Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Nutley, NJ

I grew up in Long Beach. If you’re looking for a spot to camp so you can surf, this is perfect! It’s basically a parking lot, but it’s steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast. Showers are clean, there’s a dog park nearby, and the island is very bikable to get around.

benefits: allows dogs childrens playground beach programs like movie nights throughout the summer

Some things you should be aware of before booking: The office, playground, dog park, pool, laundry are located at the top of the hill. Camping spots are downhill, a good distance from the office and amenities. Trash is located off site in a pullout on the road you drive in on. There are 2 showers for women and 2 for men. Both are old and not well maintained or in our experience clean, either. In general the camping spots are not well maintained, weedy, un-level and picnic tables are weathered and warped. This resort campground is composed of mainly residents, the rules (we observed) apply to the overnight campers, not the residents. Children of the residents run free all day and past curfew in the evenings unsupervised. The setting is quiet, the views from the upper level are lovely. With some updating of bath facilities, cleaning and leveling of campsites, uniform enforcement of rules, Pleasant Acres could become a resort destination.

Proximaty to the Delaware makes this campground amazing. Bring your own kayaks to make it even more special.

We had tons of privacy and a view of the Delaware river right from my hammock. Leashes pets allowed, and they have a large store on grounds if you forgot anything.

I will most likely not return to this campground, although it’s just because of my own personal preferences. The two main reasons are as follows:

1. When my partner and I drove up to the campground there were multiple signs posted reading, “NO DOGS ALLOWED IN CAMPGROUND”. The pet friendly policy must be new so maybe they just haven’t gotten around to updating the signage, but it led to a few unwanted encounters which made it hard to unwind. I was questioned or warned by other campers about my dog being with me — even though I paid the extra fees online to bring her along.

2. The park was incredibly noisy at night and there is little to no privacy between campsites. Everything could be seen by your neighbors. We were kept up all night because we could hear other campers snoring and talking (they didn’t even seem to be talking loudly, they were speaking at a normal level). Because of this we left after the first night, we couldn’t handle the amount of people and are more accustomed to camping in secluded areas that allow for more relaxation.

The reason I give this campground two stars instead of one is because the bathroom and shower area was very clean, and I had my first bear encounter which was exciting. Three black bears strolled by the campsite next to ours in the early morning — gave us more of an energy boost after a sleepless night than our coffee!

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. 💎

We stayed in site #1 with our 21' travel trailer. In our opinion this is the best site because you have an unobstructed view of Stockton Lake & the horizon over the ocean. Big rig spots are further back (around site 6-9 or so). 9 sites total & they are often booked, so need to do so in advance. Free beach just a few moments' walk down the road. Close to shore towns & many restaurants. Plenty of space for kids to play in the field/grass area. TONS of geese everywhere though. Pets are NOT allowed (but they'd probably help w the geese problem). You get access to the showers with a key card and when you check in, but I don't have anything to report as I used the bathroom/shower in our trailer. Price is great at $45/night. FULL hookups as well. Only annoying thing was the sewer hookup is about 18 inches off the ground so you need to lift the hose when emptying the tanks to ensure it actually fully drains.

Campground Review

Stokes State Forest has four campgrounds. The Steam Mill Camping Area is tucked out the of the way and is the most primitive. It is the smallest of the campgrounds with 27 sites only suitable for tents or small trailers/campervans. No pets or alcohol allowed.

The campground has a pit toilet and a well. Each large campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern hook. Some sites also have a tent platform. Many sites are a bit rocky.

We selected site T219. It was a solid choice: private but close to the toilet and water. Some sites located around the opposite side of the ring back up to a babbling brook. The rushing water will soothe you to sleep.

Remember, this is bear country so proper food storage is a must. Bear lockers are not provided. The area also has ticks and rattlesnakes.

Outdoor activities in the area abound. Go fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more. There are 21 marked trails that cover over 63 miles within the boundaries of Stokes State Forest. Twelve miles are part of the Appalachian Trail. Pick up a hiking map at the park office or download the Avenza Maps app.

This visit we hiked the Tillman Ravine trail (tip: make the trail a loop and visit both the ravine and the nearby old cemetery).

You can also drive or hike to Sunset Mountain Scenic Overlook for a view of High Point Monument. High Point Monument is the highest elevation in New Jersey and is located in High Point State Park which borders Stokes State Forest on the north. High Point State Park also offers camping, hiking, sightseeing opportunities. And, on the western border of Stokes State Forest is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. So, there is lots of outdoors to get out and explore!

