Pawtuckaway State Park & Campground

Location: Off NH Route 156, Nottingham

Activities: Camping, swimming, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, picnicking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing

Amenities: Campground, camp store, ball field, playground, bathhouse, shelters, picnic tables, canoe & row boat rentals, boat launch, showers

Fees:
Day Use: The day-use area of the park is open weekends only starting Memorial Day weekend, then full-time, 9:00am - 7:00pm, from June 20 through October 13, 2008, weather permitting.

Lifeguards are on duty daily from June 21 through September 1.

Admission is $4 for adults; $2 for children ages 6-11; children ages 5 and under and NH residents age 65 and over are admitted free.

Camping Rates and Information: Please note that information and rates for the 2008 camping season are subject to change. Payment is required at the time of making a reservation. Visa, Discover, and Mastercard are accepted. Personal checks are not.

Camping Reservations: New Hampshire State Parks has partnered with ReserveAmerica to offer our guests a high quality reservation service. The dedicated toll-free number to call to make a reservation through the ReserveAmerica Call Center is 1-877-nhparks (1-877-647-2757).

Family Camping Rates and Information: Family camping rates cover two adults and two children on the site.

Each additional adult and each additional child is charged an additional fee per night.

The maximum number of adults per site is 4, except in designated areas.

Campsite rate fees are $24 (Big Island inland, no hookups), and $32 (all other sites, no hookups)

Additional rates are charged per person once specified number in camping party are met. Consult state park for further information if needed.

Boat Launch: $6.00 car top boats; $9.00 car and trailers

Operation Schedule: Day-Use Weekends: Mid-May to Mid-June
Daily: Mid-June to Labor Day
Camping: Early-May to Mid-October

Acreage: 5,063 acres

Waterfront: Lake Pawtuckaway

Number of Campsites: 195 sites

Pets: Pets are not permitted in the park

More Information: Day-Use
Picnicking, as well as swimming and boating in 803-acre Lake Pawtuckaway, are favorite activities enjoyed in the park. Pawtuckaway's 5,500 acres offer a variety of opportunities for hiking and mountain biking, as well. Trails wind through an oak and hemlock forest on what used to be pasture land bounded by stone walls. A hike to South Peak leads through a large boulder field with some rocks as tall as thirty feet. An extensive wetland in the park provides great opportunities for viewing wildlife such as beavers, great blue herons, turtles, waterfowl and a variety of song birds. A lucky visitor may even catch a glimpse of a deer or moose.

Camping
The camping area at Pawtuckaway is open from mid-May through Columbus Day in mid-October. Hiking, mountain biking, boating, swimming and fishing are popular pastimes of campers. Each of the nearly 200 campsites has an open fireplace, picnic table, flat area for a tent, and a parking space. All sites are wooded and many provide views of the lake. Although there are no hookups, recreational vehicles are welcome in sites where they fit. Running water, flush toilet facilities, a camp store, boat launch, and canoe and paddle boat rentals are available. Coin-operated showers are accessible 24 hours a day. Except for the RV Park located at Hampton Beach, Pawtuckaway provides the closest state park camping area to the seacoast. Only twenty minutes to the coastal beaches to the east and twenty minutes to Manchester to the west, Pawtuckaway Campground in Nottingham is well located for easy access to a variety of attractions and activities. The campground has 10 sites that are kept available for those campers that prefer camping on a first come-first serve basis.

Group-Use
Pawtuckaway offers a great location for group outings. A large pavilion, separate from the day-use area, has a large stone fireplace, electricity, barbecue pit, horseshoe area and a ball field.

The camping area for organized youth groups is located on the shore of beautiful Pawtuckaway Lake. Enjoy hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming and canoeing at this heavily wooded, 5,500-acre park. Adirondack shelters, a large group pavilion with a stone fireplace and toilet facilities, a large lawn area for games and other activities, and a canoe launch are available in the group camping area. A camp store, canoe and paddle boat rentals and an 800-foot beach are available in the park.

Reservations for organized youth group camping may be made by calling 603-271-3556, Monday through Friday, from January through mid-October.

Important: This information was posted on June 24, 2008 and all information, services and fees are subject to change.

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