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Camping opportunities abound in the forested hills of northern New Jersey, with several established campgrounds within easy reach of Hardyston. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation features spacious wooded campsites with electric and water hookups, while nearby Stokes State Forest and High Point State Park offer additional developed camping options. Most campgrounds in this region accommodate tents, RVs, and some provide cabin rentals. The mountainous terrain of the New Jersey Highlands creates a diverse landscape of forests, lakes, and scenic overlooks that attract campers seeking outdoor recreation without venturing far from urban areas.
Several campgrounds operate seasonally, with most facilities open from April through October. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for summer weekends and holidays when sites fill quickly. As one camper noted, "Very clean and quiet. Website lists water hook ups at long distances but they have hose reels to help with that." Bear activity is common throughout the region, requiring proper food storage at all campsites. Most campgrounds provide amenities like drinking water, toilets, and fire rings, though facilities vary by location. Cell phone coverage can be limited in some areas, particularly in the more remote sections of state forests.
Campers consistently praise the natural setting and tranquility of the area's campgrounds. The larger sites at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation receive particularly positive reviews for their spaciousness and privacy. A visitor described it as having "large, wooded campsites" that are "paved and mostly level." Hiking trails connect many campgrounds to nearby natural features, allowing for easy day hikes from camp. Water recreation is available at several locations, with opportunities for swimming, fishing, and boating at Swartswood State Park and Wawayanda State Park. Most developed campgrounds include shower facilities, though primitive sites with minimal amenities are also available in some areas. Winter camping options are limited, with only select campgrounds remaining open year-round.
"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."
"It's beautiful and quiet, and close to beautiful hiking trails, lakes, and other outdoor recreation opportunities."
"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."
"We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area. Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents."
from $7 - $55 / night
Check Availability"Beautiful park with in the skylands region of New Jersey. Great campsites on a lake, with lots of hiking and biking trails right from your site."
"There are about 40 to 50 sites around Sawmill Lake. Many of these sites , like ours, are walk in sites (about a 50 yard walk) that sit lakeside."
from $5 - $20 / night
Check Availability"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."
"All the positive reviews about this place are accurate! Beautiful, clean, well maintained, lots to do, great value for your $$"
"Panther lake was a pretty good campground with lots of spots to camp at. Our campsite had a picnic bench and a fire ring. They offer both RV and primitive camping."
"The Lake is the gem of the campground with a really nice beach, good for fishing and kayaking. The negatives were the bathrooms. They are very primitive and quite dirty."
"We booked a campsite at the far end of the loop by the lake, which looked to be the right spot for some privacy, but a longer walk to the bathroom and water spigot."
"The campsites are slightly separated from the lake (maybe 8 min walk to lake) but that also means you aren’t bothered by day guests. The lake is beautiful! Great for swimming and fishing."
"A few of my friends stayed at Kittatinny Canoes River Beach Campsites recently, and while the location is fantastic for river enthusiasts, there are some areas that could use improvement. "
"With over 160 sites spread across 18 acres, campers can choose from wooded, open field, or riverfront locations, all equipped with essential amenities like electric hookups, fresh drinking water, and picnic"
from $75 - $400 / night
Check Availability"And also no garbage anywhere near the RV sites! Rv sites were mostly pretty flat, spacious and in a wooded area which we loved."
"Important to not miss: the amazingly beautiful miniature horse that wonders around its huge pin located in the middle of the campground."
"It is off the beaten path without any running water or showers within walking distance."
"Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes. One downside is there were obviously people who had visited and didn't understand what LEAVE NO TRACE means. We'll bring a trashbag next time."
"Drive-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."