Product Review

We camped at the Steam Mill Camping Area in Stokes State Forest in our campervan over a chilly autumn weekend. We had the opportunity to cook some soup on our stovetop and chill out by the campfire. And, as Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time so we were psyched to try out some new dinnerware and cutlery. This included the FlexiBowl and GoBites from humangear.

What made these humangear products pretty awesome? Well, the fun colors to start. I mean, seriously, my orange bowl rules. The FlexiBowl also has some neat features: it’s flexible - just like the name suggests - and foldable. The bowl can be squished and stuffed anywhere. And, the top section can be folded down to create a smaller bowl. The FlexiBowl is versatile yet durable. It held my hearty, warm soup just perfectly.

I paired the FlexiBowl with one of the GoBites utensils (the Uno model). The Uno model is my favorite - it has a fork on one side and a spoon on the other side. Very simple and convenient. The other GoBites models include the Duo (separate fork and spoon that can snap together) and the Trio (a fork, spoon, and knife - with bottle opener - in a case).

PRO TIP: I keep the Trio GoBites model in my travel pack at all times. It recently came in handy on a (non-camping) trip to Sardinia. The knife on the Trio allowed me to slice some delicious local cheese to pair with bread, jam, and wine that was purchased from the grocery store. YUM.

Located in the Skylands of New Jersey, Mahlon Dickerson Campgound is a perfect place to spend a few nights or a couple of weeks. The campsites are paved and mostly level. They are wooded and large. Water and electric hookups and a dump station. Convenient for hiking and exploring, it's also only a 20 minute drive to a large mall in Rockaway.

Beautiful park with in the skylands region of New Jersey. Great campsites on a lake, with lots of hiking and biking trails right from your site. Hike to the monument at the highest point in the state, or maybe along the Appalachian trail, or maybe just a swim in the lake. Either way there’s plenty to see and do at High Point State Park.

Went for a 3 day weekend with my boyfriend, dog, & cat who thinks he is a dog. We have a teardrop camper and found that even though the campground was 80% full, sites had many trees that gave you privacy from your neighbors as well as shade. Site we stayed at had electric, water, fire pit, and picnic table. Had a very cute general store that sold basic needs as well as snacks. 

We were near the southern bathrooms which looked recently built. Womens' bathroom had 3 stalls - 2 which were out of order the entire time we were there. That left one stall and it was dirty most of time - most likely from being overused. The showers were clean - the most amazing water pressure I have had at a campsite and hot water. Felt like I was home. My boyfriend said his bathroom was clean so maybe it was just the fact that they had one stall but really should have fixed it asap. Also had a family bathroom that had a toilet and handicap shower. That one seemed to always have an inch of dirty water on the floor. 

The campground offered a service to drive us up to Milford Beach to launch our kayak. They also rented canoes or kayaks if you needed one. The staff was very friendly helping us load our kayak. The kayak trip down the Delaware River was beautiful! Saw about 6 bald eagles! When we got back to the campsite we had to go get our truck to bring our kayak back to the site. The campsite has a beach on the river that you can go swimming in. 

One thing that we really haven't encountered at other sites (and we camp a lot) was people having no clue about camping etiquette. Constantly people were walking right through our campsite to go to the bathroom. Our site was not much of a shortcut to the bathrooms and there was an empty site a little way down if they were to lazy to walk around. And I mean right through - seriously less than a foot from the teardrop. Peeked in on what we were making for breakfast. Thank goodness I have a very friendly dog. Other sites had dogs going crazy every time people walked through their sites but the people were oblivious. Maybe it was just the group there that weekend? Or maybe you could add it to your rules that you have us review?

We also hiked Tumbling Falls which was a beautiful shady hike with water falls. Check out our Instagram for more pics - @pawsfuradventure

The park itself is lovely and close to some other green areas. The nice thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. The bad thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. If you live in NYC this is a good, cheap, super quick escape accessible by public transport. If you’re visiting the area I’d recommend staying in Manhattan/Queens in an AirBNB for the full NYC experience or heading to Long Island, Pennsylvania, “Upstate” New York, or New Jersey for a better nature camping experience. For what it is, this site is a nice green little oasis. It’s National Park Service land and they try really hard to keep things clean and working well with so much traffic. Bring earplus for the airport traffic and the noisy neighbors. Tent sites are pretty and wooded, but there is also a TON of concrete from an old WW2 airfield.

