Best Glamping near Mount Laurel, NJ

We stayed here for 3 nights while visiting family In Philadelphia. It is a 20 minute ride into Philly and Uber was was quick and responsive.

*note- this does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change.

This is a nice KOA with full hook ups, tent sites,cabins, and even glamping cabins. There is a pool that is open Memorial Day- Labor Day. They also have a catch and release pond and we found a pickleball court at a nearby city park.

We did Chinatown and walked part of the Schuylkill River trail which we accessed by parking near Fairmount Park. This is a great area to explore with gorgeous views and easy access to the River trail. (There are rentals for everything here- kayaks/bikes etc)

IF we had a car with us- we would have considered taking the ferry from Camden’s Ferry Terminal next to Wiggins Park to Philly. (This is also near the Adventure Aquarium and the battleship New Jersey) Here is a link to information about the ferry-

https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry

This is a great location for exploring Philadelphia.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

My husband and I stayed for a week in one of the glamping tents. The staff was very friendly and the tents were more glamorous than we had tried before, but definitely had a good combination of woodsy and comfort. The only thing we didn't really like was that there are A LOT of RV sites, and it's kind of a bummer to just stare at a bunch of RVs lol also next time we will look for somewhere with opportunities for hiking and various activities. This campground has a playground, so good for kids, but not so much an all adults stay.

West Chester KOA This is a really nice KOA not too far from downtown Philly. The campground is located in a beautiful part of the Pennsylvania countryside with rolling hills which meant the roads getting there are narrow and windy. A bridge nearby the campground was washed out earlier by a hurricane so we had to take an alternative route going about thirty minutes out of our way. (Make sure you check their website for directions!) There is a lot to do in the surrounding area like visiting the historical sites in downtown Philadelphia, Valley Forge, or exploring Amish country. 

This is a typical KOA with lots of amenities and activities for kids– swimming pool, jump pad, miniature golf, volleyball, butterfly garden, gem mining, playground, store, dog park, nature trail, etc. There is a large pool area with pavilion but it was closed during our stay since we were there early in the season. The campground is right on the Brandywine River which is a slow meandering pretty river that is great to get your feet wet or go for a paddle. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent if you have time and as there is very little current in the river you can paddle out and back without any trouble. There is a nice, short nature trail which was nice to walk our dog and she enjoyed getting wet in the river. 

The campground is hilly which means that a fair number of sites are not level. Our site (#27) was level for our RV but the patio sloped downhill and we could not use our picnic table or find a level spot for our chairs. Some sites are “premiums” with paved patios, Adirondack chairs, fancy firepits, BBQ grill, and tables and chairs with an umbrella. These sites are really nice, but you pay a lot more for them. Some sites are located adjacent to the river with nice waterfront views, but beware some might be muddy. There are lots of camping cabins and a couple of glamping tents. 

Overall, the campground is very clean with no trash lying around and the grass was mowed and trimmed. The 50-amp electric was good as was the water pressure. The sewer connection uphill from our site so it did not drain properly. There is basic cable but since you are so close to Philly there are plenty of over-the-air channels. The Wi-Fi at our site worked well. Garbage is picked up at your site. The surrounding area has plenty of restaurants, shopping, and interesting things to see and do.

This may be my favorite spot. I habe stayed in all the spots they offer, yurt, cabin and the pull up sites. It is well maintained with numerous trails to hike. Getting a cabin in the winter and going for a snowy hike is wondrful there

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.

