Best Tent Camping near Ocean City, NJ

Recent Tent Reviews near Ocean City, New Jersey

474 Reviews of 12 Ocean City Campgrounds

• 

  Jennifer S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 24, 2020

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Peaceful, historicd

  The tent site was big with lots of choice locations for your tent. There is a lot of privacy between the tent sites because of the trees.

  The bathrooms were clean and modern. The camp store had lots of little items that I needed. And there was a Little Library.

  The hikes in the campground are beautiful. The historic aspect of the Cape amazed me. It was a site for WWII soldiers to watch for enemy invaders. The towers are still there.

  The ocean is beautiful but a bit of a walk from the tent campsites.

• A

  Alexandra T.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Great Camping Close to Beaches

  We stayed in the G loop which is the group loop off the side of all the main loops. We were tent camping. If staying in the main loops, the center rows barely had room for tents and looked aimed for RVs. It would have been very tight if we tent camped at some of the inner loop sites. The tent sites were along the sides on the T sites and the even numbered A sites. The bathrooms were clean enough and there were ample showers that were free. There is a coin operated laundry facilities, a dish washing station and a playground in the middle of the loops. The wood was a bit wet and sappy. It was about a mile walk to the beach. There are multiple parking lots if you want to drive a bit closer to a beach entrance. We have two young kids and it was a bit too long a walk for them from the camp site. Bikes are prevalent and a great way to get around. We were there in July and it was very hot which is obviously to be expected. Friendly staff.

• D

  Dave B.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 8, 2024

  Atlantic Shore Pines Campground

  Great Stay at Atlantic Shore Pines Campground!

  My family and I stayed here this weekend. The campground is now known as Atlantic Shore Pines. This place is very close to Bass River State Park with lots of hiking and outdoor activities. Restaurants and stores in Tuckerton are just a few minutes away. This campground is about 20 minutes from LBI, and 35 minutes from Ocean City. The site we had was a pull through and very spacious. The whole place was quiet and clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. AT&T cell service was great. We will definitely stay here again.

• 

  rich E.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Big Oaks Campground

  Good location

  Great location minutes away from lowes beach dewey beach,bethany beach,and rehobth bech and about a 45 min drive from ocean city and assateague island with the wild horses

  Pool is very nice store is a a little outdated the campsight we stayed on was quiet and large not sure of the sight number but when you come intorhe camground it was the 1st right and at the end of the row on the corner but we had friends with us anx they stayed to the left when you get into the park and was loud the bus goes though the campground every hour allday and night

  If you want to go to the beaches at a great price stay here if your looking for a resort keep looking

• 

  Stephanie H.

  Ranger

  

  May. 2, 2021

  Sun Outdoors Cape May

  Tent camping

  Went for a a scout event May 2019 and was enjoyable. Lots to do. Caught a lot of fish. Tent camping.

• 

  Dina S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 29, 2019

  Atsion Family Camp — Wharton State Forest

  Fun and natural experience

  Wharton Forest has several campgrounds.

  We tent camped at Atsion in 2015: had flush toilets and was close to the checkin station/store as well as the beach on the lake. Some sites were right on the water and the sites were very big.

  We wanted a more rustic experience and tent camped at Bodine campground in 2018. Our site was right on Wading River and we launched our kayaks right at the site! Our tent is has a full view of the sky and at night it was like a planetarium as we admired the sky from our cots. Pit toilets, pump water, fire ring, nice big site. Road in is sandy but it is the pine barrens. Although we were there on Friday the 13th, sadly neither Jason or the Jersey Devil stopped by for s’mores.

• 

  April L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2018

  Sun Retreats Seashore Campsites & RV Resort

  Amazing location but watch out for those mosquitos

  There were so many great things about this campground. It was beautiful and had so many different amenities including a little man made beach in the center of the campground. Our only issues were it was pretty pricey for tent camping (65 a night) and the mosquitos were INSANE! Also, a few of the showers were down, so it was difficult to get in there and everything cost extra. It was a quarter run shower. The location was perfect if you wanted to visit Cape May or go into Wildwood only 15 minutes away. I’d say it is perfect for RV’s, campers, or if you are renting a cabin for your family, but as a tent camp location it was a little extravagant for what we were looking for with our trip.

