I've stayed at Ashuelot River Campground twice and am planning a third visit later this year. As an…read moreavid hiker, my idea of camping is simple and self-sufficient: pitching a tent, boiling water to avoid giardia, cooking on a Coleman stove, and living out of a cooler. I'm not looking for an air-conditioned RV experience with all the modern comforts--I'm here for the outdoors. That's why I'm puzzled by some of the negative reviews this campground has received. Ashuelot provides a natural setting where you can create the camping experience that suits you. Yes, there are rules--but they're mainly in place to ensure that everyone has a peaceful and enjoyable time. Let's be honest: not everyone is considerate, and a few basic guidelines go a long way toward making the space enjoyable for all. This isn't luxury travel. It's camping--and it's affordable. If you're expecting concierge service or hotel-style amenities, there are plenty of expensive hotels nearby that might better fit your expectations. But if you're self-reliant, easygoing, and here to enjoy nature on its own terms, Ashuelot River Campground offers exactly what you need for a rewarding experience.

What a lovely campground. There's some thing for all types of campers. We (retired couple with 2…read morelarge dogs) stayed at a full hookup riverfront site before Memorial Day. Fairly open, but a nice spot. There are plenty of pretty spots in the woods with water and electric and a bit more privacy. They would make nice tent or smaller camper spots. That's what we'll choose when we return. Nice little walking trails for the dogs, and access the beautiful river. Friendly checkin, and helpful at the store when we needed a quick repair.

For the last three summers, my wife, kids, and I have done extended camping (I work remotely). This…read moreyear, our lease ended and we thought it was the perfect chance to camp longer while we decided whether to move out of state or stay local. We called Swanzey Lake Campground and asked about length-of-stay rules. Jill assured us there were none and even let us choose a site in person. The lake and new bathrooms made the higher price feel worth it. Everything started fine until a couple weeks in. My wife and I had a heated--but non-violent and quiet--argument and we foolishly called the police. They came, found no issue, and left. Jill and Bill were understandably upset, but after a sincere apology, Jill gave us another chance, saying if it happened again, we'd have to leave. Fair enough. Then out of nowhere, a welfare check was called on us by another camper claiming I wasn't letting my kids out of the tent. Absurd. In reality, it was a quiet Saturday--we had fans running, windows open, and WiFi going. My kids were happy and safe. It felt like someone was watching us simply for not being social. My kids were upset, my oldest was confused and scared, and I let the office know how angry I was. We had done nothing wrong. Even the officer said she didn't know why she was called and gave me her number in case I had any new concerns myself. A few days later, someone I had worked with months ago at a nonprofit (not law enforcement or anything official) called the campground asking for me because I hadn't responded to her calls. That same day, we were told to move again--and that we had one week left. Baffling. I went to the office and tried to explain, but Jill refused to hear anything. She referenced the call and said now she was on "a state agency contact list" - whatever that means - and said that was enough to end our stay. That was the moment I realized logic was no longer part of the equation. Later I spoke with Bill, who was respectful but said he had to support Jill's decision. It became clear--if you're not part of the seasonal RV crowd, you're not really welcome here. We were in a tent, not an RV, and that seemed to make all the difference. Even after we left, I was told there was yet another complaint--this time about our dog being left in the car. The car had been remote-started with AC blasting. It was still cold when we returned. But again, everything we did seemed to be reported and twisted. We were moved to a spot with zero privacy, surrounded by campers who all seemed to know each other, hung out together, dined together. Jill had told us we could stay through mid-August. Then suddenly we were told the site was "seasonal only." The inconsistency was exhausting. If you're doing actual extended camping--not just a weekend RV hangout--this is not the place. There's clear favoritism, it's very clique-like, and we were constantly scrutinized for things others were doing openly without consequence. We didn't accept the additional week and left the next day. We were treated unfairly and judged, and despite our best efforts to respect the rules and communicate, it wasn't enough. I wouldn't recommend this campground to anyone looking for more than a brief stay. We were not the problem. Your clique was, your judgment was, and Jill, you owe us an apology. But we already know we'll never get one. Do not stay here. Period.

Love this campgrounds. I was lucky enough to have an RV in a seasonal spot for two years. Fabulous…read moreowners who really care about their property as well as their guests. Swimming, kayaking and canoeing are just a few amenities you can enjoy. They also have get together's and special events. Either a family, couple or just being by yourself it's the perfect atmosphere. Highly recommend Swanzey Lake!

