Salisbury Beach Camping

New England boasts some mighty fine beach camping and Jay and I have camped at quite a few of them. 

True beach front or ocean front campsites are very popular and camping remains a favorite past time for many families. It is usually pretty inexpensive and a wonderful time for family memory making!  One such place is very close to New Hampshire and is a long time favorite beach spot of mine.

 Salisbury Massachusetts has really improved over the years and you haven't been there lately...now might be the time to come back. 

Salisbury Massachusetts has long had a reputation, and not a nice one at that.

I remember years ago that Salisbury always drew a rough crowd, nasty fights in the bars and lots of crime.  The beach was filthy and trash could be seen everywhere. Totally Yuck!

Consequently over the years the property values have declined in Salisbury as the town struggled with a nasty reputation.

Over the last few years though, we've noticed a difference in Salisbury as the town is trying to take back their town.

There is a revitalization going on, new condos being built albeit some are right next to a popular strip club. Waterfront properties are being cleaned up and are now well maintained. The town is starting to look nice and prices are increasing.  I always said we should buy beach property in Salisbury while it is so shabby...we never did!

Now Salisbury's police are always in sight as they patrol the area.  Crime has decreased and public drunkenness and rowdiness have also decreased.   While I probably still wouldn't walk the town beach alone at night I do feel a lot safer now.

One gem that Salisbury always had was a State Park called Salisbury Beach State Reservation. The State of Massachusetts maintains the beach and a huge campground on this awesome spot. 

I've been going to Salisbury Beach...the state beach not the town beach for well over 35 years.  Jay and I love camping in the Reservation because it is 30 minutes from our home in Hampstead NH and that means as real estate agents we can go back and forth to work as needed. Plus our motor home is fully equipped as a mobile office!

The beach has life guards, snack stations, rest rooms and showers. A yearly pass is well worth the money if you're a beach goer.

The campground is a popular place, nestled at the mouth of the mighty Merrimac River and the Atlantic Ocean. Reservations must be made 6 months in advance if you want a good site.

While the campground itself could be better maintained it is an in demand destination and people line up to get in. The camp workers are a bit lackadaisical in my opinion but the place is huge and it must be hard for them to keep up. That said I don't use the public facilities and wouldn't want to.  The campground is a no frills campground but has an awesome ocean and river location. Rates are 22.00 per night for non-residents.  

The campground strictly enforces a No Alcohol rule...if the state troopers even see a hint of alcohol at your campsite they have the right to enter your site and take it away. They'll give you about 15 minutes to pack up and leave.   They patrol on Horseback, bikes and cars...and are everywhere. While I like to drink from pretty glasses...at Salisbury I drink from a plain paper cup and keep my alcohol bottles well out of sight.  

They also have a boat launch area that has awesome sunsets. Jay and I ride our bikes around the park or do a walkabout at night looking at all the funky decorated camp sites.

We're about 5 minutes away from Ceal's Clam shack where we get some awesome sea food chowder and a short 10 minutes away is New Hampshire's popular Hampton Beach.

Salisbury is a perfect exploring location. Explore the NH coastline or take a day trip to Maine which less than an hour north. Or simply sit and relax at your site or on the pretty sandy ocean beach!

Check out some of the photos I took of our August 2007 camping trip to Salisbury Beach Massachusetts just click on the lobster buoy.