"The grounds are just steps away from Welch Lake, offering a lifeguard monitored sandy beach which is open during the summer season for swimming, fishing, and small boat craft further out."
from $17 - $20 / night
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ScoutThis area seems to be devoid of campgrounds except for this one. It’s basically just a large parking lot with hook ups. Completely open, which is great for Starlink. Bathrooms were slightly above average; fairly clean and places to hang clothes for your shower. Has a laundry but be sure to bring quarters. It is about 100 yards from the interstate so you’ll get a lot of noise and diesel exhaust fumes.
RangerWe camped here in our pop up for our Anniversary in November. We were impressed with the cleanliness and available amenities for the time of year we were camping in! Close proximity to DWG and PA AND NJ attractions.
RangerWe booked a cabin at the last minute and were pleasantly surprised that the cabin had heat and electricity! It was very close to the awesome heated bathroom also! We were also able to catch a beautiful sunset! Great camp all around!
TravelerAnother great experience. Sites were large. Staff was friendly with many different things for kids to do. Great base camp for local hikes.
RangerWe came here 4th of July weekend, and this is one of the things I love about these sites...they had availability! Our site was very big, and was perfect with sone shade and also lots of sun!
RangerOur travel trailer and our friends' pop up both fit on this site with no problem. The only issue we had is that there is a bit of a ditch that turns to mud after a rain. We were off the beaten path so very little traffic. There was a bathroom with pit toilets down the street. Plenty of places to hike and fish also. We loved it here!
RangerWe came here to ride our ATV's...since it is more than 3 hours from home, we decided to book this spot for the night. We have stayed in a bunch of the DWSF sites. This one was kinda meh. Nearer to the road so traffic at all hours. Picnic table and fire ring, and as always, evidence of people chopping down live trees for firewood. Ugh! We set up our tent and had a nice fire, albeit there was broken glass on the ground. Biting flies worked overtime on us. Not a terrible stay, but we prolly won't book this one again. And these sites are no longer free. As out of state-rs, we paid $21 for one night. Still a good deal.
GuideTwo night stay, large loud parties make it hard to enjoy but once most of them left it was nice to walk down to the river. Bath house with toilets and showers, not all lights working. No swimming access but boat access and trails for hiking.
ScoutNo hookups. It was wooded, quiet and dark at night. I used the dump station on my way out. The first time I ever saw a poop fountain. The sewer opening sticks up above ground level. The cover swivels away, so I couldn't put it on top of my hose. And then, when I tried to rinse it, there was nowhere for it to go, because the inlet is elevated.
Located in the Highlands Region of northern New Jersey at 900-1,400 feet elevation, Hardyston Township's camping sites offer cooler summer temperatures than urban areas, with evening lows often dropping into the 50s even in July. The township sits at the edge of Kittatinny Mountain, part of the Appalachian Mountains, and borders the forested ridge of Hamburg Mountain with its distinctive hiking trails through rocky terrain.
Swimming options: Each lake has different rules. Lake Marcia at High Point State Park Campground provides a supervised swimming area with lifeguards on duty during summer months. "I spent two nights camping with my niece and this campground was perfect... We fit in a hike up to the Appalachian Trail from our campsite, swam at the pond (Lake Marcia), and got in a fishing session at Steeny Kill Lake," reports Justin P. Swimming access requires a short drive from the camping area.
Trail connections: Hike from your tent. Many camping areas connect directly to trail networks. Stokes State Forest offers 21 marked trails covering over 63 miles, including 12 miles of the Appalachian Trail. A camper notes, "We stayed at site 11 on Lake Ocquittunk... After packing up we drove down the road and were able to get in a nice 5 mile hike up to the fire tower."
Farm experiences: Animals for the kids. Pleasant Acres Farm RV Resort maintains goats, a donkey, and a pony within the campground. Families can interact with the animals at designated times. "The farm has goats, a donkey, and a pony within the campground. Very cool," reports Faith D., while another camper mentions, "Plenty to occupy the kids. Playground, hayride, animals to feed (goats, chickens, donkey and pony)."
