Best Glamping near Helmetta, NJ

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.

I stayed at turkey swamp for just one night we had to pack it in early because a storm was rolling in but otherwise a great campground! we hiked one of the few trails in the morning and it was clean and well marked. we kayaked after that and the one thing that wasnt very great was that we brought our own kayaks so we had a decent walk from the parking lot to the lake. the lake itself wasnt huge and we paddled it in about an hour but it was still beautiful, fun and clean. the way the camp sites are set up is great because it give you some solid privacy. the roads are one way and each camp site is a horseshoe off the road. we stayed on site C4 and it was less then a 1 minute walk to the bathroom which was very clean! the only complaint we had was some of our neighbors didnt respect quiet hour. otherwise a fantastic campground for a small group or family!

Atsion Family Campground

Off US 206 and about 1/2 a mile up Atsion Road in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest, you’ll find the Atsion Family Campground. The facility is run by the Dept of Environmental Protection and offers Tent, Trailer and Group Sites. There are also Cabins for rent as well, but only available during the summer months, After Memorial Day until October. AFC is one of several campgrounds in WSF and is the largest with 50 camping sites. Amenities include a handicapped accessible restroom/shower building, several drinking water spigots, and a waste dump for trailers. There are no electric hook ups and cell service is low, but manageable. Plenty of sun (shady too) so bring your solar powered generators and cell signal boosters if you need to stay connected. AFC is also pet friendly, so bring your 4 legged furry family members, after registering them with the camp site.

The individual sites are spacious with a pic-nick table and fire ring grill. Some sites have lake-side water access, so bring your canoes and kayaks and reserve these sites (4, 8, 10, 12, 20 and 22) early as they are popular. The ground is sandy and relatively level for easy camp set up. Some sites are close to a roadway, so you do get some car noise, and like all unmonitored camp sites, loud, unruly campers can be lurking among the pines. Be sure to get your fire wood from the guy that lives across the street from the campground entrance. 5 bucks, on the honor system, a good amount of wood, open 24/7.

Nearby is the Atsion Recreation Area, which offers fishing, walking, biking and horseback trails, a life guard monitored beach by the lake with restrooms and snacks (Summer Months). Only 15 minutes away, a quick drive, is Batso Village, an old iron and glass community from the late 1700s to early 1900s. NJ State Park Rangers are working hard keeping the area clean, rehabilitated, and educational center allowing you to walk through the old buildings and time as you image what life was like back then. Wharton SF is huge, over 122,000 acres of sandy terrain, towering pine trees, lakes/rivers and off roading trails!! Y’all should come and play in the Pine Barrens

Flat site, no tent bed, enough space to park two cars. Campsite decent size, but some don't have clear boundaries to neighbors, and sometimes not optimally configured (e.g., the site next door's fire pit was placed on the edge of its site/right next to my site). Could hear the traffic on Rte 72 at night despite being a half mile away.

Bathrooms were clean and stocked, warm/hot water available. No issues with firepit, water, plenty of tinder nearby. Bought firewood at the office for $7, but there is plenty of dead wood lying around outside the campsite. Picnic tables were somewhat hacked/battoned for kindling, but many sites had a log lying around for such purpose.

Went during the week and there were only 3 other campsites in use, ran into very few people on the trails. Ticks were definitely present but wasn't too crazy - found 2 on me in 3 days, no mosquito bites... thanks permethrin!

We LOVE camping here in the fall!! 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! Very close to Six Flags Great adventure. You can hear the lions in the morning. There is a road that goes between the campground and the Safari you can drive, walk, or bicycle down and see the animals! This campground has a pretty lake, a bridge and is very woodsy, not just a camper parking lot like some other campgrounds! The staff and seasonals friendly! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the bathrooms need a deep cleaning.

We stayed in a RV and a tent. There were eight people in total sleeping on the site. We stayed July 1 and 2nd. The actual site was nice and was close to the bathrooms. There was plenty of shade as the sun moved throughout the day. The park used to be a swim attraction but the water is not safe to swim in because of a dangerous algae bloom. While walking around, it gave off an abandoned summer camp feel. There were maybe six structures (concessions, changing rooms, etc) that were all boarded up. Thursday night was quiet. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature. The next night, there were many more people there. In one site, campers set up at least five tents. They were very loud past the curfew time of 10. Quiet hours were not taken seriously on that night.

First time camping with my 10 yr old son during covid restrictions. Park rangers were nice. Check in was easy. $36 per night includes water and electricity on site. Didn't have anything to compare it to but the sites were kind of small and close together. If your neighbors have a barking dog or a crying baby you can kiss tranquility goodbye. Spiders in the bathroom, mold on the shower curtains. Because of covid-19 restrictions you couldn't rent a boat, (supposed) to wear masks in the bathroom, and the picnic grounds were supposed to be closed. The lake was nice. Plenty of trails to walk. Wouldn't exactly call it hiking though. You can fish the lake, bring your own kayak, and there's an archery range on site, and also some huge beautiful fields for whatever. The rangers come around and enforce quiet time and make you put fires out around 10 or 11 pm. All in all was a good time and we'll probably go back.