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

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

I haven't seen a review since 2017 and that should have been my first clue. Let me start by saying the check in area was nearly 12 miles away from the site. At the site there were no bathrooms. One outhouse which smelled like death for the entire camp site. I would say there had to be about 60 people using one outhouse NO FLUSHING! Ewwwwwwwwwwwww Camp sites were one on top of the other. There were no clearly marked roads and several cars got stuck in the sand area, one car even drove through our site during the night. Luckily we werent run over. There were no picnic tables either. If you didnt have a table and/or chair you stood all weekend. The road leading to the actual site was full of twists and turns and we nearly smashed into a tree coming out of a turn doing about 20 mph. The police patrolled at 730 pm, 930 and then 1130. THERE WAS NO INTERNET, CELLULAR SERVICE. That didnt bother me but the fact that if there was an emergency there was no way to contact police was pretty alarming. I honestly didnt think the mosquitos or bug situation was bad. There was a questionable tick but didnt see much more than spiders and ants. The lake/beach area also 12 miles away was really nice. You could rent a paddle board, canoe or kayak for a reasonable fee. We will not be back because of the unkempt roads, no running water.(Hey if you want only port a potties ok but put enough to be sanitary for the 60 or so people you jam in on top of each other.) and no way to reach the outside world in an emergency.

LOVE!!!! I always get site #8 and it has an amazing view of the lake. While camping at atsion family campground, you have free access to the recreation center (the beach and some trails). In the area there are historic buildings and ruins you get to by “off roading” on all dirt roads. Great places to kayak and Pineland Adventures right down the street has wonderful trips!

Nice and flat! Watch for ticks!!!

This site was spacious with a picnic table and fire pit, with plenty of room for the tent and car. Very pretty campground. We enjoyed our stay!

My friends and I stayed at Atsion during Cotopaxi's Questival in 2017. It was great! Very accessible, and Wharton State Forest was a beautiful backyard for a night!

My friends and I stayed here overnight for Cotopaxi's philly questival- it's easy to find, well-maintained, and the campsites are spaced so you can meet other people but also have your own space in the woods! Also loved the produce stand across the street from the entrance.

Wharton state forest provided us with the great outdoor and camping experience! The campside was clean, spacious, includes the firepit and the table. While we were surrounded by other campers, we enjoyed how private it was!!! Will come back again!!!

Fun! Close enough to Philly for a day trip.

First time staying down in the extremely sandy pine barrens. We arrived to camp after a torrential rain; many sites, including ours, experienced flooding. Luckily, within a couple of hours this cleared up.

The grounds were lovely and a majority of the sites were generously sized. We stayed at site #47, which had great canopy cover, while allowing nice bits of sunshine. Great size. Private. Site #48 next to us was massive, and at least double the size of ours; that one also offered great shade and privacy, and would be great for larger groups. Really, the only site I wouldn’t recommend is #11- it is super tiny and wide open with little privacy.

Some things to note, potable water pumps didn’t work. Also heard that the men’s showers were a little unkempt. Women’s seemed decent, though outdated is an understatement. It’s not exactly clear how this campground is managed because there are no rangers on site. The bathrooms at least get cleaned in the morning, and there are occasional drive-bys of state park police. Otherwise, there’s certainly no enforcement being done and the noise from other campers got a bit crazy.

As someone else mentioned, the road noise from Atsion Rd is a bit of a bummer. The sites further in from the road, and especially on the water, are probably really nice. Ours was on the water but closest to the road. I think this is also the only campground in Wharton that has actual bathrooms, which were nice and clean.

A low-key, low amenities sandy spot in the NJ Pinelands. This was a nice large site in the“pet-friendly” section(sites 26-34) of the campground. Site 34 is close to Atsion Road, so there was car noise, but it wasn’t really an issue to us. The restroom/shower facility was very clean. There is access to potable water, though there is no dishwashing station, so you need to create your own system at your campsite. Directly across the street from the entrance to the campground is a family that sells firewood for$5 a bundle for you to carry away. 

Only criticism relates to poor communication on how to check-in. On the day of our arrival, the Wharton State Forest Atsion Office(not on-site), where we thought we were supposed to check-in, was closed and a sign on the door said to use the Batsto Office—a phone number was provided, but multiple attempts at calling resulted in a constant busy signal. Couldn’t make it to the Batsto Office in time(it closes at 4pm). We just gave up, as the site is paid for and they have our information. 

