails that were good for our sister who has a bad knee & can't handle trails with vertical climb, tree roots &/or rocky faces. The trails passed by marshes, over creeks &, at times, we had to navigate through areas that had some minimal flooding. Signage is practically non-existent, with arrows primarily @ intersections & also kind of confusing where the parking lots are for the trailheads. There is very little blazing on the trees but again, the trail directions are obvious. Not too much indication of wildlife, although, of course, we were in the thick of the trees. The folks at the Visitor Center are super friendly, knowledgeable & helpful. read more

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This is a beautiful park. Check in was easy. Like the private showers and bathrooms! Campsites are spaced apart and peaceful setting. Definitely will visit again! read more

Beautiful park with tons of trails all over, camping grounds, and a lake to swim in which is so nice during the summer!

Great place to camp. Staff are helpful and friendly. There's a pavilion available to rent for larger gatherings.

Great lake for paddle boarding.. There are many islands to explore and rocks to climb on. There's a large swimming area with a sandy beach and a park store with ice cream and other snacks. We had a great time and will return. read more

Pawtuckaway State Park - Parks Near Me - Nottingham, New Hampshire

Great place to spend a family day! Nice beach, warm water. Kayak and canoe rentals are a shirt walk away. Hiking and mtb nearby. Definitely go out and explore pristine bays and islands. read more

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This was my first camping experience ever. We stayed here for 4 days and 4 nights. Overall, it's a great place, we never lost cellphone service, we were about 20 minute drive to the nearest supermarket if we needed anything (hannaford was amazing and probably one of the best supermarkets I have ever been to), and the facilities had flushing toilets and a decent size shower (I'd recommend using the handicap bathrooms if you need a bigger shower). Even in the rain, it wasn't bad since the leaves and trees really blocked off all the rain to our tent. We had a grilling area where we can make our own bonfire for cooking and keeping warmth. And there were plenty of watering holes for washing dishes and washing hands. It was also really cool to see wild turkeys roaming around. Oh and we saw shooting stars at night, which was amazing! The only thing that bothered me was the god awlful mosquito bites our group of 12 had on this trip. Even with our powerful bug sprayed, we all had at least 50 bites. But that's a given when you're so close to the beach. read more

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This was a fantastic experience. The park has so many amenities you'll need to stay more then one day. From canoeing, going to the beach, hiking, bouldering at the glacier rocks, and sight seeing at the firewatch tower you'll constantly have adventure at your fingertips. MOSQUITOES- Before I came here many people complained about mosquitos, but I have to say that I didn't experience any. We did make sure to regularly spray ourselves in Off in the Woods and we had Thermacell at our campsite, so those probably helped. PARTYING - Another common complaint was partying. Given it was the weekend before July 4th we thought we'd see it, but even though we stayed up until midnight and took many trips across the grounds to visit the bathrooms, we did not see partying. Mostly quiet campsites of people either sleeping or talking quietly over the campfire. THE CAMPSITE - The campsite was clean with the exception of a few Cheetos and a pair of woman's sandals we found at our site. Each campsite featured a fire pit and very close access to bathrooms and a water fountain for clean drinking water. read more

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I live really close to pawtuckuaway and I recommend if u like hiking, that is not extreme good place

Very nice camp sites with plenty of water access and bathrooms available. Camp sites are fairly spaced apart but each space differs in size. Sound carries over the water so if people on other sites are loud then you'll be able to hear. Roads are well maintained and staff is friendly and helpful. Great place for low key camping and easy to medium hikes. read more

Great swimming place to take littles ones in the summer. Good parking, roped off swimming area, and frequent life guards on duty! read more

Absolutely Fantastic. Clean. Clean. Clean. I'm in from Massachusetts, they had all the proper protocol for COVID-19 and had a great time in the Kayak. read more

rangers stopped by multiple times at my site to say we were to loud befor 10 pm .... around 12 pm packing to leave almost done had car stereo on not that loud but enough we could listen while we packed and again here come the rangers.... talk about a buzz kill. wont camp here again. cant even talk after 10 pm they will harras you and tell you to whisper ,lake was great. read more

