Free camping near Bethel, ME
Within 25 straight-line miles of Bethel, ME there are 23 camps: 11 free, 12 fee. The closest is Crocker Pond, 6.7 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Gentian Pond Shelter, 14 miles out. The circle crosses a state line: ME and NH.
Who manages them: 19 on the Forest Service; 4 on NH DNCR Division of Parks and Recreation.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crocker Pond | 6.7 | Fee | — | 6.7 mi to Bethel | — |
| Hastings | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Bethel | — |
| Gentian Pond Shelter | 14 | Free | Gentian Pond (water) | 3.6 mi to Shelburne | — |
| Cold River | 15 | Fee | Basin Brook (stream) | 1.6 mi to North Chatham | — |
| Basin | 15 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Gorham | — |
| Wild River | 15 | Fee | — | 9.0 mi to Gorham | — |
| Blue Brook Tent Site | 16 | Free | — | 10 mi to Gorham | — |
| Rattle River Shelter | 16 | Free | — | 4.6 mi to Gorham | — |
| Trident Col Tentsite | 17 | Free | Page Pond (water) | 2.9 mi to Berlin | — |
| Baldface Shelter | 18 | Free | Charles Brook (stream) | 2.3 mi to North Chatham | — |
| Spruce Brook Tent Site | 18 | Free | Baldface Brook (stream) | 4.8 mi to North Chatham | — |
| Imp Shelter | 19 | Free | Stony Brook (stream) | 4.2 mi to Gorham | — |
| Perkins Notch Tent Site | 21 | Free | No Ketchum Pond (water) | 5.1 mi to Glen House | — |
| Mountain Pond Shelter | 21 | Free | Mountain Pond (water) | 3.1 mi to Chatham | — |
| Moose Brook State Park | 22 | Fee | Swimming Pool (water) | 1.5 mi to Upper Village | — |
| Barnes Field | 22 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Gorham | — |
| Dolly Copp | 22 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Gorham | — |
| Dolly Copp Campground | 22 | Fee | Imp Brook (stream) | 2.8 mi to Glen House | — |
| Province Pond Shelter | 23 | Free | Province Pond (water) | 2.9 mi to Chatham | — |
| Jericho Mountain State Park | 23 | Fee | Jericho Brook (stream) | 2.1 mi to Copperville | — |
| Osgood Tent Site | 24 | Free | West Branch of Peabody River (river) | 2.0 mi to Glen House | — |
| Milan Hill State Park | 24 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Milan | — |
| Umbagog Lake State Park (base camp) | 25 | Fee | — | 0.1 mi to Cambridge | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Bethel, ME, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.