• 

  Alyssa D.

  Legend

  

  May. 17, 2020

  Sun Outdoors Cape May

  Stayed here as a kid...

  & it was a great time! Need to go back now that I’m older...

  We had a pop-up so I can’t speak to tent camping at this one!

  Like most KOAs with standard activities, family friendly environment.

• s

  stephen S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 19, 2021

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Ugh.

  Not a good place for tent camping. All tent spaces very packed together and without any foliage undergrowth separation whatsoever. More privacy in a subway car than these sites. Dogs allowed and poo everywhere. Wash stations a long walk away. Excellent system of paved bike paths.

• 

  Ashley R.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 24, 2021

  Goshen Pond — Wharton State Forest

  Awesome

  The boyfriend and I stayed for a weekend at one of the primitive tent sites. Our site was private and secluded. We had a great time.

• S

  Savannah F.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 16, 2019

  Tall Pine Campground

  Cute and Quaint place!

  We stayed here for one night and it was awesome! The campground is a little dated... but the tent site we had was perfect. Great hammocking trees :)

• 

  Matthew H.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 25, 2021

  Bass River State Forest

  Family camp out

  This is a cool little area with trails and a lake. We walked and explored, kayaked, and sang by the fire. The camp sites have plenty of room for the kids to run around and set up there own areas. Great area for tent camping.

• 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.

• 

  Justin S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 10, 2019

  Turkey Swamp Park

  Very nice campground

  Clean, well spaced lots. Electric and water with every site. $30 gets you a tent site. We rented a paddle boat for $15 and cruised the lake. Will be back

• A

  Alex T.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 1, 2019

  Batona — Wharton State Forest

  Great hike and camping ground

  Paid a visit mid November. Hiked from the Batso Office to the Mullica River tent sites. Trail could get a tad sandy but it's well maintained. Would definitively come visit again and stay more than one night.

• 

  AdventureStang

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2021

  Old Cedar Campground

  Not the best experience

  We got there, the host wasn’t very friendly. We had to pay $50 per night for a tent site that was sandy mud. The facilities were nice and they had a pool and some other amenities. Somebody found a snake in there trailer so watch out for those 😂

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 8, 2017

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Nice Newly Renovated Sites

  We came back for another visit this September and the campground has undergone lots of renovations since I was here last so I wanted to provide an updated review.

  As always, the biking and walking trails in the park are top notch! The Gordon's Pond trail offers beautiful salt march views with lots of birds especially first thing in the morning. Beach access is quick and easy from the campground, too!

  We stayed in tent site 114 which was among a cluster of tent sites. Here you have to park in a parking lot and cart your stuff into your actual site. It's not a long haul but could be a pain in the neck if you tend to bring a lot of stuff with you when you camp. From our site there was a small path through the back of the site that provides quick and immediate access to the bike trails in the area.

  The sites have newly built picnic tables (very heavy and sturdy) as well as new concrete pad fire rings with grates. They sit a little high off the ground than a traditional fire pit but are nice and well maintained thus far. As I mentioned, the tent site we were in was among a cluster of sites spaced out relatively evenly. However, if all of the sites had been full it would have been a bit close together for my liking. One thing that is nice about these sites is the amount of shade, super helpful in the late summer heat.

  The bathroom facilities are also nice and well maintained. Be advised that many Delaware state parks require that you pack out all of your trash at most of their day use areas, the campground however DOES have a dumpster available for trash.

  If you can get a reservation here it's totally worth the stay!

• 

  Ashley R.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 24, 2021

  Godfrey Bridge — Wharton State Forest

  Awesome

  Our group stayed for an extended weekend trip at one of the primitive tent sites. It was awesome, and we all had a great time. Unfortunately, we had neighbors that were being obnoxiously loud for multiple hours past the "quiet time", but even that didn't ruin our trip. Bonus points for being driving distance to multiple locations that we could take our kayaks.