Pawtuckaway is a nice state park for some easy to moderate hiking, kayaking or canoeing in the lake, or a weekend of camping. There is a small entrance fee for admission just like most state parks in NH (not quite sure how much because we have state park plates that covers the cost). I've been camping once on a busy summer weekend and it was crowded and full of families getting away from the cities for some r & r. The views from the summit of pawtuckaway are great on a nice day so make sure to bring sturdy hiking boots, water/snacks and bug spray if you plan on making the journey to the top. read more

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Stayed on Horse Island Site 19. Cost only $68.25 for two nights. Lakefront site, and it's located in a quiet little cove. Not all sites on the outer perimeter was extremely ON the water, but there was nothing between the campers and the waterfront. Some sits low to the water, and some site a bit above water level giving you an elevate view of the lake. Either way, everyone on the outer perimeter camp sites had a private section of the lake to launch their kayaks/canoes, fish, or simply to go swimming. There are plenty of trees so shade is not an issue. Although there were no utility hook ups for travel trailers, there seems to be plenty of space to fit them. Common area spaces such as bathrooms/showers were clean and free to use. I would say about every 4-5 campsites you will find a water spout that will provide clean water. The beach and picnic areas was a nice touch, and their general store pretty much has anything you need to survive camping if you were to forget items at home. The lake itself was an amazing feature. There are several islands through the lake that reminded of a miniature version of 'Tom Sawyer's island' in Disneyland, where you can disembark and explore. Some islands had blueberry bushes!! Just sitting on our site looking out into the water, you see other kids from other sites jumping into the water and racing each other to rocks, and also folks buying those little blowup water toys and just wading around the cove with them. Overall, this was truly a great place to stay, and I WILL comeback, but this time i will choose a spot that faces where the sun sets into the evening. The entire area does not beat my favorite Yosemite Valley in California, but the actual campsite itself is the BEST I have ever stayed. read more

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Bring your good camera. This park is as picturesque as they come. Don't miss Burnham's Marsh, where on a recent morning we saw some elegant water birds (herons?), and snapped some very cool pics of fall foliage reflected in the water. Further down the road is a massive lake, with a beach, picnic tables, and a playground. The lake, and its numerous small islands, were surrounded by blazing orange and yellow trees. So pretty. read more

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A huge NH state park with a lake! We kayaked here today with a group of friends. There are 2 boat launches, 1 for motor & 1 for canoes and kayaks. Our friend camped and her camp site was RIGHT ON THE LAKE which we were able to kayak right up too to rest and party for a while. We also snowmobile hear in the winter months which is fun. Summer months, general day admission is $4.00 for adults. We kayaked up to the beach which was packed and had a lovely picnic. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed at all, which is just silly. read more

Beautiful park with very very friendly service. EXTREMELY CLEAN (including the bathrooms). We have really enjoyed our stay here. It was worth the hour and a half drive from Mansfield. The other patrons seem very observant of the rules (fires out by 12 am. Noise ordinanc 10 pm-7 am). Very family oriented and lots to do. Tent sites all have fire pits with a grill, and a picnic table! (PS. Site 148 is next to the restrooms. Other than the occasional door, it's a great spot!! And, there is a store close by near the beach.) read more

Pawtuckaway State Park - Gorgeous (June 3, 2017) - Parks Near Me - Nottingham, New Hampshire

We always love to visit the park. The lake is beautiful, and the water is clean. The beach is always clean and inviting. Every time we have been and never seems to be overcrowded highly recommend bring your family here read more

Sites are beautiful, bathrooms are FILTHY at all times. BEWARE, teenage staff is unmotivated. Bathrooms were nasty on our arrival and thought they would be better when I saw the cleaners leaving the next morning, I was wrong. Toilet paper & trash left all over the floor, just a gross experience. My daughter refused to use the bathrooms. ;( Our site was beautiful, it backed on to the lake. It's too bad the staff doesn't do more to make this campground all it could be. Beach is nice lots of trails and winding roads through the woods. Locals tell me this is a big party place on weekends - don't expect peace and quiet unless you are staying mid-week. read more

