Crawford Notch General Store & Campground

Had an amazing weekend here. Not sure what some of the other reviews are talking about regarding rude owners and «the guy on the golf cart» but I never had any issues. The women at the office were beyond nice and helpful including pointing us in the right direction when we wanted to find a place to get a fishing license. Only saw golf cart guy once. Also had some rowdy neighbors a couple sites down, they were spoken to but never thrown out.
The sites are beautifully maintained. And there are plenty of port-​a-​pottys located throughout the tenting area. The general store has everything you could imagine you forgot. Saved us when we forgot the can opener. Also sell beer wine and food and souvenirs.
The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is I wish there was a flush toilet located deeper in the tenting area. Makes for a long walk if you don’t want to use the chemical toilets.

No good if you need a dump station! We stopped here and paid the $ 80 2-​night minimum fee (even though we weren’t staying) because we desperately needed a dump station. When we arrived the dump station was out of order. The front office didn’t offer any help or even an ounce of sympathy. They also refused to refund any of the fee we paid. Very upsetting.

This was the first campground I looked at when I was deciding where to go this June. After reading all of the horrible reviews– I decided to look elsewhere (about 20 other places). I read about the crazy security guard, rude staff and awful road noise. Yes– I was REALLY deterred, at first, but decided that this was the most ideal location for what we wanted to do up there. So! We went with few expectations and knowledge of others’ experiences. Ours goes as follows:
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a kind gentleman by the name of Doug and a rather unpleasant woman (who realllllly has no business in any sort of customer service position). We got there at 11:30 and were rudely told by the woman that check-​in wasn’t until 1 (woosahhhhh… I was already warned about her so I just brushed her off). Doug gave us a TON of options on what we could do in the meantime.
After a nice, long hike we checked in to site 47a. I was absolutely surprised at how amazing this campground was! Our huge tent site was fairly secluded and surrounded by trees. You could hear the river, which lulled us to sleep in the evenings, in the background. The only thing that I was a tiny bit put off by was that you had to park and then walk about 40 feet to the site BUT they do supply a dolly to cart your stuff in. In reality, after settling in, we realized the hassle was worth not being close to the main path.
We never saw any crazy old guy on a cart (and we were kind of carrying on, drinking and playing games until around 11).
One thing I can’t stress enough to anyone looking to stay here is LOOK AT THE SITE MAP!!! Some sites are just 30 feet from the main road and you can hear every.single.truck. I wouldn’t even recommend getting any cabin here bc all of them are roadside. NOT relaxing. On our site– we barely heard anything, so stay as close to the river as possible! Again– cannot stress this enough.
So. The pros:
1) spacious, fairly secluded, large sites that were well cleaned
2) the river and scenery were amazing! Great place to bring the kids and dogs
3) close to great hikes and natural attractions
4)Doug :-)
5) the General Store had all the camping essentials plus beer and wine (yes. This is essential, lol) at a fairly decent price (considering you’re on vacation where the nearest store is 20 mins away).
Cons:
1) the price was pretty steep for camping
2) one bathhouse. REALLY?!
3) some sites and all cabins/​yurts are wayyyy too close to the road
4) THE GATE IS CLOSED FROM 11−7am! This is HUGE if you are trying to do a moose tour or need to leave the campground for any reason. Good luck walking to your site at midnight on the other end of the grounds after a long day
5) the lady at the front desk. What a grouch!

Horrible customer service. Avoid this campground!
I just had the most bizarre phone call when trying to book reservations. I have a group of adults (in our 30’s) who wanted 3 – 4 sites for late next month. I told them that I found their site online and it seemed perfect bc It looked like the «woodsy» spot we were interested in. The woman essentially told me «no» because their group spot was taken. I said that we were fine staying at spread out spots and she them tried to deter me further my spouting off all these rules and going on about congestion. it made no sense and I told her that she was making me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.
All I was looking for was a nice, quite spot where a group of mature professional adults could get away from the city for a weekend. Way to scare off busiess! So strange.
I then did more research and discovered lots of other HORRIBLE Unilocal and Google reviews about a «creepy» security guard who regularly harassed average, quite, respectful patrons. So many of the same bad reviews can’t be a coincidence. Glad we dodged this bullet!!!

