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 - $150 / night
"There are 20 tent sites spread across four loops. There is NO beach access. Some sites have shelters, others do not. Pay attention when reserving. All sites have a fire pit and picnic table."
"Bathrooms are serviceable overall (no showers as others have noted), and the place is intermittently staffed; bring everything you need."
$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"
$35 - $50 / night
"So pleasant to sleep near the blooming fields. Campsite is tucked in the woods with. Tent camping in peace and quiet with easy access to major roads and highways to explore central NJ"
"Small campground W/ 8 spaces in the main area and 7 in an adjacent area. All spaces are level concrete With fill hookups and attached concrete patio."
"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."
"This campground is hike in or boat in. The campsites are primitive and include a fire ring as well as a picnic table."
"Just from walking around I saw the two pools, an RC track, bocci, shuffle and board. They did have organized activities set up as well."
"It feels like you're camping out in a field with mostly sand around. But having said that, I'd still recommend it for all of the positive they do have."
$5 - $60 / night
"I have lived 6 miles from this campground for the last 20 years and never knew they had tent sites. The park is clean the bathrooms are well maintained and there is a playground for the kids."
"They have shower and restroom facilities , the showers were amazing and also so clean ! I had such a great stay and this is deffinatly one of my top favorite campgrounds."
$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."
$74 - $130 / night
"Near lake Welch- which is phenomenal for easy nearly- beach like camping. The cabins are "rustic" - but there's what you need: cots, electricity, a fridge."
"Theae do not have plumbing or heat. It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it."
GuideI stayed at Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park for two nights with my husband. We chose this campground because of its close proximity to Schunemunk Mountain. We found a lovely 6.4 mile lollipop/loop route hike that weekend, complete with beautiful rolling meadows, gradual hills, and steep climbs.
Due to some mentally-draining traffic on the way, we arrived to the campground around 9:30pm. The camp office was closed, but we were able to check in at the ranger station across the parking lot. At the ranger station we were greeted by a bunch of spiders in their webs. I'm not going to lie, I freaked out! Once we were all checked-in, the ranger explained the usual rules (quiet hours are from 10pm-7am, check out by 11am, etc.). A rule that he made sure to stress was that no alcohol is allowed in the campground.
Harriman State Park is located in a densely-forested area, and there is very little light pollution, so we didn't notice until the morning how little privacy there is between sites. There are hardly any trees within the campground, and you can see and hear just about everything. We had some rowdy neighbors, so it was a long night.
We stayed in a regular tent site, but there was also the option of sites with platforms. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring. The campground had restrooms with flush toilets and showers. There were a good amount of insects crawling around in the restrooms, including what we think were ticks. The showers were a bit dirty and old-looking. However, the showers were free and hot, so I won't complain. :)
My 3-star rating mainly stemmed from the noise an major lack of privacy.
ScoutI camped here solo on Friday and Saturday over the Labor Day weekend. Overall my experience was positive.
Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill. The sites are designated by printing on the roads and do not have clear boundaries between them. My site had good shade coverage and was free of rocks and other hazards.
I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors and vice-versa. That said, there aren't clear paths to the restroom building so it's not uncommon for people to cut through the edges of sites to get there. In my experience I (and others I saw) tried not to go right through the middle people's setups to do so.
If you're looking for privacy, the sites at the rear seemed to be less-densely packed, even though every site was occupied. Quiet hours are generally adhered to but not enforced - there were some campers that had noise running later.
Amenities
The restroom building is in the middle of the campground and was clean and had plenty of stalls.
Potable water is available at regular intervals, about at the corners of each group of four campsites.
Cell phone reception is limited - I had data but it was very slow which led to my phone's battery draining quickly.
Access
A car is an absolute must for this part - the entrance is directly off of Southern State Parkway with no pedestrian access. Train stations are nearby so you could take the train most of the way and rent a car from there.
GuideWe stayed here on a Thursday night in September prior to taking off backpacking. The campground was clean and quiet. RV hook-ups, tent platforms, and rustic tent sites were available. Our rustic tent site had a few good options for pitching a tent, as well as picnic table and fire ring.
Ranger said that during summer weekends the grounds fill up and can be quite noisy, but mid-week during the off-season it was great. Expect to purchase firewood, although scrounging for kindling was possible. Facilities were clean and what you'd expect from a campground.
Would definitely return!!
RangerRound 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 **
GuideDrive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill. If looking for privacy, back end of campgrounds (#’s 1, 13, 15, 21, 23, etc) provide adequate quietness, a bit hidden and tucked away from the rest. Very near many trailheads and the expansive Lake Welsh. Alcohol prohibited... Uploaded photo/vid from off-season 2019.
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
ScoutI stayed at Cheesequake at the beginning of August and had a very positive experience.
Campsite
Campsites are fully shaded and include a picnic table, fire ring, and hook to hang food supplies from (away from wildlife). The site was well kept and clean - I didn't have to look hard to find a nice secluded space for my tent.
Each site is separated from its neighbors by a small (about 5-10 foot) forested area, and are deep enough that you can pitch your tent away from the road and have some privacy.
The park is bisected by the Garden State Parkway. While the campsite is fairly well protected from highway noise, you're still going to hear it at least a little.
Amenities
The bathroom and shower facility is older and has limited stalls, but I didn't have any issues with lines or finding time to use it. They're closed for about an hour in the early morning.
Potable water is available at the bathroom and showers.
The lake has a small beach and swimming area, and a concession stand. On Friday the beach was pretty quiet, it was closed on Saturday due to water conditions however.
Access
The park is about 2 miles from the nearest train station and can be accessed on foot, but it may be difficult with camping gear. I took the train to the station and a rideshare the rest of the way to the entrance. The campsite is about a mile from the park entrance so it's easier overall to drive, but not required. Bringing a bike to travel within the park would be a good idea.
ScoutThe campground is rustic with no showers or electricity. Tenting only, with all gear needing to be carried to the site. No vehicles allowed at the campsite. Some of the sites do have a wooden pavilion covering the picnic table. Sites also have metal storage units for locking up foodstuffs to protect them from being pilfered by the numerous and bold raccoons. Grills and fire rings are at all sites. The federally operated campground is only occasionally staffed and only after you call.
RangerThere are 20 tent sites spread across four loops. There is NO beach access. Some sites have shelters, others do not. Pay attention when reserving. All sites have a fire pit and picnic table. Sites are walk-in (only about¼ mile) and carts are available to haul gear. Two water spigots and bathrooms with flush toilets are also on-premise. No electric, hook-ups, or showers. The nearby beaches have outdoor shower facilities though. The racoons are fierce. They will eat through your tent. Use the bear lockers provided to store anything scented.
Activities abound: hit the beaches for (non-motorized) water sports or sunbathing (Gunnison is the nude beach), learn about the military history of the area on an NPS tour, visit the oldest working lighthouse in the US, walk or bike the multi-use trails, go birding, and more! Nearby Hartshorne Woods Park (Monmouth County Park System) has great hiking and mountain bike trails too.
Tent camping near Gateway National Recreation Area in New Jersey offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gateway National Recreation Area is Sandy Hook — Gateway National Recreation Area with a 4.1-star rating from 19 reviews.
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