Leo C.
Scout
ScoutWinding Hills Park
Nice but dated
Nice campground, bathrooms are clean but dated, first come first serve for the sites.
Camping near Kinnelon, NJ
152 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Camping options around Kinnelon, New Jersey range from established campgrounds to primitive sites within an hour's drive. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation provides wooded campsites with water and electric hookups, while Camp Glen Gray offers cabin accommodations in a forested setting. The region includes several state parks and recreation areas like Wawayanda State Park and Stokes State Forest, providing tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals. Many campgrounds in northern New Jersey feature lake access, hiking trails, and varying levels of amenities from primitive to full-service facilities.
Access to camping areas varies seasonally, with most state park campgrounds operating from April through October. Primitive sites at locations like Stonetown Circular Trail remain open year-round but may have limited facilities during winter months. "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," noted one visitor. Weather conditions can change rapidly in the region, particularly at higher elevations in the Skylands area. Cell service is inconsistent throughout the region, with better coverage near developed areas and limited or no service in more remote camping locations. Reservations are strongly recommended for weekend camping during summer months when New York and New Jersey residents frequently fill campgrounds.
Waterfront camping receives consistently positive reviews, with several campgrounds offering lake access for swimming, fishing, and boating. Campers report that sites at Round Valley State Park provide excellent water views but require either hiking or boating to reach. The proximity to hiking trails, including sections of the Appalachian Trail, represents a significant draw for outdoor enthusiasts. Noise levels vary considerably between campgrounds, with those closer to highways experiencing more ambient sound. A camper at Stokes State Forest mentioned that "the park is beautiful with lots of hiking and biking trails right from your site." Wildlife sightings are common, with visitors frequently reporting deer, various bird species, and occasionally bears, requiring proper food storage at all camping locations.
Best Campgrounds near Kinnelon (152)
1. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation
"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."
2. Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park
"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 $21 - $24 / night
Check Availability3. Panther Lake Camping Resort
"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."
4. Great Divide Campground
"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 $$"
5. Camp Glen Gray
"One rustic place with many hiking trails to choose from. Camp also provides trucking of gear weather permitting. No vehicles allowed to drive through camp. Trading Post for treats and other items."
"Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions"
from $5 - $200 / night
Check Availability6. Stokes State Forest
"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 Availability7. Wawayanda State Park 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."
8. Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #1
"Stonetown Circular trail is a 11 mile medium/high difficulty loop trail. This is the first of two primitive sites along the trail. The trailhead is across the street from a large parking lot."
9. Sebago Cabin Camp — Harriman State Park
"It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it."
"This place is only an hour away from NYC with so much to do and see. These cabins are VERY rustic, four walls, a cot, and a fridge."
from $130 / night
Check Availability10. High Point State Park Campground
"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
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Drive Time
- 31 min from Kiryas Joel, NY
- 37 min from New York, NY
- 1 hr 14 min from Bridgeport, CT
- 1 hr 19 min from Trenton, NJ
Recent Camping Photos near Kinnelon, NJ
524 Photos of 152 Kinnelon Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
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Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park
Recent Reviews near Kinnelon, NJ
959 Reviews of 152 Kinnelon Campgrounds
Thomas B.
RangerNeversink River Resort
Cool Riverside Campground
I'll start by saying this is a site-specific review (C20). I booked using Campspot and didn't select my own site but put in the criteria for my rig (30ft TT plus truck) and got a 50A back-in spot. The site was big but abnormal. Between the picnic table placement and the trees, I ended up right around 50ft from the electric and water, and the water spigot was so low I could barely put on my camco filter. With the uneven dirt roads, I had to unhitch with my truck in a gigantic puddle (lol). The site was otherwise fine aside from my gate code not working on Day 2. As for the campground as a whole, I thought it was pretty unique place by the river that offered several good amenities and activities, like downstream river tubing, an arcade, bathroom/shower facilities, a small store, little trails, and more. I would say this place borders the more primitive side.
Edwin R.ScoutCheesequake State Park Campground
Park uses county cops to shut down park by 9pm.