Paid in full for a week in July, we stay here every year. Learned in May that I had cancer and…read morewould need surgery and weekly chemo until the end of September. Contacted Forest Lake Campground in May to cancel reservation, discussed options and was told we could carry our week over for later. Just received the all clear from my Dr today. Called to make reservations and was told they would not honor our already paid week. They said we would not get our money back either. Won't stay here again as they are not people of their word.

Camped at a tent site; the sites are big. Easy check in, lots of activities sponsored by the…read morecampground (cribbage, cornhole, potato roast while we were there), water and electric hookups. Lots of seasonal regulars but everyone waves and says hi. Overall very active, friendly campground. Definitely recommend it and will be back

Great campground at first, although us and our kids couldn't get consistent sleep. Even though…read morethere are quiet hours, they aren't enforced AT ALL. Roll the dice on if you get noisy/rude neighbors. I'm currently posting this at 1:37am and some people are still going strong in around the campground. Our particular neighbors finally cashed in around 12:30am with no respect for any quiet hours and seemingly no warnings though we definitely complained. If you want to drink and have a good time into the night, seems like this place might be awesome for you! For a young family with kids who actually sleep, be prepared for some super late bedtimes and wedding dance hits with clapping for lullabies. Kinda bummed, it's made our trip stressful each night and we won't be returning for any weekend nights again. On the plus side, I watched a great movie using the free campground WiFi to drown out the noise while I waited for my fun-loving neighbors to get tired!

We love it! (Besides the walk to the bathroom with a young kid) but my family got todo everything…read morethey wanted, swimming, fishing, paddle boating. And most of all relaxing! Everyone is super nice and it's so kid friendly!

Amazing place to camp! The people and staff are incredible and attentive. The cabins are livable…read moreand plentiful in space. It's gorgeous in scenery!

Visited this camp for a church men's retreat and the place was pretty amazing for the overall value…read moreand what you got. They have various sleeping quarters and while I'm not sure what's the worst quarters they have I did get assigned one of the houses that had multiple rooms with private bathrooms in each. I've been to camp facilities in the past where you have to walk through the woods at 3am for a potty break at a designated outhouse. The fact that Spofford had private bathrooms in each room of the large house was a really nice treat. While it wasn't a 5 star hotel it was a pretty amazing compared to other camping facilities I've visited in the past. The sanctuary they have is absolutely beautiful. It's so nice inside it almost seemed like it was brand new or relatively new. The camp is situated right next to a lake for summer fun although it was cold during my visit so nobody ventured into the water. The camp offers several simple activities to keep yourself entertained. The cafeteria is really nice, large and food is fairly good. They had an unlimited supply of coffee on hand for us which was a neat treat. Overall it's really a nice camp for the value you get and what is provided. If you come expected a 5 start luxury facility then you will be sorely disappointed but if you've been to other camp facilities this place is pretty top notch.

I have hiked A LOT of mountains in New England but I had never hiked the mountain it seemed like…read moreeveryone I knew had hiked. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to change that and now I can see what all the hubbub is about. What a great mountain with fantastic views. After doing a bit of homework, I realized it was in my best interest to make a park reservation so that I could secure a parking space for the day at the start of the trailheads I was eyeing for the next day. As one of the most hiked mountains (in the world?), this park reports hosting a massive number of visitors each year and from first hand experience, I can attest that it is a busy one. The $15 was worth the peace of mind and my ability to pull right in and hop onto the trail. I had a hard time locating their "opening hours" but I arrived shortly after 8am with about 20 cars there ahead of me. I really appreciated the park ranger that checked me in for my reservation at the Poole Road entrance. Incredibly welcoming, inquisitive about plans, quick to offer advice for the best experience, and even shared a weather update (30 mph+ winds at the summit that day) before I was on my way. Supplied with a paper map and an idea which trails would be least busy and most scenic, I felt well-prepared for an enjoyable morning on the mountain. I opted to start out on the White Dot Trail. For less crowds, I branched off to the Cascade Link, then hooked a left onto the Red Spot Trail which delivered me to the summit. Gaining elevation at a slow and steady pace, I found the whole climb quite enjoyable. I rejoined the crowd at the summit but still with plenty of room for photos of the scenery and some quiet time to enjoy a snack. Wide open, bald summit with views for days. I would have stayed longer if not for the strong winds. After nestling in between the rocks away from the air currents to enjoy a brief snack, I was on my way down the mountain via the White Cross Trail. There were even glimpses of Boston in the distance! Each trail was clearly marked by it namesake (literally white dots, red dots, and white crosses) which made wayfinding a breeze. That said, I still came across a party or two that had gotten turned around. Do your homework, connect to a trail app if you have the means, practice your map reading skills, and heed the recommendations of the rangers and you should have the basic tools you need to keep you on track and still smiling. So many trails and options that can keep you coming back for more. The visitor center at this entrance was a welcome amenity, restrooms, and all. I cannot comment on the park store because it was closed for lunch when I was finishing up. All in all I got in just under 5 miles using the route that I did. Beautiful peak, beautiful day. Highly recommend.

