Best Cabin Camping near Columbus, NJ

I can't say enough good things about PA's DCNR. This cabin was just as excellent as our stay the night before at Hill's Creek State Park. The only thing I wish the DCNR would do is expand the dog friendly cabins. While we managed to get one of the dog friendly ones here, they are limited in number and Hill's Creek had no such cabins.

Atsion cabins are excellent rustic cabins situated directly on the water. They come in a variety of sizes accommodating up to 7 or 8 people.

They must be reserved in advance and a multiple night rental is necessary. They book quickly during the busy season. However, we rented for Halloween weekend and had it all to ourselves! No neighbors!

Nov 1 marks an end to cabin rentals until the Spring.

Large, screened in back porch with chairs over looks the water. Full kitchen with oven and fridge. Private bathroom and real bedrooms. Big, stone fireplace…. So don’t forget the wood.

Each cabin has it’s own outdoor cooking space and picnic table.

But we made a mistake! While there is electricity, there is NO heat or AC. Our last day was November 1st and it was COLD. Too cold to leave the fireplace for the bedrooms. Be aware of the weather and pack some good bedding. Linens were not provided.

We were sad to find out it’s no long a Yogi Bear Campground, only Adventure bound. Everything else is the same, just no friendly bears. We stay 3 weeks ago during covid and there were limited activities. Dj in the rally field was fun and the train rides were up and running.
The campground has def changed in the last 10 yrs. Cabin rentals are everywhere and have replaced a lot of transient camper sites and it seems like many more seasonals than before. I booked another trip for Halloween.

Beautiful lake for all water related activities. Trails are nice, although not as well-marked as some other places we’ve been. Excited to go cabin camping here in January!

We stayed here for 3 nights while visiting family In Philadelphia. It is a 20 minute ride into Philly and Uber was was quick and responsive.

*note- this does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change.

This is a nice KOA with full hook ups, tent sites,cabins, and even glamping cabins. There is a pool that is open Memorial Day- Labor Day. They also have a catch and release pond and we found a pickleball court at a nearby city park.

We did Chinatown and walked part of the Schuylkill River trail which we accessed by parking near Fairmount Park. This is a great area to explore with gorgeous views and easy access to the River trail. (There are rentals for everything here- kayaks/bikes etc)

IF we had a car with us- we would have considered taking the ferry from Camden’s Ferry Terminal next to Wiggins Park to Philly. (This is also near the Adventure Aquarium and the battleship New Jersey) Here is a link to information about the ferry-

https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry

This is a great location for exploring Philadelphia.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

My husband and I have stayed here several times, but the last time was the best! We stayed 2 nights in Cabin Z for our anniversary getaway and we loved having the whole place to ourselves. The pit latrines were clean, the water spigots worked fine, and there was plenty of wildlife to see roam through the surrounding areas. It was home away from home.

The cabins are full electric with heat and are well appointed. It was an excellent fall trip location for a family with young children. I said there was a sense of deja vu because the cabin, even it's placement relative to the lake was near identical to the cabin we had at Hills Creek State Park the month before.

The campground is maintained and there are activities for the kids always brewing. We stayed fathers day weekend and they had a breakfast, games and crafts geared towards it. The pool and splash park were great but you needed to be at least 42 inches to go on the slide or bounce house. The people there were friendly. I think the lale could use a little cleanup with the amount of bobbers, string and mess left behind by people. There have ao many cabins its crazy and alot of seasonal rentals. Our site was roomy and had gravel however it poured and hailed for 1 hr and it still made a swamp. I would come back again my 3 yr old lobed the playground and pool. The roads are dirt but well maintained.

This may be my favorite spot. I habe stayed in all the spots they offer, yurt, cabin and the pull up sites. It is well maintained with numerous trails to hike. Getting a cabin in the winter and going for a snowy hike is wondrful there

My friends brought us here, they are family of 4 they have booked tents and cabins over the last 4 years. It's a very large mostly RV park with tent sites mixed in. Mostly seasonal RV people, packed to the hilt. Very large campground, yet small sites, crowded tons of people. Horrible wifi, zero cell service, small swimming area crowded on lake. Great if you are looking for a seasonal spot in an RV community obsessed with American flags and you have a young family, there's a small crowded pool, playground, etc. Boring for my teen, too crowded for my liking. Lots of activities for familiesBring tons of deet-biting flies unbearable. Not my preferred camping getaway but aside from horrible internet and zero cell service, it's a nicely run campground if you are social, have an RV and young children.

The staff was well aware they had a bedbug infestation in their cabins and I had been unsuccessfully with treating it previously it was filthy we had to seek medical attention for the bedbug welts and bites and severity of the infestation we have tons of losses in damages and we’re asked to leave after we found more live bugs in the cabin bed they canceled our reservations for the following year as well we do a yearly trip with about 35 people who gather from all different parts of the United States for our weekly Fourth of July trip for staff are liars and they had this bedbug infestation from their guest and we rented our cabins the same night they asked us to leave with no explanation of why our trip was cut short if they were rewriting our cabins not that we wanted to stay with the bedbugs either

I've stayed in the cabins here a couple times. Love the area lots to do hiking fishing nature walks, something for everyone. Cabins are no frills yet very nice no electricity they are equipi with 4 bunks a LG picnic table and a wood stove for heat. Also a nice porch fire ring and a charcoal grill

On the app it lists RV and tent camping. Contact at office they only have cabins. Please correct this!

A Peaceful Retreat with Room for Improvement 

I recently had the pleasure of staying here, and I wanted to share my experience with fellow travelers. Overall, it was a tranquil and secure place, but there were a few aspects that could use some attention. 

Pros: Serene and Secure: One of the standout features is the peaceful environment it offers. During my weeks-long stay, I never once had to contend with loud noises or intrusive traffic, creating a truly peaceful atmosphere that's perfect for those seeking a quiet getaway. 

Cons: Bathroom Facilities: Unfortunately, the campsite falls short in terms of its bathroom facilities. The stall doors are quite small and lack privacy, which can be a discomfort for many guests. Moreover, only one stall has a functioning lock, which can be inconvenient during peak times. Limited Showers: The campsite has only two showers, and they are not designed for simultaneous use. To make matters more challenging, you must pass through one shower to access the other, limiting the privacy and convenience for guests. Additionally, the absence of temperature regulation can be a drawback. 

Maintenance Concerns: During my two-week stay, I noticed a cleanliness issue that needs addressing. There was persistent trash in one of the showers throughout my visit, which was disappointing. 

Recommendations: If you're considering a stay here I'd recommend opting for their cabins. Having stayed in them previously, I found them to be clean, spacious, and overall delightful accommodations. They provide a more comfortable and enjoyable experience compared to the campsite facilities. 

Additional Note: One aspect to be aware of is that the owner doesn't seem to like dogs. If you're traveling with furry companions, it's essential to plan accordingly.

In conclusion, They offers a peaceful and secure retreat, but there are areas in need of improvement, particularly regarding the bathroom facilities. For a more comfortable stay, I highly recommend their cabins. With some attention to the mentioned concerns, this campsite could become an even more appealing destination for nature enthusiasts like myself.

Quiet family campground. Nice play area for kids. VERY clean! Overall, a nice place. Not much to do nearby, and not many food options without driving 15+ mins. Small pool and jacuzzi. Sites in the back section of the campground have a little more space but we had a lot of ants and mosquitos being close to drainage and the woods. We will stay here again.

A small koa but very nice, I stayed in a cabin for my MTB race weekend. Great! Pool is a tad small. Restrooms very clean and good looking tent sites.

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.

Atsion Family Campground

Off US 206 and about 1/2 a mile up Atsion Road in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest, you’ll find the Atsion Family Campground. The facility is run by the Dept of Environmental Protection and offers Tent, Trailer and Group Sites. There are also Cabins for rent as well, but only available during the summer months, After Memorial Day until October. AFC is one of several campgrounds in WSF and is the largest with 50 camping sites. Amenities include a handicapped accessible restroom/shower building, several drinking water spigots, and a waste dump for trailers. There are no electric hook ups and cell service is low, but manageable. Plenty of sun (shady too) so bring your solar powered generators and cell signal boosters if you need to stay connected. AFC is also pet friendly, so bring your 4 legged furry family members, after registering them with the camp site.

The individual sites are spacious with a pic-nick table and fire ring grill. Some sites have lake-side water access, so bring your canoes and kayaks and reserve these sites (4, 8, 10, 12, 20 and 22) early as they are popular. The ground is sandy and relatively level for easy camp set up. Some sites are close to a roadway, so you do get some car noise, and like all unmonitored camp sites, loud, unruly campers can be lurking among the pines. Be sure to get your fire wood from the guy that lives across the street from the campground entrance. 5 bucks, on the honor system, a good amount of wood, open 24/7.

Nearby is the Atsion Recreation Area, which offers fishing, walking, biking and horseback trails, a life guard monitored beach by the lake with restrooms and snacks (Summer Months). Only 15 minutes away, a quick drive, is Batso Village, an old iron and glass community from the late 1700s to early 1900s. NJ State Park Rangers are working hard keeping the area clean, rehabilitated, and educational center allowing you to walk through the old buildings and time as you image what life was like back then. Wharton SF is huge, over 122,000 acres of sandy terrain, towering pine trees, lakes/rivers and off roading trails!! Y’all should come and play in the Pine Barrens

We stayed in the "Shelter" which was a nice little cabin with a wood stove, table w/benches and two bunkbeds (one of which was nestled behind a partition). There was a front porch w/awning, fire ring and picnic table. 

Plenty of wood deadfall for the campfire to be found just behind the shelter. There are also lovely mature birch trees flanking the entrance road, stop there to grab the fallen branches for kindling. (Birch has natural flammable properties and will even burn when wet). 

The bathrooms had a shower and outdoor dishwashing sink. They were clean and stocked with soap/toilet paper, but bring a towel to dry your hands if you don't want to use the air-dryer. 

The grounds were well kept and the park rangers were non-intrusive and friendly. The campground area we were in was open and at night you could see right into our little cabin. Bring a sheet to hang over the windows. 

There were some bugs in the wood stove that startled us the first night, they were also on the window and between the window and the screen. Looking them up online they appeared to be stinkbugs, but didn't smell, thankfully. Citronella essential oil on the window and a nice fire took care of them the first night...for the most part. They didn't bite or go after our food, they just fly a bit loudly and crash into the window, an unusual sound. A few spiders around, but that can be expected when you camp. No mosquitos, no ticks. As for the ticks, there were lots of deer around but we kept our ankles covered and avoided the higher grass in the morning when the dew was still making everything wet.

The boat rental was closed for the season. We went to Di Mola's Pizzeria and Restaurant the second night and the food was excellent - it was not crowded for sit down but tons of traffic for people coming in to pick up orders. 

We went to the nearby Ken Lockwood Gorge after we checked out Sunday morning, this was beautiful. The road into the park had a lot of potholes, but we did ok with our "vintage" toyota camry. Where the road access ends are two small parking areas. Plenty of people were fly fishing or walking their dogs. The road continues to travel on foot along the river.