From Dream to Destination: Baker Rocks Campground and Bank of New Hampshire

Some dreams take years to find their way into the real world.

For Amanda Gordon, the dream began more than two decades ago during her time in the Peace Corps in West Africa. She and a group of friends imagined creating a place where their future children could run free, spend time in nature and simply be kids.

Years later, that vision found its home in Rumney, New Hampshire.

After purchasing the property in 2020, Amanda began building what would become Baker Rocks Campground. Construction began in 2021, and by the summer of 2022, the first guests arrived.

Today, Baker Rocks is a destination unlike a traditional campground. Guests can stay in a yurt, dome, treehouse, A-frame or shipping container, each offering a different way to experience the surrounding landscape.

“I often call it backcountry camping, but within amenities,” Amanda said. “If you’ve been to a campground and you feel like you’re kind of stacked upon one another or on, like, a little concrete jungle, we are the opposite of that.”

The property was designed around space, nature and the freedom to experience the outdoors in a way that feels personal. As Amanda puts it, “We don’t have a lot of anything, but we have a lot of different things.”

That sense of individuality is at the heart of Baker Rocks — and it is also reflected in Amanda’s approach to growing the business.

Turning a Vision Into a Business

When Amanda found the Rumney property, she knew she had found the opportunity to finally bring her longtime dream to life.

“We had been talking about this forever, and then I just found this piece of land and was like, ‘This is it. It’s gonna become a reality.'”

Building a business from the ground up takes more than a vision. It takes the right resources, guidance and people willing to invest in that vision alongside you.

For Amanda, that included finding the right banking partner.

Through the Community Reinvestment Development Corporation (CRDC), Amanda was introduced to Bank of New Hampshire Commercial Loan Officer Joanne Gagnon. After speaking with several bankers, she ultimately chose to work with Joanne and Bank of New Hampshire.

The decision came down to something that cannot always be measured on paper: connection.

“It was Joanne, honestly. It was just her personality and her ability to get things done and the way that we could kind of directly and easily communicate with one another,” Amanda said.

That relationship has continued well beyond the initial financing. Amanda describes Joanne as accessible, responsive and easy to work with — qualities that have been particularly valuable as Baker Rocks has evolved.

“She’s fabulous,” Amanda said. “We communicate via email. I mean, she’ll even text me. She’ll answer me on days off. So, we’ve stayed in touch.”

Growing With Purpose

Baker Rocks has continued to evolve since its first season, becoming a gathering place for families, outdoor enthusiasts and groups looking for an experience that feels a little different.

The campground hosts family picnics, a Girl Dads weekend, bike groups, women’s wilderness retreats and weddings.

Now, Amanda is preparing for the next chapter.

Three new bathrooms and a commercial kitchen have been added to the property, and a pavilion is planned to help Baker Rocks accommodate larger events beginning in 2027. The campground hopes to eventually host weddings and group gatherings of up to approximately 150 people.

The vision is not simply to make Baker Rocks bigger. It is to create an experience that feels timeless.

“We want to really focus on kind of that nostalgic camp feel so that people can have a bed to sleep in if they want, depending on what kind of family and friends you have.”

That same philosophy is behind the property’s newest expansion: five high-end treehouses overlooking the river.

Already under construction, the treehouses will add accommodation for up to 20 additional guests while creating another distinctive experience for visitors.

A Partnership That Grows Alongside the Business

Amanda’s relationship with Bank of New Hampshire has grown alongside Baker Rocks.

She did not bank with the bank before purchasing the property. Today, she has moved her banking relationship to Bank of New Hampshire and has opened another business account as well.

For Amanda, having a local bank has been an important part of that decision.

That local connection is complemented by the convenience of digital banking, which helps Amanda manage multiple accounts and transfers as she balances the many moving pieces of running a growing business.

“I think just being able to access things online and have everything move seamlessly,” she said.

For the most part, she explained, those processes happen automatically, allowing her to focus on the bigger picture.

Rooted in New Hampshire

The setting of Baker Rocks is an essential part of Amanda’s vision.

Rumney offers the privacy and natural beauty she wanted while keeping guests close to the mountains, lakes and rivers that make Central New Hampshire such a special place to visit.

“We are ideally located,” Amanda said. “When we kind of started this business, we looked at this area of Central New Hampshire where you could get to a mountain, or you could get to a lake or a river in 15 to 35 minutes.”

For Amanda, that balance has made Rumney and Plymouth the perfect place to build her business.

As Baker Rocks enters its next chapter, Amanda’s original dream remains at the center of it all: creating a place where people can step away from everyday life, spend time together and reconnect with the outdoors.

What began as an idea shared between friends more than 20 years ago has become a growing destination in the heart of New Hampshire.

Through her relationship with Joanne Gagnon and Bank of New Hampshire, she has found a local partner who understands her vision, communicates when she needs support and continues to be part of the journey as Baker Rocks grows.

For a business built around creating meaningful experiences for others, that kind of relationship can make all the difference.