Primitive Natl Forest Campgrounds in NH maybe Western MA or VT

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My only experience with camping is in California where you just drive into the vast wilderness of any one of the national forests, find a stream and set up camp. Dirtbikes, guns alcohol etc..General rules for shooting like no shooting over body of water, 100 yards from road, no where near any buildings(In a Natl forest? lol) etc..

Is it like this in the White Mountains?

I am looking for a primitive (maybe outhouse for the GF) but basically primitive near a stream or lake... Not crowded, isolated so nobody can hear the screaming. Also will have a young kid who I am going to teach camping stuff to.. So I guess bottom line.. Does anyone know a place up north in NH that is kinda isolated and not crowded(no people at all would be best) with a stocked lake or good river to fish? Also open to any place in Western MA and Green Mountains. Main thing is nobody camping close to us, some sort of privacy.

I am literally going in blind, I have absolutely no idea where to go in NH for camping. California has a huge national forest system and you can literally just drive off the road, find a stream, set up camp and start partying. Pretty sure NE is not like this because the Natl Forests look really small compared to out west.
 
Green Mountain National Forest VT can’t recommend anything because it has been years since I have been there but it sounds as if this may be the type of thing you are looking for.

There will be no “outhouse” for the girlfriend, but if she is willing to dig a slit trench it will be proof she is a keeper.



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My only experience with camping is in California where you just drive into the vast wilderness of any one of the national forests, find a stream and set up camp. Dirtbikes, guns alcohol etc..General rules for shooting like no shooting over body of water, 100 yards from road, no where near any buildings(In a Natl forest? lol) etc..

Is it like this in the White Mountains?

I am looking for a primitive (maybe outhouse for the GF) but basically primitive near a stream or lake... Not crowded, isolated so nobody can hear the screaming. Also will have a young kid who I am going to teach camping stuff to.. So I guess bottom line.. Does anyone know a place up north in NH that is kinda isolated and not crowded(no people at all would be best) with a stocked lake or good river to fish? Also open to any place in Western MA and Green Mountains. Main thing is nobody camping close to us, some sort of privacy.

I am literally going in blind, I have absolutely no idea where to go in NH for camping. California has a huge national forest system and you can literally just drive off the road, find a stream, set up camp and start partying. Pretty sure NE is not like this because the Natl Forests look really small compared to out west.
You can do this in any National Forest. The obvious ones are White Mountain in NH, Green Mountain in VT, Allegheny in PA and I think Adirondack in NY is a national forest.

You have to obey state laws so f*** the Adirondacks.
 
Pretty sure they don't want you to kill "alpine stuff", so no camping above treelines, but I'm not sure on that.
 
Green Mountain National Forest VT can’t recommend anything because it has been years since I have been there but it sounds as if this may be the type of thing you are looking for.

There will be no “outhouse” for the girlfriend, but if she is willing to dig a slit trench it will be proof she is a keeper.


So the early morning brain fog has lifted and upon reflection I can remember the Michigan Brook Rd. area near Pittsfield VT as the place we had camped years ago. We were able to get my truck (4x4) in pretty deep and set up nearby.

This area is densely forested, so no long views if that was what you desired.

Do a Google search for "Michigan Brook Road camping" and you should get loads of results.


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If Maine is acceptable the look at Stephen Phillips
 
As far as I can tell, WMNF doesn't have established "primitive campgrounds". I'm familiar with that concept, growing up camping in the Ouachita National Forest, and spending my college years camping in the Ozark National Forest.

WMNF is actual primitive camping: just find yourself a spot off the trail, and camp. No fire rings. No graded level tent sites, no vault toilets. Poop in a bag and take it with you.
 
@Greg First and foremost, where are you coming from, how far are you willing to drive and how long will you be staying.

GMNF is my typical go to for even a single night. The closest parts are about an hour away from me. WMNF is about four hours so that’s a minimum of a three night stay.

Both of those require you stay at an “established” camp site. Meaning if it looks like someone has been there you’re good. No creating your own. Personally I Feel GMNF is more removed from people than WMNF. WMNF gets really crowded due to all the hikers, the lake, and the popular tourist activities in the area. With GMNF, The closer to RT9, the more packed it is.

If you really desire that remote feeling, and you have the time. Head to northern Maine. Moosehead or further north into the North Maine Woods. You have to pay for access in the NMW but it’s worth it! You can travel for days up there and see nothing but trees, empty dirt roads and all kinds of animals. And the fishing is incredible. You’d really be able to provide a great experience to the young one you’re bringing along.

As for the bathrooms, some of the NF have long drops (vault toilets) at the organized campgrounds, and the NMW has a outhouse at most spots.

We do a ton of camping across the country and use a Lugable Loo with wag bags. It’s essentially a toilet seat that snaps onto a bucket. We have found that a 7 gal bucket is far superior to a 5 gal. That little bit of height makes a huge difference. Oh, and baby wipes help with freshness issues.

Any more questions, let me know, more than happy to help
 
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Lots of people suggesting NWM, so will look into that, sounds like a haul from Leominster. Definately sounds like what I like, but also sounds like I would need 2 days just for travel. Was thinking maybe just one overnite during the week, prob all the gf can handle.

Just looked it up, 6 hours... So looking at prob 8 hrs with traffic and break.
 
As far as I can tell, WMNF doesn't have established "primitive campgrounds". I'm familiar with that concept, growing up camping in the Ouachita National Forest, and spending my college years camping in the Ozark National Forest.

