I've stayed at Ashuelot River Campground twice and am planning a third visit later this year. As an avid 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. read more

What a lovely campground. There's some thing for all types of campers. We (retired couple with 2 large 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. read more

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Love it here on the river! We have gone for several years with a group of family. We kayak and tube on the river, very family and dog friendly. read more

In short, this campground was a big disappointment. The most important thing to know if you're thinking about booking here is the majority of campground has no trees. The tree line starts where most of the sites end, and several sites have not one tree. If you want to feel like you're camping out in a pasture of some kind then this place is for you. The second most important thing to note is that if you go on a busy weekend like Memorial Day, Labor Day etc there will be a "water shortage".... This Labor Day weekend the owner came around asking us to limit our water usage because the well the was running dry. They posted signs in the bathhouse "don't flush if it's just urine" "water shortage, take short showers or wait another day".... At first I was a little bit sympathetic thinking what a stressful situation this is for the owner, but then we talked to people in the next campsite who came here on Memorial Day and the same thing happened. The owner continues to accept people's money and reservations KNOWING they won't have full access to the water that they're paying for in the nightly rate. Bathhouse: Needs work. The bathroom stalls are made of flimsy wood. The doors are a foot and a half off the ground and they are short enough you can see everyone's head when they stand up. Awkward. River: The river was decent enough, but it was very low this time of year. Also, if you have a river site expect people to be walking right through your site the whole time to get to it. Noise: As other people have said you can clearly hear highway traffic all hours of the day and night. And not a subtle sound, it's clear as day. Sites: There is basically no privacy here since only a small section of the campground actually has trees. Most of the sites are right next to others with no barriers, which is awkward. There is literally nothing in the area that would ever compel me to stay here again. We chose a campground in NH for peace and quiet, woods and privacy... This place offers none of that. read more

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Love this place. Although we have only stayed here 4 times, we feel like we have been coming here forever. Chuck and Laura are super friendly and make you feel at home. We love the relaxed atmosphere of back to basic camping. We have stayed in a few different sites; along the river, in the field and up against the tree line. Some sewer sites and some not. We enjoy them all for different reasons, it's nice to have options. We kayaked the nice river, rode our bikes on the rail trail to Keene and visited some great hiking areas. We camp in a 5th Wheel with our dog. We have come with our extended family, children and grandson, as well. Always a great time. Last trip was for our Anniversary and they had a special treat to mark our occasion. Very thoughtful. We'll be back yearly. read more

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Firstly, the owners are great and clearly care a lot about the place -but also seem uptight and policing. It is meticulously cared for. It's exceptionally well set up for RVs. The facilities, restrooms, for example, are extremely well cared for as well. It's close to Keene, which is a great little city, and close to some cool outdoors stuff. BUT . . . . . . the river (the river which is basically the water spot for the grounds and which no campsite is more than a few hundred feet from) literally abuts a VERY busy road, practically a small highway for all intents and purposes. I'm not joking. It was car traffic noise all day and night -I lived in Boston for 12 years and I had less traffic noise in my apts. At Asheulot, sirens at night woke me TWICE, while "camping." That isn't camping or campgrounds . . . and it isn't quiet and relaxing. It felt like someone carved a spot out next to a highway and said: "here's a campground." I guess it's okay if you have a great RV and are using it as a base camp for stuff that is around the area? I mean, most of the campground is literally an open field for RVs. I dunno. It was just weird to me. I have done a ton of drive up camping in my life and I've never been to a place that felt like I was sleeping next to a highway and suburbs. I wish I were embellishing. read more

Stayed at this campground during the first week of October 2017. The grounds were clean and we had ample shade as our site was away from most of the campers along the river. The owner decided to mow our sites mid afternoon when we were all trying to relax, one of our group trying to nap. The riding mower was literally driven on our site right up to the area rug by the door to the camper. The next day the owner again decided to use a back hoe to transport gravel from one spot to another, passing our site several times, kicking up dust and dirt blowing onto our sight as I sat outside reading. It could have all been avoided if he had just waited one day as we we leaving the very next day. When you pay for a camp site it is reasonable to expect quiet and privacy when possible! read more

