I love this place and frequently come here throughout the entire year. The short hike up to the fire tower trail to South Mountain is a great for beginners or people who may have trouble going long distances, plus is what I think is the most picturesque trail in the park. I've seen many hawks from the top of the fire tower.The boulder field on the other side of the park is an equally fun hike, but is more in a swampy area so bring the bug spray here for sure. Many people camp, canoe and kayak, or swim in the lakes. The beaches are ridiculously crowded in the summer months and the sheer amount of people keep a lot of animals hidden, but it's a fantastic place for photogs and nature lovers despite this. It's a must visit for nature lovers in the area and you could spend a few days exploring it in it's entirety. read more

Great place to hike and swim, but pack the bug spray! I've never seen Mosquitos like I've seen at this park. Very thick and hungry! Still a fun place to go. read more

Best water sites in NH. Trail system is clearly marked now for those of you who were frustrated (or lost!) with the old trail blazes and infrequent signage. New fire tower is completed and is open during red flag warnings only. Tower is .9 miles from Reservation Rd parking area unless the gate is closed for which you have to add another mile. Access is also from Mountain Rd during park day use hours. In winter add another mile when park gate is closed. read more

Avery nice state park with some great camping sites right on the lake shore. This park has some nice swimming beaches with picnic facilities and a children's play area. The campground is exceptional with private sites many of which are right on the lake. Most of the sites can be reserved up to a year in advance and the better lakefront ones are booked early. There are picturesque marshes, hiking trails and opportunities for boating. read more

Camping here for 40 years! A little pricey given that there is no electricity or water hookups. Needs many many capital improvements (roads, bathrooms, showers, etc.) which I made known on a recent customer satisfaction questionnaire I received via email after my Memorial Day weekend stay. I hope they take these seriously! Tough to get a reservation through the website as the sites are so high in demand but I don't think there is anything that can be done about that! Old time staff who used to work there are gone unfortunately so I think the newer staff do the best they can due to declining infrastructure of the park and the roads. Bathrooms could be cleaned & restocked with soap & towels more frequently on weekends. As usual on a holiday weekend, some campers are a little noisy at night. Kayaking is incredible and the walk to the fire tower is great! Trails are better marked than prior years but they could use a touch-up (great Eagle Scout project). Wish I could bring my dog!! Looking forward to camping here many times in the years to come! xoxo to you P-way! read more

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The hike was beautiful, but the mosquitos were unbearable. I am not easily bothered but wow soo many!

Hike up to south mtn is perfect length and difficulty for those who rarely hike. 6 miles round trip. View from the fire tower is beautiful.

I heard the place is terrible where you get bit by bugs and you have to sleep in tents and also in sleeping bags as well and not a very good place to be at all!!!! read more

Only cost $10 parking for 2 people in a car. Very clean park from bathrooms, to playground (which looks brand new), to beach! Water crystal clear even in deep end. Lifeguards very respectful & responsible. Fishing. Canoe rentals. Little souvenir & general store. Seperate pond for catching frogs & tadpoles! Love comming to this lace with my daughter year after year! read more

I spent a weekend here with my very big family and we were able to get a few sites near each other. Each site was close enough to get to each other's site quickly but far enough to have privacy. The bbq grills in the sites came in handy. They sell firewood but for a tiny of batch of wood that doesn't burn well it was pretty expensive. My personal site was a little walk to the bathroom. They were pretty clean but only had one shower stall. The shower drain didn't drain well either so it became a sloppy mess by 7 when everyone showered, so bring your shower shoes! I was disappointed that the lake was "too contaminated" to really use. I did kayak and fish but did not go into the water. I came last year and my family drove by (on a different occasion) and on both occasions it was also "too contaminated." This is a problem if EVERY time (that's 3 times all different days during different months) I come the lake isn't suitable to swim in. There were also TONS of bugs from mosquitoes, Daddy long legs, to moths. It's expected to have some bugs but it was bad. Everyone bathed in bug spray and they were still relentless. When exploring the park, make sure you drive, bike, or at least know exactly how far your site is. We walked about 2 miles AFTER a long 10 mile hike (We went up to the firetower and back down the same way. Apparently that was the fastest way up and down) back to our camp site. The trail was well delineated but had lots of rocks, roots, and some fallen trees. I wouldn't recommend it to those to who want to just do a leisurely hike. Ups: nice sites, lots to do Downs: tiny bathrooms, contaminated beach/water read more

Very nice campground. Would not be my first choice in the height of the summer due to lots of people and the lake does not hide any noises. But, the lake front spots are all incredible and the sites are large. Loved it in October, Liked it in June! Will definitely make this an annual spot to stay. read more