Platform tent sites: Elevated camping. Several area campgrounds provide wooden platforms for tent set-up, keeping equipment dry during wet weather. At Harriman State Park's Beaver Pond Campground, "Many of the camping options were on platforms which is especially nice if it recently rained or if you are expecting rain during your stay," notes Ethan K. These platforms measure approximately 10-12 feet square.
Wildlife viewing: Bears are common. Morning hours offer the best chance to spot wildlife safely. "Three black bears strolled by the campsite next to ours in the early morning — gave us more of an energy boost after a sleepless night than our coffee!" reports Kaitlyn S. at Swartswood State Park. Proper food storage is mandatory throughout the region.
Hot showers at select parks. Not all campgrounds provide shower facilities, so check before booking. At Harriman State Park, visitors appreciate "free hot showers in the bathrooms, with plenty of room to change." Another camper mentions "Bathrooms were clean. And shower was warm and clean as well. They even have a heater to keep you comfortable in and out of the shower."
Some campgrounds have no privacy between sites. Campsite spacing varies dramatically between parks. At Swartswood State Park Campground, "The park was incredibly noisy at night and there is little to no privacy between campsites. Everything could be seen by your neighbors. We were kept up all night because we could hear other campers snoring and talking." Sites 1-30 are described as "wide open with ZERO privacy," while sites in the 30-45 range have more separation.
Trash disposal systems vary. Some campgrounds require you to pack out trash or drive to collection points. At Pleasant Acres Farm, "The garbage situation was the worst. Most campsites have a service, they tell you to leave it at a specific location by a certain time or they have many garbage cans throughout. This place had their garbage and recycling very far away."
Pet policies may change without notice. Always confirm current pet rules when booking. "When my partner and I drove up to the campground there were multiple signs posted reading, 'NO DOGS ALLOWED IN CAMPGROUND'. The pet friendly policy must be new so maybe they just haven't gotten around to updating the signage," notes one visitor to Swartswood.
Book sites 8-14 at Stokes for lake views. These sites at Lake Ocquittunk provide the best balance of access and privacy. "Site was located on a small hill next to the lake with the road directly in front and water about 50 yards away and the bathrooms about 100 yards away." Consider that "sites 8-11 are adjacent to the road and in peak times probably have a fair about of foot and vehicle traffic."
Consider cabins for off-season camping. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation offers cabin options that extend camping opportunities into cooler seasons. Cabins at Stokes State Forest feature small kitchens that families find useful: "We stay in the cabins. It's great to have the small kitchen when camping with the family." Most cabins require a two-night minimum stay and book months in advance for summer weekends.
Free water activities at select campgrounds. Some campgrounds include complimentary water recreation. At Great Divide Campground, "Kids had lots of fun on the free kayaks and pool." However, not all parks permit personal watercraft launching, so verify policies before bringing equipment.
Leveling challenges in mountainous terrain. Many sites require significant leveling due to the hilly landscape. At High Point State Park, "The gravel driveway is on a 30-40 degree incline. The tent was too long for the 12'x10' platform, so we had to set it up on the flattest part and hope not to roll down the hill in the night." RVs over 25 feet may struggle at several area campgrounds.
Hookup options are limited. Full-service RV sites are concentrated at private campgrounds. A visitor to Great Divide Campground reports, "Each site had a water spout and electric plug in," but notes "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."
Roads require careful navigation. Many campgrounds feature narrow, winding access roads that can challenge larger RVs. At Pleasant Acres Farm, "When you leave you have to drive the wrong way in the campground because of the low hanging trees the correct direction." RVers should check campground maps for turning radius limitations before arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Hardyston, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, Hardyston, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 182 campgrounds and RV parks near Hardyston, NJ and 5 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Hardyston, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Hardyston, NJ is Mahlon Dickerson Reservation with a 4.6-star rating from 19 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Hardyston, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Hardyston, NJ.
What parks are near Hardyston, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near Hardyston, NJ that allow camping, notably Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area.
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