Best Tent Camping near Chatham, NJ

Recent Tent Reviews in Chatham

736 Reviews of 43 Chatham Campgrounds

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 13, 2024

  Lake Towhee County Park

  Basic camping in a county park

  Small (13-site) Bucks County Pennsylvania campground. The entrance and loop road, along with the campsites are all gravel. Some sites appeared to be more defined than others. Each site had a picnic table, fire ring, and garbage can. No hookups. 

  The restrooms were dated and passable; I did not use the shower. 

  The lake is separate from the campground and there did not appear to be defined access from the campground to the lake, although there was a sort of path from site 13 that I followed as far as I could. While I could see the lake from this path, there did not seem to be any way to get into the lake (and there was a lot of algae and water lilies). We checked out the lake the next day. There is a (dirt) boat ramp but there was a red flag warning, and the lake had a lot of algae bloom. 

  This campground did not appear to be a very popular one; on the Thursday before Memorial Day, only two sites were occupied, and I only saw a few reservation tags for the upcoming holiday weekend. It felt a bit neglected, but it was very quiet. If you are looking for a small, uncrowded campground with no amenities, this would be a good choice, but we were just passing through.

• 

  Dan G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 30, 2024

  Panther Lake Camping Resort

  Too expensive! Water stinks!

  Nice staff but water smells horrible! The staff know about the water smell and told me there’s a lot of iron in the ground. I was charged $105/night for a basic back-in pad. When I consider that plus “trailer park” feel of all the permanent patrons with the clutter and crap everywhere- not worth it!!! The CG needs some work.

• 

  Oak T.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Stokes State Forest

  Always stoked for Stokes!

  Stokes is my go-to state park for unplugging and enjoying time with my family. We brought our son (23 months at time of visit) on his first camping trip this past September. He loved every minute of it.

  Site T07 in Lake Ocquittunk is gorgeous and one of the few relatively secluded sites in the campground. You need to carry your gear down a narrow, rocky path that's a little steep near the road, but it's manageable. There's also a graded path into the site adjacent to a neighboring site, but you should check with those campers if they are ok with you cutting through to use it. (We opted not to disturb our neighbors and take the slope.)

  I thought I would be able to launch my kayak from site 7 since it's waterfront, but there are a lot of huge rocks in the water that prevent you from getting out into the lake. We had to find a different launch spot. That was probably the biggest disappointment for us.

  Still, I love site 7 and it's absolutely worth the privacy and the views every morning.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Not too much to offer

  General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

  Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

  Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

  Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

• 

  Jake R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 15, 2024

  Campgaw Mountain Reservation

  Busy but Lonely

  Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.

  However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.

  All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.

• 

  Ioan P.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Very nice

  This is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Cheesequake State Park Campground

  Urban Camping in crazy town

  The physical facilities are in good condition and are well maintained. The park is very big and is located inside and urban area.

  The campsite appears to be designed as a disbursed camping design. However, there is not enough trees and folage to provide any privacy.

  The camping area is located on a loop road I would estimate to be about a mile long. There is one restroom/shower house. Some campsites are close but our site was a 1/1 mile away.

  The strangest thing is that hunting is allowed in the state park except on Sundays. There was a sign near our camp site saying don't shoot here because there is a city street 40 yards away. However they don't seem to mind if you shoot towards the camp sites.

  Other campers near us were LOUD and stayed up well past the quiet time. They were annoying!!

• 

  Jacob D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 19, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Very nice and relaxed

  Perfect place to get away and be in the calm nature. Only sound I’ve heard is the birds in the trees. Very open area with many sites with bear lockers, picnic tables and fire pits. We called ahead yesterday and they said it’s walk-in, so we will go register now because we came in late. Only $20 for out of state!! That’s the cheapest I’ve seen across all New England lol

• 

  Jake C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 10, 2024

  Pocono Vacation Park

  Mostly Full Time RV Park with tons of events

  This park is great for families, they had events scheduled throughout the summer, and a separate toddler pool. It’s very close to the Rail Gap Pocono Creek Nature Reserve, with some nice trails along Pocono Creek. We stayed here for a week and everyone we met was super friendly, and we would visit again.

