Camping near Ocean City, New Jersey offers access to both dense wooded landscapes and coastal environments within 15-20 minutes of the Atlantic shoreline. The region features predominantly sandy soil with pine forest terrain around most campgrounds. Many campsites close to Ocean City operate seasonally from April to October, with average summer temperatures reaching highs of 85°F and common afternoon thunderstorms during peak season.
What to do
Beach access: Campers at Belleplain State Forest can reach Sea Isle City with a short 20-minute drive. "About 20 minutes away from the Cape May zoo," notes one reviewer, highlighting the forest's convenient location despite feeling remote.
Rail trail biking: Sun Outdoors Cape May positions campers directly across from an 11-mile rail trail. "There is an 11 mile rail trail across the street as well," mentions a camper who appreciated this paved biking route that connects to local beaches.
Lake swimming and boating: Belleplain State Forest features a swim lake and boat rentals for day use. "The swimming lake was beautiful. We biked the trails, and hiked others that didn't allow bikes," explains a visitor who enjoyed water activities alongside land-based exploration.
Water park amenities: Ocean View Resort Campground built a pirate-themed splash pad for younger children. "Lake, pool, ice cream, arcade, mini golf, mining station, activities. Does get very crowded and definitely have to book a head," notes a camper who found plenty of water-based entertainment options.
What campers like
Spacious campsites: Ocean City Campground & Beach Cabins offers well-maintained, level sites with thoughtful landscaping. "Sites are very nice n level. Beautiful landscaping. Gravel under the trailer and small river rock around the picnic table and fire pit," describes a regular visitor.
Private wooded sites: Belleplain State Forest campsites offer good separation from neighbors. "Our site was HUGE!!!! It was also super private with trees and a lot of privacy from the road and our neighbors," reports a camper who appreciated the natural screening.
Clean facilities: Many campers note the cleanliness at Ocean City campgrounds. "Very nice campground! It seems as everything has recently been updated! Pool was very nice with splash pad for the kiddos," writes a holiday weekend visitor to Ocean City Campground.
Free recreation: Several campgrounds include complimentary activities. "Mini golf was Free yes free and also new. They also had a nice corn hole area," mentions a Memorial Day visitor to Ocean City Campground, surprised by the no-cost amenities.
What you should know
Wi-Fi limitations: Internet access is limited at most campgrounds in the area. "Virtually NO cell service with AT&T, TMobile or Verizon. AT&T was the better of the 3," explains a Belleplain visitor who struggled with connectivity due to dense tree cover.
Site selection challenges: Whippoorwill Campground requires careful planning for larger RVs. "Roads r tight to navigate and our site was a little difficult to back into," mentions a camper who still gave the campground five stars despite access challenges.
Seasonal resident presence: Many campgrounds maintain a mix of overnight and seasonal campers. "It seems to mostly be catered to seasonals...The seasonal fees seemed pretty expensive in my opinion," notes one visitor to Sea Pines.
Reservation requirements: Direct booking is often more reliable than third-party services. "DO NOT BOOK HERE. THEY WILL NEVER GET THE REQUEST. I had to call and reserve myself," warns a camper at Ocean City Campground, emphasizing the importance of calling campgrounds directly.
Tips for camping with families
Water features for different ages: Ocean View Resort Campground offers swimming options for various age groups. "They just completed a new camp store building that has everything you could think of from camping gear to beach chairs and floats! They also have a cafe that also sells ice cream," shares a first-time Jersey shore camper.
Playground access: Mays Landing Resort provides play areas specifically designed for younger children. "It has a nice playground for the little ones," reports a reviewer who found it suitable for smaller kids despite finding the campground itself average.
Budget-friendly food options: Some campgrounds offer reasonably priced food service. "They also have a cafe that also sells ice cream. The food was very reasonably priced and good," notes a camper who appreciated not having to cook every meal.
Supervised water areas: Most campgrounds with water features provide lifeguards during peak season. "The lake is huge, the pools are crowded but fun. There is a splash pad for little ones. Our 3 yr old loved it," shares a family with young children.
Tips from RVers
Dump station logistics: Mays Landing Resort provides dump services but may require patience during busy weekends. "It was very unlevel and not easy to fully dump our tanks. It was also Memorial Day weekend and the line at checkout caused us to wait 2 hours to dump!!" warns a holiday weekend camper.
Site leveling challenges: RVers should come prepared with leveling blocks at most area campgrounds. "Site are very unleveled so the staff switched us to a pull thru space that was a tad bit more level but still very unleveled," explains an RVer who needed staff assistance with placement.
Campsite dimensions: Many RVers recommend checking site specifications carefully before booking. "After some strategizing, I backed in on a diagonal or there'd be no way to open our slides. This was ok, but it meant forfeiting the use of about half of the concrete pad," shares a visitor to Sun Outdoors Cape May who struggled with site constraints.
