CampgroundsDB

Rocky Branch Shelter #1

Its sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), and camping is free. Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is a National Forest campground near Carroll, New Hampshire.

First-come, first-served

National Forest · Carroll, New Hampshire

National Forest
Managed by

Rocky Branch Shelter #1 sits inside White Mountain National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com. It sits 0.5 miles outside the boundary of Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness; its permit and camping rules and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.

Getting a site

Managed by
National Forest
Reservations
None, first-come
Fee
Free

Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-30

Access and cell service

Elevation
1,427 ft

44.1536, -71.2852 in Carroll. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Open in Google Maps Directions

Common questions

Do you need a reservation at Rocky Branch Shelter #1?

No. Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is first-come, first-served: there is no reservation system, so arrive early to claim an open site.

How much does it cost to camp at Rocky Branch Shelter #1?

Camping at Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is free.

Who manages Rocky Branch Shelter #1?

Rocky Branch Shelter #1 is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Around Rocky Branch Shelter #1

Public land · within 15 miles

Public land within 15 miles: Crawford Notch State Park (5.9 miles to its center) , Mount Washington State Park (8 miles to its center) , Echo Lake State Park (9.4 miles to its center) , Great Gulf Wilderness (9.9 miles to its center) , and Pemigewasset Wilderness (12 miles to its center) ; publiclandsdb.com has each unit's camping rules and boundary.

Waterfalls and swimming nearby

swimholesmap.com · within 30 miles

Nearest to Rocky Branch Shelter #1, in straight-line miles: Arethusa Falls (waterfall, 5 miles), Jackson Falls (swimming hole, 5 miles), Diana's Baths Pools (swimming hole, 8 miles), Diana's Baths (waterfall, 8.2 miles), and Lower Falls (swimming hole, 11 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.

Dry River Shelter # 3 Coos · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Fourth Iron Backcountry Site Bartlett · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $15 per night
 Nauman Tentsite Bartlett · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Ethan Pond Shelter Bartlett · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $15 per person per night

More campgrounds: camping near Carroll and campgrounds in Carroll.

Sources

First-come, first-served Free
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