Not the worst. But! It's like swimming in a puddle of algae. Brought the kids there thinking it'd be a fun day, all six of my daughters each stepped on a piece of glass once and my youngest had to get six stitches because of a large, broken Heineken bottle in the lake. Most likely from a drunk local. May return. read more

Stayed Memorial Day weekend. Same great park. The weekend was obviously busy and I had a couple of noisy neighbors . Perhaps a few too many cocktails and some people just don't realize how far sound carries. Park staff kept them quite the second night. Rained like crazy on Memorial Day and the place cleared out. We stayed another day and the quietness and serenity here with just the symphony of lions, ducks and various birds is pretty amazing. If you are into nature bring your kayak/canoe hiking boots and enjoy the slower pace of this park midweek in the shoulder seasons . Only flaw, some of the bathrooms could do with replacement . They did some repairs this year but still . read more

Pawtuckaway State Park - Sunset from Horse Island - Parks Near Me - Nottingham, New Hampshire

Been going to Pawtuckaway for years. Scenic and family oriented. Fun time for children at the lake beach. Camping restrooms need to be updated. read more

Do not go camping here if you like to have fun. Quiet hours at this park start at 10:00. Starting at 9:59 we were continuously and aggressively harassed by overzealous park rangers telling us "keep quiet or you're getting kicked out." I was with a group of 30 somethings just looking to get out of the city for a weekend not some nutty teens blasting bassy music and drinking booze they stole from their parents. We were sitting around the campfire talking. No partying. No radios. No yelling. Just sitting around a campfire talking. The rangers took offense to this and we were forced to go to sleep to avoid being kicked out. We were not treated like adults or peers. The important detail here is that we were closely observing quiet hours while we were being harassed. There's no way even the most nosy neighbor could hear us in even the most crowded campground. The rangers here need an overhaul and a lesson in common sense. There's no need for this kind of behavior. New England is full of beautiful and welcoming campgrounds. There's no need for you to be at this one. I will not be back and I will not recommend Pawtuckaway State Park to friends. read more

I have to start by saying that if you have very small children or a baby and you are looking to camp quietly and go to bed at 7pm and not hear anything but crickets...this is you camp! If you would like to hang with friends/family and laugh, talk above a whisper and have a little fun...not so much. This weekend my husband and I joined his cousins for a camping trip and we did not play loud music or yell or have a live band or anything on our site...but we were repeatedly told we were too loud. Hours before the noise curfew....At 6PM!!! They started telling us we were too loud and would be kicked out. The curfew is 10pm-7am...All night the park rangers or security, hid behind trees watching our different sites in the dark with no lights...and would come tell us we were loud or we were better now or we were getting too loud again. It was creepy and unecessary. We were staying at a site in a camper with maybe 10 people total at 5 sites near each other and we were whispering at a camp fire at one point...and we were still being harassed. I would never go back again. The kayaking was fun but that's about it. It was like day care camping...without toddlers. read more

I have many many fond memories (or 'Rememberies', as the Family Circus would say) of the Pawtuckaway State Park grounds. My family camped here quite a bit when I was a child, and we took day trips to the 'beach' area with the Salem Recreation Department's Summer Playground program. But it was camping here as an adult that I had the most fun with. The lake is clean, minus the one bandaid I found floating in it while swimming. There aren't any bears or snakes, but there are loons, making you feel like you're actually on Golden Pond. There's a small 'general store' by the beach area that sells snacks, and Hannaford's in Raymond NH is a short drive away if you run out of anything during your weekend. The camp employees even try to be interactive, with various talks on animals and other camping-related subjects. There are strict rules about the number of adults per campsite, quiet hours begin at 10 PM, fires must be out by midnight, etc. What this actually does is keep out the 'party freaks' so that you can have a peaceful weekend away from it all. I think it was on our 2004 trip, it was Saturday Night, we had the fire going, we had the guitars going, and the 'neighbors' from the site next door joined us; We could hear a strange stringed instrument being played all weekend-turns out it was someone plucking the strings of her violin. She and her husband joined us with his recorder, and we had a little hootenany. This turned into a nice long chat, after quiet hours began. Pawtuckaway is that sort of place. So, to wrap it up, if you're looking for reasonably priced campground with shower facilities and a place to boat, swim or fish, this is the place. Its also a great place to drink lots of Sambuuca while you stick your weenie in the fire. Just don't forget the s'mores!! read more