Great day hike and not for those with weak ankles! Took the white dot trail up and used the white…read morecross trail to come down. Forgot the bug spray which would have kept the critters at bay with much of the trail having slow or puddled water. Parking wasn't too crowded, $15 for access to park. Snack and gift shop in the lot and the headquarters building just up the trail. Great restroom facility to use prior to starting the hike as well. Very rocky terrain all the way up, clearly marked with white dots (crosses as well for the return). Enjoyed the fact there were multiple volunteer guides hiking or positioned at locations (one steady at fork for dot/cross) if needed. Had low reception all through the hike for emergencies as well. Beautiful views towards the top and of course 360 once on the summit. Definitely worth the time spent. Pack in pack out, bring water and snacks along with the spray (both bug and sun)! Enjoyed a quick snack on the top with the views and a quick tsp of the marker before heading back down. Time to get up to the peak, what are you waiting for?!

We were on a family trip for the weekend and I really regret choosing this campground. When I…read moreattempted to make a reservation initially, it was impossible to reach anyone by phone. When I finally spoke with someone and made the reservation, were weren't even sent a confirmation email. The only thing received was an email with the charge to my charge and without a break down of the charges. Once we got to the park, we weren't even notified on the check out time. When we arrived, it was disappointing. You drive through a trailer park to arrive at the campground and there are no signs on the main road confirming that the trailer park you're entering will lead you to the campground. It's difficult to maneuver a trailer through the trailer park as well. When we entered the park, it was mostly seasonal. The spot we had was horrible to back into. They put up all of these lamp posts all over the place and they are added obstructions and make the tight spaces more difficult to navigate. Not to mention, our site was rated for a 40 foot trailer and there's just no way. We could barely back our trailer in while hooked up to the truck. There was little room. The site behind us had a TON OF PEOPLE AND KIDS. They were loud at night and during the day, their kids were coming into our site. They were also very disruptive. We have a baby and it was hard for him to get a nap in. We couldn't even sit outside on our porch (since we have a toy hauler) because our neighbors directly behind us had a fire that would have smoked into our trailer and we had no privacy at all. We noticed a few open sites and went to ask the older women working in the office, if we would be able to move. She said there were no open sites except a row of unoccupied atv sites near the woods. They were normal sites but reserved for the busy atv season. She said there was an up charge for those sites. After discussing it with my husband, we decided to pay the difference since they were all empty and honestly, ended up being a lot more quiet than where we were. When my husband advised that he would pay the difference, he was flat out told no. No conversation or anything. Just no. Those sites along with another site, were NEVER occupied during our stay. We weren't allowed to move despite being willing to pay for it. We were also not notified during our booking that there would be kids trick or treating all over the place. Again, we have a sleeping baby and we went camping for some peace and quiet. Later on, we took our baby for a walk and went over to a swing set on site. I wanted to swing him for a bit but there was a grown man on the swings. This whole experience was not great at all. The only positive was when I went to buy firewood. There was a young girl working inside who was maybe in her late teens or early twenties. She was extremely polite and helpful. She's the only positive I got out of this.

Very nice place. I was pleasantly surprised. Quiet and clean and appears to have a nice pool are…read moreand other things for kids. But...the spaces are the smallest I've EVER seen in my 20 years camping. The guy next to us put his grill less than 10 feet from our RV. (Of course doing that is lacking common sense). Small spaces could be a hazard.

Camp Glen Brook serves farm to table meals to their summer and winter camps, as well as school…read moreprograms. Chef Taylor makes the best bagels in New Hampshire and the brick oven pizza is amazing!

Three weeks of summer camp at Glen Brook and my daughter returned confident and ready to take on…read morethe new school year! No computers, no phones- instead she spent three weeks outside in nature. Sending her for a second summer, and she is already excited about being a counselor one day. Camp Glen Brook, you deserve these five stars!

