Best Tent Camping near Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Tent campgrounds near Lake Hopatcong in northwestern New Jersey provide access to forested mountain terrain within a reasonable drive. Jenny Jump State Forest offers spacious tent sites with varying degrees of privacy and amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water. Kittatinny Valley State Park Campground features four tent sites across its public park with proximity to a lake for sunset views. Both parks maintain clean facilities and provide access to hiking trails directly from the camping areas.

Most tent sites in the region feature dirt or grass surfaces with some rocky areas to navigate when setting up camp. Campsites at Jenny Jump State Forest include picnic tables and fire rings, with drinking water available from spigots. Toilet facilities vary from basic pit toilets to bathrooms with showers, depending on the campground section. The camping season generally runs from April 1 to October 31 for many parks in the region, with reservations recommended especially for summer weekends. According to one visitor, "Some sites have large, flat, clear spaces for multiple tents, some you have to wedge a tent to avoid rocks."

The tent camping experience near Lake Hopatcong offers opportunities to observe wildlife and enjoy natural surroundings. Kittatinny Valley State Park campers frequently see deer and rabbits in the spacious park setting. A recent review noted, "Site A is the best for seclusion and a spot closer to the lake (also amazing sunsets)." Jenny Jump State Forest provides hiking trails with scenic mountain views accessible directly from the campsites, creating a convenient base for day hikes. While some sites may experience highway noise, most tent areas maintain a peaceful atmosphere with adequate separation between campers. Tent campers particularly appreciate the mix of natural surroundings with basic amenities, offering a true outdoor experience without complete isolation from conveniences.

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Best Tent Sites Near Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey (40)

    1. Jenny Jump State Forest

    14 Reviews
    Johnsonburg, NJ
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (908) 459-4366

    "This is the first time we decided to forgo tent camping and reserve a shelter at a state park. We had a much better experience than we were expecting!"

    "It is set up nicely for primitive camping and you are able to hike out straight from the campsite(which is always a plus!). Theres a great look out point as well."

    2. Kittatinny Valley State Park Campground

    3 Reviews
    Andover, NJ
    8 miles
    Website

    "Site A is the best for seclusion and a spot closer to the lake (also amazing sunsets)"

    3. Round Valley State Park Campground

    25 Reviews
    Lebanon, NJ
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (908) 236-6355

    "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."

    4. Wawayanda State Park Campground

    5 Reviews
    New Milford, NJ
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 853-4462

    "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."

    "It is off the beaten path without any running water or showers within walking distance."

    5. Namanock Island — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

    9 Reviews
    Dingmans Ferry, NJ
    25 miles

    "There is a ten dollar fee per day to park your car so bring cash as the parking area is not always manned and you’ll have to leave the fee in an envelope that is available just past the entrance."

    "There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area)."

    6. Steam Mill Campground

    3 Reviews
    Layton, NJ
    20 miles
    Website

    $20 / night

    "Campsite is flat, grassy, some rocks to avoid, one tree in center, large fire ring, picnic table, short walk to the pit toilet, short walk to the water spigot that is always running and ice cold, short"

    "Fire rings don't seem centered on their cement bases, but other than being aware of the edges as a tripping hazard this is not an issue -- no worse than any other rock or root. "

    7. Alosa Boat In Campsites — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

    3 Reviews
    Unity House, PA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 426-2452

    $16 / night

    "Primitive site for multi day river trips. There’s usually always a port-a-potty at the campsite. Each area has its own fire ring and multiple river pull offs for easy finding and access."

    8. Camp Mohican Outdoor Center — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

    3 Reviews
    Unity House, NJ
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 466-2727

    $5 - $75 / night

    "It had 5-6 platforms, privys, big fire ring, a grill, a beatbox, a large pavilion w/picnic tables and a real full sized bathroom only 100 yards away."

    "You can rent kayaks and canoes and swimming is allowed on Catfish Pond -- plenty of fish, snapping turtles, and other wildlife."

    9. Moon Valley Campground

    2 Reviews
    New Milford, NJ
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 900-2773

    $50 - $275 / night

    "This was a great campsite nestled in the foothills of Northern NJ on the NY border. Small, clean with great views and great location for hiking , cruising etc."

