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

Waterville Campground

Waterville Campground is a popular home base for hikers who want to explore the southern White Mountains, including the scenic Pemigewasset Wilderness. The tremendous choice of local attractions and the proximity to outdoor recreation opportunities - fishing, swimming, hiking and whitewater paddling to name a few - bring campers back to Waterville again and again. 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.

Reservable · Recreation.gov29 sites30 ft maxNo hookupsPets ok

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

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
WATERVILLE CAMPGROUND SIGNWATERVILLE CAMPGROUND KIOSKWATERVILLE CAMPGROUNDWATERVILLE CAMPGROUND SIGN
Photos courtesy of PRO-SPORT, INC · Recreation.gov
3fires
active
South Jackman Rx (prescribed burn) · 19 mi away · 39 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups19
Tent-only6
Host/management4
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 30 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

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

SiteTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesAccessible
002StandardBack-in25GravelFull8 / 2Yes
003StandardBack-in25GravelFull8 / 2Yes
004StandardBack-in25GravelFull8 / 2Yes
005StandardBack-in30GravelFull8 / 2Yes
006StandardBack-in30GravelFull8 / 2Yes
008StandardBack-in25GravelFull8 / 2Yes
009StandardBack-in30GravelFull8 / 2Yes
010StandardBack-in30GravelFull8 / 2Yes
011Tent onlyGravelFull8 / 2Yes
012Standard30GravelFull8 / 2Yes

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.

Campground map of Waterville Campground
Campground map published by U.S. Forest Service on Recreation.gov, credited to Pro-Sport, Inc. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length30 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
AccessibilitySites XXX, 002, 003, 004 and 18 more are listed accessible

A mix of standard and tent-only sites are well-spaced around a single loop. The facility provides the basic amenities of restrooms and drinking water. Many other amenities such as showers and laundry facilities are within a short drive.

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

Season & status

Seasonmid-May to mid-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 $24.00. 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 Waterville Campground10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.91 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.25 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.30 inches of precipitationApril: 4.64 inches of precipitationMay: 4.16 inches of precipitationJune: 5.16 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.79 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.35 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.18 inches of precipitationOctober: 5.62 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.48 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.98 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 16.7°F averageFebruary: 18.1°F averageMarch: 26.5°F averageApril: 39.5°F averageMay: 51.4°F averageJune: 60.6°F averageJuly: 65.6°F averageAugust: 64.0°F averageSeptember: 57.0°F averageOctober: 45.1°F averageNovember: 34.2°F averageDecember: 23.8°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Waterville Valley Nepp, less than a mile from the campground at 1,429 feet, station USC00278961 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 54 inches a year.

Getting there

From Highway 93, take exit 28. Follow Highway 49 east for 10 miles, then turn left on Tripoli Road. The campground is 0.25 miles on the left.

Coordinates43.9419° N, 71.5092° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    South Jackman Rx

    19 mi from the campground · 39 acres

  • Prescribed
    Bradley Brook Rx

    30 mi from the campground · 1 acres

  • Prescribed
    Morse Rx

    34 mi from the campground · 10 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearMcKenzie Gear ↗10.6 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗18.8 mi
RV sales & serviceBig Moose RV ↗27.8 mi

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

Explore

Video

Waterville Campground “White Mountains” National Forest

Worth a stop

Campers may want to take an afternoon to visit Gilford Beach, Dixon Point and Sandwich Beach, all near Waterville Campground. The facility is also close to Waterville Valley Resort, which offers night life, summer concert tours, restaurants, horseback riding, canoeing, mountain bike rentals and shops. The White Mountains region hosts four alpine and five nordic ski areas, which provide year-round recreation opportunities.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Drakes Brook
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Sandwich Mtn
    3.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.5 mi
    Fletcher Cascade
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.5 mi
    Mad River Path
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.1 mi
    Snows Mtn
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Greeley Ledge
    0.2 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 Sandwich Range Wilderness, which overlaps 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 sits in a thick forest of northern hardwood trees, adjacent to the Mad River and surrounded by mountains. 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 are drawn to the many trails in the area. Campers can easily access the Drakes Brook Trail (4.4 miles) and Sandwich Trail (3.9 miles), which form a loop that begins and ends near the campground. Water sports include fishing and kayaking. Anglers can cast a line for brook trout in the Mad River. A bit farther away is the Winnipesaukee River, which has a great 2.1-mile category I-II section of whitewater. Other activities such as summer concerts, a swimming area, golf course and the Gunstock ski resort are close by.

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 Waterville Campground?

Sites at Waterville 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 Waterville Campground?

Single Family Site Per site / per night $24.00. Extra Vehicle (Space Permitting) Per vehicle / per night $6.00

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Waterville Campground?

Check-in 0:00 AM, checkout 0:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Waterville Campground have?

29 sites, including 19 standard sites without power and 6 tent-only sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Waterville Campground?

The longest site here provides 30 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 Waterville Campground?

Many other amenities such as showers and laundry facilities are within a short drive.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Waterville Campground?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Waterville Campground?

Sites XXX, 002, 003, and 004 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 22 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

Is there cell service at Waterville Campground?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Waterville Campground?

Hikers are drawn to the many trails in the area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Waterville Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Osceola Vista Campground (2.2 mi, partly first-come), Campton Campground (7.5 mi), and Big Rock (7.8 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby