Free camping near Lincoln, NH
Within 25 straight-line miles of Lincoln, NH there are 44 camps: 21 free, 17 fee, 6 unpriced. The closest is Russell Pond, 3.7 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Eliza Brook Shelter, 4.5 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. Today's season read covers 1 of them: 1 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call.
Who manages them: 43 on the Forest Service; 1 on NH DNCR Division of Parks and Recreation.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Pond | 3.7 | Fee | — | 3.1 mi to North Woodstock | — |
| Hancock | 3.8 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Liberty Springs | 4.1 | Fee | — | 4.1 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Eliza Brook Shelter | 4.5 | Free | Eliza Brook (stream) | 3.3 mi to Wildwood | — |
| Tripoli Rd | 4.8 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to North Woodstock | — |
| Big Rock | 5.5 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Franconia Brook Campsites | 5.6 | Free | Franconia Branch (river) | 4.0 mi to The Village of Loon Mountain | — |
| Lafayette Place Campground (Franconia Notch State Park) | 5.8 | Fee | Walker Brook (stream) | 2.9 mi to Mittersill | Open |
| In White Mountain National ForestDave slept here | 6.0 | Free | Jackman Brook (stream) | 3.9 mi to Fairview | — |
| Kinsman Pond | 6.1 | Fee | — | 6.1 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Wildwood Campground | 6.2 | Unpriced | Wild Ammonoosuc River (river) | 0.4 mi to Wildwood | — |
| Beaver Brook Shelter | 7.2 | Free | Beaver Brook (stream) | 3.2 mi to Wildwood | — |
| Coppermine Shelter | 7.4 | Free | Coppermine Brook (stream) | 1.4 mi to Mittersill | — |
| Thirteen Falls | 8.2 | Free | Franconia Branch (stream) | 4.7 mi to Deerfield | — |
| Garfield Ridge Shelter | 9.5 | Fee | — | 7.3 mi to Bethlehem | — |
| Guyot Shelter | 9.7 | Fee | — | 9.7 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Osceola Vista | 10 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Lincoln | — |
| Waterville Valley Campground | 11 | Unpriced | Drakes Brook (stream) | 0.5 mi to Waterville Valley | — |
| Gale River Loop | 12 | Free | Thompson Brook (stream) | 0.5 mi to Deerfield | — |
| Jeffers Brook Shelter | 12 | Free | Still Brook (stream) | 0.9 mi to Glencliff | — |
| Campton Family Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Mad River (river) | 0.8 mi to Campton Upper Village | — |
| Campton Group Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Winter Brook (stream) | 0.7 mi to Campton Upper Village | — |
| Three Ponds Shelter | 13 | Free | Three Ponds (water) | 2.9 mi to Stinson Lake | — |
| Haystack Road | 14 | Free | Little River (river) | 2.2 mi to Carroll | — |
| Sawyer Pond Shelter & Tent Platforms | 14 | Free | Little Sawyer Pond (water) | 1.7 mi to Livermore | — |
| Ethan Pond Shelter | 15 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Bartlett | — |
| Flat Mtn Pond Shelter | 15 | Free | Flat Mountain Pond (water) | 3.7 mi to Waterville Valley | — |
| Sugarloaf II Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Ammonoosuc River (river) | 2.0 mi to Twin Mountain | — |
| Sugarloaf I Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Ammonoosuc River (river) | 1.9 mi to Twin Mountain | — |
| Fourth Iron Backcountry Site | 16 | Free | Halfway Brook (stream) | 0.4 mi to Sawyers River | — |
| Zealand Campground | 16 | Fee | Ammonoosuc River (river) | 2.0 mi to Fabyan | — |
| Ore Hill Tentsite | 17 | Free | Atwell Brook (stream) | 2.1 mi to Gilmans Corner | — |
| Jigger Johnson | 17 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Bartlett | — |
| Nauman Tentsite | 19 | Free | Gibbs Brook (stream) | 3.5 mi to Marshfield Station | — |
| Mt Langdon Camping Area | 20 | Free | — | 2.9 mi to Bartlett | — |
| Cherry Mountain Road Camping | 20 | Free | — | 8.9 mi to Whitefield | — |
| Rocky Branch Shelter #1 | 20 | Free | Lower Stairs Brook (stream) | 4.1 mi to Hart's Location | — |
| Dry River Shelter # 3 | 21 | Free | Dry River Falls (water) | 3.1 mi to Marshfield Station | — |
| Camp Penacook Shelter | 21 | Free | Chocorua River (stream) | 2.9 mi to Paugus Mill | — |
| Blackberry Crossing | 21 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Bartlett | — |
| Hexacuba Shelter | 22 | Free | North Branch Jacobs Brook (stream) | 1.6 mi to Quinttown | — |
| Covered Bridge | 22 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Bartlett | — |
| Hermit Lake Complex | 24 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Gorham | — |
| White Ledge | 24 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Conway | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Lincoln, NH, 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.