• 

  Gina M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 19, 2022

  Big Oaks Campground

  Crammed

  We did a tent site. Which was mulched? Yes mulched.  Talk about having to keep an eye on your fire before it spread to the mulch.  Very packed! Campsites we’re right on top of each other, thought I was going to hit someone’s car door with my truck door.  We ended up leaving 2 days earlier to go elsewhere.  Guess what no refunds.  Which we left anyways.

• 

  Christopher E.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 9, 2020

  Shellbay Campgrounds

  Decent Campsite for Tenting

  We stayed here because it was within biking distance of the beaches at Stone Harbor, Wildwood, and Cape May. The tent sites were close together and since it was Labor Day weekend it was pretty full. There were a lot of things for kids to do but it was not the kind of camp ground for peace and quiet. Several sites were playing music until 11:00 every night. The bathrooms were a little worse for the wear but the pool looked nice.

• P

  Paula R.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2021

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Beach camping

  Great state park with the beach on one side and the bay on the other. All reachable on bikes. Town of Lewes is right there and has cute shops and places to eat. Rehobeth is 5 miles away by bike on the trail, and has a boardwalk and great shopping. Campground also has Fort Myers tours and lots of other sites to see. We go back every year for the past 4 years. Worth going to see and stay. Tent sites, rv sites and cabins available.

• 

  Jeff J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2021

  Bass River State Forest

  Very large camp sites, near to lake, very clean, bathrooms and showers

  A beautiful camping area that is affordable, each site is very large, very clean and well maintained, bathrooms and showers 24/7. The camp ground area is very large and signed extremely well making finding your campsite easy. Bathrooms and showers can be a hike. If you can bring a portable toilet, I'd recommend that. $25 for a primitive tent site with fire pit that is very large area for a family or friends, and far from the road. We stayed at the site to kayak with our outdoor group called "A Good Paddling".

• 

  M J.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 14, 2019

  Sun Retreats Seashore Campsites & RV Resort

  Good spot in Cape May

  Tent site was fantastic, level, trees are well trimmed, but still with good coverage, sites are a nice size. Close enough to the bathroom and water options. Campground well appointed. Nice pool, clean showers, quarters for a shower. We paid $40 night in almost mid September. Its just faucets for water, no sinks for a dishwashing station. You are in a busier campground with lots of RVs, travel trailers and vacation rentals, so its not some peaceful small state campground. Only complaint really would be the folks who drove their golf  carts like maniacs. Some enforcement from management would be good there.

• 

  Sarah S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 13, 2018

  Cape Henlopen State Park Campground

  Cape henelopen

  This is a beautiful campground! It is a mile walk to the beach. It has some of the best water and electric hookups I've seen. The tent sites are a good size and have a good mix of shade and sun. They also have a rv and camper section. Over 20 miles of trails through pine trees, with views of sand dunes. It also has historic ruins from ww2. The cape is amazing. You can walk into the water for what seems like miles and it only gets up to your shins. There is bay access for kayaking and fishing. A really great camp and hiking spot.

• S

  Shirley M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 25, 2019

  Tall Pine Campground

  Nice, Friendly - Okay for when you will be at beach all day

  This is a huge campground. It is 95% seasonal permanent trailers. We estimate close to 500 permanent sites. Some very well maintained, but most are on the "junky" side.  There are limited RV sites and tenting sites.    The RV sites provided water and electric hook up.   There is a dump station which, when leaving, you need to go around the loop to get on the correct side.  The tent areas are literally on top of the dump station.   The RV and tent sites are on top of each other.  Shower/bathrooms are clean.  Staff is friendly.   There is a camp store, pool, and activities.  The campground is gated.  Many people and LOTS of golf carts.  They didn't enforce the over 18 to operate a golf cart!  Lots of dogs.  We have dogs so that is fine.  All this is fine when you plan on not being at the campsite too often.  But, we prefer a quieter campground so we stick to state parks usually.  We booked this site because we waited to long to book Cape Henlopen.  Can't say it is a bad place.  Everyone was friendly.  Just not our type of place to go and relax.  We got lucky and our site, RV17, was the last site in the row of RV sites so we had no one on the back side of us.