Mid-May long weekend trip, rainy weather forecast resulted in just the seasonal RV's. Chuck & Laura were a pleasure to meet, delivered firewood to our site & checked in on us the following day. Bathrooms were very nice & clean, there were strategically placed outhouses for convenience. Wish there were more trails nearby though. I'd visit again, hope for the same site + not too many people (it looks like the sites were rather close & may be cramped if every single one was occupied). read more

Ashuelot River Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Swanzey, New Hampshire

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DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS CAMPSITE- STAY ELSEWHERE! Atmosphere: The couple that owns the camp site were incredibly rude. I would think that they would be more welcoming so that they can have repeat visitors? They give you a list of rules which is fine but then they troll the camp ground to make sure you're abiding their rules. It feels more like summer camp when I was a child then a chill weekend with friends. I'm assuming hospitality and customer service isn't their thing.... Location: The camp sites are a decent size and you have a nice place to take a warm shower. However, you are right off of rt 10 and you can hear the hwy all night long. Not my ideal situation when trying to enjoy a nice peaceful weekend. Also, the camp grounds in which you occupy are covered in sand which isn't ideal. I would prefer to be all natural and not deal with sand coming in the tent! Customer Service: This doesn't exist for this location as the couple is pretty rude in all aspects, unless you're leaving in which the wife was really friendly. I went in my SUV with my friends and had another set go in their car in which they got their own site. We requested to be next to one another but the guy said it was a busy weekend (Keene Pumpkin Festival.) Yet, when we arrived there were so many open spots that we could've stayed together. Overall, I would skip this place and camp else where so you don't have a sour taste from a rude couple. Enjoy your weekend and find a good spot! read more

This was a pretty nice campground. I usually only camp in state or national parks, but the state park near here was full, so we took a chance. Making a reservation on the phone was easy-I had to leave a 50% deposit. Check in was quick and painless. We bought wood and ice on site. They don't really have much for food there, but there is a grocery store up the street if you need anything. They have canoe and kayak rentals (for a whole day or half day), which we tried out. It was really fun. Bathrooms were clean enough, the owners were helpful, and the campsite was decent (not too close to anyone else). read more

The good - Beautiful setting, run by polite and helpful couple, very well maintained amenities, each site has a picnic table and a fire pit, it is handy to local attractions, they do not nickel and dime you with those annoying coin operated showers. The Bad - across the river is a main road meaning that there is some traffic noise. read more

Last year I would have told you I loved them however this year I paid in full about a week and a 1/2 ago... I paid in full but decided to cancel due to Colvin and they still kept half of my deposit which was $54 they lost a customer with me read more

The campground is situated on a beautiful bend in the Ashuelot River where one of the largest Oak trees I have ever seen grows. Chuck and Laura greet and host visitors in a fashion that tells you they love what they do. They take time to speak with their guests and offer insight into the local area. We utilized their clean restrooms and laundry room, and bought firewood that they delivered to our campsite. We canoed on the river, talked with friendly camp neighbors and cooked over the campfire. All in all a nice visit! read more

Enjoyed our stay at this clean and beautifully maintained family campground. Many nice touches including the well stocked camp store (wood and ice!), clean bathhouse, laundry, dish washing station, indoor and outdoor activities. Well wooded, generous sized riverside sites were a bonus for this tent camper. The owners were welcoming and very helpful. Looking forward to future stays. read more

Ashuelot River Campground - Dusk at one of the covered bridges - Campgrounds Near Me - Swanzey, New Hampshire

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Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Our site (34) was the perfect size and right on the river which was very cool. The showers were a bit small but seeing as they are hot and FREE I am not complaining. The campground is beautiful and clean with direct access to hiking trails near the river. This was our first camping trip with our dog and he loved it just as much as we did. The first night I didn't realize the officd closed at 8pm and I went up there trying to buy more wood for the camp fire at 9:30pm...oops. They didn't hesitate to come right out and give me more wood as I tried to apologize for interrupting their evening! Very friendly and helpful. read more