    "The campground is also near the Appalachian trail while still only about an hour from Manhattan!  Check them out and leave a review with your adventures during your stay!"

    10. Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #1

    1 Review
    Ringwood, NJ
    19 miles

    "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."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lake Hopatcong, NJ

885 Reviews of 40 Lake Hopatcong Campgrounds


  • Emma N.
    Sep. 27, 2018

    Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    Lacking in privacy

    I 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.

  • Doug W.
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Valley View Group Campground

    Beautiful River Site

    This is a great campsite right on the river. There are 5 different sites all nicely marked out. Each has its own fire ring. There is also a central area with a big fire ring for everyone to get together. Bear boxes at each site for food storage.

  • B
    Jul. 29, 2018

    Tohickon Valley County Park

    One stop shop for adventure!

    This place is amazing! everything you could want, from tent and RV camping to cabin rentals. They also have a pool and playground. some of my favorite parts of this park are a good 100’ rack wall perfect for climbing, great fishing, trails for miles that even connects to the AT, and when scheduled they open the dam up stream for som world class whitewater rafting.

    As for some things that aren’t listed. this is no alcohol permitted in the park due to it being a state park, however that all depends on how open you are about it and the Park rangers. Cell phone service is limited last time I was up there in 2012 only people with Verizon Wireless had any reception. Also there is no WiFi. No hookups or camp store.

  • Dwight D.
    Sep. 26, 2021

    Jenny Jump State Forest

    Cute Comfortable Shelter

    This is the first time we decided to forgo tent camping and reserve a shelter at a state park. We had a much better experience than we were expecting! The "shelter" is what we would describe as a "cabin"; four walls, a roof, locking door, locking windows, large picture frame front window, four beds(two bunks), a wood burning stove, and a porch. Even compared to our glamping this was luxury!!

    There are eight shelters at Jenny Jump State Park. Shelter 2 is a minute walk from the restroom with sink/shower and water. Shelters 7 & 8 are even closer while 4 & 5 are the furthest, may an extra 5 minutes walk? The dead end means there isn't too much traffic, though the road is right there so you can wave to the other campers heading to the restroom or for hikes. There is a trail head at one of the parking lots. During the day the parking lots filled up and there was some overflow parking for day-hikers across the road. We got to see their dogs, so that was a bonus for us! Otherwise, this shelter is not situated too close to the other shelters and feels very private.

    We brought battery-powered lights since there is no electricity. There were coat hooks and a built-in shelf for our snacks, games, and other supplies. There was a picnic table and benches inside. We brought camping chairs for relaxing on the porch. We spent most of our time on the porch; cooking, chatting, and crafting while enjoying the sunshine and breeze.

    Oh, this shelter is wheelchair accessible. Some of the others are not.

  • R
    Aug. 22, 2018

    Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    Quiet, off-season, mid-week retreat

    We 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!!

  • D
    Jul. 5, 2020

    Tobyhanna State Park Campground

    Good campground for families.

    My dog and I stayed for 2 nights in the rustic tenting area. We were the only campers Wednesday & Thursday. The family camp area features spaces (small areas for either RV campers or tents and cars) with a picnic table and fire ring and water (some have electricity). They also have shared facilities such as bathrooms and showers. However, they seemed a little too cramped fir me and I wasn’t looking for opportunities to socialize, so the remote tent site was my choice. The tent sites do not have water or electric, but do have picnic tables, a fire ring and share one large outhouse with clean pit toilets. There are 5 sites and they can accommodate (shared) multiple tent set ups. Also you need to park your vehicle in a designated lot which is very close to the sites. There are multiple easy hiking and biking trails that are well marked. A lake for fishing and a small sandy beach with a picnic area for families (unfortunately no dogs are allowed on the beach). There are 2 boat launch areas (one for the campers, and another for gen. public) which also has a boat rental business (dogs are allowed). There are black bears in the park so do not leave food out and dispose of all trash in the appropriate dumpsters.

  • Christina H.
    Aug. 6, 2019

    Stokes State Forest

    Stokes State Forest: A nature-lovers dream (Review for Shotwell Campsite)

    I would definitely recommend this campsite to anyone wanting a beautiful, remote setting, but with all of the conveniences that the campgrounds offer. Anyone from a beginner to an expert would enjoy Stokes. Whether it be just a short, relaxing weekend trip or an adventure-packed week long trip, this place has the potential to be whatever you make it.

