Tippicanoe Campground in New Hampshire
Camp New Hampshire: I’m talking with Deb today. She’s the Owner at Tippicanoe Campground in New Hampshire. How’s it going this morning, Deb?
Deb: Very well, thank you.
Camp New Hampshire: So let’s get started with how long Tippicanoe Campground has been there and how it got started.
Deb: Well, the history of the campground is that it is one of the oldest campgrounds, if not the oldest, in New Hampshire. So, it has an interesting history that goes back to, I think, 1911, where it was just a boys’ camp originally. Then it became a Y camp, and then that camp later moved and then it became privately owned. So, we’ve been around a long time, and in all those years there have been many, many changes.
Camp New Hampshire: Okay. And what types of camping do you offer there?
Deb: We have RV camping. We have a few pull-through sites. We have some tent camping. People come in just for a night, the weekend, but predominantly our campers are seasonal campers. They come in and they setup. It becomes their second home for the summer.
Camp New Hampshire: Okay. And what are the most popular activities for your guests there?
Deb: Well, we have lots of fun. We have, of course on the pond, there’s beautiful freshwater swimming. It’s a spring-fed pond. It’s also trout stocked three times a year. The fishing is fabulous. We bring in entertainment. We have typical campground fun, like Bingo and we play games, and we have special event weekend and luau’s and pig roasts and we bring in bands. So, lots of times we’re dancing in the field, under the stars. And it’s just a good time. We also offer some weekend activities for kids, but we don’t offer like a full-time babysitting service like some campgrounds do.
Camp New Hampshire: Sure. Dancing under the stars sounds like a blast.
Deb: It is. It is.
Camp New Hampshire: It’s a great spot. And then what are some of your favorite attractions in and around that area?
Deb: Well, the Sunapee Region offers, of course, Mount Sunapee, which now has an adventure park up there, which includes ziplines and segway tours and mini golf. Beautiful hiking trails that lead to places where the views are for miles and miles. And then there’s the State Beach at Lake Sunapee for people who maybe have a jet ski they want to bring with them or a high-speed boat for water skiing and all of that. That’s only a few miles from us, literally. There’s lots of great dining opportunities and theater, and there’s a lot to do, but it’s not so busy that the traffic is crazy. You’re not sitting in traffic all day.
Camp New Hampshire: Sure. Perfect. Two more questions for you, Deb.
Deb: Sure.
Camp New Hampshire: If you could spend just one hour at Tippicanoe Campground, how would you spend your time there?
Deb: Probably on the beach or in a kayak on the pond.
Camp New Hampshire: The beach looks fantastic. And this playground here, right on the water looks great.
Deb: Well, it’s a great place for parents to sit and chat and have a cup of coffee or a cold drink on a nice day and watch the kids on the playground and in the water. So, that’s why we put the playground right on the beach; so the folks could be there too, not just standing on a grassy patch, watching their kids for an hour.
Camp New Hampshire: Yeah, makes sense. Last question for you: if you were just going to spend one night at Tippicanoe Campground, which specific site would you stay at and why?
Deb: Oh boy, we have many nice ones. Let me think. Probably something that we call – it’s on Chapel Rock. And if I was going to stay one night, I’d setup there. It has a little path right down to the water’s edge. Not on the beach, but a place where they could keep their kayak if they brought a kayak with them. So, we have several that are like that. A lot of our real premium waterfront sites have gone to seasonal campers who are there, set up permanently.
Camp New Hampshire: Sure.
Deb: But we’ve saved several for that for the weekend camper. There are some nice sites where they can just keep their kayak on the site with them or at the water’s edge and or whatever, and just access the water that way without having to come down to the beach.
Camp New Hampshire: Sounds relaxing.
Deb: It is. It’s very relaxing. And I would say though that even though we have beautiful scenery and clean water and a clean beach, a couple things I’d like to mention. It’s a non-smoking campground. So that sort of changes the atmosphere quite dramatically as a matter of fact. It’s a very clean campground. Our bathrooms are immaculate. Our showers are brand new and immaculate. But the best feature that I often like to boast about is our camping community. Our campers here are a wonderful group of people. They become good friends and neighbors, and they’re very welcoming to weekend campers.
Camp New Hampshire: That sounds like a great place. I hear that a lot. The campgrounds that have long-term camping like that really turns into a strong community.
Deb: That’s definitely true. And friendships that begin here last a lifetime. I’ve seen it over and over again. And people don’t leave. I have campers who have been here for four years. Yeah.
Camp New Hampshire: Well, that’s testament alone to how great that spot is.
Deb: Well, we enjoy it. We’re proud of it. We work hard every year. We continue to plan for the future and we love to meet new people. I’m a very social person and I’m interested in everybody. So, I’d love to welcome anyone to come visit us.
Camp New Hampshire: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Deb, for taking some time out of your day to chat with us about Tippicanoe Campground in New Hampshire.
Deb: Thank you.