Stokes is nestled in a beautiful part of New Jersey and it’s just remote enough that you can get away from the crowds and activity while still being in a short driving distance of restaurants, grocery stores, etc. We stayed at Lake Ocquittunk, which was a little disappointing. The site itself (T001) was absolutely massive and stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately, when the site was cleared, trees were cut down to the stump and the stumps were just left there. This posed both a tripping hazard and a driving hazard. You have to weave your way around the various stumps and small boulders protruding from the ground in all lighting conditions. The site is on a gentle slope, which made it difficult to find a level area for the tent, but we found a spot that suited us perfectly. The campground overall needs some improvement. It almost felt neglected or abandoned. The bathrooms weren’t great, but I’ve seen much worse. The park staff were incredibly helpful and generous with time and information. Directions were easy to follow and we felt comfortable staying there. Ultimately, we would gladly return in the future, but we might visit in a warmer season.

We stayed at Adventure Bound Tall Pines in Elmer, New Jersey, for Memorial Day weekend for a quick getaway. Despite reserving and paying for a“Premium” site, it fell far short. But there were still a few things we liked… 

THINGS I LIKED: 

1. Super-friendly staff, especially Allie, who was courteous and seemed to try to make things right 

2. Lots of mature shade trees 

3. DJ at the pool Saturday and Sunday and live band Saturday evening 

4. Close proximity to Delsea Drive-in Theatre and Cohenzick Zoo 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH: 

1. I reserved and paid-in-full for a premium site which listed 50-amp service and a concrete pad. Nope. Only 30-amp service and no concrete pad. When I called the office, assuming there must’ve been a mistake, I was told by two different staff members that their website is“wonky.” I wouldn’t mind as much, but this weekend was 90-degrees each day and humid, so it would’ve been good to have air conditioning. 

2. The entire park was dirty sand with weeds growing everywhere 

3. This place is not big-rig friendly, difficult to navigate some of the turns in our 45’ motorhome and taking scratches from tree branches that should be trimmed 

4. I paid$432 for 3-nights and feel like I was taken 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

Nope. I’m sticking with campgrounds that give you what you paid for.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS,(National Park Service) within the DWGNRA,(Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or that are camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

As a result of the global issues, at the time of this review I wasn't really sure we would even be able to camp at all.  However, after a few phone calls and messages we were given the green light to go.  The NPS then informed me that they were starting to close off island camping on the river and going to "rotate in" some new sites to help with land management.  Almost like a farmer rotating crops.

With that, we set out to find a new night one campsite for our trip.  We were pleasantly surprised as we neared the island to see that what we had thought to be closed, actually had a new site number sign.  Immediately making shore we discovered that along with new site number signs, there also was new regulation signs and firepits. 

ONLY AT SITES 1 and 4......  Sites 2 and 3 no longer have any signage or firepits.

Returning home I contacted and updated the NPS, who said it should not have had any new site work.  With that said, if you use Nanamock Island during the 2020 season, do so at your own risk.

As always, camping on the island is such a treat.  You totally feel that your party is alone out on the river, the entire world is yours and yours alone.  There are no public interactions, (beyond the neighboring sites), on the river for miles, if not days - other boaters varying... 

Its always in nice shape, if not pristine.  Group/family accommodating, pet friendly, PRIMITIVE camping that takes you back in time.  You have Raymondskill Falls about a half an hour above you on the river, and down river you will shortly come to Dingman's Crossing, (lots of history), and a short hike takes you to two more waterfalls.  This is only some of whats in the area...

This camping site is a set of 6 sites on the New Jersey border maintained by the National Park Service. There were some definite pros and cons to these sites, I guess it would all depend on what you actually prefer in your camp experience.

We were very happy to see the openness of the sites. They were very large and while covered by 40+ft trees were open enough to make you wish you brought more gear and people just because it would fit. These sites have the standard grated square metal fire pit most park sites have. There was also evidence that the park service maintains the area with chainsaws to clear debri and dead-fall.

Very nice views of the river from all of the sites, as well as being a short morning paddle away from Dingman's Ferry Access, waterfalls, and historical locations worthy of the exploration make this an ideal location to start the days journey.

