Best Glamping near Matawan, NJ

Recent Glamping Reviews in Matawan

260 Reviews of 21 Matawan Campgrounds

• T

  Tylen L.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 15, 2024

  Turkey Swamp Park

  10/10

  Turkey Swamp is a great spot, a lot of different things to do. Fishing, Tent Camp, Van Camping, Open Field, BBQ, Kayaking, Canoeing. The list goes on. I’ve been here a few times, every time I’m here I barely touch my phone.

• 

  Dan G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 30, 2024

  Panther Lake Camping Resort

  Too expensive! Water stinks!

  Nice staff but water smells horrible! The staff know about the water smell and told me there’s a lot of iron in the ground. I was charged $105/night for a basic back-in pad. When I consider that plus “trailer park” feel of all the permanent patrons with the clutter and crap everywhere- not worth it!!! The CG needs some work.

• 

  Cynthia K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Turkey Swamp Park

  My favorite!

     We stayed in New Jersey for our 5th campground on the East Coast: Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold. This is a County park.

   Near some Revolutionary War battlefields.

   I really liked this park! They have 2283 acres. A 17 acre lake. Some hiking trails & a nice campground! The sites are all pullthrough. There's lots of vegetation for "privacy". We had a site on the perimeter, which are forest views. Only problem is none of the roads are paved. All are packed sand. We could tell it rained recently because of the muddy tracks. Fortunately it didn't rain while we were there!

    Shower/bathrooms are clean, but dated. They're checked regularly. The bath house is for the entire campground. 3 out of the 4 women's were working. There's a shared dressing area. 

  There's a laundry that doesn't take quarters. EPay. 

  There's a nice playground in the campground.

   They have 3 cabins for rent, with forest views.

   The lake has fishing & boat rentals. No gas motors. There's no swimming at the lake. Cell service was fair.. No WiFi. 

  They have an archery range. 

      This was my favorite campground on our trip! I really enjoyed camping here! There's a rustic retro quality to the place. I adored the campsites & I didn't see any really bad ones.

• 

  Cynthia K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Great Divide Campground

  Rock'in

   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. Very scenic with a small lake, a pond & surrounded by woods. This is also the most expensive campground on our trip at $96.11 a night.

       Lots to do for families- they have kayaks for camper use. Horseshoes, tether ball, volleyball, a pool, a playground, a dog park. There's a swimming beach.

   One strange thing is there's a lot of tent sites & they seemed popular. For the amount of tent/popup sites they only have 1 shower per loop. They are very clean & checked often, but they're used heavily during the weekend. I had better luck Sunday evening. A bench outside the bathroom would have been nice to sit & wait. 

   The rv sites were all full hookup on our loop.

     We came in on a Friday & found out this campground ROCKS!!! They have live bands every Friday & Saturday night during the warm months. This might explain the higher rates. Party on!

• L

  Laura G.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 28, 2024

  Brendan Byrne State Forest

  Nice spot in the pines

  We stayed on a mon/tues at the end of August and the campground was fairly empty and quiet except for a few generators running & air planes/ helicopters going over. There is an air force base in the area.

  Site 33 is the back corner so we did get a bit more traffic going past to get on the sand trails. There is also background noise from the road, but not too loud. There are not many RV sites in the 3 loops - just a handful which is a shame because many of the sites marked as tent only look like they could easily accommodate most RVs, especially smaller rigs.

  The dump station is locked so get the combo from the office if you want to use it. The ranger station is a bit of a drive from the camping area so if you don’t have cell service make sure you get it at check in.

  Go down to the pond and check out the carnivorous plants- one of the most unique things in this area!

  Several choices for hiking, but it’s the pine barrens so it is flat and sandy and ticks can be overwhelming at some times of the year.

  Overall this is one of the nicer & quieter options for pine barrens camping

• 

  Drew H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 25, 2024

  Tohickon Valley County Park

  Great stay

  A beautiful spot with plenty of space, a fire pit with grill and a table. We came in late on a Saturday after it was dark and couldn’t figure out where it was, the location on the map is slightly wrong. To get directions google maps to Deer Woods Campground. We paid the ranger in the morning, he said they upped the price to $50 if you are from out of county so that was a bummer.

• 

  Jahmera R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2024

  Round Valley State Park Campground

  BE AWARE OF UPDATED ROUTE! HIKING ISN'T WORTH IT, BOAT IN

  Doing this review because a lot of them feel extremely outdated, so here we go. 

  Access: There are two ways to get to your campsite, boating and the great 3 mile trek. Starting with the hike, the path is not the best, filled with a ton of rocks placed by the lands-men. It makes the hike extremely difficult which could have been avoided. Moreover, theres a few points on the trail where you’re walking side by side from a highway, crossing driveways, passing construction zones, and past fencing. Extremely awkward and takes you out of the hiking experience immediately. Not ideal especially since you have to pay to camp on the site. I was extremely dissatisfied. Boating may be more worth it to avoid these downfalls and get your moneys worth. 

