Best RV Parks & Resorts near Manahawkin, NJ

Not Much of a ‘Resort’

We stayed at Shady Pines MH& RV Resort for a one-night getaway just for the camping experience. 

The park was easy to find and located just under 3-miles from the Garden State Parkway. 

The front office staff person was polite and prepared for our arrival. 

I reserved this site using Campspot. The rate was$65 plus$23 in fees for a total of$88 for one night. 

Even though I provided accurate dimensions for our motorhome, the site was inadequately sized to accommodate the full length. The much bigger problem was that it sloped so much it was impossible to level. I didn’t have enough blocks to prop up the leveling jacks enough to level the RV. I called the front office and was given another site to try. That didn’t work any better. I called back and was given a third site which was the worst so far. Then, at the fourth attempt we could get level. The site was still on a decline, but not as bad as the other three. 

Our site (#71) was too short for our 37’ motorhome. I made it fit, but measured just 3-inches of air between the back of my RV and the back of our neighbor’s RV. Three inches! The site had not been checked since its last guests left because there was refuse(used bandages, a used propane canister, etc.) that should have been cleaned prior to check-in by new guests. The water, 50-amp electric, and sewer hookups worked fine.

Other than a small swimming pool and a small fenced area for dogs, there were no amenities.

In speaking with our neighbor, it became apparent that there are several people working on assignment for a nearby decommissioned nuclear power plant who live at this campground. Shady Pines caters to long-term and year-round guests as well as manufactured homes/trailers that are permanent. We were the only motorhome in the entire park. This is ok, but a sign that while this place suits their needs, it doesn’t do much to attract couples and families on overnight trips and vacations.

Due to the sloped and not-so-clean sites, lack of amenities, and full-price rate charged, we won’t be back.

This is our first stay at this Thousand Trails resort.

We had a reservation that we made using the App. The app did not allow us to book a stay starting on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday so we checked in on Sunday. The reason i mention this is that when set up in our site our neighbor told us that there were plenty of empty sites all the previous week - he stays here frequently and recommended calling rather than using the Thousand Trails app.

Next note - the resort did not reserve a particular site and suggested that we drive around and select the one we liked. That was ok and we got a nice level site with a concrete pad under the picnic table. Partially shaded. Consideration - As we have a class B unit we will be in and out of the site - we needed some way to designate that the site was taken if we went out. The resort did not plan for this ( see later note ) but they did come out and give us a length of caution tape to us to block the site.

This is a fairly large place. The sites are clean but small. Far and away this resort is used by seasonal and cabin campers. They only have a few ( maybe 25 or so) transient sites which they seem to allocate on on a first come first serve basis. If you have a class b and plan to go in an out i recommend you bring some sort of indicator to mark your site as occupied.

We came in late September so the pool was closed but the lake side beach was still open. The beach was clean and had beach chairs.

The camp store has limited offerings, was not open on Mon and Tue, and closed at 4. This may have been because we were late in the season.

We weren't sure about this campground. We booked through Thousand Trails and you can't reserve sites. Our trailer is 37 feet long, so there is always the concern we won't find any sites will fit in (we actually cancelled the membership for this reason). While we didn't have a problem finding sites, the first night we stayed our neighbors were partying late into the night- not good when we have two young children with us. We moved the next morning and our next site was wonderful- much larger and quieter. The girls loved swimming in the lake and the pool. We were only a short drive from the beach, as well. It was a very nice campground.

This is more like a long term stay place that has a couple of short term sites. The staff was accommodating for getting my husband closer to the bath house, but of the three sites available, none of them were good. There was trash in our fire ring and on our site, we were surrounded on all sides by permanent RVs.

We stayed in the small tent loop at this private, primarily RV resort. First, the good stuff: The tent loop was empty for our 5 night stay with the exception of night 1. We were at site F17.

Bathrooms were cleaned multiple times each day, showers were warm.

There is a laundry facility. It's about $6 to wash and dry a load. There is no change machine that we could find.

If you have kids that are aged 6 and up, they are going to love this place.

Staff were nice and made several trips to the tent loop to make sure all was well.

Electric hookups at every site!

Baby turtles were hatching when we arrived.

And now the stuff we didn't like:

Well, it's an RV resort. The tent loop is crowded, site-wise, and I cannot imagine how packed together you'd be if every site was full.

The signage is almost non-existent. We drove right by the tent loop twice and there are no obvious "Loop A" etc signs. The tent loop is all the way in the back next to the pond.

If you are arriving after office hours, 6pm or so, you have to call to get a gate code. Otherwise, you are locked out.

Everyone has a golf cart and will drive into the tent loop to look at you as if you are a wildebeest and they're on safari.

Parents of small children and toddlers: the tent loop is surrounded by water on 3 sides. There is no safety fence. The water is mostly standing water so expect mosquitoes.

