Need advice on New England trip

[mrsJuice]

Hi there - I am a first timer and we have rented an RV for the last week in June. We are located in Boston and are really flexible to go anywhere in New England as long as we can comfortably get back home within 7 days. We will NOT have a car, which we are now realizing makes things a bit trickier with three kids (14,12,6) and a dog. We are considering going to 2-3 different places during our trip and don't want to drive any more than 3 hours in one day. If we had an amazing spot maybe we would just stay put for the entire time, but I'm really not sure as a newbie if that's what I want to do!

We are researching campgrounds and to be totally honest we are getting frustrated! Some of the campgrounds offer so many amenities for the kids and the dog, which seem amazing but they are SO expensive. (example Lake George RV Park). And it feels a little silly to drive three-four hours to a campground and just be at the campground and not see any sites. Some of the no frills sites are economical but without a car, what will we do all day long?

We would be fine for a day or two doing nothing but playing games and sitting by the campfire, but after all this together time due to the pandemic, it would be nice to actually DO something, too. Ideally, our campground would be near a beach/lake/kayak/hike within walking or biking distance. Prefer not to go somewhere that is super touristy. I am a photographer and would love something with beautiful scenery. Campground must be pet friendly.

We have looked into places such as: Old Orchard beach in Maine, Lake George, NY, Niagara, NY, White Mountains NH, Burlington, VT. We are really open to suggestions!! I should mention we went to Acadia two years ago for vacation so we have already done those sites. I wouldn't be totally opposed to going there again but would probably prefer something new/different. I just remember when we went to Acadia we went all over the place in our car and it feels so much harder to do that with an RV.

Are there destinations and/or specific campgrounds that come to mind that would meet our criteria? One thought we had was to splurge on a 'luxury' campground for a couple of nights and then go low budget on a couple of nights so we can experience both.

THANK YOU in advance for your advice!

 

[Jayflight]

Well this is a laid back area and campground that we absolutely love. Its run by a couple and you can have the fire that you want and its right on the water. They have an outdoor shower that works great at the office and sectional toliets with running water throughout the campground. You can travel to several of the shore communities and buy fresh lobster every day. Its out past Brooklin Maine. And there are plenty of areas to take the typical Maine shore life like traditional boats and working lobster boats among the rocky shores.

I will note that the campground provided large pots for steaming lobsters. We went down to the shore and picked up some sea weed and salt water and steamed them back on our fire.

Reach Knolls

reachknolls.com

 

[Rene T]

Look up Danforth Bay in NH. You may want to rethink about taking a car. You’ll be missing so much without a car like driving up to the top of Mount Washington on the auto road. DB is only 3 hours or so from Boston. Or go a little farther north to Conway. The Beach, Eastern Slope and Saco River.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you've covered the options. Without a car, you will want amenities and/or be within walking or cab/Uber distance of a town with some things to do & see. Places like that are going to be a lot more expensive than isolated campgrounds. Take your pick, but I'd bite the bullet on price unless you can be happy just hanging at the campsite. Establish an Uber account so you can easily get transport when you want it.

The Lake George area suits your wants/needs well. So does Bar Harbor, ME. Both are pricey.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Your vacation and your money but I would reconsider "2 or 3 places in a week" - To me a vacation is finding a good spot and being flexible and getting some rest. Don't know how far the initial drive is but if it's 4+ hours you have a day consumed going and coming.

Maybe 2 spots would work but I would not over reach. I found exploring around the area I was in was really fun. I know it's not the "plan" but maybe your wife follows in a car or plan a rental car into your stops. I have ubered to get a car for a 24 hour period - that might work?

Unless you are in a popular area and can uber to things easily having a car will open up lot's of options.

 

[SeilerBird]

Ideally, our campground would be near a beach/lake/kayak/hike within walking or biking distance. Prefer not to go somewhere that is super touristy.

You want someplace fabulous that no one else knows about. Good luck with that. I suggest only one spot, such as Cape Cod and spend the whole week there doing a lot of hiking, swimming and playing.

 

[dcbinvt]

Try Barrewood Campground in the Northeast Kingdom in VT.
Close to lot's of things but in the country. Check website.

 

[TrvlShell]

If you don't mind staying in MA, check out Pine Acres Family Camping Resort. It's on a lake and has lots of amenities/activities that your kids might enjoy (though you might want to check if there are changes to what's offered due to covid restrictions). We spent 5 days here last fall (for a socially distanced vacation) and never left the campground, just spent our time relaxing and enjoying the campground (though it was just the two of us - no kids). But if the amenities/activities are open/happening, I'd think there would be plenty to keep kids busy for several days.

A couple of other campgrounds in New England that we've enjoyed:
Shore Hills Campground in Boothbay ME - this is one of our favorites. Nice quiet campground on the water. They used to have a shuttle to Boothbay Harbor, but it looks like it's been suspended for now due to covid.

Fransted Family Campground in Franconia Notch New Hampshire

Have you considered renting a car once you get to your location? Before we bought our RV, we rented one to make sure we liked it, and we got a rental car once we reached our destination (which was Acadia in our case). Made it much easier to explore.

 

[Gizmo]

A couple of factors are at work here; First, the east coast tends to be expensive and campgrounds are no different. Second, the prices at RV Parks have risen over the last couple of years with the rise in RV'ing and finally with COVID it seems there has been additional rises in costs at RV Parks. In addition to specific RV park recommendations made above, you might check out Campground Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks where you will find helpful information, including an idea on pricing. A couple final notes when looking for RV parks, the old phrase, "you get what you pay for" applies here. So you will likely to pay a higher rate to be closer to popular places, nicer more pleasant RV parks and amenities. Also with regards to amenities, with COVID currently many if not all amenities are currently closed so factor that into your search.

 

[ziplock]

Amenities are currently closed, but the price STAYS the same! No reduction in price.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

We have stayed at Salisbury State Park, but it is about 7 miles to Downtown Hampton Beach, where there is a lot of things for the kid to do. We have never stayed at Hampton Beach State Park, it is a lot closer. We have stayed at Littlefield Beaches Campground, it is on a beautiful lake but it is several miles from Bethel, the nearest town. One of our favorite campgrounds is Wampatuck State Park in Hingham Mass
There are literally thousands of good camping area throughout New England, just keep looking, and if you chose one close by, just drive the car along with the RV

Ed

 

[Henry J Fate]

Living near Boston I will assume you spent time north at Hampton, Salisbury and Lake Winnipesaukee

Couple of things to keep in mind would be you will need FULL hook ups. Power, water and sewer. Your onboard systems will not last long with a group without full hookups Maybe as little as one day without refilling or dumping. The second thing to remember is that getting into a facility and setting up takes lots of time. Moving 2 or 3 times as a first timer in a week is probably not very good use of your time.

Lake George is a good destination for a first time trip. It has everything you get north of Boston at the beaches with some added fun on a fresh water lake. It's very clean and usually calm. Lots of shops, dining and cruises for dinner, lunch etc. Lake George is alot like Winnipesaukee but with much more to do and see.
I have not been there in many years but did make that a Summer stop each year in the 80's and 90's. I never stayed at any RV parks. We were fortunate at the time to park the RV in a friend's business parking area.

If you pick one destination, Lake George can be a good one with good planning. You should make sure that where you set up has transportation to the beach areas, shopping, dinning and other things you might want to do. Back in the old days they had 3 paddle boats at the main pier for dinning cruises and sight seeing. It was lots of fun. You can rent bicycles also.

Good Luck