  Amenities: There are two water pumps. One at the beginning of the camp site and one at the end. They tend to get far if you plan on camping further into the campsite so I would plan ahead. The primitive restrooms aren’t maintained at all but if you’re there more for the"outdoorsy" experienced not a huge downfall. Most of the campsites have access to a picnic table and fire ring which is a huge plus. 

  Overall: For starters, the water is beautiful and clean, although there is no swimming, swim at your own risk and don’t get caught? I had a wonderful time at this location, the sites were big enough for play and privacy. The water was clean and provided a lovely view in the morning and it was quiet and dark as expected by sundown. But this site just missed with the awful trail of three miles. Although there were service roads throughout the campsite, visitors were not able to use them. The necessary carry in and out for 3 miles is a huge downfall. Moreover, the hike itself along highways, across roads, and down strategically places pebbles and rocks were a huge miss and made it extremely difficult and slippery. I highly recommend boating as hiking will probably make the experience a lot more sour than wanted. It shouldn’t be a"choose between the two" considering you’re paying but what can you do… pick boating if you really want to see it for yourself.

• 

  Damia F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2024

  Jenny Jump State Forest

  Great place for a family or a solo camper!

  I’ve been here twice now and it is a beautiful campsite. Individual campsites are separate from cabin and group sites.

  Tent campsites have benches and a fire pit. Group campsites have large stove. The cabins seem clean and well maintained. All the sites are set up nearby the office where people are all day should you ever need anything. The workers are super friendly and regularly make rounds of the grounds.

  Bathrooms are spread out so it’s never a far walk from your site. They are super clean with a shower and two stalls. There is a water fountain outside of them. One of the bathrooms has a playground next to it for people with kids. Hiking trails are also spread out among the campsites as well.

  I solo camp and have always felt safe at these campgrounds. Not to mention the hiking and scenery are absolutely breathtaking.

  The non camper public area has benches and a parking lot for visitors of campers or people doing day hikes.

• 

  Frank J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2024

  Spruce Run Recreation Area

  Mid week (July 4th) 2024

  My first time camping trip in a few decades... So can't compare to others (yet).

  My campsite was 34W, right next the reservoir. Nice location however the website said it was full shade. The picnic table was in shade. The spot for the RV was full sun.

  Pros:

  Reasonable cost from NJ state website. I paid $41 for 2 days.

  Campsites well spaced apart.

  Staff friendly.

  Boats/Kayaks can be rented.

  Cons:

  Showers were cold water only and very cold at that.

  Late at night you can hear the drone of a major highway.

• 

  Beth R.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 5, 2024

  Adventure Bound Camping (Tall Pines)

  Overpriced

  Pros: 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities

  Cons: Sand sites Overpriced Tight site & hard to get in/out for big rigs

• 

  Gaia B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Round Valley State Park Campground

  Good

  The hike to get to the campground is a bit long (4 miles; we did it in ~2h). Since there were 95 degrees, it was challenging. The campsite was really nice, even if the pic nic table was almost completely broke

• 

  Matt S.

  Legend

  

  May. 27, 2024

  Adventure Bound Camping (Tall Pines)

  Deceiving Website

  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.

• F

  Francisca

  Scout

  

  Mar. 4, 2024

  Collective Governors Island

  Franciscmplin

  The article also mentions the benefits of camping on Governor Island, such as feeling close to nature, relaxing and enjoying a peaceful space, away from the noise of the city. The language is easy to understand, not too technical, suitable for those who love traveling and camping. driving directions

  I found your article to be a good and engaging article, helping readers have an overview and details about the campground at Governor's Island. I hope my review is helpful to you.

• V

  Vanessa S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2023

  Panther Lake Camping Resort

  The Lake is the Draw

  Overall a very pretty campground and a nice place for a weekend getaway. We have a tiny camper and we had a great site with power and water. The campground has a lot of seasonal residents, in the summer it's probably very busy and loud. We went early Sept and it was lovely. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a section that is wooded and the sites feel more private. There's another section that's more open for the bigger rigs. 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. No one cleaned them the entire weekend we were there, even the ones next to the camp store. There's only one decent bathroom with showers and that was really far from our site. The other thing I didn't like is that they charged us $20 to launch our ckayak but only charge $15 to rent one of theirs. We had a good weekend despite all that though.

• 

  Bradley B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 13, 2023

  Pine Cone Campgrounds

  Quiet, Safe, but small annoying things.

