Best Campgrounds near Netcong, NJ

Netcong, New Jersey and its surrounding areas provide several established campgrounds catering to various camping preferences. Panther Lake Camping Resort and Stephens State Park Campground offer options within reasonable driving distance, with accommodations ranging from primitive tent sites to full-service RV hookups. Many campgrounds in the region also feature cabin rentals and glamping options for those seeking additional comfort. The area includes both privately operated resorts with extensive amenities and state-managed facilities offering more rustic experiences near lakes, forests, and recreational areas.

Most campgrounds in the Netcong area operate seasonally, typically from April through October, with limited winter availability. Reservation requirements vary by facility, with state parks generally requiring advance booking through the New Jersey State Park Service. Private campgrounds like Panther Lake Camping Resort offer more amenities but may have specific policies regarding cancellations and refunds. Water quality and cellular connectivity can be inconsistent throughout the region. According to one visitor at Panther Lake, "Overall a very pretty campground and a nice place for a weekend getaway. The Lake is the gem of the campground with a really nice beach, good for fishing and kayaking."

Developed campgrounds in the area frequently feature a mix of wooded and open sites, with varying levels of privacy. Jenny Jump State Forest and Mahlon Dickerson Reservation provide more secluded camping experiences with access to hiking trails and natural features. Several visitors noted that campgrounds closer to Netcong tend to have more seasonal residents, creating a neighborhood-like atmosphere in some sections. Campers report mixed experiences with bathroom facilities, with maintenance varying considerably between locations. While some campgrounds offer strong family-oriented activities and amenities like swimming pools and playgrounds, others focus more on providing access to fishing, boating, and hiking opportunities. Reviews consistently mention the importance of selecting the right campsite, as placement can significantly impact privacy and noise levels, especially during busy summer weekends.

Best Camping Sites Near Netcong, New Jersey (176)

    1. Panther Lake Camping Resort

    17 Reviews
    Andover, NJ
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 347-4440

    "Panther lake was a pretty good campground with lots of spots to camp at. Our campsite had a picnic bench and a fire ring. They offer both RV and primitive camping."

    "The Lake is the gem of the campground with a really nice beach, good for fishing and kayaking. The negatives were the bathrooms. They are very primitive and quite dirty."

    2. Great Divide Campground

    16 Reviews
    Andover, NJ
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 383-4026

    " Our 4rth state in our 5 state trip is New Jersey! We wanted to see Delaware Water Gap NRA & I found a campground by Newton called The Great Divide. This is a private campground."

    "All the positive reviews about this place are accurate! Beautiful, clean, well maintained, lots to do, great value for your $$"

    3. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation

    18 Reviews
    Jefferson, NJ
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 697-3140

    "Located in the Skylands of New Jersey, Mahlon Dickerson Campgound is a perfect place to spend a few nights or a couple of weeks. The campsites are paved and mostly level. They are wooded and large."

    "It's beautiful and quiet, and close to beautiful hiking trails, lakes, and other outdoor recreation opportunities."

    4. Jenny Jump State Forest

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

    "The bathroom/shower was only a few steps away which was convenient and clean."

    "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."

    5. Worthington State Forest Campground — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

    39 Reviews
    Shawnee on Delaware, NJ
    21 miles
    Website

    "Full bathrooms are located behind campsite #15 (clean flushing bathrooms, with motion-sensed lighting, showers, dishwashing sink), but easily accessible from campsites nearby."

    "Bathrooms with flush toilets are conveniently located centrally every so often."

    6. Swartswood State Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    13 Reviews
    Newton, NJ
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 383-5230

    "We booked a campsite at the far end of the loop by the lake, which looked to be the right spot for some privacy, but a longer walk to the bathroom and water spigot."

    "The campsites are slightly separated from the lake (maybe 8 min walk to lake) but that also means you aren’t bothered by day guests. The lake is beautiful! Great for swimming and fishing."