Also this is one of the rare primitive sites along the river to feature an outhouse. My daughter was happy to have a chance to have walls for privacy for a change. However, you are in a secluded area, next to a river... after examination she decided another night of primitive camping sans walls was ok with her.

The other downside to these sites is the river to camp journey. Due to fluctuating water levels all of the islands that are used for camping have a cut wall cliff style approach, but these sites have a very steep and above average height to the shoreline making unloading both more tiring and more of a hazard than I prefer.

I would recommend these sites to the camper that is staging their following days adventures, the younger crowd, or the minimalist even though there is alot of space.

Campsite allows dogs, however, the beach does not. They have a small dog run on the other side of the large beach parking lot. Very clean, friendly employees.

This review is of site #4 on Namanock Island. The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site is a primitive campsite. There is a fire ring suitable for cooking on as well as allowing you a small fire. You will also have access to a privy style toilet a short distance in the woods behind your site.

Let me say that of all the places I have ever camped, having an entire island to yourself is a feeling I have never experienced anywhere else.

The campsites on this island are always very clean, if not pristine. In the 7 years I have camped here I do not think I have even wore shoes here once. Never any glass or trash anywhere.

There is tons of room to enjoy your camping trip, its an island that is at most shared by 3 other camping groups. Once night falls the absence of light sources beyond your camp remind you that you are truly alone in the wilderness.

The fishing here is decent, but its a shallow part of the river so in the summer months the fish seek deeper waters. As for local wildlife, you can expect to be visited by a masked robber or two during the night, but a bear bag handing will eliminate any issues.

Stopping here is normally a very simple thing as most of the island has a 3-4 foot shore around it of river rock. This makes for an easy landing and unloading of boats. However, spring time trips can find the water levels much higher and swifter making it more difficult to arrive safely, or dry.

If you paddle across the river from the site, it is only a 10-15 minute hike along the road on the Pennsylvania side of the river to reach Raymondskill Falls. A "must-see" if your stopping here. The New Jersey side will require a longer hiking time, but will take you along Old Mine Road where there are more things to see than you can imagine.

This area is rich in history, folklore, legends and locations that anyone camping here would truly enjoy knowing/seeing.

The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site was actually an Eagle Scout project according to the signs. There are two different levels to the campsite, which is nice for boaters. We were able to leave the boats on the lower level,(yet more than high enough that the river is no issue), and camped on the upper level. There are railroad tie stairs from the river up to the site, making it nice weather muddy or dry.

This is actually the second to last site on this section of river. After another 1/2 mile and there are no other campsites for more than 20 miles, and those are private or reserved sites.

There was quite a bit of room, and the site was very clean. According to all the literature this is a site with no road or trail access. HOWEVER, as dusk fell, a small group of local fishermen came walking through the camp to access the river. It turns out the locals know this place well and it is very popular with the anglers.

As soon as they seen the site was occupied they did change their path of travel, but still was a little bothersome when expecting total seclusion.

Upon leaving this site you will only travel down river about 30-45 minutes before you come upon Shawnee Golf Course. Its pretty neat to see, the last few holes of the course are on an island mid-river.

Beyond that another 20 minutes and you find yourself at the New Jersey Welcome Center and Mt. Tammany, a large mountain that forms the eastern side of the Delaware Water Gap. It has a moderate difficulty hike that takes about an hour an a half round trip to complete, but it has the most incredible view. You have to go to the top if you get here. If not it will always be one of those "I should have" memories. The Appalachian Trail also cuts across the top of this mountain.

All in all, a great campsite, just do not be surprised if in the middle of the night you have local fishermen visiting.

Round Valley is certainly a must see for any type of outdoors person, or someone who appreciates relaxation in a gorgeous landscape. It is a semi-mountainous, forested setting with a very large "lake", which is really a man-made reservoir in the middle of a valley. The crystal-clear water is home to huge lake trout and the forests are bursting with wildlife. The sunsets across the lake are to die for. You will have to look very hard to find a more beautiful camping scene in New Jersey. Also, it's dog friendly!