This park is awesome. First off, the park is huge. I was there on a weekday, during the day, and only saw 3 people the entire time. The beach seems to be a really great place for a picnic. But while I was there they were doing some serious construction near the beach. The marshland is amazing. It was a little wet when I visited so the trail going along the marsh was a little too much for me and my new silver reeboks. I did about 10 miles hiking in all and the weather in the mid spring was perfect for it. I made it to the fire tower at the summit of the south mountain and boy are you treated to a nice view. It is well worth the work getting up there. read more

This state park is very nice and private I have been there many times camping. Will be back again this summer.

Recently stayed for a few nights for the first time. I was in a cabin away from the beach area, so it was secluded. I chose one that had room around it, some others were clumped together. Bugs and bumpy roads I guess are the norm these days in public parks. However, I did not expect the numerous pot-holes to be filled with sand only (some had washed out). Enjoyed the flock of turkeys roaming the place, but not the dirty geese at the beach. I arrived right after a weekend, so the wood was sold out! Had to purchase some down the road, half-cut pieces for the same price. The beach area is beautifully maintained; the staff seems organized and were always courteous. Had a great swim on a sunny day; good thing, because next day it was partially closed due to the high bacteria count. The beach store has no food for sale, just high-priced snacks and souvenirs, so one must go into Raymond to purchase groceries and lug them back, even for a beach day. Charcoal grills are available near some beach tables. Trash and recycling are in another part of the park. Bathrooms are so-so. Only one shower stall in each building for each gender (campers' bathrooms). But they did have mirrors and paper towels. Unexpectedly, my cabin had electricity. The mattresses had no plastic or paper protective covers, quite dirty. Not an old cabin, I can already see some wear in the interior. Be choosy about your site, lots of bugs in the darker areas. Otherwise a good stay. Swimming, birding and hiking seem very popular. Nice beach for all ages. The trails are extensive across all terrains. Lots of rocks abound. read more

I wanted to take my daughter to a place like the ones that my own dad took me to, back when I was her age.I'd heard some good things about it, and it really fit the bill. The tent sites were far enough apart to have privacy, but close enough so you knew that you had neighbors. And it's nice to have a bath house with a hot shower, so I suppose we weren't really "roughing it". :-) The park offers camping, swimming, hiking, fishing, rental boating, biking, picnicking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing. There is a playground, and a small camp store. The lake has a nice, large beach, and it's quite expansive. I didn't know it at the time, but The Pawtuckaway "Mountains", which are a great place to hike, are a circular ring for a reason - they are the outline of an ancient volcanic ring dike, from the Cretaceous era (140 million years ago) Update: We just came back from our second trip here. Just as good as the first :-) If you like geology you'll learn more here: https://archive.org/stream/geologyofcoastal1984newe/geologyofcoastal1984newe_djvu.txt read more

great campground. can feel a little busy. awesome to take tubes out in the pond! staff are friendly, overall good vibes.

