We bought our camper at a Camper Expo in New Hampshire. One where there are campers all throughout the center of the expo, and then campgrounds and campground gear vendors all around the outside ring of the expo. Having only previously camped mostly in the State Parks of Vermont, this was a great idea to see what else is out there, especially when coming from tent camping to RV camping.
One particular brochure we picked up at this expo and held on to was the one from Moose Hillock. The pool looked amazing. We knew we had to camp there. It was actually one of the first reservations we booked. It looked so amazing that we hung the brochure on the fridge so we could keep our sights on it and keep the enthusiasm up for it. We just couldn’t wait.
What’s important to note is that there are two of these camping resorts: this one we went to was in Warren, NH and the other is in Lake George, NY. To tell you the truth, we booked this one for mid July and have the one in NY booked for Labor Day Weekend. Now that we just spent an entire week at this one and had an amazing time, we cannot wait to try out the NY one.
I’d say the two very best features of this campground are 1) the amazing pool and 2) the spacious wooded sites. At the time of this post on the Moose Hillock website there is a tagline that says “Look At Nature, Not Your Neighbors.” That is truly the case here. A lot of places we see for RVs are wide open fields with campers side by each as far as you can see. This campground is nothing like that. Each site appears so big that even the biggest motorhomes seem small in these sites.
Upon check-in we were given the campground map and honestly were a bit confused. While the employee did talk us through where to go, there were a lot of roads she said you can’t turn on as they were one ways. Come to find out, our site was way up on a secluded loop by itself. We had a few neighbors on the loop that came and went, but it was so quiet! Our actual site was 162 if you want to look it up. It was not a loop that traffic had to go by to exit so you actually had to want to be up there to be there. It was quiet, secluded and huge.
Jesse and I walked the campground each morning and got to know the roads and area a bit more so it was much less confusing. I will tell you it’s one of those places that appears to be uphill both ways. You’ll never forget when you are here that you are in the mountains of New Hampshire, that’s for sure.
No RV? Look at what else is available to book! How cute are these cabins?
There were three different types of cabins around the property that all seemed amazing if you didn’t want to tent it. According to their website the types are Rustic Cabins, Cabin Suites, and Cabin Deluxe. The Rustic Cabins do not have bathrooms, but the other two do. We really liked the Cabin Suites which had the exterior patio kitchen with top burners, sinks and microwaves outside on the front. Should totally have been staying in one of these before we bought a camper, had we known this place existed!
Should that not be your thing either and you’d rather tent it, those sites are big and spacious. It was not uncommon to walk by a site that had four or five tents pitched on it because of how spacious the sites were.
Most of these sites also appeared to have electricity at them so there were a lot of portable fridges and fans under easy ups. Definitely a convenience when tenting it. There was also quite a few water spickets on trees in the tenting area and it wasn’t uncommon to see campers out there washing their dishes on the side of trees. A little more rustic than I want to be at this point, but good to know it’s available and easily accessible.
In the center of the campground, behind the pool area, is a nice recreational area. It was common to see kids going back and forth on their bikes from the pool to here. There was a nice sized playground, volleyball net, basketball court and horseshoe pit, as well as a pavilion that we caught a juggling act at on our last night there. There were smiles and laughs all around!
Hands down though, the main attraction is the huge, tropical swimming pool. It really was amazing. It was clean, heated, and full of campers having a great time.
We have traveled to some amazing places in the world and sat poolside on cruise decks, and I would say this pool is right up there on this list. Laying in a lounge chair on a beautiful day only to hear the sounds of water spraying, reggae music on the speakers and children laughing – it doesn’t get much more relaxing than that. The pirate ship and two water slides were a very popular part of the pool. Add that to my family’s new underwater camera – and they played for hours! Look at the quality of that camera!
One last thing to mention about this gem in the woods of New Hampshire and their pool, is night swims and pool movies. While it isn’t every night, keep an eye on the camp schedule when you check in. For the time we were there they had two night time movies, and one other nighttime swim (usually the pool closes at dusk). At 8 p.m. they put a projector in the little hut at the end of the pool and start the movie. We watched Big Hero 6 on the Thursday we checked in and then the Lego Batman movie on the following Monday. While obviously you can’t eat popcorn in the pool, you can lounge around and swim while watching a movie. Or sit poolside in your PJs and watch covered up in a blanket too. What an experience!
We must add the bad with the good though. We have tons of great stuff to say about this place, but do have to mention the couple of pitfalls. Wood. Bring your own. We were a bit shocked when they told us a bundle was $12 a piece. It was a small bundle and when trying to burn it it was very wet. But most campers probably pay it since what choice do they have. We did buy some the first day, but got the remaining wood elsewhere for much cheaper.
Two, we have relatives in the area that wanted to come spend the day with us. The visitor rate is over $19 per person for a day. That’s quite steep, and for a family of five, it would have cost them a lot. I suppose this is a way to keep the pool from being too crowded with locals, but it was quite expensive.
Three, the nature trail signage. As you know, we walk the campground when we go places. We hike the nature trails. The ones here were marked on the campground map, but no where else. There are little paths that veer out in the woods that just have a sign saying no golf carts allowed. There are no signs saying it’s a trail. We used our campground map one day and headed out on the Old Foundation trail. However, it’s not labeled in anyway on the trail. Nothing explaining why it’s called the Old Foundation trail. We followed it for about 10 minutes before coming to a logging road that went both directions. With no signage to tell us which way to go, and no cell service, we turned around. We get that the attraction here is the pool, but people do still like to go on these hikes. They could do a better job keeping up with these trails, especially since they are on their maps.
That really is all that we had to complain about on this trip. It truly was an amazing vacation that we all enjoyed and will remember for a long time. If you can swing the higher costs, this campground is worth every penny. Get out there and enjoy your family at this beautiful location.