• 

  Wailym C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Kittatinny Canoes River Beach Campsites

  River Access made easy

  The perks of this campground is the easy river access.  Besides Dingmans camp nearby or others on the NJ side of River, this is the only riverside campground before reaching NY.  The river access alone makes it worth a visit if you plan on kayaking a long stretch and need a home base, like we did. Friendly and attentive staff, clean bathrooms, full camp store, swimming allowed at your own risk.  They offer kayak tours with shuttle service. Small campground stretches up river side with several site options. The sites are very very small and close together.  The lower river front sites offer the best views for tent campers.  The upper RV/camper sites near entrance have some water views but most are obstructed by trees and sit high above river.  You cannot access river from here but it’s an easy short walk down to river access area.  The rest of campground is very cozy with a few sites near a small creek.  It was very quiet during the week, hardly anyone there.  We enjoyed the river almost to ourselves.   The weekends get very busy as most come to swim and bbq. Overall still a very nice spot for a weekend. Our reason for 3 star rating is the size of camp sites and road noise 24/7 due to two busy nearby roads.  We could hear it from anywhere in the campground, and some tents sites sit right along the side of the road.  But, we would stay again for the convenience of river location and accommodating staff.  We stayed in site 130 with 34’ trailer.

• 

  Lori M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Neversink River Resort

  Clean bathrooms, good amenities

  Stay in one of the last weekends of August.  We were a party of 8 so we needed 2 sites, the first sites we booked were horrible - so so tiny (E11 & E12) and right on a swampy pond where the grass is growing into the water so it was hard to see where the water line was.  We had kids, so we needed to move our sites.  We ended up right across the way on E7 & E8 - much better.  This loop for tent campers is mixed.  Some of the sites are literally on the road - stay away from the sites on the same side of the road as the pond.  I saw a family who literally had to block the road a little bc they couldn't park their car *and* have a tent on the tiny site.  Anything on the side of E7 is bigger and a little deeper into the trees, but nothing seemed to be private in this campground.  It was a busy weekend, so of course there was loud music and partying - it just so happens that it was next door to our sites.  Bathrooms were far on this loop.  There are little foot bridges that you could take to get to the bathroom easier (and closer) but they are set on people's campsites, so if someone is on that site it's really walking through their site to get to it.  The campground has good amenities - wifi, pool, jumping ball, playground, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a tether ball court :).  Great for the kids.  Pool is small but it works.  There's a cafe there so we were able to grab coffees and stuff.  They deliver wood and ice to your site which is super convenient.  We would return for sure.  Also - just to let everyone know the fire pit is really small.

• 

  Brenda G.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 1, 2024

  Cheesequake State Park Campground

  Not bad

  Was my very first time camping out, went with my pups and my sons and did the van camping. The spot I had was very well shaded and pretty quiet. The only thing I wasn't big on was how far the trails are, would have to actually drive to it and park in a limited parking area. Due to weather didn't take the risk so am unable to give an opinion on it, but something to remember for the next trip. Only 30-35 min off the parkway, so nice and convenient.

• 

  Cynthia K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Great Divide Campground

  Rock'in

   Our 4rth state in our 5 state trip is New Jersey! We wanted to see Delaware Water Gap NRA & I found a campground by Newton called The Great Divide. This is a private campground. Very scenic with a small lake, a pond & surrounded by woods. This is also the most expensive campground on our trip at $96.11 a night.

       Lots to do for families- they have kayaks for camper use. Horseshoes, tether ball, volleyball, a pool, a playground, a dog park. There's a swimming beach.

   One strange thing is there's a lot of tent sites & they seemed popular. For the amount of tent/popup sites they only have 1 shower per loop. They are very clean & checked often, but they're used heavily during the weekend. I had better luck Sunday evening. A bench outside the bathroom would have been nice to sit & wait. 

   The rv sites were all full hookup on our loop.

     We came in on a Friday & found out this campground ROCKS!!! They have live bands every Friday & Saturday night during the warm months. This might explain the higher rates. Party on!

• G

  Gregg T.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Port Jervis Elks Brox Hiker/Biker Campground

  Small but cool

  I read a previous review that stated small cars stay away. I nave a Nissan rogue and made it in no problem. It's .8 miles in on the right. There was another closer in but seemed full. I'm right across from the lake in amongst a copse of trees. Drawback solar is pretty much out. I would not drive an rv in here except maybe a small type trailer.