• Y

  Yvonne T.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 24, 2022

  Timberline Lake Camping Resort

  Not a quiet getaway, crowded yet. Family friendly

  My friends brought us here, they are family of 4 they have booked tents and cabins over the last 4 years. It's a very large mostly RV park with tent sites mixed in. Mostly seasonal RV people, packed to the hilt. Very large campground, yet small sites, crowded tons of people. Horrible wifi, zero cell service, small swimming area crowded on lake. Great if you are looking for a seasonal spot in an RV community obsessed with American flags and you have a young family, there's a small crowded pool, playground, etc. Boring for my teen, too crowded for my liking. Lots of activities for familiesBring tons of deet-biting flies unbearable. Not my preferred camping getaway but aside from horrible internet and zero cell service, it's a nicely run campground if you are social, have an RV and young children.

• 

  Hallie M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2018

  Godfrey Bridge — Wharton State Forest

  Serenity in the Pine Barrens

  Wharton State Forest has a few primitive campgrounds, which is what I'm looking for. I try to stay away from campgrounds with electrical hookups, because the sound of generators is not exactly the serenity of nature I'm looking for.

  This is a review for GOSHEN POND campground, which you can reserve online. Goshen Pond isn't actually a pond, but actually just a very wide, slow moving section of the Mullica River. It's kayakable and canoe-able, but very shallow and swampy, so it doesn't make for good swimming. The Pine Barrens has a fascinating ecology - the ground is very sandy and nutrient-poor, which means that it suits fast-growing pines which live a short life and then die. The constant decay of trees in the area causes the copious amounts of rivers in Wharton State Forest to have a signature brown color. Just want to point it out - it's still clean and lovely, but not very clear.

  The benefits to this Pine Barren ecology is that it makes for almost perfect camping. The ground is always very soft and sandy, which makes for comfortable sleeping. It's noticeably NOT rocky. It also means that there's always plenty of kindling available for collecting.

  The GOSHEN POND camping area is great. Each campsite has room for 1-2 tents, and a fire ring. I personally prefer some privacy when I camp, and some of the sites offer this and some don't. There are some sites that the reservation site lists as RV sites, but they are rarely used by RVs and are actually the most secluded, so I would recommend them for tent camping as well. Site 3 is nice and private, and site 7 has the best view and easiest access to the pond. Avoid the sites in the center circuit of the map - they're very close together.

  GOSHEN POND campground is connected to two equestrian trails, which make for great hiking. In your plans, keep in mind that Wharton State Forest is very flat, so you'll likely be able to cover a lot of ground much more quickly than you would on mountainous terrain.

  There is a parking area, and the sites are variable distances from those areas. The RV sites will allow you to pull up directly to your campsite, but the rest of the tent sites are short walks away. You certainly don't need to plan for a backpacking adventure, but keep in mind that you won't have immediate access to your car.

  There is a water pump near the parking area, and pit toilets. There are no flushing toilets, which I prefer at a campsite.

  In review, the pros to GOSHEN POND are:

  1. Soft, flat sleeping surfaces
  2. Easy access to hiking trails and a kayakable "pond" that connects to the Mullica River system.
  3. Plenty of kindling in the area.
  4. Quiet and remote-feeling.
  5. Some sites are very private.
  6. Dogs allowed.
  7. Water available.

  Some downsides to GOSHEN POND:

  1. No picnic table at any site, nor seating around the ring. I recommend bringing camp chairs and either a cooler to be a food prep surface or a folding table.
  2. MOSQUITOS. Holy crap. Goshen Pond is nearly stagnant, so it is a breeding ground for mosquitos. I came back looking like a leper. I'm going back this weekend, and am investing in some 97% deet bug repellent and a mosquito net for my campsite.
  3. Soot. Don't know what this is about, but at campsite 3, where I stayed the last time, there was a ton of soot in the soil, which just stuck to everything. You would wash yourself, and then be black with soot moments later. We eventually just succumbed to the soot and allowed ourselves to be dirty, but it was an annoyance. In the pictures, you can see the effect of it on my (normally) white dog.

  Overall, I will definitely be returning to Goshen Pond and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a primitive campsite that truly feels like it's away from everything.