Gateway National Recreation Area, NJ is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your New Jersey camping adventure.
$30 / night
"You have a clear view of the Narrow bridge and at night the city lights light up your surroundings light a nigh light. The camp here has 7 campsites here and it fill up really fast."
"this place is awesome when it comes to finding an affordable place to stay while in NY, this camp ground isnt your usual forest camp sites, however there are some beautiful views, and it is located in"
$529 - $1200 / night
"The article also mentions the benefits of camping on Governor Island, such as feeling close to nature, relaxing and enjoying a peaceful space, away from the noise of the city."
$42 - $79 / night
"Spacious sites but lacks privacy. All sites have electric and water. Cabin rentals available. Hiking and biking galore. Beautiful lake for canoeing and fishing. Archery range available."
"General: Smallish (64-site) county park campground. There are also three cabins. As soon as you turn off the main road to the park, all roads are dirt, which was a bit surprising."
"I've stayed in the cabins here a couple times. Love the area lots to do hiking fishing nature walks, something for everyone."
"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."
"Camp sites are close together with no privacy but decent sized. You get a table, fire ring with out a grill, water, electric, and enough room for a large cabin tent or a few small tents."
$64 - $78 / night
"4½ Stars Quick Weekend Getaway
We stayed at Butterfly Camping Resort in Jackson, New Jersey, for a 2-night weekend in late-August. We’re so glad we did! "
"Large playground and lots of activities for the kids. Site was large, and had trees and shrubs separating the sites (we had stayed on 105A). Friendly staff and clean bathrooms."
"There are level padded sites with electric and water (in warmer months). Sites were spaced out with beautiful woods in the background. Hiking trail goes right through the campground."
"Fire pit with grill and picnic table."
"Plenty of activities for kids with park area and pool. They do also offer golf cart rental for those wanting explore the park. The park consists of permanent trailers, many tents for places to camp."
"They do their own haunted walk through that is just awesome! Everyone decorates. They have a dj every Saturday! Plenty of activities for the kids. They have cool raffles!"
"Fire rings and picnic tables provided at each site and cabin. Lots of family activities on the weekend. Enjoyed the pool and hot tub, Hiking trails and paved roads to ride bike."
"Fun camping place to books groups. Very kid and pet friendly, lake to fish and kayak on, lots of activities, great pool and awesome hot tub."
$30 - $60 / night
"Tent sites are very private with some dirt roads to exit out but thats what make it unique experience! Bathrooms with shower is near by and has plenty porta potties all around."
"Peaceful and gorgeous campsite, with plenty of space between sites. Great view of the Hudson, and playground within sight of our camper."
RangerThis was a last-minute booking for us and we were delighted with the beachside cottage, with enough amenities that mom and dad did not worry we had their cutie with us for "camping". She's too little for backpacking into the woods but finally got to stay overnight and help with the campfire!
Pros
Cons
RangerI'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
TravelerClean bathrooms, friendly staff. Spacious sites but lacks privacy. All sites have electric and water. Cabin rentals available. Hiking and biking galore. Beautiful lake for canoeing and fishing. Archery range available. Playground for kids.
TravelerThey have rustic cabins. Theae do not have plumbing or heat. It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it.
LegendGeneral: Smallish (64-site) county park campground. There are also three cabins. As soon as you turn off the main road to the park, all roads are dirt, which was a bit surprising. They were well-maintained and in dry weather, not a problem, but probably not if it was rainy. The campground is in five loops with the bathhouse located in the D Loop.
Site Quality: Sites in Loops B-E all have pull-thru driveways. Sites are all level, very generous in size, and reasonably spaced apart for privacy. A lantern hook, picnic table, and fire ring complete each site. As mentioned, all roads and camper pads are dirt. There are some ADA sites but the only thing distinguishing them from others is their proximity to the bathroom.
Bath/Shower House: Very clean. Soap and paper towels are provided. The only thing missing were hooks or shelves for toiletries but there was a large bench that could be used. Since it is located in the D Loop it would have been helpful to have pathways leading from the other loops. Did not use the shower so cannot comment.
Activities/Amenities: There is a lake with a boat dock and a small boardwalk. Kayaking/Canoeing, fishing, and swimming. In the summer, canoe, kayak, paddle boats, and row boats are available for rental. Several short (longest one is 2.5 miles) hiking trails that are fairly well-marked but can be a bit confusing at times. Some sections of the trails were muddy due to swamps and bogs but passable. There is also a fitness trail. There is an archery range and a council ring (campfire). There is a dump station and laundry facility with brand-new washers and dryers (however, you need to pay using an app on your phone). The office is open until 9 pm and sells ice, firewood, and bait. There are age-appropriate playgrounds both in the campground and by the office.
There are not a lot of camping opportunities in NJ, and this was a nice one. The campground was only about 20% occupied when we were there at the end of April, so our stay was a quiet one.