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I stayed two nights here and thoroughly enjoyed it. I stayed at a tent site, and it was well wooded, which is important to me. I had a nice little fire both nights, purchasing wood that's for sale in the office until 8pm. The bathroom and shower facilities are VERY well cared for!! I was impressed for a campground! Keene is 15 mins away for restaurants, Walmart, or Target (or even a Dicks). Market Basket is about 10 mins away if you need a supermarket and it's before 9pm. There's a Dunkin Donuts at a gas station about 5 mins away. That's about it As you'd expect or hope when you're camping. hehe I expect to be back next year. read more

We went camping this past weekend to meet up with a group of friends for a fun weekend to catch up after not being together for quite awhile. In total we were 7 campsite with 14 people ,1child under 5 and 8dogs. I should have known something was coming when a couple of campers said to be sure we kept our dog on a leash all the time and if the dogs are playing together don't let it get loud. Later Chuck the owner came over to speak with us when we were all together playing cornhole saying the dogs were barking to loud and we needed to go to our own campsite with our dog. So here I am a grown adult being grounded to my campsite. Each of us sat at our own separate campsite alone that evening afraid to disobey the rules. Oh did I mention it was 2 pm when this originally happened. 2!!! When I spoke with Chuck and said that we would be leaving the next morning and not staying our whole time originally planned due to feeling very uncomfortable after being scolded by him, he told me in a very passive aggressive way good and that he wished I'd leave now and that he was ending our conversation before something he may regret may happen. What the heck does that mean !!! Perhaps they should make the campground for older adults only with no children or animals. I don't usually rant and especially not on Facebook but feel everyone should know this isn't the place for you if you want to have fun or connect with friends. You know ... what camping is all about. read more

The owners, Chuck and Laura and great and really make you feel at home. We stayed for a weekend and were very happy with the cleanness, the facilities available, and the activities on the grounds. Chuck and Laura even switched out the badminton to volleyball for us. Cons: There's some road noise and the layout of the campground lets any noise travel across most of the site. Can make for some awkward community moments. read more

Please take into consideration that we are not seasoned RVers. We have camped multiple times but our first RV experience.... 1. Location- driving into the campsite may NOT be the best experience. You will go through some questionable looking neighborhood/houses. And the campsite itself is next to the town dumpsite itself. It is correct to say though that the camp itself is along the Ashuelot River 2. The Campsite- very clean and well maintained 3. The River itself- very very very slow current- may have Mosquito issues 4. Area attractions- nothing much- its about 40 mins from Mt Monadnack State park. Lots of covered bridges around. 5. Owners/Staff - if your looking for a Marriott Receptionist LIKE smile and accommodating attitude. This is NOT the place. The owners try to remember your names and attempt to be nice. But you can DEFINITELY feel a certain rudeness in the way the communicate. Conclusion- if your looking for a very hospitable warm experience with activities galore. This is NOT the place. This is probably the best objective review i can make. read more

Would have been nice to know cabins do not have mattresses, and are not in the woods. We were excited to go canoeing until we found that the group before us had to be rescued bc the upstream is quite tough! That said, cabin was quaint and clean and owners were very helpful and kind. read more

Spent a wonderful weekend camping along with 27 Airstreams from the New England Unit. The camprgound was clean, modern, and has easy access to the bike trails. The owners Chuck and Laura (hope that is the correct spelling) were the most helpful and welcoming that I have met. They checked on us for any needs that we may have. They directed campers to area sites of interest. It was nice that they came out as we passed to thank us and to say good-byes. I definitely plan a return visit read more

Ashuelot River Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Swanzey, New Hampshire

I didn't even stay here and I can honestly say I never would. I sent an email asking if waterfront sites were available for the weekend. We just registered our camper yesterday and wanted somewhere kind of close for our first time. The response was "That would be nice to waltz in at the last minute and slip into the riverside spots. I suppose anything is possible. We have just a few spots left. 12 and 16 with sewer; 50,51 and 52 with water and electric. Again, give a call and we'll chat! No cable here." So unprofessional. read more