Lots of really huge sites at this campground and some with lake views and access for kayaks/canoes. 

Stayed over Sunday into Monday, and felt like we had the place to ourselves!

Went during the week, there were 4 sites taken adjacent to me, the rest of the campsite barely had anyone. Unfortunately 2 of them were taken by a large family group who were pretty loud until midnight - no fault of the campsite, just note that this place will have a higher frequency of this type of visitor. 

I had a waterfront site, although you can't really see the water from the site itself. Two paths led down to the lake, about 20 feet. There was a bag tied to a tree with someone's trash in it. Speaking of trash, there was a lot of little bits scattered throughout the site, I spent my camp setup time also picking out the worst offenders (bottle caps, broken glass, zip ties, broken off plastic bits of kids toys etc.)

Size-wise, very spacious and open - which is good in some ways but I had to account for shade as well as a place to rig a ridgeline for my tarp (i.e., all the trees ring the edge of the site in the brush). Picnic table and fire ring were in good shape. 

The boundaries between neighbors are pretty much non-existent. Water isn't too far from any site and the bathrooms were in good shape. Unlike Brendan Byrne, this one had some hooks to hang your bags on.  

The campsite runs along a local road that doesn't get much traffic, but you'll definitely hear cars going by at 50 mph.

Across the street from the entrance is a home that sells sundries and firewood. Down at the Atsion office a mile away they can sell you firewood as well. Picalilli Inn isn't far, they have great wings. Batsto is a 15 minute drive. Hikes start either there or you can access from Atsion as well. There are little trails around the campsite too.

All in all a decent place, solid facilities, and convenient

Campsite G014 was awesome! It was a great location, closest site to the water with beautiful views. Super convenient if you're a Kayaker, you can launch right off that spot. Its a huge site, away from other sites. Fire ring is on site but I'd reccomend bringing your own grate as the one provided on the ring is SERIOUSLY bent. You risk loosing your dinner into the flames. It's close to the main road but if you position your tent properly, its not a big deal. It's a short walk to the drinking water pump, the parking area and a VERY primitive out house. Bring your own waste bucket if sharing with others isn't yoir thing. Roads into the place are single car only, with a good amount of spots to pull off if you find your self head to head with another vehicle. Pretty bumpy road. Great location, short ride to Atsion lake. If you find yourself needing supplies, theres a walmart and other stores only 15 -20 mins away.

The Atsion Family Campground was my first time camping in Wharton State Forest. The site I chose was right next to the water which made for some very scenic views during my brief stay. Rangers were present and thought we were crazy for pitching a tent in a snow storm but it made for a very memorable experience. Only took off one star because I wished the sites were more spaced out or had more shruberry to separate sites.

Me and my girlfriends first camping trip so we're both kinda new to the whole thing. This place was great for beginners. Had plenty of space at the campsite, picnic table and fire pit. Lots to do in the surrounding area too!

We did 2 weekday nights with our dog and 19’ RV in Aug ‘24.

The dog friendly sites are limited & not the sites with lake access. It will also cost an extra $5/night.

Check in was confusing as it is across the street & closes promptly at 4pm. (Not at the recreation area where we pulled in first)

Site 34 was close to the road with regular traffic noise & car headlights even shined in the camper at night. There is also a fair amount of plane traffic from a small local airport…and several other campers were running generators so it was not exactly quite camping.

Bathrooms are the typical old nj state park set up- it does the job but it’s seen better days. Dump station works well with trash & recycling drop off next to it. The roads are soft sand and can get rough after a rain storm.

If you are looking to kayak or canoe on the lake it has a ramp to drop in. That is the main attraction here & there is a beach on the other side of the lake.

Overall- nothing too special It’s not a site I would return to unless we could get water front, but dogs are not allowed there - so we won’t be rushing back because of that & the proximity to the road .