Our new favorite spot to kayak. Nice beach, clean bathrooms, camp store is a neat place to poke around. but the lake is a crown jewel! so clean, with lots of islands and rocks to explore. lots of parking too. read more

Don't be fooled by the list of rules they require guests of the camp to sign upon registering. They don't enforce them. This past weekend was practically suburba-palooza. With all of our neighboring sites hosting dozens vehicles packed with people we could have had a more intimate camping experience in a Wal-Mart parking lot. We called the park office twice to notify them of the rule-breaking, and they failed to even attempt to enforce the rules for number of people, vehicles, and tents per campsite. The result is a campground that resembles Anytown, Massachusetts - replete with main-street quantity traffic, 360 degree tantrum-ing children 24 hours, and thumping Latin music. If that's your scene have at it, but if you're looking for a nature experience you best keep looking. read more

4 stars for the great-for-kids hiking! The South Mountain fire tower trail is the perfect starter for your little explorers, or even as a warm-up for adults fallen victim to couch potato syndrome. It is a well worn path on this popular mountain of less than 1000 feet in elevation, and there are enough boulders, plant life, and even the occasional lone unstable guy talking to himself in the middle of the woods (not kidding!) to keep things interesting. Not a bad payoff for not a huge amount of effort, and your kids will love climbing the rickety stairs of the fire tower at the finish line. Forget the granola and energy bars, we have always carried up subs and chips in our backpacks to enjoy at the top. Plenty of photo ops and pretty views at the summit and there is definitely enough room to find your own rocky ledge for a picnic. We haven't done North Mountain yet, but have heard it is decent as well. As for the lake, I used to love it growing up: swimming out to the big boulder, scraping up a dollar to buy a slush at the general store and renting tippy canoes....but it is far, far too crowded now and the water is not as clear as I remembered, so it is a skip for me. Please note if you are going to go hiking, make sure you study the maps of the area before you go because it can be tricky to find the trailheads-they are not next to the beach area, and it is a much bigger park than we originally thought. read more

We went camping here Memorial Day weekend 2013. Rained straight Friday thru Saturday afternoon which was a bummer but had a blast all the same. We were on sites 50 & 51 which was just close enough to bathrooms and probably a 10-15 min walk to the beach area. The bathrooms have 3-4 flushing toilets and a shower. No wash basins for dishes, you do that at your site, but it wasn't too much of a hassle. On Sunday we went to the beach which was great, decent pebbly sand, couple rocks to climb on, plus access to a little island. Water was lovely and clean. There's bbq grills, picnic tables, a playground, and full bathrooms with changing stalls. Firewoood can be purchased at the camground store for $6, although if you don't use it you cant return it which is a bummer but I understand. Hannaford is about 15 min drive away if you run low on groceries and beer/wine, and two coin op laundromats which came in handy as the kids clothes got soaked in the rain! It's only a 1.5 hr drive from Boston. I'd return again! read more

just back from a few days there camping, we had a great time and were sad to leave, but already planning next year in advance and for longer! I will say that midweek there were a lot of empty spots but the online system didn't indicate that so i think its correct when people have written that only so many are available online and the rest are first come first serve. I don't even think it was at 50% capacity when were were there on Sunday, monday and tuesday. Better deal to rent canoes etc at the trading post thats on the way to the campground. Neals cove has bathrooms only, not showers so keep that in mind. My honey and I stayed up til at least 1am the first night with a campfire and we had no problems and staff walked by us around 11 and said hello. I don't know if folks realize how much voices can carry so that might have been the issue with other reviews i read here. We did take the trail up to the fire tower and the road was gated so we walked the 2.5 miles round trip. .4 of which was steep uphill and .4 of which was steep downhill, the rest was fine. Have fun! read more

Camped here for the first time this past summer and had a blast. Just about every section of this park had lots I could park in. My group's first destination was the check-in office. We booked a beach front site, which was beautiful by the way. The sweet young lady at the counter guided us through the map and sold us some cool colored powder for fires. Soon we were on our way to the kayaking hut. Other water activities were offered too, like snorkeling, canoeing, and fishing. I noticed some people were jet skiing, but turned out they had to bring their own jet skis. When we got tired, we lounged on the cute little strip of beach there. On to the campsite. It was an awesome surprise that I was allowed to drive right up to my site. Although we were physically pretty close to our neighbors, everyone respected each other's space. The site was equipped with a picnic table and a grill/fire pit. There were also quiet hours, though I don't remember the times. I definitely recommend booking a water front site. The night view of the moon over the lake was breathtaking. The sunrise was just as glorious. Make sure to pack lots of insect repellent though. In the morning, a pack of wild turkeys came marching onto my site looking for food. At one point, I popped open my trunk hoping to catch one, but they were obviously too smart for me. read more