Before I begin, I would like to say that I've never felt compelled to write a review of any organization until my experience here. For me to actually take time out of my day for this, represents how strongly I feel about this review. I would not recommend this campground. I originally reserved two days to stay at the campground. Based on the behavior of the staff there (fairly rude and unwelcoming; shining flashlights and looking into cars), and the campground being a bit more geared towards children (we are two friendly, mature, and respectful 30 y.o males), we decided to check out a day early and move to a more comfortable setting. Upon checking out, the staff member running the office assured me that I would not be charged for the second night and I was good to go. Liar. Upon checking my bank statement, I realized I had been charged for the second night. So as anyone would, I called to request a refund, to which I was denied based on the following reasons: 1. Staff member stated that he never said I didn't have to pay for the second night. He is a liar. 2. A ridiculous reservation policy. Please make sure you read this in detail if you plan on staying here. If you don't you will pay. Read it. The campground is a giant field and has a highway across the river; ensuring that you are fully immersed in the songs of freight liners and screaming rednecks. All the campsites are within spitting distance of one another with no separation. The river is not accessible with ease and does not look inviting for a swim. Again, this campground it terrible. Do not give your hard earned money to these people. read more

This campground has nice shower and bathroom facilities, but that's about all that was nice in our stay. Rude and sarcastic comments as well as an unpleasant tone made the atmosphere very unwelcoming. The owners were reprimanding and scolded us like children. My friends and I are adult professionals, not looking to create a disturbance. We were there to relax and enjoy the company and surroundings, but we had difficulty doing so with the owners watching us with the vibe like they were looking for things wrong. It would have been nice if we were treated in a friendly, relaxed, and respectful manner. It didn't ruin our weekend, but it did leave a bitter taste. We will stay elsewhere next time. read more

We stayed here for a weekend ahead of the season starts. Chuck was nice enough to accommodate us even though we reached late in the evening. The campground is really spacious. We got a tent site close to the water and really loved it. bathrooms are clean and well maintained. We had lot of fun in the recreation room with Ping Pong, Pool, Foosball etc. We couldn't kayak since it was too cold. Chuck is a great host and was very approachable. He really made us feel welcome. Definitely looking to come and stay here again soon this summer and enjoy kayaking. It's a great place to come and have fun with your family and friends. read more

I am so sad to write a one star review for a local business where I live in the same town! I also own a small business in town as well. It has been several months since this incident and I was not going to write a negative review but it still bothers me to this day. Basically I called about seasonal site information for a family member and Chuck was very very very rude and hostile with me I do not want to get into further detail because I do not want him to remember who I am!! I cried when I got off the phone because he made me feel flat out dumb about the questions that I had. I thought maybe he was having a bad day but after reading some other reviews about Ashuelot River Campground I think this is a common occurrence. Unfortunately the rule is true that if a customer has a good experience they usually tell one person if a customer has a negative experience they tell on average ten people! I have never been treated with such hostile tone and rudeness on the phone in my life he basically hung up on me at the end of the conversation after I was trying to explain what type of site I was looking for. I hope Chuck will take the time to consider that you may not always like someone's questions or you may not understand what is being asked and you may even feel that customers questions are dumb because you know the all the answers but everyone deserves to be treated with respect and a friendly tone. read more

Great place to camp but too pricey for primitive camping at $35/night. RVERS will find it a very good price at $37 and $42. You better head in early to be able to find not only the actual campground but to be able to setup. Very little lighting. Showers are hot but water temperature is not adjustable. Toilet stalls are crowded and larger people will have to use the handicap stall which just has a shower curtain for privacy. Primitive sites are near the very slow moving shallow river which seems nice but traffic along Route 10 can be heard throughout the day and night. This time of year you can let any child over 48" tall safely play without much supervision since the water is at best 36 inches deep. The little beach/canoe launch was clean though small and is the only true access to the river. Firewood for the fire ring will have to be bought or brought in since the whole campground is wide open space with trees only along the border making shade a premium option. I would consider staying a week or so if the I was an RV type camper or if the price for tenting was much less. read more

