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My husband and I stayed at site #009 with a campervan and had a great time, despite some rainy days. The loop by the main entrance is a bit crowded, but we felt we had a decent amount of privacy. There is a cute playground for kiddos right in the middle, which would be nice for families. We also hiked on the Lonesome Lake trail, which starts right at the campground and was a moderate hike with a beautiful lake at the end.
The showers were coin operated ($1 for 5 minutes) and clean; the store was well-stocked; and we found the firewood to be nicely packaged and dry. The bathrooms could get a bit messy - my husband found the men's room to be totally trashed one evening, but it was cleaned up the next morning.
Overall, we enjoyed the campground and felt it was great for our purposes. Plenty to do in the surrounding area as well.
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Date of stay: July 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great place! This is a good campground for people who want to hike in the Notch. It is very simple. Our site was small with only one place we could setup our tent, but we liked it - we had a picnic table and a fire pit with a grill top. The bathrooms were okay, and the showers were good (coin operated, but hot and roomy). The camp store had everything you would need, and everyone working there was very friendly. There's a big playground for the kids and they had evening story time led by a park ranger.
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Date of stay: August 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have been here a few times in recent years and always love camping at the base of Lafayette. There's nothing better than waking up at the trailhead. However, you should be careful about your campsite selection. Some have no privacy at all (15 & 16). The campground has bathrooms, showers, a really nice cabin with all the essentials you may have forgotten at home.
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Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The campground at First site looks amazing ,staff is friendly, sites are spacious , restrooms vary From dirty to reasonably clean. So far so good. The biggest problem starts When you to get some sleep at Night. No way this is possible. Campground is right next to Interstate 93 and that is what you hear 24/7 , and thus all Night long . Heavy Traffic continues to keep you wide awake despite serious earplugs that we used. If you Don’t mind this noise , this is The spot to be . If you prefer a good night’s rest After an exhausting hike , please avoid this campground, There are plenty of more secluded ones nearby.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This camp is well maintained but VERY NOISY from the nearby highway. Worst at nights with trucks using their jake brakes. Would not stay there again unless I'm hearing impaired. I need thirteen more words to submit this review.
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Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed 6 days August 2013. They are right in the middle of the Notch, so within 5 minutes of Cannon mtn, Echo lake, the basin, Flume Gorge, Kancamaugus ramp , and Mt. Pemigewassat (may have spelled that wrong) Lonesome lake trail starts in the campground, and the bike path runs through as well (which itself leads to the basin , echo lake etc.) A waterfall path leading up to the ridgeline system of trails is right across the street. The campsites are medium/small , so good for tenting (like us) and smaller popups etc. Large stuff no way. The camp store is a nice building (a small lodge) and they have a good amount of stuff, basics etc. Prices are good. Staff are A++, all that we encountered. . Showers are clean and nice. We had a bathroom behind or site (we were 77 or 79, forget) it was simple, but clean enough. A dishwashing tub is hidden behind the building, that was pretty handy. You will never read a review of Lafayette that doesn't refer to the tractor trailer noise in some way, I'm sure. Its there, and we found it managemable. We slept fine. The trucks are coming down a bend as they pass the camp, and the downshifting can echo all over the valley. So silence is out, you always hear the highway in the background, not loud , but always there. Saw no bears, but I would guess they are a frequent guest at the campground, but not a real concern to anyone. They run a pretty tight ship, and I think a loud group of young campers whooping it up would be shut down lightning fast. So , its a mellow place for families really. Don't miss the Lonesome lake hike (steep and long though) if you want quiet scenery thats ridiculously picturesque.
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Date of stay: August 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I camped in our small tent at Lafayette Campground at the end of August. What this place has going for it is the location. Within 10 minutes the next morning we were at Flume Gorge and successfully beat the crowds for a beautiful and peaceful hike.
What you need to know: Lafayette Campground is loud. It's well set into the woods so that you can't tell you're directly adjacent to I-93 by looking around, but when you lay down to sleep at night there's no forgetting that the interstate is there. All night long we were awakened by trucks engine-braking down the hill. Earplugs worked well, but they're a must have.
Of all the campgrounds we stayed in on our trip in New England, I would label this one the social one - not the place to go if you're looking for a quiet experience in the woods. Campsites were close together and almost all of our neighbors had elaborate set-ups with bright lanterns and music playing until quiet hours began (which to their credit, they respected well). At one point in the evening a police cruiser drove around through the campground, presumably to make sure nothing was getting out of control. We didn't see anything to suggest a need for this, but speculated that they may have had problems on Fridays or Saturdays during the summer (we were there on a Sunday).
We were in spot 59. It was nice. On the map it looks like it's on the river, but it's more like a creek in the woods at that point.
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Date of stay: August 2014
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a nice, well-run camp site, and the noise from the road didn't really bother us, but the BEARS did! Two bears have been around for a few weeks so far this summer - they broke a pole on a tent we set up to hold gear right next the tent we were sleeping in. We had one empty soda can next to the tent and absolutely no other food or trash anywhere on the campsite - it was all locked up in the truck. Maybe that's enough to make the bear experience our fault - but campers should be warned that bears are around so they can take extra precautions and maybe not bring small children to this site.
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Date of stay: July 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am sad to say that this campground and even the 1 hour hike up to beautiful Lonesome Lake are permanently invaded by the constant sound of trucks going down 93 all day and night. I thought that since I chose the site farthest from the road it would be okay, but I should have known better. I can warn the rest of you. You will not get that relaxing feeling of "getting away" from civilization. If you are looking for car camping, it is worth it to find somewhere on route 302 instead of 93, such as Dry River campground in Crawford Notch. Or, if you would like to go backcamping further up into the Pemigewasset Wilderness, Mount Garfield has a great moderate trail, amazing 360 views, and tent platforms near the summit. If you do decide to camp at Lafayette due to the convenient location near trailheads, make sure you bring a mattress pad because the campsites are all GRAVEL. It is a shame because the staff were very helpful and the other amenities are fine.
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Date of stay: August 2011
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a great campground if you are looking for a campground with lots of people around. We stayed in July of 2013 after hiking Mt. Garfield. It is in a beautiful and easily accessible location. The coin-operated showers and bathrooms are well maintained. There is a small store to purchase necessities. We had a pleasant campsite along the Pemigewasset River. When I woke up at 5am in the morning and started to collect twigs for a fire, a moose came to visit across the river from our camp! It was amazing!
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Date of stay: July 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Get a campsite along the Pemigewasset! Especially if you like falling asleep to the sound of...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Franconia area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
lafayette campground hotel franconia
LOCATION
United StatesNew HampshireWhite MountainsFranconia
NUMBER OF ROOMS
98
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