    7. Stokes State Forest

    27 Reviews
    Layton, NJ
    20 miles
    Website

    $7 - $55 / night

    "It was a solid choice: private but close to the toilet and water. Some sites located around the opposite side of the ring back up to a babbling brook. The rushing water will soothe you to sleep."

    "We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area. Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents."

    8. Camp Taylor Campground

    24 Reviews
    Pahaquarry, NJ
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (908) 496-4333

    $33 - $42 / night

    "Positives: sites are decent sized with fire pits and picnic tables. easy access to hiking, convenient to a beautiful vineyard, peaceful region, and the most amazing wolf preserve is right next to you.  "

    "They were knowledgeable about the surrounding towns, their campground, and basically everything nature related. This was our very first night camping in an RV (we were renters at the time)."

    9. Round Valley State Park Campground

    25 Reviews
    Lebanon, NJ
    21 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."

    "Once you get to the campground trail it’s pretty easy going on asphalt surface."

    10. Stephens State Park Campground

    5 Reviews
    Hackettstown, NJ
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (908) 852-3790

    "There are dumpsters but no recycling (not sure if New Jersey segregates recycling after pickup). 

    ATT had some reception but we forgot to check the Verizon phone. "

    "Was a bit hard to locate the office to check in but finally found it. The camp site was spacious. The bathrooms were struggling with the plumbing but were fairly clean."

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Recent Reviews near Netcong, NJ

971 Reviews of 176 Netcong Campgrounds


  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Tohickon Family Campground

    Wonderful campground!

    Great camping, great hiking, pretty close to stores if you need anything. Staff is incredible!! Very polite, helpful, and just all around awesome People!!! They make sure your stay is exactly what you’d want it to be.. getting here was a little tricky having to go around the covered bridge but not anything that would ever deter me and my family from coming back. Overall very impressed!! They even were able To get us in very last minute WITH full hook ups for my trailer!!!!

  • Jessica V.
    Sep. 13, 2025

    Tohickon Family Campground

    Great weekend spot

    We went with friends for a weekend. Both families have little kids and it was a great spot with a playground, construction digging area, and a bunch of activities for the kids to do. We went in September so the pool was closed but it looked like a nice size. Full hook ups which was great! Also they have a nice stream that everyone went fishing at. They are building some new sites at the end of the property.

  • Stuart K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2025

    Round Valley State Park Campground

    Get Your Hard-Core Hiking In To Enjoy This CG

    Located just south of I78 and near the small hamlets of Clinton and Lebanon, what I love most about Round Valley SP is the fact that it has its very own eponymous fresh water reservoir, which spanning some 2,350 acres and is 180 feed deep in the middle, this body of water provides a solid amount of upside for anyone wanting to kayak, canoe or swim. One of the greatest assets at this particular SP CG are the wonderful rangers who keep this place in such tip-top condition year-round. From the North Picnic Area, Bray’s Hill Preserve and Round Valley Beachhead to the East Picnic Area, Round Valley Farm on the eastern side of the reservoir as well as Round Valley Rec Area, there’s a lot to explore at this SP.

    One interesting fact about this place– believe it or not– it is the only NJ SP that actually offers up true wilderness camping(a.k.a. primitive), which can only be accessed by hiking 3 to 6 miles– or if you come with your own boat, you can access by water– and can be found on the SE corner of the reservoir. There is a second area nearby called Spruce Run Recreation Area that can be accessed by driving to this location, which is on the other side of I78 NW of Round Valley SP. That said, if you’re looking to camp here at Round Valley, I highly recommend you boat in as the hiking path is incredibly difficult to manage without hauling all of your camping gear, so coming in with a ton of gear is even more difficult/ prohibitive.