There is no car access to these campsites, you must keep your vehicle overnight in their south parking lot. If you have a camping registration you do not have to pay the fee to enter the park after you check in to the office. The only way to get to the campsites which are located on the other side of the reservoir deep in the woods, are by boating in, backpacking in, or biking in. If you are boating, kayaking, or canoeing to your site, be very careful and watch the wind warnings. If the wind-warning strobe lights go off you should get off of the water asap because the waters can get very rough and this place is nicknamed the Bermuda Triangle of NJ. We were originally going to boat in for a quick overnight, but at the last minute we decided we wanted a challenge. We backpacked 5.5 miles in on an August morning to site #52. The trail was mountainous, rocky, hilly, but for the most part in the shade. This is definitely not a walk through the park easy trail, pack light and don't bring coolers or wagons if you are hiking it. The first three miles are very rocky, with some larger rocks protruding from the ground, but from there on the trail turns into smooth asphalt to allow for ranger and emergency vehicles and it gets a lot easier. We were a bit sore the next day with a couple of mild blisters but we were still able to easily do the 5.5 mile hike back in the afternoon. Someone who does a lot of hiking and backpacking will find the trail easy, but with little to no experience you may struggle. My dog is a 7 year old retriever with minor joint issues and the trail was a piece of cake to her (she even carried all of her own gear).

 These are truly primitive sites with only a few drinking water pumps scattered about and some primitive outhouses, however, you never feel completely alone here because the campsites are not spaced too far apart. My honest opinion: filter or purify your water right from the reservoir if you have the option, because you may be far from a pump, or it may be temporarily closed, and the reservoir water tastes good and is cold. I also opt to skip the outhouses too because they are never clean and always stink unbearably no matter where they are. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted. If you must bring alchohol,  bring a little in a subtle container and do not bother the other campers. Swimming is also technically not permitted but there were many people swimming and we swam also and no one was bothered.

Now onto our campsite. Site 52 was nearly perfect. The views were to die for. We were able to clearly see the water past the trees from our tent and from our picnic table. The trip to the water was just a few yards away by a footpath carved through tall grass. Unfortunately, the guests before us were very dirty and there was fresh trash scattered about our spot, so we had some cleaning to do when we arrived. The other downside to this spot is you could just barely see site 53 from your spot, which wasn't a huge deal but it wasn't total privacy. Since the surrounding campsites are just barely spaced out to give enough privacy, you can clearly hear your neighbors if they are being noisy. Keep that in mind if you are being the noisy one too. The park strictly enforces its rules and if you are being a nuisance you will be escorted off the property. We saw it first hand on our overnight trip. Our neighbors were college-age, very loud and rowdy, chugging beers and smoking (both are not permitted so don't make it obvious if you are doing either). Suddenly it got quiet and we look over and there are 3 cops at their site arresting them. We were thankful that it got quiet after that, but it was short lived, right before the sun set our other neighbors boat in and start playing music loudly and chopping wood, this continued until around 1am. We would have complained but we were just too tired and kept just falling back asleep. But seriously please don't be that guy.

Onto the the tl;dr!

PROS:

• Breathtaking scenery
• Gorgeous crystal-clear water
• Sites are in a beautiful wooded area
• Sites have a picnic table and nice fire rings
• You can boat, kayak, or canoe right into your spot if you have a water-access site, site numbers are posted to help you find your spot
• Great spot to watch wildlife
• Amazing spot for water sports, fishing, swimming, etc
• Beautiful, scenic trails to hike or bike
• Can confirm the sunsets are gorgeous 
• Every site is dog friendly!
• There is a lot of variety with the sites (water access or more into the mountain, full shade, partial, or no shade, how far they are spaced apart, etc) so you will be able to find the site that is perfect for you 
• Paths that allow for emergency vehicles, police, and rangers keep the place safe and fun while giving you the remote feeling of a campsite
• Lots of tinder and firewood available to gather
• Our site had a couple clotheslines hung already
• Each outhouse had bear-proof trash cans, very handy

CONS:

• Our site was left littered
• Noisy, disruptive neighbors
• Not full privacy (depending on the site)
• Outhouses smelled like death and were terribly dirty and dark
• Only 2 water pumps were working when we went, and they were both way too far, we brought a water filter and pumped our own water straight out of the reservoir 
• The trail had a surprising amount of litter, mainly tinfoil and cigarette butts scattered along the trail. Perhaps the rangers could be more strict about littering
• Mild boat noise at water-front sites

**THINGS TO DO AT ROUND VALLEY **

• Great fishing
• Kayaking/canoeing/boating
• Swimming
• Beautiful hiking trails
• Wildlife/bird watching
• Mountain biking
• Picnicking 
• Relaxing