• 

  smithson H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Because of its convenient

  Because of its convenient location, this is my"home" campsite and the one I visit most frequently. I like the platform sites that are available, the location close to the lake and beach, and the clean shower and bathroom facilities slope game.

• 

  Drew H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 25, 2024

  Tohickon Valley County Park

  Great stay

  A beautiful spot with plenty of space, a fire pit with grill and a table. We came in late on a Saturday after it was dark and couldn’t figure out where it was, the location on the map is slightly wrong. To get directions google maps to Deer Woods Campground. We paid the ranger in the morning, he said they upped the price to $50 if you are from out of county so that was a bummer.

• 

  Damia F.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 23, 2024

  Stokes State Forest

  Campsites too close together and camping areas are greatly spaced out

  Stokes State Forest is a beautiful park with a lot of different trails to check out, though some of them are difficult to access due to parking. The camping areas are split between two different entrances. If you’re in Lake Ocquitunk, like I was, you don’t enter at the main entrance, you have to go past the main entrance about another mile on rt. 15 N. and enter by the YMCA. All the other camping areas are near the main entrance by the forest office. The campsites themselves are a little too close together in some spots with little coverage or privacy. There is a day parking area which is only accessible going through the main entrance by the forest office— if you visit during the week park entrance is free, but on the weekend fees can be a bit steep. I wasn’t super happy with my campsite as I wasn’t able to physically have my car on the site like I thought. I had to park in a small lot above my campsite and carry my belongings down a short slope to the site. I like to car-camp so this was a bit of a let down having my car separate from my actual campsite.

  The bathrooms were nice and had flush toilets, but the showers were out of service during my time. Bathrooms are extremely spaced out so you will have to walk a far distance unless you strategically choose a site next to one. I drove through the other campsite and only saw 1 set of bathrooms that had toilets and showers per campground, not including the outhouses I saw for those in the small cabins.

• 

  Damia F.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 23, 2024

  Worthington State Forest Campground — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

  Spotty/unreliable WiFi and rather busy

  If you’re looking for a place to be a recluse, this is not the campsite to go. Being it’s along the Delaware water gap it attracts a lot of people, especially in summer. During the day you can hear music, smell fires, see people tubing on the water, or pass by people doing day picnics near the forest office. I went in the middle of the week and all the campsite in my area were filled up. I’m normally used to having campgrounds to myself when I go since I do during off times so this was a bit of a surprise. WiFi is very spotty— I was essentially out of range the entirety of my stay. Trails are nice and well marked, and there is no fee to enter if you drive all the way down to the day area parking at the end of Old Mine Rd. Bathrooms were decently clean and had flush toilets. Showers had hot water and nice ventilation. Overall it was a nice campsite, but too busy for my liking.

• 

  Jahmera R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2024

  Round Valley State Park Campground

  BE AWARE OF UPDATED ROUTE! HIKING ISN'T WORTH IT, BOAT IN

  Doing this review because a lot of them feel extremely outdated, so here we go. 

  Access: There are two ways to get to your campsite, boating and the great 3 mile trek. Starting with the hike, the path is not the best, filled with a ton of rocks placed by the lands-men. It makes the hike extremely difficult which could have been avoided. Moreover, theres a few points on the trail where you’re walking side by side from a highway, crossing driveways, passing construction zones, and past fencing. Extremely awkward and takes you out of the hiking experience immediately. Not ideal especially since you have to pay to camp on the site. I was extremely dissatisfied. Boating may be more worth it to avoid these downfalls and get your moneys worth. 

  Amenities: There are two water pumps. One at the beginning of the camp site and one at the end. They tend to get far if you plan on camping further into the campsite so I would plan ahead. The primitive restrooms aren’t maintained at all but if you’re there more for the"outdoorsy" experienced not a huge downfall. Most of the campsites have access to a picnic table and fire ring which is a huge plus. 

