For those who want to experience Gateway National Recreation Area, but still want the creature comforts of home, consider glamping for your trip. Glamping offers the perfect opportunity to explore Gateway National Recreation Area and stay off the beaten path. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a site closer to all the action, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect glamping spot.
PARK ADVISORY: Allaire State Park Family Camping is closed until further notice. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection will start work on the construction of a new bathroom/shower facility. Group Camping will re-open April 1st.
Campsites: There are forty-five tent and trailer sites with fire rings and picnic tables. Flush toilets and shower facilities are within walking distance. Trailer sanitary station is open April 15 through October 15. Campsites are open from April 1 - December 15.
Shelters: There are ten shelters. Shelters are cabin-like structures with wood stove for heat and two double-deck bunks, which sleep up to four people. Each site includes a fire ring and picnic table. Accessible to persons with disabilities. Shelters are open from April 1 - December 15.
Group campsites: Six group sites with fire rings, picnic tables. Sites A, B, C, and D hold a maximum capacity of 50 people. Fee: New Jersey Resident $100 per night; Non Resident $200, per night. Sites E and F hold a maximum capacity of 25 people. Fee: NJ Resident $50 per night; Non Resident $100 per night. Open open from April 1 - December 15.
You’ve never experienced New York City like this before. A quick ferry ride from downtown Manhattan, our peaceful oasis is nestled in the hills of historic Governors Island. You’ll be surrounded by sprawling green spaces, with unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty across the New York Harbor. It’s a retreat unlike any other in the world. The retreat includes Three Peaks Lodge dining and group activities space, a great lawn, and a collection of luxury outdoor accommodations (Summit Tents and Outlook Shelters) with en-suite bathrooms and entry level Journey Tents that offer a private dedicated bathroom that can be locked and that includes full flush toilets, showers, hot running water and amenities.
**Getting Here: **Collective Governors Island is located eight minutes from Lower Manhattan and five minutes from Brooklyn via ferry. All guests must arrive at Collective Governors Island on one of these ferries. The full ferry schedule can be found here.
Manhattan ferries run daily: 10 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Monday-Friday) and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays)
Brooklyn ferries run: 10:15 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays)
*Note above schedules are subject to changes or time variations depending on time of year. Please confirm the most current ferry schedule here.
MORNINGS BACK TO WORK:Governors Island Ferry only starts transporting back to Manhattan at 10AM to 10 South St., however Collective Retreats guests may take exclusive morning ferries back to 10 South St. at 7:15AM, 7:45AM, 8:15AM, 8:45AM, 9:15AM, and 9:45AM. No reservations are required in advance, see front desk for more info.
$529 - $1200 / night
This is the largest park in the Morris County Park System, encompassing 3,494 acres of beautiful near-wilderness and recreational areas. The Reservation is the park to visit with over 24.5 miles of multi-use trails for novice and experienced skill levels. For off-road bicyclists, discover the challenge and adventure of the blazed biking trails. Horseback riding, seasonal camping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and softball are recreational activities at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation. Digital trail maps are available online.
One of the outstanding features of the Reservation is the magnificent view from atop Headley Overlook, a 1,280 foot elevation, one of the highest points in Morris County. The Saffin Pond area is a most scenic location to enjoy a day of fishing. The Saffin Rock Rill area offers space for educational programs.
Some of the unique activities at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation include a radio-controlled car track, and model boat racing. All are operated by nonprofit groups comprised of interested residents.
Mahlon Dickerson Reservation (MDR) is a 3,590+ acre park with miles of trails and a Recreational Campground. MDR is a quiet place to enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, birdwatching and more. There are two (2) camping areas within the park. One (1) area accommodates Recreational Vehicle (RV) campers who travel with Motorhomes (Class A/B/C), Trailers/Fifth Wheels and Pop-up Campers. The second area is for Tent and Adirondack Shelter (Shelter) campers.
This campground is designated for recreational camping only.
This seasonal site is intended for short-term stays and does not allow for monthly or long-term reservations.
RV Sites - Reservations area allowed for up to fourteen (14) consecutive nights and cannot exceed 14 reserved nights in a 30 day period. Tent and Shelter Sites - Reservations are allowed for up to two (2) consecutive nights, three (3) consecutive nights on a Holiday weekend and cannot exceed two (2) reserved nights , three (3) on a Holiday weekend in a 7 day period.
An exceptional Resort in a breathtaking location. Panther Lake Camping Resort is nestled in 160 wooded acres featuring a pristine 45 acre lake just 50 miles from New York City. Swimming, boating, fishing or just soaking up the great outdoors, this north Jersey gem has it all!
$5 - $200 / night
$37 / night
Traveler
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.
