Best Campgrounds near Manahawkin, NJ

Overall we enjoyed our stay. I will say that the rules of the campsites are ambiguous on the website and when we first arrived were unaware that if using an RV in a tent site you are not allowed to add another tent to the site. There is a two tent limit per site despite the site allowing up to 6 people. We ended up needing to purchase another site which was thankfully open for us to use, however I would have purchased it next to our original site had I known about the limitations.

Otherwise, the stay was pleasant. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was friendly. They do patrol the sites with a police presence in the evening.

Very helpful staff and wonderful atmosphere. We were made to feel very welcome and well taken care of. Couldn’t ask for any better. The showers are basic but far from the worst I’ve experienced, clean and stocked. Limited store supply selection but Wawa is a 15 minute drive and Walmart is roughly the same so that’s good enough for me. Pool is well taken care of and the lake is nice. Mosquitoes are bad but that’s to be expected being near water of any kind so can’t complain too much it is what it is. Overall a nice spot to stop for some time away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Positive: Our site was HUGE!!!! It was also super private with trees and a lot of privacy from the road and our neighbors.   We had friends stay in the lean-tos nearby and others visit.  We had room to park several cars.  This would be a great site for an RV plus a few tents.   The roads were all recently paved.    There are 3 campgrounds here: North Shore, Miesle and CCC.   CCC is the only one with electric and water hookups on site.  We used our RV bathrooms most of the time and stayed 3 nights.

The Kayak and Canoe rentals were right near us.  The nature center had planned activities for families each day.    The swimming lake was beautiful.  We biked the trails, and hiked others that didn't allow bikes.  They are putting in new bathrooms at Miesle this year.    If you don't mind dry docking, then stay on that side.   I was happy to see that they had cans for recycling. which often campgrounds do not. 

Negative: 

-We were NOT happy that the bathrooms next to us were closed, apparently for years, and it was not noted.  We purposely booked in 105 due to the proximity.  The other bathrooms in the CCC were a good walk, and pretty run down.    I was impressed that they had a laundry facility though. 

-Also, there was a dip in the site when backing in and our fifth wheel was bending to the point of rubbing the top of our truck when backing in.  It also had rained and there were puddles in the sand.

-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.  There'd be way too many trees for Starlink.   We were able to tune into some really dorky TV stations.  One was in Japanese, two were in Spanish, and got some oddball stations in English. 
- 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!! Of course then we hit all kinds of traffic coming home. 

We might be back and stay in CCC closer to the open bathrooms, but they REALLY need to do something about the dump stations.

My wife and I, residing near the Commodore Barry, sought a brief respite. Our thirteen-year-old son was unable to join us, so we proceeded without him. We secured site 53, a deluxe site offering ample space for our 29VBUD and Ram. The site was level and meticulously maintained, as were the dirt roads. The atmosphere was tranquil and relaxing. Numerous children and abundant activities kept them engaged. Our son truly missed a delightful experience. We departed on Sunday, but the serene ambiance almost prompted us to extend our stay. The sounds of families creating memories enhanced our enjoyment. We certainly plan to return when our grandson is older.

Granted, you’re in Princeton, yeah, that place known for that one certain university, so of course the expectations are going to be high, right? So, no doubt that this Lowes is pretty awesome, well, insofar as parking lots go that is. While there’s a variety of different sized Lowes that you’ll come across, this particular big blue box retailer serves up a fairly decent sized parking patio here for your overnight paved parking pleasure. Despite being conveniently located right off US1  and just 15 to 20 minutes west of I95 – as this retailer is located in a fairly normal-paced suburban location, you are going to like that yes, while there’s no doubt traffic, it’s all manageable. Despite being located right off US1, this Lowes sits back by about 80 yards so the locale doesn’t pick up all of the highway passerby traffic noise.

Before arriving here, we called Customer Service and spoke with a very friendly lady called Jai-isha, who connected us with the store manager, Amanda, who confirmed it was OK for us to spend the night at this particular Lowes location. So while I don’t think anyone would have any problems just rocking up here for a quick overnighter, you might want to call ahead or stop in first.

While there was definitely an abundance of parked cars as you enter from the west side, this is the least populated area of this parking corral, as well as the southern perimeter, which is a dash bit slower, less populated and therefor quieter. If that somewhat frequently trafficked retail arena doesn’t dissuade you from parking here at this home fixer upper, then you’ll be treated to a small smattering of additional retail options such as Mattress Firm (just in case you needed a new one for your RV), Trader Joes if you need to stock up on groceries, Starbucks to get jacked up on caffeine for that road trip you’re about to take as well The Container Store in the event that you need any kind of packing materials. While these stores add to the traffic pool, you’ll discover its altogether not terribly congested.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you be RVing with your four-legged friends with you, then you’ll be in luck as just due north of here you’ll discover a nice patch of nature called Institute Woods (seems ironic, right?) that offers 589 acres of nicely manicured woods, farmland, wetlands and paths for you and your pet to stretch your legs – but be sure to check out the wooden bridge that spans the stream; (2) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is in your onboard mini-fridge or you just want to try out some local fare, then just across the street you’ll find The Princetonian Diner otherwise there’s some fast food joints like Wendy’s and Jersey Mike’s Subs or further down US1 in either direction you have comfort casual chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and P.F. Changs; (3) If you have a canoe or kayak and want to dip the beak of your vessel into some fresh water, then head due northeast to Carnegie Lake where you can not only get some decent oaring in, but drop a line or two as well to grab a nice dinner of blue gill; and (4) Looking for a fun diversion for the kiddos? Then head on over to Stumpy’s Hatchet House for some really great axe-wielding competitions!

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:

Convenience: 5 

Safety & Security: 5 

Quality: 5 

Peace & Quiet: 4 

Amenities: 4 

Overall, I scored this location a 5. 

Happy Overnighting!