The hiking map they give you is not accurate. Trails are marked by a white square or diamond, but there is no guide for how long the trail is or how far you have gone on the trail. Some junctions are not labeled, and many of the trails and ponds are not on the map. The trail is identifiable but not well-kept and it winds through the woods instead of taking a direct route. Signs are covered with graffiti, making them difficult to read. The summit is not marked so you are not sure when you are at the top, and the view is blocked by trees. This is not a good hike for beginners as it will probably make them never want to hike again. read more

Recently took an overnight camping trip up to Pawtuckaway and enjoyed the experience. A word of wisdom: Make a reservation at least 48 hours in advance. There are a lot of campsites there, each that comes with a picnic table and firepit. Get a lake-side campsite if possible. If you're up for some hiking, there is a nice trail up to a firetower at the South Mtn. that provides excellent views of the region. On a clear day you can even see the Prudential building in downtown Boston very faintly. To get up to South Mtn, park near the Mountain Trail entrance and hike up that way. We saw some mountain bikers along the trail too. If you're staying at the campsite, it's worth it to drive up to the Mountain trailhead. We cooled off after the hike at the beach which was nice, if not a little crowded. Overall, I enjoyed the experience though and it's an easy 1.5 hour drive from Boston area and cheap compared to a commercialized campground. read more

On Memorial Day weekend 2015 reserved a campsite for a tent. I have been to this campground before and it really is a beautiful place in regard to scenery, nice large beach, hiking trails and can bring or rent canoes, kayaks or paddle boats. Sites for the most part are spacious and spaced out nicely between neighbors. Warning - quiet time is supposedly 10 PM to 7 or 8 AM but there is no enforcement whatsoever. We were near site 96 where a bunch of rowdy frat boys (and girls) thought it was fine to use there loud obnoxious (drunken) voices while blaring loud music. I figured at 10 someone from the campground would be one them so I didnt complain before that time and went to bed at 10 and into the wee hours of the morning I could not sleep due to these obnoxious campers. I believe also sites are for 4 people and a few guests. Lord knows how many were camped on this party site. The next day I complained to the office and they said they would note it and this year they were really cracking down on people like that and would ask them to leave if didnt stop with their noise. I felt maybe there was hope that I would have a restful night. Well again no one did anything about these campers.One time a few years prior also there were loud obnoxious campers and no one stopped it. You expect in the nice wooded outdoors to be able to enjoy the noise of nature not party animals. read more

We have been to this park with our family twice now. Our first time, it rained and rained. We got lost on a hike during a thunderstorm. (We kept calling the ranger station for help, but they could't hear us well and hung up on us!) We ended up leaving early. So the next year, we came back again. We arrived the Sunday before the 4th of July. We were in the inland part of the park, which was almost empty. Our campsite was a bit on the small side but otherwise wooded and reasonably private. We rented a canoe and a kayak and spent two days boating from island to island, picnicking and swimming. It was a blast! We also hiked to the fire tower, which was a hot but beautiful hike. It took us about 3 hours there and back. But we had a terrible experience during our second night (Monday night). At 2:30 a.m., my husband and I woke up because we heard a raucous party going on. We were so surprised, because there had been no one around when we went to bed. But it was crazy loud and we could not go back to sleep. I finally got out of the tent and walked over to the party site. There were at least 20 people there and at least as many liquor bottles on the picnic table. I asked them to please quiet down, because they were disturbing our family. They thanked me for coming over to ask them nicely instead of calling the police, said that they were sorry, and that they were sorry that they were going to continue partying! Wow! I went back to the tent to try to sleep, thinking that someone would have to come tell them to stop, but that didn't happen. At 4:30 in the morning, the party had gotten even wilder. I looked in the bathroom and in our paperwork to see if there was any number to call. I called the park office but there was no answer and no information about what to do after hours. So I finally called 911 and was transferred to the Nottingham police. They said they would come but I don't think they ever did. The next morning, I spoke to the park rangers, who told me that no one was even registered at that campsite. Eventually, someone apparently asked them to leave (they had told me that they were planning to leave anyway). But how disturbing that a huge group of people can just sneak into a park, drink and party all night long, and no one does anything about it! Certainly makes you concerned about security! Too bad, because it is such a beautiful park. Oh, one more thing, as others have mentioned, there was a bacteria alert at the beach. We were disappointed at first, but going out on a boat and finding clean spots to swim is much better than staying at the dirty beach! read more