We won’t be returning here due to the extremely aggressive and rude night security guy who patrols on a golf cart and verbally abuses anyone he suspects of breaking their rules.
When we first arrived we got in late, having to drive in from Boston, and arrived around 10pm. Some friends of ours had reserved a site and made sure to notify the office (and pay) for the additional cars/​adults/​dog. (Oh yeah. They charge for EVERYTHING extra. It’s not cheap.) Our friends met us at the gate, buzzed our car in with their card and told us to drive to the site, and they would walk back.
Aggressive security guy followed us the whole way in his golf cart and when we pulled into the site he immediately approached me and demanded to see my «card or paperwork.» When I told him that we were staying at a friend’s site, but that they had paid he demanded to know «where they were, if you’re friends, they should be here.» I explained they had let us in and were walking back. He cut me off and said loudly, «I’m going to check the paperwork and if it’s not in order I’m kicking you out.»
At this point I got defensive and basically told him that «our friends are going to be here in a few minutes and you can talk to them, but I’m not leaving.» And I set up my tent. He talked to the friends when they arrived and immediately left.
The second time was at 10:02 at night while we were all playing a word game and drinking around the campfire. Were we being too loud? Probably, for a family place and a private campground, we may have been a bit too noisy. But all it would have taken was a calm «hey can you keep it down?» and we would have all gone on with our night.
Security guy stormed into the site and immediately started YELLING at us and telling us to quiet down. One of the women we were with tried to say, «We’re really sorry!» and he cut her off with, «NO I get to finish what I’m saying FIRST. I heard you (he points to another woman) specifically saying the ‘f-​word.’ This is your first warning, you have two more and then I’m kicking you out of here.»
Then he stormed off before any of us could respond.
So no, we won’t be going back. For the money that they’re charging I’d like to not have to deal with an overly eager security guard (who called himself «loss prevention») who appears to enjoy yelling and scolding full grown adults like children.

If you’re looking for a nice secluded campground avoid this one. Every ten minutes they send a golf cart around to keep an eye on guest and make sure they are not breaking a «rule». Don’t pull into the campsite to far they’ll make you move your car. Fires need to be out by 1130 as well… I didn’t go camping to have a curfew. Also they lock the campground so if you’re not back by 10 pm at night you have to walk from the store to your campsite… not the best when you’re campsite is a 5 minute drive from the entrance. Only one bath house for over a 100 campsites as well, other then that it’s a Porta potty that hardly gets cleaned. Gross!!! It was nice area but not well planned and too strict for camping.

We stayed here 6.16.14 and we were camping with my husband and myself and our three kids (twins 8 years old and our youngest who is 2 years old). we had two tents and stayed at one of the river sites. our first night the was wonderful and dry. The next night is was raining like you would not believe. one of our tents was leaking like you would not believe. It was about 2am. We ended up leaving and finding a hotel for the night due to the leaking tent. the next morning we went back to the site and cleaned up and packed up. We spoke to Susan and Tracey about getting a cabin due to being rained our and Susan and Tracey were so accommodating. Susan found that she had over charged us for the tent site due to not knowing my youngest child’s age so she took care of that right away. Then she took the money that we were over charged and the money that we had already paid for the tent site and put it towards the cabin. SHE DID NOT HAVE TO DO THIS! My husband and I were so impressed with the customer service. I don’t think we would ever think of going to NH with out staying with them. Susan and Tracey you are wonderful people and you made my family adventure a success when it easily could have been a complete disaster. you will never know how much it meant to Frank and I. thank you very much! See you soon!