On Friday, September 4, 2026, I rented a trailer and brought my family to Cheesequake State Park to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary over the extended Labor Day weekend. Around 9:20 PM—well before the park's designated 10:00 PM quiet hours—we were sitting inside our canopy, playing Jenga, and listening to low background music. Two officers from the Matawan Police Department approached our campsite. They were polite and courteous, simply offering a standard reminder to wrap things up by 10:00 PM. Before they could leave, however, a third, senior officer intervened. Wanting to"show them how it's done," he made the two polite officers return and stand by to watch as he demonstrated how to aggressively harass campers. Flashlight in hand, the senior officer approached with an immediate hostile attitude, treating us like criminals as he demanded to know who rented the site. He began reiterating rules and claimed we had too many vehicles. We had three cars, one belonging to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, who was visiting with her daughter. She had paid the$10 visitor fee at the main office and was instructed by staff to obtain the gate access code from us, the primary renters, if she got locked in. No staff member ever informed her of an 8:00 PM visitor departure deadline, leading us to reasonably assume visitors were permitted until quiet hours began at 10:00 PM. The officer rudely snapped that she had been given wrong information. The senior officer then used profanity in front of three small children, aggressively telling her to ("get her shit and get the fuck out!") in that manner or use profanity, the officer went from hostile to furious. He angrily declared that these were official violations and threatened that he could be issuing us tickets instead. Desperately searching for anything and everything to throw at us, he demanded that we turn off our idling car—which was supplying power to our campsite—and instructed us to make sure the campfire was doused before shutting down for the night. He then proceeded to shine his flashlight into our private setup—including our canopy, tents, and the inside of our trailer—searching for any other possible violation while the two polite officers were forced to watch. What was supposed to be a special 10th wedding anniversary celebration with my family was completely ruined by a senior officer misusing his authority to put on an unnecessary display of intimidation. Worse than just ruining our night, he spent that evening teaching those two police officers how to be bad cops. He corrupted two officers in real time, demonstrating firsthand exactly why most people have lost faith in the police force. The next day we was ready for them. We turned off our lights and quietly by the fire while they went next door to harass an asian family that had just set up camp and had their leds lights on.
- eedgar V.Scout
Black Bear RV Park
Super clean and quiet
Past reviews has mentioned that the office seems to be closed often, while I found that to be true I had no reason to contact anyone. This is definitely one of the cleanest quiets site I’ve ever visited
- KKelly B.
GuideClarence Fahnestock State Park Campground
Check site photos first
Definitely a wide variety of sites—look at the site pictures before booking—there are two areas where it’s just an open field with bonfires and picnic tables that I’d avoid. I could see a large group going there or something but personally it doesn’t offer any privacy.
BUT if you book one of the other sites that DOES have privacy you’ll be in camping heaven. The “hike in” sites are more like “walk-in,” I was worried at first but it’s some are as little as a few yards from the road. The most annoying part was lugging the cooler back and forth, but totally worth it
- KKelly B.Guide
Stephens State Park Campground
Great last min getaway
Booked the day before—even on the holiday weekend! Just 1.5 hours outside of NYC, site was a bit close to the neighbors (fire pit was very far back and basically in the neighbors’ campsite, but we put up a “privacy clothesline” and hung a tarp over it for a bit of extra coverage.
The staff was friendly and helpful, they said it was the busiest they’ve seen the campground all year (there were lots of large groups but everyone seemed to settle down by 9:30pm
Poison ivy was EVERYWHERE at our site so make sure to stick to the open areas and the paths. Lots of families around, we felt very safe Bathrooms were fine—it was my impression they’re usually cleaner but the high traffic of the weekend left a bit to be desired, (lots of families around=dirty diapers in the bathroom trash bin) but it’s camping! I’m not gonna argue w a flushing toilet!
- KKevin F.
TravelerTri-State RV Park
A place to stay in an area lacking campgrounds.
This 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.
- Sue B.Ranger
Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA
Great off season camping
We 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.
- Sue B.Ranger
Pickerel Point Campground — Promised Land State Park
Great cabins!
We 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!
Guide to Kinnelon
Camping options near Kinnelon, New Jersey range from rustic tent sites to developed RV campgrounds within a 30-mile radius. The region sits at elevations between 700-1,800 feet with the Highlands physiographic province featuring wooded ridges and small valleys. Summer temperatures typically reach 80-85°F with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, while spring and fall camping seasons experience temperature fluctuations of 30-40 degrees between day and night.
What to do
Fishing access: Lake Ocquittunk at Stokes State Forest provides stocked fishing opportunities with minimal shoreline traffic during weekdays. "We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area... We didn't have direct views of the lake, but were within a minute walk to some quiet views of the lake," notes one camper who appreciated the proximity to fishing spots.
Hiking variety: Appalachian Trail sections within 20 miles of Kinnelon offer varied terrain from beginner to advanced. A visitor to High Point State Park Campground mentioned, "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."