  A Peaceful Retreat with Room for Improvement 

  I recently had the pleasure of staying here, and I wanted to share my experience with fellow travelers. Overall, it was a tranquil and secure place, but there were a few aspects that could use some attention. 

  Pros: Serene and Secure: One of the standout features is the peaceful environment it offers. During my weeks-long stay, I never once had to contend with loud noises or intrusive traffic, creating a truly peaceful atmosphere that's perfect for those seeking a quiet getaway. 

  Cons: Bathroom Facilities: Unfortunately, the campsite falls short in terms of its bathroom facilities. The stall doors are quite small and lack privacy, which can be a discomfort for many guests. Moreover, only one stall has a functioning lock, which can be inconvenient during peak times. Limited Showers: The campsite has only two showers, and they are not designed for simultaneous use. To make matters more challenging, you must pass through one shower to access the other, limiting the privacy and convenience for guests. Additionally, the absence of temperature regulation can be a drawback. 

  Maintenance Concerns: During my two-week stay, I noticed a cleanliness issue that needs addressing. There was persistent trash in one of the showers throughout my visit, which was disappointing. 

  Recommendations: If you're considering a stay here I'd recommend opting for their cabins. Having stayed in them previously, I found them to be clean, spacious, and overall delightful accommodations. They provide a more comfortable and enjoyable experience compared to the campsite facilities. 

  Additional Note: One aspect to be aware of is that the owner doesn't seem to like dogs. If you're traveling with furry companions, it's essential to plan accordingly.

  In conclusion, They offers a peaceful and secure retreat, but there are areas in need of improvement, particularly regarding the bathroom facilities. For a more comfortable stay, I highly recommend their cabins. With some attention to the mentioned concerns, this campsite could become an even more appealing destination for nature enthusiasts like myself.

• 

  Jessica D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 23, 2023

  Allaire State Park - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

  Situated in nature, fun events in summer, close to beaches"

  Allaire State Park is a favorite spot of mine. In addition to their tent sites and group gathering areas (we have had several family reunions here), we enjoy all the activities! There is a historical village where you can visit a blacksmith shop and other spaces to learn about the history. They have a flea market many weekends in the summer months and in early fall. They also. Have Halloween themed events like a hayride. Lots of walking paths surround the park & you are also close to Belmar, Point Pleasant, Manasquan (all fun shore towns). Bathroom maintenance could use some sprucing up, but other than that- great place to visit.

• 

  Mark M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 22, 2023

  Panther Lake Camping Resort

  DISASTER

  I travel the country racing road bicycles(at Augusta, GA now for the Master's Nationals) and the last 10 weeks or so have stayed at 5-6 other RV Campgrounds...at ALL the other RV places they drove me to my site, helped me back in,(I have a 2022 Tundra and a 30' pull behind), provided great Wi-Fi service, cell phone reception was great even in the KOA in the mountains in VA 2 days ago, picnic tables were clean, no bugs or mosquitos to speak off, sites well marked, and all were quiet, this one was relatively quiet as it's a park of 98% permanent sites with cabins, RV's that look like they haven't been moved in years, and other "permanent" type looking sites so adults/families had small fires and were outside until maybe 10:30 which kept me awake...so it's a New Jersey summer camp/place to stay for adults and families with movies at night and bands and tennis courts, and pools, etc. it's NOT for a 1-3 night stay when driving through and all one wants to do is chill and get to sleep early!! No one offered to drive me to my site and it was a MAZE of very small 1 lane roads and the few sites they had for 1-2-3 night guests were impossible to see with the small signs and #'s covered with moss and black mold...so I had to call them and they finally took me to my site...as soon as I got out to detach my camper I got attacked by mosquitos and it was impossible to let my dogs outside my camper and we all got bite a lot, especially when re-attaching it days later...the picnic table was covered in mold and moss, not habitable, there was NO Wi-Fi!! I have NEVER been to a RV park with no Wi-Fi...cell phone reception was terrible, half the time didn't work...and I have never encountered this before but one needed to put in their security code when leaving?? I am not from the region and had no other place to stay as it was 7:30 on a Fri night...every day I left at dawn and didn't come back until almost dark...never so glad to leave a RV park!!

• M

  Michael S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2023

  Allaire State Park - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

  I liked it when we can actually camp there!

  This has been closed way before August of 2023. My wife said she seen feds or some type of authority there with hound dogs when she was driving by one day when they closed it. The park said it’s for “bathroom renovations” but a bathroom renovation with a simple design like they have shouldn’t take over a year to do. I want to camp here with my kids since it’s close and every time I drive by it’s still closed. What the heck is going on here???

  Other than that the experience we had camping for a weekend was pretty nice and enjoyable. There was a cold spell that came through for the weekend we were there and it was very cold at night, but we ruffed it out.