Traveler
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
Ranger
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.
Legend
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.
Scout
I travel the country racing road bicycles(at Augusta, GA now for the Master's Nationals) and the last 10 weeks or so have stayed at 5-6 other RV Campgrounds...at ALL the other RV places they drove me to my site, helped me back in,(I have a 2022 Tundra and a 30' pull behind), provided great Wi-Fi service, cell phone reception was great even in the KOA in the mountains in VA 2 days ago, picnic tables were clean, no bugs or mosquitos to speak off, sites well marked, and all were quiet, this one was relatively quiet as it's a park of 98% permanent sites with cabins, RV's that look like they haven't been moved in years, and other "permanent" type looking sites so adults/families had small fires and were outside until maybe 10:30 which kept me awake...so it's a New Jersey summer camp/place to stay for adults and families with movies at night and bands and tennis courts, and pools, etc. it's NOT for a 1-3 night stay when driving through and all one wants to do is chill and get to sleep early!! No one offered to drive me to my site and it was a MAZE of very small 1 lane roads and the few sites they had for 1-2-3 night guests were impossible to see with the small signs and #'s covered with moss and black mold...so I had to call them and they finally took me to my site...as soon as I got out to detach my camper I got attacked by mosquitos and it was impossible to let my dogs outside my camper and we all got bite a lot, especially when re-attaching it days later...the picnic table was covered in mold and moss, not habitable, there was NO Wi-Fi!! I have NEVER been to a RV park with no Wi-Fi...cell phone reception was terrible, half the time didn't work...and I have never encountered this before but one needed to put in their security code when leaving?? I am not from the region and had no other place to stay as it was 7:30 on a Fri night...every day I left at dawn and didn't come back until almost dark...never so glad to leave a RV park!!
Guide
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:
CONS:
**THINGS TO DO AT ROUND VALLEY **
RangerI don't really like campsites that too close to the city in my opinion. I came here anyways and this place is filled with little children screaming. The sky has no stars because of the light from the city. Not the best place if you are really serious about camping
GuideCamp Gateway in Brooklyn New York is one of my favorite places to visit. I went to college in New York, and loved to get out of the busy city and go camping and be outdoors. Camp Gateway was always a place that I loved to go. It is pretty close to town-which is crazy because you feel like you are miles away. Camp Gateway does offer a lot of different activities for everyone. One thing I love to do is go kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. My girlfriends and I tried to do this once a month to get away from the city and school. Because you are so close to the city, you can plan outdoor activities as well as some activities in the city. My friends and I stayed 1 night in the campground, and the next day went to a recital show that took us 10 minutes to get to. You can also walk, hike or ride your bike along multiple paths- I have done the Fort Tilden trail (I just walked, but there were multiple people that passed us on their bikes). Within the campground they do have some fire pits- which my friends and I always use because we love cooking smores and hot dogs for dinner. A little further away from the campground, about 10-15 miles there is a place where you can do horseback riding, see the Statue of Liberty (which is gorgeous!), and there is a little beach area. This beach area is where I do my kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Again, its not very far away...you can either drive there, walk or ride your bike. The road is paved, which is nice. I stayed here also with my parents, and I know my dad went golfing one day (I didn't go, but he said it was awesome)- and again that was only a 10 minute drive from our camping spot. This campground like I said, does offer quite a bit. Sometimes it doesn't really feel like you are "camping" because things are pretty close by, but it definitely is worth going to and trying.
GuideCamp Gateway is one of my favorite places to go when I want to get away from the busy city! It's in such a great location because it's close to the city yet seems so far away. You feel like you are miles away from the busy city because of all the trees, and the campground creates a great outdoor feel. If camping is "boring" for you, this still is a great place to go because you can schedule tours and the Statue of Liberty isn't far away, so you can go visit that. I really enjoy hiking around the area, and they also have some great paths for biking. I rented my bike from a local shop close by- Avaitor Sports Shop. The only downside is that they do have a few guidelines and rules- lets are not allowed in the tent sites, no alcochol allowed and no charcoal grills. This does help keep the campground pretty clean, which is always nice. There is a lake nearby that has boat launches and I've seen people kayaking too. The campground was nice, and the campsite had a fire ring and table. Our camp spot was a little farther away from the restrooms, but it wasn't too bad. They also have showers available too. I would recommend this campsite!
GuideThis place is kind of a toss up for me. On one hand, I enjoy it because it's a little slice of heaven in the hell of one of the busy areas of New York. I hate this place for the same reason. It's not really camping if you're going to see a play and then go tour the Statue of Liberty. It just doesn't seem right to me. If I HAVE to be in New York, maybe I'd consider staying here again just to get myself out of the city for a bit. But this definitely isn't your "great outdoors/rest and relaxation" kind of place.
