the rush to reserve
camping reservations available in February

On your mark, get set, camp. Reservation season for sites at state campgrounds begin on Wednesday, Feb. 6, and people pining for the outdoors are now able to secure spots at their favorite Granite State campgrounds. Summer is still several dreary months away, but the best camping spots typically fill up within the first month after reservations are made available. So, it’s time to start thinking ahead and make those reservations early.

“People want to get the best site, or their favorite site, so the earlier the better,” said Amy Bassett, marketing director for the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. Hampton Beach RV Park, certain parts of Pawtuckaway State Park and White Lake usually fill up the fastest. Any site on the water is also popular, especially during summer holidays. “If a certain campground is full, we try to give them another option,” Bassett said

In the past, campers were able to make reservations as early as Jan. 2, but this year, Parks and Recreation is using a new online reservation service, which pushed the starting reservation date back by a month. The company providing the service, ReserveAmerica, is the largest provider of campsite reservations in North America. “They do online, real time reservations and also have a call center with longer hours than we could provide,” Bassett said. ReserveAmerica is based in New York and facilitates more than 3 million transactions at more than 100,000 campsites in 48 states.

The new service will allow campers to book online reservations 24 hours a day, starting at 9 a.m. on Feb. 6, at www.nhparks.state.nh.us. Reservations can also be made by calling 1-877-647-2757. 

With the new service, a number of new reservation policies have also been introduced. There will be a three-night minimum for reservations placed through May 14, then a one-night minimum for the rest of the season. Also, reservations will be on an 11-month cycle, meaning campers will be able to make reservations up to 11 months in advance. A complete list of the new policies, as well as rates for 2008, can be found on the ReserveAmerica Web site, www.reserveamerica.com.

The state decided to contract with ReserveAmerica, in part, as a way to manage a slow but steady increase of people camping in New Hampshire. “There has been a slight increase each year. There are a lot more people doing recreational camping, Bassett said. “It seems to have become more popular.”

Most state campgrounds in New Hampshire only provide tent sites, but the popularity of RV camping has the state looking at ways to accommodate mobile campers. 

“RV camping has picked up a lot in the last 10 years. We definitely would love to offer more of that experience for our guests,” Bassett said.

In addition to more RV hookups, Parks and Recreation also plans to add yurts and cabins to some campgrounds.

The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation manages 72 state parks, campgrounds, waysides, natural areas and historic sites. About 15 percent of the division’s total revenue comes from camping reservations. That money goes back into the department to cover maintenance and administration costs. Of course, ReserveAmerica also gets a cut of the pie for providing its service, meaning some money from the camping fees will go to an out-of-state entity.   

For anyone who has spent time outdoors in New Hampshire during the summer, it’s understandable why reservations fill up so quickly. This summer promises to be no different.

“I think it’s going to be another great season. ReserveAmerica has great ways of marketing and I think that’s going to help increase our numbers. That partnership is a huge partnership,” Bassett said.

landowners aid preservation efforts in Epping and Kensington

The towns of Epping and Kensington recently set aside a combined 112 acres for the cause of land preservation. In both cases, the previous landowners accepted less than market value to aid conservation efforts. Their sacrifices were greatly appreciated by Jack Savage, vice president of communications for the Society of the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. When reached via email, Savage noted the need for landowners’ assistance when procuring land for preservation efforts.

“There are limited funds available for such conservation work, and it usually takes multiple partners to make something like this happen—most importantly, perhaps, willing landowners. This is one of those cases in which all the pieces came together,” Savage said.

The 73-acre plot of land in Epping was made available to the Forest Society by Winthrop Dow Jr., William Dow and Martha Fehsenfeld. The three agreed to sell the land for 10 percent less than market value, thereby assuring assiduous land care. The land abuts a 108-acre parcel already protected by the Lamprey River Forest Reservation. 

Savage stressed the importance of being able to expand upon already preserved land. “‘Linkage’ or ‘connectivity’ is an important concept in land conservation, as it expands the protection of habitat,” he said. The land was also deemed important by conservationists due to the presence of some peculiar wildlife. This stretch of the Lamprey River is home to river otters, brook floater mussels and Blanding’s turtles—all rare species in need of human assistance.   

Last month, Kensington secured 39 acres of land from a donation by James Query and Elizabeth Bates. The donation took the form of a conservation easement—an agreement between landowners and The Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire. The agreement prohibits commercial or industrial real estate development.