• A

  Andi P.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 17, 2023

  Jenny Jump State Forest

  Friendliest Campground Ever!

  This campground was so well, manicured, so clean, so beautiful, and has amazing hiking. However, my experience with their staff was so incredible. I had to write a blog about it.

  https://open.substack.com/pub/andipigottmartin/p/finding-joy-in-the-detours-campground?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

• 

  Nicole S.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 8, 2023

  Colonial Woods Family Resort

  Wonderful weekend trip

  The campground is in the mountains of PA close enough to the Delaware River that we took a trip down using bucks County river tub company. We didn't have to go tubing because there was so much to do. The pooL and splash pool for toddlers was clean with a lifeguard on duty at all times. The posted pool hours were not as described they don't really tell you but it was open a little later if not the posted hours were like 6pm and it way to early for a hot summer day if you ask me. They had a playground, lake where you could fish, cornhole, and minigolf. They did a few activities the one we did go to was the casino night where they had separate play areas for kids and adults. All the money made is donated to Shriners Children's Hospital which it awesome and the kids loved the candy and little prizes they won. The place was nice, spots were tight with the trees but that's because they preserved them. The bath house with showers was clean and so was the other closer to our site. In the end I would go there again people were nice, store had everything/anything you could possibly need.

• J

  Jonathan L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 5, 2023

  Brendan Byrne State Forest

  Beautiful, remote and pristine

  This was definitely a unique camping experience for me. The forest is absolutely beautiful, but not by any design. Instead, nature is just doing its thing. Sand roads crisscross the whole area and navigation can be a bit tricky the first time around.

  The campgrounds are clean and simple. Some reviews mentioned that the borders between sites are a bit murky, which I agree with. In the larger loop, one site easily blends into another. I stayed in the smaller loop (1-13), which was simple and a bit more private. The bathrooms nearby were immaculately clean, which hasn’t been the case at many other state campgrounds. There was some occasional road noise, but nothing that kept me up at night. However, there was some low flying air traffic going in to the joint base nearby. It wasn’t terrible, but it was definitely noticeable.

  In a pinch, there’s a Wawa about 5 minutes away from the campground. Beyond that, there’s a bar and a gas station a bit further away. Anything else is a bit of a hike. If you want to get away and feel like you’re truly in nature, this is a good spot to visit.

• A

  Annika O.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2023

  Turkey Swamp Park

  Great first night

  We stayed here on our first night with the campervan. Had lots of room. The ranger were really nice.

• 

  Chris C.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2023

  Washington Crossing State Park - TEMP CLOSED FOR 2024

  You can't

  That's NJ.

  Everything is "against the rules" though many of us inform them that governments don't own water.

  What kind of camping is going to bed at 10:00? No dogs no fun no music no booze You might as well just stay home lol.

• 

  Judy D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2023

  Timberland Lake Campground

  Awesome Clean Fun

  Absolutely wonderful time

• 

  Greg S.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 26, 2023

  Mahlon Dickerson Reservation

  4.3 stars

  Very nice forest! The campground is clean, paved nicely and well run. Our site is easily the nicest- all the way in the back with only one neighbor. It is so quiet here. No amenities or extras here, just really pleasant camping in the woods. There are some nice trails around rhe campground as well, but we only stopped for a night so didn't venture too far. There are a lot of bear warnings here so that gave us a bit of pause with our three little boys. The sites are spaced well and have a nice bonus of large fire rings set back in the woods a bit from the pad that you park on. The water hoses provided are plenty long. We didn't need to use our hose at all, just the filter. If you want to decompress and get out in the woods, this is a great spot.

• L

  Leslie S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 6, 2023

  Mountainview Campground

  Awesome place!

  Here on business but didn’t pull the camper up, (from Texas) Tent camped for a couple of weeks. The place is beautiful, and the sites are very nice. They have put a lot of effort in over many years out here. Each site RV or Tent is well thought out. Bathrooms/showers are always very clean as well as the grounds. Would Absolutely recommend !!

• 

  Erika T.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 21, 2023

  Ringing Rocks Family Campground

  Overall not bad for tent campers

  Very clean campground, clean bathrooms and showers. However, if you're tent camping the bathrooms are FAR and I highly doubt no one has ever peed outside at night instead of navigating through the night to them.

  I had full at&t service. Nice double playground.

  the tent sites are very close together, and when we stayed the RV campers get really rowdy at night past quiet hours (10pm) which sucked having our 7 year old with us trying to sleep. RVers with golf carts would periodically drive by too.

  Overall not bad, but won't stay again. Okay as a tent camper if you're passing through for a night, and so so for those with young children, but if you want the real camping experience I don't recommend It's really geared more toward rvers