    Pros:

    • Has the perfect balance of feeling secluded without feeling completely alone in the middle of nowhere; the campsite we were specifically on was just far enough to be remote-feeling and fully private with trees surrounding it

    • Cute little pond right on the campgrounds

    • Our site had a fire ring, a picnic table, and a large sturdy pole with a hook for your lantern/mesh dry bag/etc

    • Even, rocky, yet soft enough ground to sleep on, many trees available for hammock camping

    • There was a huge, nasty storm one night that we stayed there, with terrible downpour and flash flood warnings, our site was elevated and did not get flooded

    • A lot of firewood and kindling in the area to be gathered, or you can buy firewood right from the office

    • Lots of stuff to do in the area for nature-lovers and outdoors-enthusiasts (Hiking trails, fishing/fly-fishing, sightseeing, mountain-biking, kayaking/paddle-boarding (rentals in the area if you do not own), hunting, swimming, horseback riding, waterfall-hunting, bird/wildlife watching (there are hawks, rabbits, owls, deer, toads, snakes, turtles, frogs, foxes, bats, salamanders, many interesting bugs, beavers, and bears in the area, you never know what you will see), lots of beautiful brooks and streams throughout the entire park, many awesome remote areas to set up your hammock and relax) Whoever said that there wasn't much to do here is just either not an outdoors person or straight up lying!

    • Water and dumpsters are within walking distance, or if you are not up to walking you can just take a short drive to fill up and dispose of your trash

    • There are outhouses scattered around, or if you are really needing a clean restroom where you can wash your hands, the park office's restroom is always open and very clean

    • Can be buggy at night time however, I was pleasantly surprised to have experienced zero mosquito bites and ZERO ticks on ourselves and even our dog (however she did have a leech on her from playing in the brook all day). We moderately used bug spray on ourselves and the dog had her flea and tick topical on.

    • Beautiful view of the stars on a clear night (Which can be breathtaking especially to city folk or those that cannot see stars from their homes)

    Cons:

    • Can hear the traffic from 206, but generally gets much quieter at night

    • Campsites are close enough that you may occasionally hear other groups if they are being very loud (We were next to a group campsite that had a very noisy party crowd, but could really only hear them at their loudest, and we weren't bothered)

    • Tent sites are located just off the dirt road where people travel to get to their sites, which means other campers' cars will occasionally pass right through your area. If this bothers you, be sure to book a site as far back as possible. Ex: Site T137 should have no vehicle traffic but your own and is the most remote of that area

    • Water fill stations can be a bit busy at certain times

    • Our fire ring rack was bent, but luckily we came prepared with our own rack to place on top of it and it worked out

    • Lots of poison ivy in the area, if you are not immune to it be very mindful of where you are stepping!

    • Our neighbor warned us that they got a flat tire after arriving at their campsite, and after searching their site found a bunch of nails almost intentionally thrown about. It's not the park's fault and the rangers were made aware of it. Carefully check your site after arriving for anything out of place and report to the office if necessary to keep these campsites safe and enjoyable.

    Points of interest nearby the campsite:

    • Big Flat Brook - A beautiful babbling brook that runs all throughout the area. Has great fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout. Access to the brook was only a short but beautiful hike north from our site through some thistle fields and woodlands.

    • Buttermilk falls (Tallest waterfall in NJ), Tillman Ravine, Dingmans Ferry/Falls, and my personal favorite, Silver Spray Falls - Multiple gorgeous waterfalls and ravines just waiting to be explored, all within ~15-20 min by car. I definitely recommend checking them out while you are camping here especially if you live far away from the area.

    • Sunrise Mountain and Rattlesnake Mountain - Catch a beautiful sunrise or sunset on top of Sunrise Mountain, which is a pleasant, scenic car ride directly to the top where there is a small parking lot, a smelly outhouse, and a nice picnic table area with a great view. Rattlesnake Mountain is a part of the Appalachian Trail and is somewhat barren towards the top which makes for excellent views. Like its name, it's not uncommon to see many snakes in the area, rattlesnakes tend to hang out on the top and sunbathe on the rocks. Keep your pets on a leash and have a stick handy just in case, however, they will leave you alone if you keep your distance.

