Best Dispersed Camping near Green Brook, NJ

Dispersed camping options near Green Brook, New Jersey are limited, with the closest sites located in Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. The Appalachian Trail Designated Backpacker Campsite 2 near Columbia, NJ provides primitive camping for hikers along the Appalachian Trail, approximately 60 miles from Green Brook. Thunder Swamp Trailhead in Pennsylvania, also about 60 miles from Green Brook, serves as another dispersed camping location primarily used by hikers and backpackers exploring the Delaware Water Gap region.

Access to these primitive sites requires appropriate preparation as amenities are minimal. The Appalachian Trail campsite is accessible only by foot via hiking trails, making it unsuitable for vehicle-based camping. Thunder Swamp Trailhead features a gravel parking area where overnight stays are permitted with the required permits. Neither location provides drinking water, restroom facilities, or trash collection. Fire restrictions are in place at both sites, with no fires allowed at the Appalachian Trail campsite. Campers must pack out all waste and bring sufficient water supplies, as natural water sources may be distant or unreliable.

These primitive areas primarily serve backpackers and hikers rather than recreational vehicle users. The Appalachian Trail site provides bear boxes for food storage and suitable trees for hammock camping, though the terrain can be somewhat sloped for tent placement. Many campers appreciate the balance between community and solitude. A review mentioned that "there's plenty of space. We camped nearer to others but there are secluded spots too." At Thunder Swamp Trailhead, the experience is more utilitarian, with one camper noting, "It's a gravel parking lot. Plenty of shade. No one bothered me." Both locations require self-sufficiency, with the nearest water source at the Appalachian Trail site being Sunfish Pond, approximately a one-mile round trip hike.