I’d been going to Crawford Notch Campground since 1995 and had developed a friendly relationship with all previous owners; until the current owners.
Me and a slew of other guys camp every fall… October…it’s cold, it’s typically rainy and not generally a time when other, less hardy campers come out. We do drink plenty and always reserve the most remote camp site possible so as not to bother other campers. The previous owners knew this, as did the current owners, since we’re very upfront about our raucous antics and don’t want to sour the relationship. Last year, we were actually less rowdy than normal, just sitting around the campfire telling stories and listening to music. A gentleman in a 4-​wheeler stopped by and asked us to turn down the music, which we promptly complied. I subsequently walked half-​way to the nearest camp site to check on the sound level, and nothing could be heard but the occasional laugh… certainly no music.
When attempting to reserve for the same time of year and similar remote site, I received a response from the owners that, «…due to events that occurred during your 2013 stay with us, we are not accepting your reservation request. We expect all of our guests to abide by our rules and policies while staying at our campground.»
Since, apparently, a bunch of old women with a keep off my grass attitude have descended upon our annual haunt, we will no longer spend our money either at the campground, nor at the store, which was never inexpensive. I’m quite saddened by this development, and hope that with time, they too will move on down the road.

We chose sites 48 and 47A for our annual family camping trip. 48 was riverside and 47A was adjacent, but inland. It was the only combo available with any river frontage when I made my reservation. The sites are clean and well spaced out to avoid hearing and seeing much of the adjacent campers. As other reviewers mentioned, avoid the roadside tentsites and cabins as the noise from 302 would be pretty loud I imagine. I would love to rate this 5 stars, but the price knocked a star off. I’m sure I’ll be back!

Booked a cabin here for 5 nights (I am not a rough it kind of girl). They boast that they have over 100 campsites, yet they only have 7 flushing toilets and 7 showers. The cabins (which are close to $ 80/​night) are right off the road and all you can hear is traffic noise. There is nice river access and several hiking opportunities within a short drive. If you want a nice relaxing beach day-​head to Echo Lake off of 93. It’s sandy, warm, and you can rent canoes and paddle boats.

We just recently spent two nights tenting here. Originally I was put off by the price they were charging. I felt it was a little expensive for a tent site. The check in process was quick and easy. I was happy to see there was a small but well stocked store in case I forgot anything important. It also had coffee which is a huge plus. We were given our gate key and then were off to find the site.
Our site was at the very back of the campground in the 80’s. I was surprised to see that the site had been raked and the fire pit was dug out. I have never been to a campground that rakes and digs the coals out after the previous visit. The site was huge fitting a 5 person tent, a 2 person tent, and a picnic table screen house with plenty of room to spare. There was well water and a chem toilet a few sites down.
The bath house was far from our site but we knew that and didn’t choose this place based on the bath house. We did use the showers and were pretty happy with it. The men’s side had 3 showers and I assume the ladies side had this as well. The water was hot but was .50 cents for 4 minutes. Standard rate I suppose. They were pretty clean, about what you would expect from campground showers.
The staff was friendly and they helped us out with finding a good hike that was not going to be packed with a lot of people. They were happy to address some concerns that we had regarding price structure and a discrepancy. We were told that it was going to be a little cheaper than it was and they gave us a credit with little to no fuss.
I wanted to give this place 5 stars but I took one away for the following reasons:
1. Their price structure is a little harsh. You can have 4 people on a site as long as that is 2 adults and 2 kids. If you want 4 adults you are being charged extra. $ 10 an adult.
2. With those extra adults comes an extra car sometimes. Well there is another $ 10 a night.
3. This and another section of the grounds is rather close to 302. There were a few times at night that loud logging trucks went blasting by. I would suggest requesting a site near the interior of the grounds by the Sacco.
For the location you really can’t beat it. Just expect to pay a little more than you should for a tent site.

The general store has just about any camping essential you may have forgotten: grill tools, pans, tarps, beer/​wine as well as a variety of food and clothing. The staff is friendly.
The campsites I’ve stayed at are large and relatively private. They’re all sandy soil rather than grass, so adding rain = mud. We’ve never had a problem with other unruly campers at night, and even in the day it’s generally quiet.
I haven’t tried the cabins, in part because they are so close to the road (Rt 302).
Bathrooms for most sites are chem toilets. There is a main shower/​bathhouse but from most sites it’s too far a walk. If you need a regular bathroom close by you might want to try a hotel. For camping the facilities are more than adequate.
Limited swimming in the Saco River is available, depending on the water level. The campground is a short distance from good hiking in the Crawford Notch State Park, for instance Arethusa Falls or Frankenstein Cliff, and North Conway is about 20 miles away.
FYI: No cell service. Whether that’s good or bad is for you to decide.

