4 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Sun Outdoors Cape May's dedicated dog park provides a spacious area for pets to exercise off-leash while staying at this pet-friendly campground near Cape May Court House. The resort welcomes dogs at tent sites, RV spots, cabins, and glamping accommodations with standard leash requirements throughout common areas. Shellbay Campgrounds also accepts pets with similar policies, offering full hookup sites from May through September. Both campgrounds provide pet waste stations and water access, though some areas may restrict dogs during peak summer months. Most campgrounds in the area charge a nominal pet fee ranging from $3-5 per night per pet, with a typical limit of two pets per site. Seasonal campers at Sun Retreats Avalon appreciate the designated pet walking areas and proximity to dog-friendly beaches.
Belleplain State Forest allows pets with no size restrictions when properly vaccinated and leashed, making it popular for hikers with dogs seeking more natural surroundings. The forest's extensive trail system provides miles of pet-friendly hiking with access to Nummy Lake where dogs can cool off during summer months. Nearby Ocean View Resort Campground features a fenced pet area and walking paths specifically designed for campers with dogs. Local veterinary services are available in Cape May Court House and surrounding communities, with 24-hour emergency care located within 20 minutes of most campgrounds. Campers should be aware of wildlife in the area, particularly during dawn and dusk hours when walking pets. The sandy terrain at most campgrounds can be hot on paws during summer afternoons, so morning and evening walks are recommended.
"This campground is also very pet friendly ❤️. We come back as often as possible."
"Stayed in a drive through, patio site with full hook-ups. It was situated on a corner spot. A lot of RV, golf cart, bike, and people traffic due to the location."
"They allowed me to drive around first and pick out a campsite before checking in. They charge $5 extra for a dog. So far it is very quiet and that's what I was looking for."
"Pets are also allowed with no size restrictions with vaccination records and a leash! They have kayaks available to rent to row across the peaceful Nummy Lake."
"Great Location and close to Cape May City. 10 min drive to Washington Street Mall. Lots to do during the day."
"Beautiful main building. close to a lovely walking trail."
"It's very close to everything, but you don't even need to leave the campground! There are a ton of activities!"
"We went to Ocean View Resort in New Jersey to kick off the 2022 season in our new Fleetwood Discovery LXE. And we’re glad we did! "
"A beautiful wooded campground close to the beaches of Cape May, New Jersey. Very family oriented and really a great place for adults too."
"Lots to do and the beautiful beaches of Cape May, New Jersey are a short 10 minute drive. The different types of camping/glamping experiences exceeded my expectations."
from $42 / night
"There is also a section of walk-in tent sites, each with 1 parking spot semi close by. (Bring a wagon if you stay at one of these)."
"There are miles upon miles of walking and biking trails. There are nice play facilities for kids, loads of water and beach access."
Available this weekend
from $20 - $80 / night
"well maintained, wonderful pool and splash pad, great location!!"
"Kids love the lake. Bathroom cleaned daily. Could use more showers. Nice and quiet at night."
"I remember my excitement to go camping, meet other kids at the campground, and have plenty of things to do close by (beach, shopping, swimming pool)"
"Looking for a trip to the Jersey shore (near Stone Harbor, Avalon, Wildwood, Cape May, & more) - look no further than Shellbay Camping Resort."
"Gravel under the trailer and small river rock around the picnic table and fire pit."
"THINGS I LIKED:
Park is within 30-minutes drive-time to Cape May, Ocean City, and Wildwood
Everything we saw was in great condition, perfectly working order, clean, and looked new
*"
Available this weekend
"I personally camped in the back yard in my hammock as my family slept in the camper it was humid in the back near the woods but still nice."
"campground— nothing fancy, but everything worked and it was pretty clean and well-maintained Friendly staff including an escort to the site(which was a good size with working utilities)
— Lots of nearby"
ScoutWe stayed at the group site campground with our horse. We found the sites to be large, and clean. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and they have fall activities for the family, at the lake and nature hikes. The porta potty's are very clean, have hand sanitizer and plenty of paper. Will be returning again in a few weeks. Plenty of trails to ride on. A true gem in our own backyard.
ScoutQuiet primitive campsites with slight road noise. We didn’t hear any train during our stay. We stayed at site 10 on the left branch where the newer gravel tent sites are in the pines. The potalet is nearby. It’s was dark at our campsite when we arrived. Nice and level gravel pad with plenty of room - sites are large enough to pull into and k turn if needed (although we saw the sign saying to park parallel to the site entrance in the morning- we have a roof top tent on our vehicle). When I put my headlamp on there were all these tiny sparkles on the ground out among the pine trees surrounding our campsite. When I walked up really close to one and shined my lamp on it, I saw that they are pretty big spiders. A little unnerving but also pretty? Told my brain I was in a glittery fairy forest and slept fine. 🤣
TravelerMany long term seasonal sites. Good community. Large shower house good and clean . Pool. Game room. Off leash dog park. Wooded/shady sites or no shade sunny sites. Lots of area to walk or play. Large field, basketball couture, frisky golf, play area and laundry room. We were here all summer (June-october). Lots to do in the area. Good food nearby. Ocean city 10 minutes away.
