Pillsbury State Park

Eric Salamon

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Awesome state park for camping. Some really nice spots right on the pond. Canoeing and fishing was a lot of fun. Unfortunately it was too hot for hiking but Sunapee lake is 20 minutes away and offered a nice spot to cool off. Will definitely be back again.

Per Sveen

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

An incredibly beautiful campground. Most sites are great but a few are absolutely perfect. Renting a canoe for the day is the perfect way to spend an afternoon/morning. We saw loons, osprey, blackburnian and yellow rumped warblers, vireos, and heard thrushes. I caught bass, perch, and pumpkinseed on the fly. There are pickerel in the lake too.

Tim levasseur

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Took a nice hike from Pillsbury to Lucia’s Lookout. 3.5 easy miles and .5 not so easy but worth the effort.

Kane DiMasso-Scott

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

I spent a 4-day weekend here in September of 2018; it was, without exaggeration the best of over a dozen camping experiences I've had to date. I went with a group of 4 between two spots. This is going to be a long one, I'll break it down below for ease of info-access. THE SPOTS: I booked two of the most isolated spots (#36 & #37) in order to have minimal disturbances over our trip. They're almost a half-mile and a mile away, respectively, from the closest spots, as well as where the parking area is, so best to pack light. We had camping wagons to carry our gear in. I would not recommend these specific spots here without something of the sort. (Many of the other spots have adjacent parking fwiw). They each have a firepit, picnic table, and a pit-toilet off a trail from the sites. They sit on the edge of North Pond (not pictured in uploaded map), but different parts. In retrospect, we could have made due with just site 36 since it was large enough, and we spent most of our time hanging out there as site 37 was 1/4-1/2 mile away. There is a launch off point for canoes/kayaks adjacent to site 36 (separated by some brush and a small stream so privacy maintained), saw 3 parties use it in 4 days. ZERO people came by site #37 - totally remote, probably could have walked around naked TBH. There was a large muddy area and puddle at the entrance to the site though (nearby the table and tent-pitching area were clear & dry) - something to keep in mind if you're considering it during a rainy season. Lastly, 36 is pretty open and gets a lot of sun. #37 has heavy tree coverage, but also a lounging rock out on the lake's edge (pictured). ACTIVITIES & AMMENITIES: I didn't make much use of the activities last time, but plan to the next time around. They have multiple hiking and walking trails, a few different lakes you can go out on, as well as canoe and kayak rentals. There is a camp store closes ca 7 and has most necessities you may need as well as firewood. THE PARK: The place is gorgeous. No words could do it justice honestly. At times it felt like woods out of a story book. So much so I didn't even mind the roughly 9 or 10 miles I walked b/w my spot and the car/ the store. I did that walk in the dead of night too, with nothing but a lamp, and damn was it creepy. You really get the feeling of being out there, in the middle of the woods. It's exhilarating. Park policy was quiet time at 10, and fires out at 11 (maybe), but again, with the isolated spots, nobody can hear or is coming to check. It was also inexpensive, maybe 30/a night or less. TL;DR: Booked 2 of the most isolated spots, and had THE camping experience that we all daydream about when we're thinking about camping trips. The walk to the spots was LONG but so worth it. 11/10 Camping experience. would recommend. Will go back.