A hidden gem. I moved to Fremont when I was a teenager and I had no idea this place was here. I feel a little cheated ;-) My gf and I stayed here for 1 night this past weekend. I booked a few months in advance and I thought most of the good sites were taken. I randomly picked a spot, campsite 49 and we were presently surprised. We had this huge unique boulder on our campsite. A good view of the lake surrounded by a circle of trees. We were a little high up so we could see over everyone. We walked around horse island and we only could pick 1 more site that was by the water that was worth staying at for next summer. The day we went was limited mosquito, perfect! Hiking trail was great. Park and the beach area were clean, surprisingly. BUTTTTT in the bathroom I would highly suggest you wash your hands thoroughly . My gf ending up getting conjunctivitis because she wears contacts. She thought she washed up good enough before putting in her contacts- lots of kids. If your looking for a campground with no kids I would suggest finding a site on the map that doesn't have many neighbors which also includes noisy music campers. I'm pretty sure there was this one kid that cried the whole night but I ended up passing out. Over all I think the place was great minus the whole conjunctivitis indecent, deducted 1 star. We all ready booked our October trip in one of the cabins they offer. We drove by before we left and they are very cute with tons of room in the outside area. read more

We had a group of 4 guys in our mid 20s looking to get out of the city and just relax and have good time. Our spot was on the water, lot 62 and we could not have asked for a better location. We were able to swim, grill, drink, play some music within our site without disturbing the other sites (I think at least). At 11 one of the rangers politely asked us to turn the music off (silent hours are at 10) no problem. Fires needed to be out by midnight but we had ours going low until 2am. I think so long as it's not roaring you're fine. All in all a great weekend, we definitely plan on going back. If you're looking for a crazy place to get drunk at with a lot of friends, this wouldn't be the place, I'd recommend Sacco. This was a nice getaway for a small group to have a good time at. The max is 4 people after all read more

Nice place lake nice beach super small great trails but it's like a jail there so many rules and alot of the people that go there will bitch about everything at your campsite fires out at 10pm and it enforced read more

A friend and I spent the day hiking in the park doing north mtn trail and boulder trail. The map was hard to read with some of the thru trails being unmarked but we made it out after asking a few strangers. It was fairly empty being early in the season so at time it felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves. Our campsite was perfect. We originally booked for a site smooshed in between others with no view and the office girls gave us a bunch of other choices. We watched the sunset from our campfire and what he'd the kayakers and boats go by. Only complaint is the bathrooms and showers weren't working so they put porta pottys up instead. Rough night when you sweat your butt off hiking all day but we made it work with baby wipes. read more

Love this park, spacious sites, no one is really on top of one another. Clean. Plenty to do. Decent sized lake, over 700 acres. Fun. Grocery store not too far away. Don't need to experience any other campground in NH cause this is fine with me. read more

Beware! We used to love coming here for day trips at the beach with kids or camping over night. Now it is like being in Lawrence with a lake. AWFUL. It is beautiful though. read more

This place is beautiful. The views are amazing and the staff was friendly. We rented kayaks $30 for half day. Boat staff was amazing, they assisted with fitting life jackets and getting in the kayaks. The bathrooms were a bit outdated and didn't work the 2nd day but they immediately had it resolved before our next bathroom run. Camp store prices pretty average for convenience, and they offer a lot of stuff. I wish they had eco friendly paper plates and cups instead of plastic ones, but at least they had them. The site we got was very very small it fit 1 large tent and 1 small tent. The ground was matted and wet with fallen leaves. The Canopy provided complete shade so everything was mosey. We had a bad location #97 it sits lower then others and is right nxt to the bathrooms. We walked around a lot and saw other sites ours was def the smallest and the worse. Aside from the site the place is amazing with great staff. I would have given 5 stars if the site was as great as the rest of the campground. read more

Pawtuckaway State Park - Parks Near Me - Nottingham, New Hampshire

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Great state park. Clean, nice spots (especially if you can get one on the water) with plenty to do without even leaving the campground! There's canoeing and kayaking, swimming, and hiking. The lake was pretty clean, and there's lots of room to boat. We went in mid-June and it wasn't that crowded. The only downsides were that the showers were iffy, even for campground bathrooms, and that the campground can be REALLY hard to find and even once you're in the campground it's super easy to get lost. But once you're in, you have no reason to leave so put up your tent and enjoy the park! Also worth going up from Boston for a day trip. read more