ScoutThis is one of the largest, if not the largest, campgrounds in Southern New Jersey. While on the pricier side, everything is top-notch. The roads are all paved, and not gravel (I hate trying to sleep and listening to the sound of stones grating together). The sites are more spacious than most campgrounds, so it doesn't seem so crowded. The bathrooms are all modern and spotless. There are numerous bathrooms which means most sites have one nearby. They do charge a quarter for showers to encourage water conservation and donate the money to conservation causes. The pool is large, as is the lake. Both are well-maintained. The camp store is enormous and is really nice and well-stocked with everything one might need from food to pool and beach stuff to camping supplies and equipment. There is a nice cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The camp store has a lending library of books and DVDs. There are numerous activities that appear to be well-run, The grounds are shaded with many trees for a great wooded campground feel. The campground is so large that it has an internal shuttle with stations scattered about to help people go between the various important sites such as at the pool, the lake and the store. I found other campers, particularly the seasonals, to be more friendly than other campgrounds at the shore. This requires constant tree care including removing dead trees and branches which they do regularly. The staff is friendly and well-trained. I was in a tent, and when a rare October nor'easter came through, I was offered the opportunity to use a cabin free-of-charge. Fortunately my tent and equipment made it through days of rain and high winds just fine . On my first stay in May, I had to run my dog back to Baltimore towards the end of my trip where he was sadly diagnosed with incurable metastatic cancer. When I returned, I was late and unable to check out by 11, but they allowed me to take as much time as needed to clear the site, as nobody was staying there the next day, which was deeply appreciated - I was an emotional wreck. Oh, and I found the complimentary Wi-Fi to be a great service, and sufficiently fast to allow me to stream ultra-high-definition movies at my site - Most campgrounds charge extra for less-than-good service - a lot more. I find that a big bonus. Overall, I LOVE this campground and highly recommend it.
GuideThis campground is part of the Wharton State Forest and has several campgrounds in the area. Great wooded sites right on a lake. Pretty good separation between sites with good tree separation between sites. Some road noise not overly affecting site.
ScoutI’ve stayed here multiple times over the past 15 years and I have enjoyed each trip.
Depot Travel Park is a well-maintained family-owned campground. It is also reasonably priced, especially given the location that is within a bicycle ride to the beach, the ocean, and lots of shops and restaurants in Cape May. It is the only campground on the Cape May side of the canal.
Please note that this is not a resort campground and it doesn’t have a pool. There is so much to do in Cape May that is doesn’t need to be a resort.
Since it’s not a resort campground, there are not many golf carts, so most people use their bicycles or cars to get around. That also makes the campground pretty quiet, even during the peak of summer.
The campground sells firewood and propane, but there is no camp store. Again, it doesn’t really need one, since there is a farmers market at the end of the driveway, and a CVS and an ACME supermarket within bicycle riding distance.
If your site doesn’t have a sewer hookup, the dump station is a little awkward to access, but they have a daily honey wagon for a reasonable fee, which is great. If you notify the office the day before you need it and they are usually there in the morning.
They close for the season n October, but they reopen briefly during the Cape May Christmas Parade weekend in December. That’s one thing that I’d like to do soon.
I really like this campground and I am always recommending it to friends.
GuidePretty easy camping trip, plenty of room to set up camp. Level spots. We stayed on south inlet campground. They have small camp store multiple laundry and bath houses. Great stay if you enjoy fishing, as. You can fish the inlet at the campground. They have a very nice playground for kids as well! Only negative is no camp fires allowed, they do have a community area you can have a camp fires allowed. Also no wifi
ScoutMy check in was for 8-6-2026, and bc I’m a new driver and wanted to beat traffic I got there early (7am) so I sit there waiting till check in time. When suddenly the park police show up. He’s accusing me of camping over night there. I told him simply I wasn’t and where I was night prior (would never sleep somewhere without permission). So we go to the store to kill time before we check in. Come back for Check in and the whole staff in just the office alone were so arrogant and cold to my mom and I, leaving rude comments to us and not only where they like that but the staff outside the office was acting like that alongside the rangers and park police. They would watch us the whole visit in the distance parking there cars a little ways watching everything we did,even driving by slowly a bunch of times in just an hour alone. My mom and I couldn’t do anything with out them showing up 2 mins later. Example we were walking our dog enjoying our time(trying to) and all of a sudden one of the office ladies pulls up right in front of us speeding, parks their car, gets out and walks a distance from us standing there and taking pictures of us…. For walking our dog who’s on a leash and didn’t even do anything. The whole trip we felt uncomfortable and unwanted and to find out they police when we were going on walks where coming up to campers near us bribing them with free firewood to get any information on use (told to us by other camper). I paid a lot of money to be harassed and followed the whole time. We never did anything we abide by every rule and keep to ourselves everywhere we go. They even made my mother cry…
ScoutGreat place. Close to beach. No septic hookup
Cape May Court House camping areas range from densely forested state parks to open sandy sites near the Jersey shore. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F with high humidity, while spring and fall offer milder conditions with fewer insects. Most campgrounds in the area have sandy terrain requiring additional stakes for tents and specialized equipment for RVs.