    When you finally do arrive to this primitive CG immersed in NJ’s thick wild foliage, you’ll experience waterfront bliss with a crystalline bevy of trout-infused reservoir water, and you won’t get much in the way of amenities, apart from a few random water pumps and some rocks piled in a circle that, um, I guess makes up a fire ring. While there are backwoods-style bathroom pits, these are very ill-managed and you’ll come across the‘stank’ well before actually even arriving here, so we just didn’t use them. There’s picnic tables, but the one we had was in pretty rough condition. The thing I found odd about the place is that after hiking so far in to get to this location, you’re not allowed to swim in the reservoir, which kind of defeats the entire point IMHO. That said, the views are amazing and because there’s nothing else in these parts, you will experience true peace in nature.

    Insider’s tips? Here’s a few:(1) Whether hiking or kayaking to this CG, you will want to bring as little with you as possible– packing too much to come here just isn’t worth the work;(2) We found parking in the Southern Lot to be perfectly fine and while we were initially worried about leaving our vehicle parked there for a few nights, we were reassured by the park rangers who patrol the lot constantly;(3) While the water in the reservoir may look crystal clear, it is not crystal clean and I would STRONGLY encourage anyone who thinks that it is OK to drink from the reservoir to at least use a Life Straw to ensure they don’t get sick;(4) I have hiked throughout the entire US and consider myself somewhere between a moderate to skilled hiker and I found these trails challenging and uneven, so while the hike we made was only 3 miles, it was not easy and I would be worried about someone breaking an ankle getting to this CG– so at a minimum, ensure you are wearing proper hiking boots. Seriously, for what this SP puts you through to access this CG one really needs to question why they’re being charged anything at all in the first place.

    Happy Camping!

  • Kylie R.
    Aug. 30, 2025

    Mountain Vista Campground

    A mix of being able to unplug but also have the ammenities avavilble if wanted/needed

    This campground is very clean, staff and campers are very friendly. It’s a great spot if you have kids because they have many different activities(pool/arcade games/movie nights/ and more.)

  • Damia F.
    Aug. 29, 2025

    High Point State Park Campground

    Relaxing and Well-Maintained

    Stayed 2 nights and it was really nice. Camping for summer is pretty limited to Sawmill Lake, as the other locations are for groups or winter camping. Camps are secluded from each other and most if not all have an elevated space to put tents or chairs. Each place comes with a lamp hang, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Bathrooms are spaced out. No running water except for pump founded outside of the bathrooms. Toilets are pump flushed. Showers are only located INSIDE High Point State Park, not throughout the campsites, but entry is free for campers. One hiking trail is accessible in Sawmill campground, 3 others are accessible on the road outside of the campground and the rest are located inside the park. When you arrive you have to check in with the park office for your campsite tag. Hours are 8-4. Park officials come through the campsites pretty regularly, a few times a day which is nice. Areas are clean and well maintained.

  • j
    Aug. 27, 2025

    Cranberry Run Campground

    Don’t Stay here!!

    It’s not a campground. It’s where people stash their rvs, some of whom seem to live here permanently. Caretaker was rude. Sites were all rocky and many on steep inclines. Complete waste of our time. Plus, the site looks nothing like the pictures they post, which is an area you can’t camp at. Don’t stay here.

  • Paul K.
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Croton Point Park

    Not the Best Place to Go in the Northeast By a Longshot

    Croton Point Campground is a modest little campground, located along the Hudson River within Croton Point Park in NY. In addition to camping, the park itself offers many of its own attractions, including swimming, hiking, kayaking, cabin rentals, and a host of other family-oriented activities just along the Hudson. 

    The park, which is honestly probably the largest attraction here, is located just an hour and a half outside of the city. This proximity is both its perk and its downfall, as the park itself, but particularly the campground, has become laden with all sorts of inexplicable and burdensome rules, endless guidelines, and restrictions only a New York State-run bureaucracy could ever make sense of, let alone hope to justify. 