LegendWe tried this campground without knowing what was safe and where to stay for visit New York City. It is located in Brooklyn and is little removed from everything. The sites are at Floyd Bennett Field which is an old airfield. The atmosphere here is eerily cool at the same time. You basically park and camp on the asphalt by the old hangars. No hookups at all but they do have a camp store and bath house. If you are tent camping, there are some grassy sites.
The campground is located right on Jamaica Bay so there were people fishing all the time from the seawall. At night, you could hear cars doing burnouts right next to us. To get to all the action in the city, we had to take a bus and then the subway. The travel was a headache but better than trying to drive in to New York City in our RV. One way to improve here would be to have some security at night as well as access to clean water and dump station. They remained locked most of the time for some reason.
The best part of this place was the free tour of Hangar B by some guys doing restoration of old planes (HARP). They had some great stories and gave us history of the planes on display.
ScoutAmazing night with friends!!
ScoutWe had a great time at Floyd Bennett field! Watch out for raccoons!
ScoutNot too far away from home you can feel secluded in this great national park. Although some campsites are 2 steps away from each other, we got lucky to be in G25 a little camp spot that's in a cul de sac. You'll hear crickets and tiny paws walking around while you sleep and of course, the airplanes landing and departing from the nearby aiport. The amenities are great. 24/7 bathroom and showers, a camp store that has all the necessary things you need. So try out the experience for only $30. $10.38 for the firewood but priceless memories are created
Scoutthis is our second year staying at camp gateway for Questival. It's the perfect setting. Close to the water ;)
ScoutSurprisingly nice campground, convenient facilities, great waterfront views
ScoutAnd who would've thought in brooklyn of all places. Eady to book and get to.
GuideSpent two summers there when they had the fishing and kayaking tournament met new friends and old ones I do hope they come back to Brooklyn Great place to RV and Camp out
TravelerGateway is perfect for camping when you don’t need a big adventure, just a well crafted little one. Located in Brooklyn, it was a natural choice when I took my group of scouts who were between the ages of 3-5, so in case of emergencies, or kids who freak out about tent sleeping, getting home or other resources is easy. Once in the sites, the foliage and layout perfectly cuts out the city, so it feels like real woods camping. And the beach nearby, visitor center, trails, and other amenities means you always hav something to do. Special highlight, the aviation museum!
I highly recommend it if you’re camping with little kids or if you just want an easy relaxing weekend when you can pop up a tent, hang a hammock, and not have to worry about packing for a big trip.
ScoutBut it absolutely looks amazing to use super user friendly
Scout
Good site
ScoutThe 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. The language is easy to understand, not too technical, suitable for those who love traveling and camping. driving directions
I found your article to be a good and engaging article, helping readers have an overview and details about the campground at Governor's Island. I hope my review is helpful to you.
GuideMy experience here was okay but not the best. The park office was easy to find but finding the campground wasn’t. There wasn’t an address for it (only the Park entrance) and there was no signs for which way the campground was once you pull out of the office. Once we finally found the campground, it was quite crowded! We pulled it and found our campsite. It was in the middle of the loop but not heavily shaded so it was very exposed and opened. There was the standard picnic table, fire ring, etc. There was unfortunately many small pieces of trash left by previous campers that we took the time to clean. The bathrooms could tell it was the end of the day when we went but only got worse the next day. It didn’t appear to be cleaned the entire time we were there. By next day, there was feces on the floor and no toilet paper in many of the stalls.
TravelerGood for first timers or booking multiple sites for a bigger group but not secluded.
GuideNice state park with trails nearby.
RangerDid a weekend bikepacking trip from New Brunswick to Allaire. Big sites that you can hear the highway from. A really nice bike ride to Ocean Grove and other beach towns. There are outlets in the bathroom and someone put a fullass drip coffee machine in one of the sinks. I did not refuse a fresh cup of brew.
ScoutThis has been closed way before August of 2023. My wife said she seen feds or some type of authority there with hound dogs when she was driving by one day when they closed it. The park said it’s for “bathroom renovations” but a bathroom renovation with a simple design like they have shouldn’t take over a year to do. I want to camp here with my kids since it’s close and every time I drive by it’s still closed. What the heck is going on here???
Other than that the experience we had camping for a weekend was pretty nice and enjoyable. There was a cold spell that came through for the weekend we were there and it was very cold at night, but we ruffed it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Gateway National Recreation Area?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Gateway National Recreation Area is Allaire State Park - TEMPORARILY CLOSED with a 3.6-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Gateway National Recreation Area?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 glamping camping locations near Gateway National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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