WMNF is actual primitive camping: just find yourself a spot off the trail, and camp. No fire rings. No graded level tent sites, no vault toilets. Poop in a bag and take it with you.

Poop in a bag lol
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. At least now I have something to go on.. The Natl forests here are kinda small so I really didnt want to wing it with a girl and kid along for the ride.. Just me I would just drive up there and explore, but its not, so I cant.
 
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If they aren’t the camping type I wouldn’t suggest going straight to primitive camping. Try a state park first. Decently spaced spots, flush toilets, lots of places have fishing and hiking access. Tolland State Forest, October Mountain. Both Clarksburg State park and Savoy Mountain State Forest are right off Rt2.

Even at those places it’s easy to introduce a kid to the outdoors through teaching them camping skills.
 
Naw.. Camping in a forest I will def be armed and at this point in history, still obeying most laws lol The Adirondacks do look really nice though. This will be the one time where gun laws actually dictate where I go.
I feel that, if they weren't in NY I'd be living there
 
If they aren’t the camping type I wouldn’t suggest going straight to primitive camping. Try a state park first. Decently spaced spots, flush toilets, lots of places have fishing and hiking access. Tolland State Forest, October Mountain. Both Clarksburg State park and Savoy Mountain State Forest are right off Rt2.

Even at those places it’s easy to introduce a kid to the outdoors through teaching them camping skills.

They can handle one night, I hope. The kid will love it, mom will just put up with it lol
 
In southern VT, there's plenty of spots off the road to Somerset Reservoir, Castle Brook Rd, Kelley Stand Road, Branch Pond Rd. There's a semi-official campsite at the old airfield before Somerset Reservoir, its a good sized grassy field area and gets a fair amount of use
 
If you want to be close to a body of water such as a river or lake in the WMNF, you will need to be at a designated site such as on Tripoli rd. Otherwise there are many regulations in place which prohibit camping within 200 feet of rivers, ponds, lakes, and hiking trails, Within 1/4 mile of shelters and other facilities, within the alpine zone at all, etc.

It’s not remote like the west where you can drive in anywhere and be away from people and blast off rounds at beer cans all night without raising suspicion.

Also, I’ve camped quite a bit in this backcountry and will be the first to tell you that most of it is very densely forested and uneven ground. There are plenty of spots where you can make due if you know where to look, but it’s not generally conducive to setting up a big old camp with creature comforts, without knowing where to go which takes knowing those who are familiar with the terrain or lots of trial and error.
 
As far as I can tell, WMNF doesn't have established "primitive campgrounds". I'm familiar with that concept, growing up camping in the Ouachita National Forest, and spending my college years camping in the Ozark National Forest.

WMNF is actual primitive camping: just find yourself a spot off the trail, and camp. No fire rings. No graded level tent sites, no vault toilets. Poop in a bag and take it with you.
There actually are…as mentioned above, Tripoli Rd has some…I used to camp all the time on the old Cherry mountain road that goes between Fabyans and Jefferson…there’s at lease 6-8 maybe more established primitive camping spaces along that road. No bathroom facilities at all in that area…dig a hole and cover it though there are facilities, such as they are, at the Zealand campground, a few minutes drive from the Fabyans end of the cherry mountain road.
 
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If you want to be close to a body of water such as a river or lake in the WMNF, you will need to be at a designated site such as on Tripoli rd. Otherwise there are many regulations in place which prohibit camping within 200 feet of rivers, ponds, lakes, and hiking trails, Within 1/4 mile of shelters and other facilities, within the alpine zone at all, etc.
Signs everywhere on the 1/4 mile from the road rule so just the opposite of OP California model
 
There's a nice spot here in Westhampton, MA...

It's a KOA Campground...

They have regular camper hook-up sights, an indoor shower/bathroom area, a pool, a pond, a meeting/play area and in the back corner they have a big field for "tent camping" and a "Dump Site" so you can drain "That Tank" when you need to...

The "regulars' area" where people rent the spot out year-round, and leave their camper on sight year-round...

I really think you will like it...

Check out their website:

Westhampton KOA


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Aziscoos Valley Campground-Wilson Mills ME, not a National Forest but I cannot imagine anyone not being very very happy here-if anyone goes we hope you get at least one clear night.

 
There actually are…as mentioned above, Tripoli Rd has some…I used to camp all the time on the old Cherry mountain road that goes between Fabyans and Jefferson…there’s at lease 6-8 maybe more established primitive camping spaces along that road. No bathroom facilities at all in that area…dig a hole and cover it though there are facilities, such as they are, at the Zealand campground, a few minutes drive from the Fabyans end of the cherry mountain road.

That sounds cool.

Wish I was closer, would love to scout these out before dragging everybody along.
 
That sounds cool.

Wish I was closer, would love to scout these out before dragging everybody along.
I used to go a couple of times a year. They are fairly well known and you really need to show up to camp in the middle of the week when less people are there. They are spread far enough apart where about the only way you know there are other campers are in the area is that you smell the campfire smoke...and sometimes reefer :cool:. There are plenty of bear and other critters in the area. About 15 years ago, my wife and went to camp there and it was during Moose rut...you could hear the Bulls bellowing and running through the woods around all friggin' night long. They never tripped over our tent though, luckily.
There's a really nice trout pond on that road...pretty easy to limit out on it. Make sure to not go over the limit though. Fish cops visit fairly frequently.
 
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