Site F 17 is the lowest point of the tent loop,which won't be a problem unless it rains. Unfortunately, it rained 3 inches one day and I literally dug a trench around the tent to keep it dry. F15 is on the high side and slightly larger site, request it if you can.

On Saturday night, there is a DJ and a dance party from 7-10 pm. It is extraordinarily loud and somewhat impossible to navigate a car through that many people. Plan on staying out of the resort or completely inside if you are up for it.

(I'm sorry for the photos; I didn't have my phone and had to use someone else's phone to take photos.  It was also torrentially raining so I didn't venture outside of the canopy!)

We wanted a chill-out weekend and are so glad we spent it at Spacious Skies Country Oaks. This was our third visit to this campground and it’s obvious that the current owners are making efforts to spruce it up. 

We stayed in pull-thru site#12 which was level, covered in clean gravel, had a concrete patio with picnic table and Adirondack chairs, and a nice fire ring. The site was big enough for our motor home. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service all worked fine. 

There’s nothing much to do in the area without driving 45+ minutes away, so make this your destination of you’re looking for a restful time away from home. 

The Wi-Fi actually worked great. When was the last time you could actually say that? 

Bottom line: We enjoyed our time at Spacious Skies Country Oaks and can’t wait to go back! 

THINGS I REALLY LIKED: 

1. Super friendly and helpful staff, especially Michelle and Sadie 

2. Nicely maintained and clean 

3. Level, gravel and concrete site with small grassy area too

We went to Ocean View Resort in New Jersey to kick off the 2022 season in our new Fleetwood Discovery LXE. And we’re glad we did! 

This campground is located less than two miles from Exit 17 off the Garden State Parkway. It’s located a short drive from popular shore towns including Avalon, Sea Isle City, Cape May, and Ocean City. We found the park easy to access and navigate. 

The check-in process was easy and the front office staff was friendly. I appreciate being expected when stepping up to the front desk. 

The most amazing part of our experience was our‘Deluxe 50 Amp Pull Thru’ site# E19. It was HUUUUUUGGGGGGE! See my photos. Our site had full hookups including 50-amp electricity, good water pressure, easily-accessed sewer connection, cable TV with limited channels(some were not clear), and Wi-Fi which was hopelessly slow. Tall trees provided some shade and privacy. The site was covered in gravel and stone, which is great because it didn’t get muddy after the rainstorm we experienced one night. I highly recommend sites E15-E27(E14 slopes too much for my preference). Most sites are seasonal trailers or-park models, but they appeared generally clean and maintained. 

The campground, our site, and facilities we visited were clean and well-maintained. Not all facilities were open as the full season begins in a few weeks. The campground store carries a variety of food and drinks, camping and RV supplies, clothing, pool toys, and souvenirs. This came in handy when I needed to replace a damaged sewer hose. 

It’s a good sign when it’s difficult to think of negative comments. If I’m being nit-picky, I’d share that the trash and recycling dumpsters were overflowing and unsightly. This could be because it was opening weekend. The firewood they sold was nice and dry, but they don’t deliver it to the sites. This meant I could only purchase what I could carry for my walk back to my site.(I believe offering delivery would be a major convenience for campers and result in increased sales for the campground.) 

This was their opening weekend for the 2022 season. While we expected inconveniences or less-than-ideal conditions, we found the place was prepared for the new season and we had no issues. The lake, swimming pool, and cafe hadn’t opened yet, but we’ll be sure to visit those amenities during our next visit later this summer. 

THINGS I LIKED: Site was huge and clean with well-maintained full hookups, gravel, and shade trees. Campground is clean and maintained. Store was well-stocked 

THINGS I’D CHANGE: No delivery for firewood Slow Wi-Fi Limited working cable TV channels

I scored this a 4 because you can’t beat the price for area. However my biggest issue is the sand for all pull-throughs. They do offer full hookups that include cable if you have the outdoor wire. Plenty of activities for kids with park area and pool. They do also offer golf cart rental for those wanting explore the park. The park consists of permanent trailers, many tents for places to camp. There is lake in the middle and spots available along the water with their own dock.

Two things I loved:

1. Cost
2. Shade

One thing didn’t love:

1. Sand… so hard even with rugs to pull out of trailer.

Great if you love to kayak but super tight sites for rvs

Campground is nice, wooded, level, hard-packed sand lots. The roads are narrow getting to the ground and very tight inside especially for larger rigs. We have a 36ft, 5th wheel and it was tight getting into the spot. The roads are also uneven. Otherwise the full hookup site was good with a picnic table and fire-ring. Staff were very friendly and helpful at check-in. Cell service, (Verizon), was weak and the local wi-fi ok when it worked. It went down during the second night and never came back on. Location is convenient for central Jersey shore. Lots of full time rigs and seems to be very kid friendly. Overall very happy with the campground and will be back when in the area.