Beach access within 15 minutes: Sun Outdoors Cape May places campers near multiple beach options. "The campground is a short 5 minute drive from Cape May. Which is also a big reason we've returned. Sunset Beach, The Open Air Mall, and the charm of victorian Cape May are all great reasons to visit," notes Dave R.
Cycling on rail trails: Several campgrounds connect to paved biking routes. "There is an 11 mile rail trail across the street as well," mentions Joel A. about Sun Outdoors Cape May. Nearby, Belleplain State Forest offers additional trails where "We biked the trails, and hiked others that didn't allow bikes."
Kayaking and paddle sports: Multiple campsites offer water access with equipment rentals. "A nice lake with a giant inflatable slide, floating trampoline, kayak and paddle board rentals," reports Dave R. about Sun Outdoors. At Belleplain State Forest, "The Kayak and Canoe rentals were right near us. The nature center had planned activities for families each day."
Spacious wooded sites: Many campers appreciate the privacy of shaded sites. At Thousand Trails Sea Pines, Michael J. notes "Some sites are very tough and have some trees that occasionally make it so only a dead perfect backing could get you in." Belleplain campers report "Our site was HUGE!!!! It was also super private with trees and a lot of privacy from the road and our neighbors."
Clean facilities: Well-maintained bathhouses are frequently mentioned. "The bathhouses were clean. We happened to be there when it was 100 degrees so we definitely noticed that the bathhouses weren't air conditioned," shares Becca U. about Sun Outdoors. At Ocean City Campground, a camper notes "Everything we saw was in great condition, perfectly working order, clean, and looked new."
Diverse water amenities: Swimming options vary across properties. "The pool was warm but it could have been cleaner. The lake was so warm that it made us wonder what kind of bacteria was growing in it," comments Becca U. At Ocean View Resort, Ray L. appreciates "a huge pool and unbelievable splash pad to a great swimming pond with a beach!"
Site selection matters: Some campgrounds have significant variation between sites. At Sun Retreats Seashore Campsites, M J. explains "Tent site was fantastic, level, trees are well trimmed, but still with good coverage, sites are a nice size." However, Cynthia D. notes "We had a large pull through lot with our 36 foot fifth wheel. Friends had a tiny lot with their shorter camper. They had no privacy."
Seasonal crowd differences: Campground atmosphere changes throughout the season. At Belleplain, Jonathan L. reports "The staff was completely absent when we tried to check in, so we went right to the site." During peak periods, Amanda M. observed "To be expected, this place was packed on a nice October weekend. Boy Scouts and families."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly. At Belleplain State Forest, Anne H. notes "Virtually NO cell service with AT&T, TMobile or Verizon. AT&T we the better of the 3. Our Winegard/Gateway give us no internet which we normally get." Similarly, Brett L. reports "WiFi spotty" at Sun Retreats Seashore.
Kid-friendly activities: Beachcomber Camping Resort offers numerous family amenities. "Lake was fun, sites were big, playground was great! You can rent golf carats which the kids loved and we used the whole weekend since it was so cheap & campground is huge," shares Kirsten J. Victoria K. adds they have "an arcade, laundromat, lakes with beach space, pools, a tugboat, golf carts, hay rides, bonfires, a playground, activities, etc."
Budget-friendly entertainment: Some campgrounds offer free activities. At Belleplain State Forest, April E. recommends "Very nice campground tucked away in southern NJ. Clean facilities. Plenty of space for our tent. lake for swimming and you can rent boats. nice hiking trails and playground. About 20 minutes away from the Cape May zoo."
Weather considerations: Summer heat impacts bathroom comfort. Becca U. found at Sun Outdoors Cape May that "We were really happy we didn't have to shower in them since they were so hot." At Ocean View Resort, Christine L. suggests visiting during non-peak times: "We stayed here because it was within biking distance of the beaches at Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and Cape May."
Site accessibility challenges: Many campgrounds have narrow roads and tight turns. At Sun Retreats Avalon, one camper explains "The roadways are narrow and there isn't a lot of maneuvering room. We stayed in site 402a and it was a nightmare backing in and getting out of. We have a 42 ft 5th wheel but the website said it could accommodate the size."
Dump station planning: Timing matters when using shared facilities. At Belleplain State Forest, Anne H. warns "The worst was the dump station. It is just a little hole on the side of the road and the ONLY dump station for the 3 campgrounds! It was very unlevel and not easy to fully dump our tanks. It was also Memorial Day weekend and the line at checkout caused us to wait 2 hours to dump!!"
Leveling requirements: Many sites require additional equipment. At Sun Retreats Seashore, Cynthia D. notes "We had a nice experience. Everybody was friendly. We had a large pull through lot with our 36 foot fifth wheel." At Ocean City Campground, Matt S. cautions "Our site(#220) could barely accommodate our 45' motorhome—but we made it work."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Cape May Court House, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Cape May Court House, NJ is Sun Outdoors Cape May with a 4.1-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Cape May Court House, NJ?
TheDyrt.com has all 91 dog-friendly camping locations near Cape May Court House, NJ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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