RangerMy husband and and I camped one night at this newly reopened park over the weekend in Long Island just to check it out and were pretty disappointed by the tent camping area. There are 69 tent/trailer sites(no hook ups). There is no distinguishing separation between each site nor a designated driveway for your car- you merely pull up on the grass. It's basically like camping in your local city park. People park wildly all over the place, which also makes it more difficult to determine which site is which by the number painted on the roadway. Each"site" has a picnic table and an barbecue grate on a post. There is one bath/shower house in the center of all of these sites with no path provided for folks to walk to and fro, so naturally people will walk right through your site randomly rather than around the road. While the bathroom building itself is in decent shape and has a large amount of toilet stalls and about five showers, the condition of women's room was absolutely ghastly inside.
At some point during the evening, a maintenance worker on a golf cart showed up with a mop and some cleaning supplies and cleaned the men's side of the building. I was so relieved when I saw him, but he seemed to neglect the women's side completely, so I resorted to using the men's facilities all night.
There are no fire pits on any of the sites, although I learned afterwards that they do allow you to bring your own metal fire pit as long as it is elevated off the ground. There are large dumpsters located throughout the camping area and a large trash bag is provided (if needed) at the camp office when you check in.
The highlight of Heckscher State Park is the newly constructed heated cottages located on the shore of Nichol's& Great South Bays.. There are currently 11 cottages--- with more under construction. There are cottages suited for two, four, and six people and range in price from$225-$285 per night during off peak seasons and$250- 320 per night during the peak seasons.
The cottages are fully furnished, with a full kitchen and large bathroom with a walk in shower. The cottages are a short walk from the beach and also include a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor shower on the exterior each property. I do not have photos of the inside, but they do have them on the Reserve America website if you are interested.
While the cottages are lovely and their location is fabulous they are quite pricey and no TLC was spent in the$22 tent/rv camping area, other than a new registration office which is not yet completed as of this weekend. I do hope they invest some funding in the primitive area to add fire pits,more water spigots, clearer site markings and for the continued maintenance& upkeep of the bath/shower house.
* I emailed the parks departement about the issues mentioned above about the camping area and received this reply:
I am sorry that you are upset with the conditions in our recently opened campgrounds. We have replaced all of the picnic tables. Although, they may look old because they are weathered since these picnic tables were put together during the Winter, however, they are brand new. All of the barbeques are also new and were installed during the Winter. We have changed and modernized the light fixtures and we will be replacing the rusted doors that you mentioned. There are also plans to install a playground within the campground beginning this Fall and we are looking for other improvements and additions to the campgrounds. As you probably noticed there is a new building under construction, at the entrance to the campgrounds, and it will serve as a check-in area, as well as, additional comfort stations, including family restrooms. Your suggestion of fire pits is a good one and the Park Managers will evaluate the feasibility of installing these. Lastly, I have spoken to the Park Manager who will review the cleaning operation to ensure the restrooms are appropriately maintained. I apologize for our employee not cleaning the women's room. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience but we are continuing to make improvements to the campgrounds.
Sincerely, George Gorman Regional Director New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
I will check back later this year to see if anything was changed and report back.
LegendWe stayed in New Jersey for our 5th campground on the East Coast: Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold. This is a County park.
Near some Revolutionary War battlefields.
I really liked this park! They have 2283 acres. A 17 acre lake. Some hiking trails & a nice campground! The sites are all pullthrough. There's lots of vegetation for "privacy". We had a site on the perimeter, which are forest views. Only problem is none of the roads are paved. All are packed sand. We could tell it rained recently because of the muddy tracks. Fortunately it didn't rain while we were there!
Shower/bathrooms are clean, but dated. They're checked regularly. The bath house is for the entire campground. 3 out of the 4 women's were working. There's a shared dressing area.
There's a laundry that doesn't take quarters. EPay.
There's a nice playground in the campground.
They have 3 cabins for rent, with forest views.
The lake has fishing & boat rentals. No gas motors. There's no swimming at the lake. Cell service was fair.. No WiFi.
They have an archery range.
This was my favorite campground on our trip! I really enjoyed camping here! There's a rustic retro quality to the place. I adored the campsites & I didn't see any really bad ones.
TravelerIt is a nice campground with lots of shady RV sites. Fire rings and picnic tables provided at each site and cabin. Lots of family activities on the weekend. Enjoyed the pool and hot tub, Hiking trails and paved roads to ride bike. Staff is friendly and helpful. WiFi only around office and bad cell service with Verizon.
ScoutUsed this very clean county park numerous times. Pull through sites are well spaced and private and each has permanent trash and recycling bins with bag provided, water, AC power, table and a post for a lantern. There's a pond for kayaking, playground and archery range. Bathrooms are dated looking but very clean.
Cabin camping near Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey offers a unique blend of nature and comfort, making it an ideal getaway for families and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Gateway National Recreation Area?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Gateway National Recreation Area is Staten Island — Gateway National Recreation Area - CLOSED for 2025 with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Gateway National Recreation Area?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 cabin camping locations near Gateway National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