  Overall: For starters, the water is beautiful and clean, although there is no swimming, swim at your own risk and don’t get caught? I had a wonderful time at this location, the sites were big enough for play and privacy. The water was clean and provided a lovely view in the morning and it was quiet and dark as expected by sundown. But this site just missed with the awful trail of three miles. Although there were service roads throughout the campsite, visitors were not able to use them. The necessary carry in and out for 3 miles is a huge downfall. Moreover, the hike itself along highways, across roads, and down strategically places pebbles and rocks were a huge miss and made it extremely difficult and slippery. I highly recommend boating as hiking will probably make the experience a lot more sour than wanted. It shouldn’t be a"choose between the two" considering you’re paying but what can you do… pick boating if you really want to see it for yourself.

• 

  Jessica D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 11, 2024

  Kymers Camping Resort

  Fun, friendly & nestled in the woods

  We stayed at Kymer's on a whim for a weekend, so we could be close to Mountain Creek for a Spartan Race. It truly exceeded our expectations in all aspects. This is a family friendly, camper-friendly place. Lots of seasonals- everyone waves, everyone stops to chat. This is what a campground should feel like. The sound of laughter and play sitting around the huge, clean pool was refreshing. Our site was Oak 10. It was level, good placement of electric water & sewer connects. Camp store has all the basics you might need. There is a brook that flows adjacent to the property. It's peaceful & magical. Pet friendly, although we didn't have our pup with us. We will be back again. I almost feel like I'm revealing a hidden gem with this post. 💎

• 

  Deborah M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #1

  Great

  Great location!

  solar smash

• 

  Shelby

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Book your stay elsewhere!

  If you would like a peaceful, clean campground skip this place. This was the worst campground we’ve stayed at. The bathrooms are very outdated and not cleaned often enough. The sites are too close together with very little trees between sites allowing zero privacy. Their picnic tables also are disgusting, bring a table cloth! They have a lot rules one being “no amplifying speakers allowed” that they clearly do not enforce. It sounded like a rave throughout the night even after calling the ranger station and complaining. Guests were playing loud music until about 1:30 AM and starting up again right as quiet hours ended at 7 AM. There then was a religious service happening at 8 AM with a whole amp system we could hear clearly on the other side of campground. We absolutely will not be back.

• 

  Rui T.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 1, 2024

  Triple Brook Camping Resort

  Not a bad place to sit and relax

  This might be my 3rd or 4th trip there. They advertise WiFi but the WiFi never works. No cable hookups. And cell service is at a minimum. Every time we go there, it’s a new excuse about the WiFi. Funny thing is, they take the time to show you your password lol.

• 

  Evan F.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 23, 2024

  Neversink River Resort

  Beautiful Place

  Very clean park. Lots of families. Tubing was fun. Bring bug spray.

• 

  Damia F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2024

  Jenny Jump State Forest

  Great place for a family or a solo camper!

  I’ve been here twice now and it is a beautiful campsite. Individual campsites are separate from cabin and group sites.

  Tent campsites have benches and a fire pit. Group campsites have large stove. The cabins seem clean and well maintained. All the sites are set up nearby the office where people are all day should you ever need anything. The workers are super friendly and regularly make rounds of the grounds.

  Bathrooms are spread out so it’s never a far walk from your site. They are super clean with a shower and two stalls. There is a water fountain outside of them. One of the bathrooms has a playground next to it for people with kids. Hiking trails are also spread out among the campsites as well.

  I solo camp and have always felt safe at these campgrounds. Not to mention the hiking and scenery are absolutely breathtaking.

  The non camper public area has benches and a parking lot for visitors of campers or people doing day hikes.

• K

  Kevin G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  First time campers, loved it

  I took my 5 year old-son and wife, all of us first time campers. this place was great. The site was very nice, all the people friendly and area beautiful.

• 

  Frank J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2024

  Spruce Run Recreation Area

  Mid week (July 4th) 2024

  My first time camping trip in a few decades... So can't compare to others (yet).

  My campsite was 34W, right next the reservoir. Nice location however the website said it was full shade. The picnic table was in shade. The spot for the RV was full sun.

  Pros:

  Reasonable cost from NJ state website. I paid $41 for 2 days.

  Campsites well spaced apart.

  Staff friendly.

  Boats/Kayaks can be rented.

  Cons:

  Showers were cold water only and very cold at that.

  Late at night you can hear the drone of a major highway.