U.S. Forest Service · White Mountain National Forest · New Hampshire

Basin Campground

Basin Campground is located in a rustic, remote part of White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, about 15 miles north of Fryeburg, Maine. It is a small facility with access to hiking and mountain biking trails and proximity to a small pond for fishing and canoeing. The White Mountains boast pristine forests, clear mountain streams and rivers and the tallest peaks in the Northeast. The forest encompasses nearly 800,000 acres in New Hampshire and western Maine, and is one of the most popular in the country.

More like this: reservable in New Hampshire · big rigs in New Hampshire · pets allowed in New Hampshire

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
BASINBasin Campground
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups8
Tent-only5
Host/management8
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

13 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesAccessible
002Tent onlyGravel8 / 2Yes
006StandardBack-in35GravelFull8 / 2Yes
009StandardBack-in25GravelFull8 / 2Yes
010StandardBack-in35GravelFull8 / 2Yes
011StandardBack-in40GravelFull8 / 2Yes
012StandardBack-in35GravelFull8 / 2Yes
014StandardBack-in35GravelFull8 / 2Yes
015StandardBack-in35GravelFull8 / 2Yes
016Tent onlyGravelPartial8 / 2
018Tent onlyGravelFull8 / 2

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
AccessibilitySites 002, 006, 009, 010 and 5 more are listed accessible

Basin Campground hosts a mix of tent-only and standard sites along a single loop near Basin Pond. Accessible restrooms and drinking water are provided. There are no showers or a dump station.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

SeasonMid-May to October
ForestWhite Mountain National Forest
BookingReserve sites online through recreation.gov or by calling toll free at 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777)
FeesSingle Family Site Per site / per night $30.00. Extra Vehicle (Space Permitting) Per vehicle / per night $6.00

White Mountain National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Basin Campground10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 5.31 inches of precipitation, 28.5 inches of snowFebruary: 4.28 inches of precipitation, 27.6 inches of snowMarch: 4.87 inches of precipitation, 26.4 inches of snowApril: 5.75 inches of precipitation, 9.4 inches of snowMay: 5.48 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJune: 5.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 5.48 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 5.12 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.99 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 7.82 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowNovember: 5.83 inches of precipitation, 12.7 inches of snowDecember: 5.98 inches of precipitation, 28.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 16.1°F averageFebruary: 17.9°F averageMarch: 25.6°F averageApril: 37.9°F averageMay: 50.2°F averageJune: 58.9°F averageJuly: 64.0°F averageAugust: 62.8°F averageSeptember: 56.3°F averageOctober: 44.6°F averageNovember: 33.1°F averageDecember: 22.6°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Pinkham Notch, 11 miles from the campground at 2,025 feet, station USC00276818 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 67 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 136 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Fryeburg, Maine, take Highway 113 north 15 miles to the campground.

Coordinates44.2675° N, 71.0228° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Bradley Brook Rx

    4 mi from the campground · 1 acres

  • Prescribed
    South Jackman Rx

    31 mi from the campground · 39 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearRagged Mountain Equipment ↗13.6 mi
RV sales & serviceCall of the Wild RV Center ↗27.7 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗33.9 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Overnight at The Basin campground

Worth a stop

The town of Fryeburg, Maine has groceries, restaurants and gas. Campers might enjoy a scenic day trip to the Presidential Range, which consists of the tallest mountains in the forest, including the 6,288-ft. Mount Washington, the highest peak north of the Smoky Mountains and east of the Mississippi River.

  • 0.2 mi
    Basin Trail ↗
    4.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Royce Trail
    4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Bickford Brook Trail
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 1 mi
    Basin Trail Spur B
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    Mount Meader Spur A
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Leach Link Trail
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside White Mountain National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The campground is in a pleasant mixed hardwood forest a short distance from the 23-acre Basin Pond. The national forest is home to many species of northern wildlife, including moose, white-tailed deer and black bear. Almost 200 species of birds, including the rare Bicknell's Thrush, live in the White Mountains.

Recreation

Hikers will enjoy exploring the 4.5-mile Basin Trail, which leaves from campground, and numerous other hiking and mountain biking trails within a short drive. Trout fishing is available in Basin Pond. The pond's calm waters are also ideal for canoeing. The area hosts four alpine and five nordic ski areas, which provide year-round recreation opportunities such as skiing, hiking, mountain biking, outdoor concerts, interpretive trails, special events and regional and national skiing and snowboarding races.

Guidebooks for New Hampshire

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • New Hampshire
    Larry Pletcher and Greg Westrich, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Climbing New Hampshire's 48 4,000 Footers
    Eli Burakian, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Appalachian Trail Guide to New Hampshire-Vermont
    Cynthia Taylor-Miller, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Basin Campground?

Sites at Basin Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Reserve sites online through recreation.gov or by calling toll free at 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777) Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Basin Campground?

Single Family Site Per site / per night $30.00. Extra Vehicle (Space Permitting) Per vehicle / per night $6.00

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Basin Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Basin Campground have?

21 sites, including 8 standard sites without power and 5 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Basin Campground?

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at Basin Campground?

There are no showers or a dump station.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Basin Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Basin Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Basin Campground?

Sites 002, 006, 009, and 010 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 9 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Basin Campground?

Hikers will enjoy exploring the 4.5-mile Basin Trail, which leaves from campground, and numerous other hiking and mountain biking trails within a short drive. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Basin Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Cold River (0.5 mi), Wild River Campground (3.3 mi, first-come), and Hastings Campground (6.1 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby