26 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camp Glen Gray provides upscale glamping experiences within rustic cabins equipped with comfortable beds and stocked firewood. Just over an hour from Emerson, Collective Governors Island offers premium glamping accommodations with electric hookups, drinking water, and resort-style amenities including picnic areas, market access, and waste facilities. One guest shared, "Cabins are always clean and stocked with firewood. Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions." These luxury outdoor accommodations combine natural settings with essential comforts, creating an elevated camping experience with proper toilets and shower facilities that standard camping lacks.
Extensive trail networks surrounding these glamping resorts provide opportunities for nature immersion without sacrificing comfort. Guests can explore hiking paths at Camp Glen Gray before returning to their climate-controlled accommodations. The Trading Post at Camp Glen Gray supplies treats and essential items, eliminating the need to venture far from your luxury tent or cabin. According to a camper, "This place is incredible. Being military-only keeps standards high, the campground clean and well maintained." Some glamping sites operate seasonally, with Panther Lake Camping Resort available from April through November, offering safari-style accommodations with proper bedding and furnishings. West Point FMWR locations provide military personnel access to premium outdoor accommodations featuring laundry facilities and furnished glamping options near lakes and recreation areas.
"Cabins are always clean and stocked with firewood. Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions"
"One rustic place with many hiking trails to choose from. Camp also provides trucking of gear weather permitting. No vehicles allowed to drive through camp. Trading Post for treats and other items."
from $5 - $200 / night
Check Availability"Arrived to campsite late but easily found. Campsite and lean to was clean. Fire pit with grill and picnic table."
"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."
from $529 - $1200 / night
Check Availability"Bath houses are absolutely spotless. Fire pits, electric and water hook ups only. Will return! Staff is friendly and helpful. Military families should check it out!"
"The campground is beautiful and the staff was wonderful! We started our camping season off right with a quick weekend stay at Round Pound. We were very impressed with the playground on site!"
from $25 - $40 / night
Check Availability"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."
"So it rained during set up and it rained during take down. It stopped raining for a bit and we took a nice walk around the campsite, out to the lake and back. Then night fell and so did the rain."
from $7 - $55 / night
Check Availability"Camping for summer is pretty limited to Sawmill Lake, as the other locations are for groups or winter camping."
"It is not very private/secluded as it is right by the road, but we enjoy waving at neighbors driving or walking by. Short 5-10 min walk to the restroom and water, no sinks or showers."
from $5 - $20 / night
Check Availability"Very kid and pet friendly, lake to fish and kayak on, lots of activities, great pool and awesome hot tub."
"The campground is clean, the people who live there are friendly, very well organized, sites are big, street are easy to travel, the amnesties are good, the welcome center store is has the basic needs,"
"The camp is set up in a “blank slate, parking lot” type style, with a big field, center for tent camping or to be used for sports or other activities."
"We had full hookups with 50-amp electrical service- which all worked fine. The entire park seemed to be well maintained and clean."
"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."
"Love the pool and small pond for fishing it is well stocked with little fish. The barn with games is nice. They have theme weekends with lots of activities. Nice store & food by the pool."
"Yes, this is a military-only campground but, that doesn't take away from how incredible it is and that is properly advertised.
This place is incredible. "
from $20 - $150 / night
Check Availability
ScoutThis was a great campsite nestled in the foothills of Northern NJ on the NY border. Small, clean with great views and great location for hiking , cruising etc. Bring your tent or use the existing glamping tents. Headed back for a fall weekend in the "dome" which has incredible views. Try it you won't be sorry.
RangerCampground 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.
GuideStayed 2 nights and it was really nice. Camping for summer is pretty limited to Sawmill Lake, as the other locations are for groups or winter camping. Camps are secluded from each other and most if not all have an elevated space to put tents or chairs. Each place comes with a lamp hang, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Bathrooms are spaced out. No running water except for pump founded outside of the bathrooms. Toilets are pump flushed. Showers are only located INSIDE High Point State Park, not throughout the campsites, but entry is free for campers. One hiking trail is accessible in Sawmill campground, 3 others are accessible on the road outside of the campground and the rest are located inside the park. When you arrive you have to check in with the park office for your campsite tag. Hours are 8-4. Park officials come through the campsites pretty regularly, a few times a day which is nice. Areas are clean and well maintained.
ScoutNice, family friendly campground with 3 levels to camp at. Top level has a pool, showers and bathrooms with laundry area and game room. Middle level has open field with bathrooms with sinks and running water. There is water and electric on the sites at the middle level. River level has more primitive bathrooms and some bathrooms with running water. You can camp right next to the river and it has a great view.
RangerMy first trip to this campground was September 2020. We wanted to get out of the house, but stay clear of other campers during the pandemic. This campsite, CS52, was in the woods and we were able to get the illusion of privacy by parking the cars along the road as a makeshift wall and pitching our tents beside them, facing inward. The other 3/4 of the campsite was bound by trees and shrubs which was nice and why we chose the spot. Other sites are more open and only the darkness of night will give you privacy. Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook.
We hung out at the campsite mostly, using the fire pit, playing frisbee, and relaxing in our hammocks. When we did roam a bit, there was a nice lake, with seating every so often and a boat dock ramp thing in the campground. There was also a playground, beach, pavilion, and picnic tables, but we did not use any of that.
Campsite sells fire wood. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, masks required for the pandemic.
LegendLocation- 4 stars- close to NYC but kinda just in the woods and close to homes, not much around.
Sites- 4 stars- a real mixed bag- the rv/trailer only section is really nice, wooded. Has a classic campground feel. The other tent/cabin side was loud and not private. Ours is really great- very woodsy and private, close to amenities.
Staff- 5 stars. Friendly and helpful.
Camping Clientele- 4- a real mixed bag here too.
Amenities- 4 stars. Two pools but both were overcrowded. Playground was large and in decent condition. Mini golf looked pretty small and basic. Jumping pad was under construction and closed, oh well.
Pleasant place overall. Worked well for us as a one night stop. Kids really enjoyed it.
GuideNo frills but beautiful. Bath houses are absolutely spotless. Fire pits, electric and water hook ups only. Will return! Staff is friendly and helpful. Military families should check it out!
LegendI really enjoyed camping at Shotwell. To get there, you have to drive about 2 miles down a road away from the welcome center. This is nice because it is quiet from traffic from cars. Each campsite is fairly big and far enough away from each other so you feel like you have your own space. Some of the sites had a platform to set up your tent on which is nice, especially if you are going after it recently rained. Our site had a picnic table and fire ring. There was a communal bathroom which was fairly well maintained and a large dumpster near the front of the site to drop off your trash. They did have a cabin-like option but I did not stay in it and do not know much about renting those.
RangerThis is a good platform campsite, with a lot of gravel parking or extra tent space. It is not very private/secluded as it is right by the road, but we enjoy waving at neighbors driving or walking by. Short 5-10 min walk to the restroom and water, no sinks or showers. The weather was warm and while it didn't rain, there were some morning drips and drops from the mountain dew or whatever condensing in the tree tops.
The setup is a bit weird, with an upper campsite trail/path cutting through the lower campsite. Twenty-nine is the lower campsite, 30 is the one up the hill. There might be some awkwardness if you did have neighbors at 30. They would be walking in between your tent and campfire, which would be awkward. However, there is a marked parking spot for 30 down the road a bit and also a rocky, more adventurous path through the woods up to the campsite. If asked, we would probably let 30 park with us since there is so much space and safer footing. It would probably be awesome to get both campsites if you had a larger group, 6+. Party campsite at the top and business campsite at the bottom? lol.
We didn't have neighbors at 30, but the campsite across the road, down by the lake, did park nearby. Setting up the hammock was a bit awkward.
Spiders, omg, spiders. So many spiders! I had to clear off so many spiders from my "porch" to sit without fear from above. I will bring a broom now to brush off my foes, the bane of my camping experience. If you can get over that, this is a very good campsite.
Seasonal camping options near Emerson, New Jersey vary considerably with the region's typical mid-Atlantic climate patterns. The northern New Jersey area features densely wooded terrain with multiple state forests and parks at elevations ranging from 500-1800 feet. Many campgrounds operate from April through October, closing during winter months when temperatures drop below freezing.
Hiking opportunities: At Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, trails connect directly to camping areas. "We always hike to the lake here, it's a very easy hike and also very peaceful," notes camper Paulene-Amanda M. The reservation offers access to Headley Overlook for elevated terrain views.
Water activities: Kayaking and fishing options exist at several locations within 40 miles of Emerson. "We took one afternoon to visit the High Point Monument, which was lovely. No room for yard games, but we spent the time relaxing and burning stuff. The site was very secluded," reports Dwight D. about their stay at High Point State Park.
Historical exploration: The Appalachian Trail runs through portions of Stokes State Forest, with 21 marked trails covering over 63 miles. "We went in November when there was a light rain that turned into a thunderstorm with hail and sleet! It was certainly an adventure," recounts W.L., who stayed in a cabin during colder months.
Platform camping sites: Several campgrounds feature elevated wooden platforms for tent placement. "Each place comes with a lamp hang, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Bathrooms are spaced out. No running water except for pump founded outside of the bathrooms," describes Damia F. about their High Point State Park experience.
Private wooded sites: Great Divide Campground offers secluded camping with varying terrain. "The campgrounds were very big and spread out and the campsites have their own space so you can enjoy quiet at night. Each site had a water spout and electric plug in," according to Ethan K., who appreciated the layout design.
Accessible lake views: Scenic water features enhance the camping experience at several locations. "We stayed on a beautiful mossy bank, next to a river and a lake. The area was quiet and peaceful, and areas with waterfalls and great views were easily accessible," reports Kiya N. about Stokes State Forest.
Limited seasonal operations: Most upscale camping facilities close during winter. "Panther Lake Camping Resort available from April through November, offering safari-style accommodations with proper bedding and furnishings," states one information source.
Military-only facilities: West Point FMWR Round Pond Outdoor Recreation Area restricts access to military personnel. "Unfortunately for me, Round Pond is camping reserved for active and retired military personnel only. We drove through and the whole space is rather large. There are several signs everywhere making it clear that it is only for military," explains Ethan K.
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies widely between locations. "Just a note to other campers with T-Mobile, we did not have any service on the campsite, however just a hop in the car or a quick walk down the mountain for 5G service near the entrance off the main road," advises Jacey H. about Round Pond Recreation Area.
Off-peak timing: Family campers report better experiences during weekdays or shoulder seasons. "We went on 4th of July weekend so the place was packed. We were able to get a secluded spot in the woods which was great! 2 teenage girls had a blast in the lake and riding their bikes around," shares Jojo P. about Panther Lake Camping Resort.
Kid-friendly alternatives: The Jellystone Park in Gardiner offers structured activities for children. "This campground has a lot of activities and has kids of all ages galore. I was worried my 12 year old would be too old for it but he enjoyed making friends there," notes Stephanie H.
Noise considerations: Family campgrounds can be lively environments. "The kids were around until about 10:30 or so each night. People tend to walk through your campsite constantly. Even adults with their dogs," observed one camper at a family-oriented facility.
Water hookup variations: Some campgrounds provide equipment for longer water connections. "Very clean and quiet. Website lists water hookups at long distances but they have hose reels to help with that. Our site (15) said 75' however the 50' hose reel made it to our RV connection," shares antruze about Mahlon Dickerson Reservation.
Terrain challenges: The topography affects site accessibility. "Easy to navigate our 38 ft. RV. Easy to dump and fill. Peaceful. Close to train to N.Y. City," notes Nancymike K. about Mahlon Dickerson, contrasting with hillier terrains at other nearby campgrounds.
Parking restrictions: Some facilities limit vehicle access to campsites. "The one downside about this site was that you are not allowed to keep your car at your site. You have to drop your supplies off and drive it back to the parking lot which was slightly annoying," explains Ethan K. about Great Divide Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Emerson, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Emerson, NJ is Camp Glen Gray with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Emerson, NJ?
TheDyrt.com has all 26 glamping camping locations near Emerson, NJ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