I enjoyed my visit. Level site, good for tents. Close to amenities.

We spent a long weekend at Ocean View Resort- our second stay this season. And it was even better the second time. 

Located about a mile or so from the Garden State Parkway, the campground is easy to find. And with advance check-in completed online, we cruised right on to our site at arrival. 

I said this in my last review, but it’s worth repeating. The site we stayed in(# E26) was enormous. Lots of mature trees provide shade and privacy. Even though we had dumpsters at the end of our site, the length made it ok. Full hookups all worked just fine. Our site was level, included a picnic table and fire ring, and was well maintained. 

We like the tram that circles the park each evening and the paddle boats on the lake. The cafe and camp store are great conveniences. 

We enjoyed our site and our stay for Father’s Day weekend and look forward to coming back again. 

GOOD: 

• Huge site with shade and privacy. 

• Nice campground with fun& clean amenities. 

NOT-SO-GOOD: 

• Kind of expensive(we paid$117/night), but worth the price. 

• I really wish they’d offer delivery for firewood(it’s a long walk!). 

• Wifi and cable services are poor. 

NOTE: I try to review the places we stay based on what they’re trying to be. Resorts with manicured grounds, water parks, and lots of amenities should be reviewed differently than basic campgrounds in my opinion. Every place starts with 5-stars and loses stars for things I believe could and should be better.

We spent an extended weekend at Hospitality Creek. And we’re really glad we did! 

Like more and more campgrounds, they offered virtual check-in and payment online. This meant that we were handed a welcome packet at the front gate and sent on our way without delays for paperwork or payments. The folks were friendly and welcomed us warmly. 

Our site(#57— Lakefront Premium Waterfront) had full hookups and everything worked fine. The site was a good size, covered in heavy mulch, and is level. The photos of the lake were taken from our site to show this really is waterfront. Also, this site is a short walk to the front office, camp store, pools, and lake beach. 

The pools are nice and have on-duty lifeguards all day. We rode our bikes around, enjoyed time on the lake in a rented paddleboat, and had a blast at the 70s-themed live concert at the pavilion on Saturday night. They’ll deliver firewood, ice, and food from the camp store to your site— that’s classy. 

We really like this place and can’t wait to book a trip for next season! 

There’s just one complaint. It’s 2022, people. We need(not want) working wifi. The park’s wifi didn’t work most of the time and was too slow when it did work to allow streaming or working on the computer. We had a rainy day and would’ve loved to watch movies on TV, but couldn’t. Also, we had to leave the campground to find wifi at a local library about 15-minutes away so my daughter could attend her virtual class for school. The days of campgrounds not having to provide decent wifi are over(in my opinion). Lots of communications from the new owners of this campground describe the upgrades being planned to convert to a Jellystone franchise. This may be great fun, but I’d ask for working wifi to be a priority of these enhancements. I’m sure it’s costly, but well worth it. 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Great waterfront site, level, and the hookups worked 

• Campground is clean and well-maintained 

• Great activities and live concert was fun 

THINGS I’D CHANGE: 

• Horrible wifi

Place was ok for a quick trip to start the camping season. Many full time run down RV's. Had a issue with the electric hookup, thank God my husband and friends we travel with are electricians and carry their tools.

The sites were good sized, but the place is a little run down and could defiantly use some work.

4½ Stars Quick Weekend Getaway 

We stayed at Butterfly Camping Resort in Jackson, New Jersey, for a 2-night weekend in late-August. We’re so glad we did! 

Our site(#90) was a level pull-thru with 50-amp electric, water, sewer, and cable. It was roomy, shady, and easy to pull in and out. The hook-ups were all well-maintained and worked fine. We had plenty of room to fit our car too. The site included a picnic table, charcoal grill, and fire ring. 

The gated campground was clean and well-maintained. The swimming pool was large and the water crystal clear. The store was stocked with typical essentials like supplies, fire wood, and snacks. Most of the neighboring RVs were nice and in good shape. The park has bath facilities, a dump station on the way out, and lots of play areas. 

The front office staff were all friendly and we love that, especially when checking in at a new campground. When I called for a last-minute reservation, they seemed glad to have us. 

This park is close to Great Adventure and not far from the Jersey shore if that’s in your plans. 

There were two observations I’d categorize as ‘no park is perfect.’ The site was sandy. The whole place is sandy. This is messy, especially after a bit of rain(which we had), and makes it a constant challenge to keep the sand out of the RV. If the site had gravel, grass, or some other surface, this would be a 5-star review. They offer wifi which is nice to have, but it didn’t work very well. I realize this is a common complaint at many campgrounds, but we’ve come to want to stay connected(at least, a little). 

This is a really nice campground with inviting pool and facilities. We can’t wait to go back!