I'm going to be extremely fair in my review and explain all details and why. I know many people…read morelove this place, and I was so excited to go here but I need to be very honest in the ways they can improve and why 3 stars and not 5 stars from us. The booking and check in process was smooth and easy. The front staff were very friendly on the phone and in person. They walked us around to show us the grounds. Our room was exactly as we expected so no surprise there. It was ready when we arrived, clean and stocked with the basics (towel, soap). We didn't have high expectations for a new/updated room as the photos are exactly how the room was. No fancy frills but clean and absolutely fine to stay in. The beds are not that comfortable but fine. The wall paper in farm house 6 was peeling a bit and wear and tear around the unit was present but we did expect the room to be outdated and didn't have any issues over all with the room. The main reason for our 3 star is really based on food, amenities, and grounds. As for food, do not have high expectations as it's very basic. I would rate it 2 at best, but it's all inclusive and does feed the mass groups. Our waitress the first night was awful, we didn't eat for almost an hour. She told us she was rusty and not ready for the groups yet. Little weird, but I guess she was being honest. The other night/day team were much better and more competent. One odd thing we did notice, food is not in abundance when it's put out for guests to grab. Once something runs out, it runs out. I'm all for not wasting food, that's very important but we noticed often food would run out (cookies, appetizers, and other items to grab-go). For example, the cocktail adults evening, majority of the finger appetizers ran out. Another night, they had watermelon for dessert and it ran out. Ultimately, we can't say we didn't eat, we did, some items just would run out and that was it in terms of offerings. Another concern was the indoor pool, it was freezing. Like unable to swim at all -cold- cold. I would think summer time the pools outside are much better, but we didn't try those as it was too early in the season (April). The toys on the main lawn near the sand pit and volleyball area are all broken and worn out. One of the swings broken and missing. The kiddie barn is broken where the kids play. The boats near the lake are all broken and dingy. I understand this place is more about family legacy and farm life, which yes is special, but most things I found are falling apart around the main lawn area especially. Just in general, broken or not cared for. I am not expecting anything to be brand new or perfect but they're run down. We did most of the kid events and the play doh was all dried out and the crafts very limited. We felt there could've been a few more kid friendly events going on (maybe a movie, more crafts, outdoor music/games, outdoor events). The activity staff seemed really uninterested when it came to many of the events too which was unfortunate. Rather than really engage the kids they often stood around. These are the main reasons for our 3 star review. The concept and legacy idea for families is awesome, but the upkeep just isn't there and not as much engagement as we hoped. I love being outdoors, and for my kids to enjoy their time outside and farm life but they need to clean up a bit here. A few things we did love, to be fair and honest, the farm animals, Pony Ride, Easter egg hunt, and magic show. They were fun and engaging. Also, my kids absolutely loved trying to get eggs from the Hens (despite the limited number, but that's not East Hill's fault, that's just kiddos who claim them all and run away before others get a chance to grab one from the Hens). I also had a massage, that's not East Hill, but their outside vendor they use in their main lobby. It wasn't very good. The lady was nice but the chair massage was not relaxing or enjoyable. She barely massaged me. I wouldn't recommend spending $20 on this add on. This spot has so much incredible potential if they just maintained it better. Such special memories for families to create here. I get leaving the rooms nostalgic and maybe the farm areas, but the grounds, toys, arts and crafts and a few other areas could use some upkeep. Unfortunately that's why this is only a 3 star from our family.

I have wonderful memories of visits when I was a child, decades ago, with my family of origin, and…read morethen also visiting there when my son was a youngster! Now, planning a visit with my son, his wife, and their toddler daughter! Everything- sO enjoyable!

The Path of Life Garden and Sculpture Park blew me away…read more.. As the website describes: a 14-acre landscape where you can experience the great circle of life while traveling through 18 unique sculptures and pieces of art. Inspired by several gardens in Europe, the installations symbolize the journey from birth to death and beyond. So cool, don't mis this if you're in the area. (literally next door to the Harpoon Brewery)

Has become horrible. Customer service is now awful. We went last year and they arranged a great…read morecanoe/camping trip for us. We canoed for two days and camped for 4 days. Called this year and were advised it has changed ownership. The new owner Jack needed to call us back to discuss the trip. We have now called numerous times and sent multiple emails in addition to reaching out of Facebook. Just this morning, we called again to be advised by a person that "jack" has to call us back. She advised she told reminded Jack numerous times.... Sad, as this was a real gem.