    • Lake Ashroe, Stony Lake, Lake Ocquittunk - Many lakes for multiple activities in the area such as fishing (trout stocked waters), kayaking, swimming (Stony lake has a beach area with lifeguards, restrooms, and picnic areas. Check their website for more info.)

    • Horseback riding - A few great horseback riding places nearby, some offering trail rides through the beautiful park.

    • Appalachian Trail - The widely-known Appalachian Trail, the longest hiking-only trail in the world, that runs all the way from Maine to Georgia goes right through this area. You may run into very interesting people from all over who are thru-hiking the AT.

    PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR VISIT. LEAVE NO TRACE. KEEP OUR PARKS BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU.

  • Ray & Terri F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 7, 2020

    Mahlon Dickerson Reservation

    Nice, small, spacious campground

    We stayed at site 15 for 5 days. The sites are nicely wooded, very well spaced, fairly level with 50A service and water hookup. Although the water spigots were shared between sites, they provide hose caddies that should reach most RV hookups. No sewer hookup, but there is a convenient dump station. There are no fire rings in the RV section, only raised grills. We had the place pretty much to ourselves during the week, but the weekend did get busy. AT&T had ok data connection with 1-2 bars most of the time. There is no satellite coverage due to the heavy tree canopy. OTA TV was very inconsistent using an external omni antenna. There is no WiFi. There is a very nice network of trails in the reservation, most if not all were leashed dog friendly. There is a very nice restaurant, Stone Water, less than 10 miles away and is right on lake Hopatcong.

  • Christina H.
    Aug. 29, 2019

    Round Valley State Park Campground

    Come for the jaw-dropping views. Review for Round Valley State Park Site 52

    Round 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:

    • Breathtaking scenery
    • Gorgeous crystal-clear water
    • Sites are in a beautiful wooded area
    • Sites have a picnic table and nice fire rings
    • You can boat, kayak, or canoe right into your spot if you have a water-access site, site numbers are posted to help you find your spot
    • Great spot to watch wildlife
    • Amazing spot for water sports, fishing, swimming, etc
    • Beautiful, scenic trails to hike or bike
    • Can confirm the sunsets are gorgeous 
    • Every site is dog friendly!
    • There is a lot of variety with the sites (water access or more into the mountain, full shade, partial, or no shade, how far they are spaced apart, etc) so you will be able to find the site that is perfect for you 
    • Paths that allow for emergency vehicles, police, and rangers keep the place safe and fun while giving you the remote feeling of a campsite
    • Lots of tinder and firewood available to gather
    • Our site had a couple clotheslines hung already
    • Each outhouse had bear-proof trash cans, very handy

    CONS:

    • Our site was left littered
    • Noisy, disruptive neighbors
    • Not full privacy (depending on the site)
    • Outhouses smelled like death and were terribly dirty and dark
    • Only 2 water pumps were working when we went, and they were both way too far, we brought a water filter and pumped our own water straight out of the reservoir 
    • The trail had a surprising amount of litter, mainly tinfoil and cigarette butts scattered along the trail. Perhaps the rangers could be more strict about littering
    • Mild boat noise at water-front sites

    **THINGS TO DO AT ROUND VALLEY **

    • Great fishing
    • Kayaking/canoeing/boating
    • Swimming
    • Beautiful hiking trails
    • Wildlife/bird watching
    • Mountain biking
    • Picnicking 
    • Relaxing

Guide to Lake Hopatcong

Tent camping near Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. With well-reviewed campgrounds nearby, campers can enjoy both comfort and adventure.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy breathtaking hiking trails at Jenny Jump State Forest, where scenic views and well-maintained paths await.
  • Kayaking and canoeing are popular at Camp Mohican Outdoor Center, with opportunities to explore the beautiful Catfish Pond.
  • The Wawayanda Shelter is a great spot for hikers on the Appalachian Trail, providing access to stunning views and a chance to connect with fellow adventurers.

Tent campers enjoy these local attractions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake Hopatcong, NJ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Hopatcong, NJ is Jenny Jump State Forest with a 4.6-star rating from 14 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake Hopatcong, NJ?

TheDyrt.com has all 40 tent camping locations near Lake Hopatcong, NJ, with real photos and reviews from campers.