Free camping near Bethel, ME
Yes. 11 of the 23 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Bethel, ME are listed as free; 12 charge a fee. The closest free one is Gentian Pond Shelter, 14 miles west, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Crocker Pond, 6.7 miles south, a fee campground.
The circle crosses a state line: ME and NH.
All 23 camps near Bethel, ME
| 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 | — |
Who manages the camps near Bethel, ME
Who manages them: 19 on the Forest Service; 4 on NH DNCR Division of Parks and Recreation.
- White Mountain National Forest — 19 camps: 11 free, 8 fee
- NH DNCR Division of Parks and Recreation — 4 camps: 4 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 23 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Bethel, ME
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
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.