Kayaking: Free equipment rental at several locations during summer months. "Great Divide had lots of fun on the free kayaks and pool. Staff was friendly and helpful," according to a family who visited the campground with their children.
Winter camping: Limited but available at select locations year-round. "The cabins are reasonably priced and well-appointed, if a bit rustic... You need that wood stove to heat up the cabin. Turning on the oven is a help, but not a good solution," advised a winter visitor describing their experience staying warm in cabins during the off-season.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Campers consistently mention Great Divide Campground for its layout. "The sites are very large and I suggest site 7. It is on a hill so have a hand truck or a few people to carry stuff. Trust me it is worth it and I think it's the best tent site they have," writes one solo traveler who appreciated the seclusion.
Tent platforms: Available at several locations, improving comfort during wet conditions. "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," noted a visitor to Beaver Pond Campground.
Water activities: Multiple lakes within 30 minutes of Kinnelon offer swimming with designated beach areas. "Sebago has a huge lake and great beach area. It was perfect for lounging and swimming in during a hot summer day," according to a camper who enjoyed the facilities.
Group-friendly sites: Several campgrounds cater to larger gatherings with specific areas. "The group campsites are big enough for the amount of people you can have, have picnic benches, a fire ring, a composting outhouse toilet just for the site, and one of those flat charcoal 'grills'," explains a visitor to High Point State Park.
What you should know
Bear safety protocols: Required at all campgrounds in the region. "Welcome to Bear Mountain" grumbles the park ranger as he sits in complete darkness! He is in his ranger hut, checking in the late evening arrivals to the campground... and gives us the run down on bear activity in the area," reports a camper at Beaver Pond.
Tent site terrain: Many sites feature rocky or uneven ground. "Most of the campsites were very rocky, but you can find some that have a little bit of grass," notes a visitor to Stokes State Forest who documented the varying ground conditions.
Shower facilities: Limited hours and locations throughout the region. "Showers are only located INSIDE High Point State Park, not throughout the campsites, but entry is free for campers," explains a reviewer detailing the shower logistics.
Cell service: Camp Glen Gray and surrounding areas have minimal coverage. "It's like a black hole of signals there," reports a visitor to Panther Lake, adding that "even though they say they have wifi, you can't hook up to it unless you are at the pavilion."
Tips for camping with families
Weekend activities: Scheduled events for children at several locations during summer. "The grounds were very big and spread out and the campsites have their own space so you can enjoy quiet at night... The common area, along with the pool, had a small soccer field and volleyball court. They also had scheduled activities for kids," explains a visitor to Great Divide.
Proximity to restrooms: Select sites within 100 yards of facilities. "Bathrooms and shower were all single stall and very clean, only a 5 min walk from our site. Two water sources nearby as well," notes a camper who stayed at Stokes State Forest with children.
Lake swimming: Panther Lake Camping Resort offers dedicated beach areas with lifeguards during peak season. "Fun camping place to books groups. Very kid and pet friendly, lake to fish and kayak on, lots of activities, great pool and awesome hot tub," according to a family who visited regularly.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Morning deer sightings common at most locations. "The park is beautiful with lots of hiking and biking trails right from your site," mentioned one visitor regarding accessible wildlife viewing trails.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling challenges: Many campgrounds feature sloped parking pads. "Campsites are paved and mostly level," reports a visitor to Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, which offers some of the most level sites in the region.
Water hookup distances: Extended hose requirements at certain locations. "Website lists water hook ups at long distances but they have hose reels to help with that. Our site (15) said 75' however the 50' hose reel made it to our rv connection," explains an RVer who stayed at Mahlon Dickerson.
Dump station access: Limited availability requiring planning. "Easy to navigate our 38 ft. RV. Easy to dump and fill. Peaceful. Close to train to N.Y. City," notes an RVer who appreciated the accessible facilities.
Power availability: Most sites offer 30-amp service with limited 50-amp options. "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. Water and electric hookups and a dump station," states a reviewer highlighting the RV amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Kinnelon, NJ?
What camping is available near Kinnelon, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, Kinnelon, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 152 campgrounds and RV parks near Kinnelon, NJ and 5 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Kinnelon, NJ?
Which is the most popular campground near Kinnelon, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Kinnelon, NJ is Mahlon Dickerson Reservation with a 4.6-star rating from 19 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kinnelon, NJ?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kinnelon, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Kinnelon, NJ.
What parks are near Kinnelon, NJ?
What parks are near Kinnelon, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Kinnelon, NJ that allow camping, notably Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area.
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