I love this general store so much. There is so much variety packed into a little store. They have everything from s’mores supplies and campfire story books to souvenirs, alcohol, food, camping supplies etc. The prices aren’t bad and the man working was nice. I was just there over the weekend and bought some cool stuff that I’ve never seen in any of the other NH general stores. I definitely will return every time I’m up north :)

This campground was perfect. Great sites, great activities nearby, scenic views and friendly people all along the Saco River. Highly recommend.
Visit June 9^th, 2012

Great campground. Sites are not on top of each other. Bathroom facilities are clean. Very well maintained.

I’ve really enjoyed the two times I camped here. The first time was in a cabin and we did experience a bear on our porch the very first night! They aren’t kidding when they say you are in bear country. We were at Cabin 3 which is right by the bathrooms and very convenient. I went again this past 4^th of July weekend and decided to do a tent site this time.
Here are a few cons/​prost:
1.Patrolling of the security guard.
CON
They went up and down making sure everyone was quiet starting at ten. I don’t see this as a very kid-​friendly campground since there is no play area so I was hoping to just be left alone — it was a HOLIDAY weekend! So I wish we could have lived a little past 10 instead of feeling like we were being monitored.
2. Bathrooms.
CON
Okay so the bathrooms are nice. But there is only one real bathroom and the rest are Port-​A-​Pottys which I wasn’t expecting. It’s a good-​size campground so if you aren’t near the actual bathrooms then you either walk or use a port-​a-​potty. They were as bad as you expect a port-​a-​potty to be. BUT at least they have water spouts nearby to wash your hands afterward
3.Scenery
PRO
Sites are generally pretty private. Most aren’t on top of each other except most of the cabins and the water/​electric sites. The swimming hole is a nice (but beware, rocky — bring proper footware) place to swim & we enjoyed going down the stream in our raft. (Time of year depends on height of river)
4.Staff & Store
PRO
They were very flexible with scheduling (I wasn’t sure how many people/​dogs or cars I was bringing). I had no problems at check-​in accept just clarifying who had decided to come. The store was clean and offered necessary items as well as touristy things.
All in all I would definitely go again — I’d pick a private site closer to the bathrooms and get my drinking done earlier in the night! (that isn’t preferred but somehow I don’t think they’ll let up on the patrolling)

Husband and I have been camping here every year for the past 4 years. We love this campground, well maintained wooded sites with clean facilities and great proximity to our favorite hiking and tubing spots. Terrific general store and a great website that has good information about each sites features. Book your site early, because the season fills up fast here.

I really really wanted to like this place. They have a good general store and clean bath houses BUT the stocked fishing pond… sure if you want to catch minos (the fish were so small they ran away from the smallest bait we had). I wouldn’t be so critical except for the fact that I brought a couple of new fishers (11) and called before booking to ensure they would have fun. Kinda feel lied to… Also the swimming hole is not a hole it is knee deep river access.

I love this campground. The general store has everything you could possibly need that you forgot at home. The sites are large, clean and well maintained. There’s plenty of privacy and sites with water views or woods-​your choice. The campground is generally quiet and not rowdy and if they ask you to quiet down after quiet hours, they’re pleasant about it. The bathrooms are super clean and more modern than most campgrounds I’ve been to. There’s a swimming hole on the saco river, beaver dams and hiking trails all either in the campground itself or walking distance from the store. Drive 10 minutes away and you can do a short hike up Mt. Willard for beautiful views of the valley. It’s a great campground and I hope to get back up there before this summer is over!

I’ve had a lot of firsts at Crawford Notch Campground: First time camping; First time in bear country; First panic attack (what? it was dark, and did I mention they said «bears»?)
Crawford Notch Campground is totally safe and beautifully situated. If you get the right site, you can have blissful privacy. The bathhouse is as clean as a bathhouse can get. This last time we went, we rented a cabin. Ya know what? I loved it. Happy medium from my cozy bedroom and sleeping al fresco. This campground lets me have my «Wilderness Girl» style camping, and my more experienced friends can rent a tent site nearby. Best of both worlds. I look forward to «roughing it» for many happy summers to come.