    This includes all manner of restrictions on how you can camp, where you can camp, what equipment can be used, and use in relation to what particular site you may have been lucky enough to reserve. Much of this you can understand while imagining what may have taken place here to bring them to such measures, but it doesn't make it any easier to contend with. 

    In terms of the actual camping conditions Both the tenting section and RV sites are each very clustered together, and quite crowded, with regular patrols🚓(actual patrols) being made day and night, by both the Park Rangers and what appears to be general park staff members, all looking to see if you or your family might be doing something that they might consider outside of the guidelines or not in compliance with the many restrictions. 

    This is not to say you can't possibly have a good time here. It just might mean being a bit more diligent toward reviewing the potential legitimacy of your normal camping routine to ensure it meets with many restrictions and guidelines imposed, while also making yourself comfortable with some fairly regular surveillance during your stay here. These all being things we hoped to get away from while camping ourselves It just turned out to be a bit much for our particular liking.

  • b
    Aug. 21, 2025

    Thunder Swamp Trailhead

    Gravel lot

    It’s a gravel parking lot. Plenty of shade. No one bothered me.

  • Adeline M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Worthington State Forest Campground — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

    Nice campground loud campers

    Great open spot with some shade, depending on when you go we have noticed there tends to be a lot of loud disrespectful people who are there to party not camp. It’s nice to be on the Delaware and not many campgrounds have water access or a boat ramp so that’s a plus. Showers, sinks, and toilets are available.


Guide to Netcong

Camping near Netcong, New Jersey, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot for your next adventure.

What to do:

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the bathrooms and showers. A visitor at Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park said, "Bathrooms with showers were just what we needed and easy to walk to."
  • Friendly Staff: Many campers rave about the helpful staff. One camper at Camp Taylor Campground mentioned, "The family that operates this place are the friendliest and most accommodating hosts I have encountered."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy the spaciousness of the sites. A reviewer at Worthington State Forest Campground noted, "These two sites were next to the shower house and playground. The facilities were clean, quiet, and spacious."

What you should know:

  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds can get noisy, especially during peak times. A visitor at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Gardiner mentioned, "Kids were at the playground 8 am or before and the noise woke us up."
  • Limited Amenities: Not all campgrounds have full amenities. A camper at Round Valley State Park Campground said, "The primitive restrooms aren’t maintained at all but if you’re there more for the 'outdoorsy' experience, not a huge downfall."
  • Reservations Recommended: It’s a good idea to book your spot ahead of time, especially on weekends. A camper at Clarence Fahnestock State Park advised, "Reservations are required."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Activities for Kids: Look for campgrounds with activities for children. One family at Camp Taylor Campground enjoyed, "The kids are kids!!! They play in the creek, get dirty, build fires and hike on the premises."
  • Choose Family-Friendly Sites: Opt for campgrounds that offer family-oriented amenities. A visitor at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Gardiner said, "This place is so much fun. My whole family loved the activities."
  • Plan for Quiet Hours: Make sure to respect quiet hours to ensure everyone has a good night’s sleep. A camper at Pickerel Point Campground — Promised Land State Park appreciated, "Quiet hours were strictly enforced."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A camper at Hickory Run State Park Campground noted, "Careful which site you choose."
  • Look for Full Hookups: If you need full hookups, check the campground features. A visitor at Keen Lake Resort Campground mentioned, "We had full hookups."
  • Be Prepared for Terrain: Some campgrounds have hilly terrain. A camper at Worthington State Forest Campground said, "The sites themselves were rather small and right on top of one another."

Camping near Netcong, New Jersey, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a family getaway or a peaceful retreat in nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Netcong, NJ?

According to TheDyrt.com, Netcong, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 176 campgrounds and RV parks near Netcong, NJ and 5 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Netcong, NJ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Netcong, NJ is Panther Lake Camping Resort with a 3.5-star rating from 17 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Netcong, NJ?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Netcong, NJ.

What parks are near Netcong, NJ?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 parks near Netcong, NJ that allow camping, notably Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area.