Will not be camping here again. I don't recommend it if you like affordable camping, big campsites that are private, and peace and quiet. This isn't it. The only Pro I have is the campground was in a good location, accessible to VT, NH, etc. The con's list is much longer. The basics: we heard cars all night long on RT 10, which was noisier than at my home; there is only one bathroom, a pretty long walk from the campsite; campsites were crowded and too narrow; It's expensive - $35/night for 2 adults, +$10/additional adult, for 6 adults it was $75/night, which was not disclosed to me when I called to make a reservation. Most places you camp have a 6 person max at $20/night. I've never paid this much to camp ever. Here's the worst part: I called last minute, with a larger group - 6 adults, 3 kids. I asked for one site, and was told I would need 2 - I am not one to speak up for myself easily, I have pretty bad anxiety, so I asked one more time if we needed 2, which was a big deal for me, and was told by Chuck the owner that I should have 2 sites. He quoted me $45/site/night, for a total of $270. The website says $35/night for a tent site, apparently the extra $10 was for an additional adult on each site, unfortunately I didn't catch that when I made the reservation. When we arrived, we realized that we only needed one site, and told Chuck that day. He said that was fine, and that he might have another family that could use the other one one of the nights. He never had the other family use our site to give us a break, instead he moved them somewhere else so he could get more $. My sister asked him on Sunday if we could get a refund for the other site, and he talked condescendingly to her in response, and asked whether that was his responsibility. He also took photograph's of my family playing wiffle ball, which includes 3 children under the age of 18 - with no parental consent, I'm assuming to use on his website. He yelled at my two nieces and made them cry when they were in the game room, once again with no parents present. He wrote me an email on Tuesday, the day after we left, saying my sister was stern and didn't understand why there was a disagreement, once again asking if it was his responsibility to deal with this. He said he would be happy to refund me. I wrote back apologizing for my sister and myself not having the conversation in person to him, explaining that I had anxiety. Asking for the refund or whatever he could give us for the extra site for 3 nights. He wrote back again, said "Such a conversation is no big deal, Sunny, and there's really no need for tension like your sister approached us with." - once again, very condescending and insensitive to someone with anxiety. He wrote a complicated explanation of the costs and said he could give us $30 back out of $270 for the three days. I wrote back and mentioned all of the above - and said this: "We won't be seeing each other again and I will write my reviews online accordingly. I've never been treated so disrespectfully or unfairly while camping. I've never paid so much to tent camp before. I wouldn't come back if this had happened or not because 1) you over charge, 2) you have too much noise pollution with RT10, 3) your sites are too crowded, with no tree privacy between, 4) half of your sites are in an open field, 5) you have one bathroom, which is a hike to get too, and unkempt, 6) you made my nieces cry, 7) you took photographs of my family playing wiffle ball, including children under 18, and did not have us sign a consent form - I request that you delete any and all photographs of our family, as we did not give you permission to use our photo's. I find it especially distasteful to take photo's of children without parental consent." read more

Stayed at this campground for the weekend. The campground itself was very nice,clean and well kept. Although the w/e sites were a little cramped, they were grassy and up against the tree line. The bathrooms were adequate but could have used a few more amenities like a place to put / hang your stuff while you showered. They also could have used a bit more attention to regular cleaning and stocking of supplies. The owner "Chuck" however is another story. He is a very strange and disconcerting person. He was seen walking around the campground at night, in the dark, without any light to indicate that he was there. He popped his head in between a couple of people at our campfire, scaring the crap out of us. He gave no indication he was even around our campsite. We had no idea how long he might have been lurking in the shadows, because no one heard or saw him approach the campsite. His overall behavior seemed odd and disturbing. I, for one, will not go back there. Beware. read more

Well, at first I loved it here and now I just think it's ok. Chuck and laura are nice but there are too many sites now and the large field that was great for games and made you feel like there was space is gone giving them more sites for those gigantic RVs with full hook ups but they are set up like a parking lot right next to each other with no tree cover. It was really nice when there was space for a few of them along the trees but now with a ton more sites it takes away from the quaintness of the campground. The bathrooms remain the same and sadly there seems to be less hospitality from chuck who is either too stressed out to realize he's being a bit rude or just interested in micromanaging all the campers as he was somewhat militaristic in his supervision the last time we were there and we've been there a number of times now. I hope he can relax again as it was the owners that were part of the reason we returned so often. Now it's just an OK place with your typical stressed out owners. read more