Day trippin’! Check out this list of NH State Parks on lakes that are located no more than 1.5 hours away (depending on where you live, of course). But they’re all close enough to make it a day trip and while still leaving plenty of time for swimming, picnicking and general merriment. And, there’s on-site parking and bathrooms. So you’ve got that going for you.
Bear Brook State Park
157 Deerfield Road
Allenstown NH 03275
Phone: 603-485-9874
Bear Brook State Park, with over 10,000 acres, is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire. Located in the southeast region of the state, there is plenty to do and see for everyone, including a sandy beach perfect for swimming. Forty miles of trails through the heavily forested park lead to seldom visited marshes, bogs, summits, and ponds. The park offers a day-use area, group areas, and a 101-site campground.
A Museum Complex within the park which is home to New Hampshire Antique Snowmobile Museum, Old Allenstown Meeting House, and the Richard Diehl Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum. Most of the museums are housed in historic CCC buildings. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bear Brook Camp is one of the most complete camps remaining intact and in use in the country. The museums are open at various times throughout the summer.
Operating schedule: Weekends only May 29 – June 13; Daily June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. Campground: May 28 through October 11. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: 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. Season passes are available. When park is unstaffed during the season, please use Iron Ranger (self-serve paystation).
Clough State Park
395 Clough Park Road
Weare, NH 03281
Phone: 603-529-7112
Clough State Park is located on the shore of Everett Lake, a 150-acre lake formed by a dam on the Piscataquog River. The park has a 900-foot sandy beach, playing fields, and large picnic areas.
Operating schedule: Daily June 19 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: 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. Season passes are available.
Echo Lake State Park
60 Echo Lake Road
Conway, NH 03818
Phone: 603-356-2672
Echo Lake State Park is a great place to take the family for a swim and picnic. A scenic trail around the lake provides great views of sheer, 700-foot Cathedral Ledge which towers over the lake. A mile-long auto road and hiking trails lead to the top of Cathedral Ledge where views across the Saco River Valley to the White Mountains can be enjoyed. Both Cathedral and nearby White Horse ledges are popular rock and ice climbing walls. Pets are not permitted in the park.
Operating schedule: Facilities: Weekends: May 28 – June 13; Daily: June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: 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. Season passes are available. When park is unstaffed during the season, please use Iron Ranger (self-serve paystation).
Ellacoya State Park
280 Scenic Drive
Gilford, NH 03246
Phone: 603-293-7821
Ellacoya State Park is located in Gilford on the southwest shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest lake. The 600-foot long sandy beach, with views across the lake to the Sandwich and Ossipee mountains, is a great place to spend with the family for a full day of swimming and picnicking. The campground includes 37 sites available by reservation only, and offers three-way hook-ups. Tents are not allowed at the RV park. Pets are not allowed in the RV campground or in other areas of the park. Pets are not permitted in the park.
Operating Schedule: Weekends only from May 28 – June 13; Daily June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. Campground: May 28 through October 11. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: 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. Season passes are available.
Kingston State Park
124 Main Street
Kingston, NH 03848
Phone: 603-642-5471
Kingston State Park is only 14 miles from the New Hampshire seacoast, is 44 acres in size and includes fireplaces and picnic areas, a playground, softball field, and three game areas for horseshoes and volleyball. Two bathhouses with dressing rooms and flush toilets are available for the 300 feet of swim area, with an extra 100 feet of tree line frontage. Kingston State Park accepts reservations for business parties, wedding receptions, kids groups, family functions, and other general gatherings. Pets are not permitted in the park.
Operating schedule: Weekends only May 29 – June 13: Daily June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: $4 for adults; $2 for children ages 6-11; children ages 5 and under and NH residents age 65 and over are admitted free.
Pawtuckaway State Park
128 Mountain Road
Nottingham, NH 03290
Phone: 603-895-3031
Pawtuckaway State Park offers a variety of landscapes, with something to do and see for everyone. The park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking, with trails leading to many special points of interest, including a mountaintop fire tower; an extensive marsh where beavers, deer, and great blue herons may be seen, and a geologically unique field where large boulders called glacial erratics were deposited when glacial ice melted near the end of the Ice Age.
Operating schedule: Daily May 28 – October 30. Limited staff and facilities May 1 – May 21. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. Campground: May 14 through October 30. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: $4 for adults; $2 for children ages 6-11; children ages 5 and under and NH residents age 65 and over are admitted free. Season passes are available. When park is unstaffed during the season, ple
ase use Iron Ranger (self-serve paystation).
Silver Lake State Park
Route 122
Hollis, NH 03049
Phone: 603-465-2342
Silver Lake State Park spans 80 acres and its sandy 1,000-foot beach curves along 34-acre Silver Lake. Popular activities in the park include swimming, picnicking, and boating. Amenities include picnic tables, kayak and paddleboat rentals, flush toilets, and a park store.
Operating schedule: Weekends only May 29 – June 13: Daily June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: $4 for adults; $2 for children ages 6-11; children ages 5 and under and NH residents age 65 and over are admitted free. Season passes are available. When park is unstaffed during the season, please use Iron Ranger (self-serve paystation).
Wentworth State Park
On NH Route 109
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
Phone: 603-569-3699
Wentworth State Park spans 50 acres and is located on the shore of scenic Wentworth Lake. Popular activities in the park include swimming, picnicking, hiking and fishing. Amenities include picnic tables, a boat launch, flush toilets, and a group use area.
Operating schedule: Weekends only May 29 – June 13; Daily June 18 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available. Pets are not permitted in the park.
Cost: 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. Season passes are available.
White Lake State Park
Route 16
Tamworth, NH 03886
Phone: 603-323-7350
White Lake State Park offers some of the best swimming in the White Mountain region. The park lies along the shore of White Lake, which is an example of a typical glacial lake. During the Ice Age, glacial ice was buried beneath glacial till or debris. When the ice melted, a depression was created which gradually filled with water. Guests are welcome to enjoy a leisurely walk around the lake on a well-maintained foot path while looking for loons or signs of beaver activity, or to try their hand at the good trout fishing the lake provides. The park offers a day-use area, group areas, and a campground with family campsites as well as youth group sites.
Operating schedule: Weekends only September 11 – October 12; Daily: May 28 – September 6. Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturdays & Sundays: 8:30am – 6pm. Campground: May 28 through October 11. State Park lands are always open for recreation, please be reminded that comfort stations might not always be available.
Cost: $4 for adults; $2 for children ages 6-11; children ages 5 and under and NH residents age 65 and over are admitted free. Season passes are available
