Best Glamping near Oxford, NJ

Easy access from Rt 80 and located close to the Lakota Wolf Preserve. With tours leaving them campground twice a day on both Saturday and Sundays for the wolf preserve, I was glad there was camping so close. The camping selection of sites is excellent with Cabins, Glamping tents, primitive tent sites and of course RV sites. I choose to stay in one of the glamping tents and was pleasantly surprised at the space inside the tent even with a double bed and two other fold out couches to beds. Water is available at the site. A small lake for swimming and boating. And lots of trails linking you to the Delaware river water gap area.

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. Water and electric hookups and a dump station. Convenient for hiking and exploring, it's also only a 20 minute drive to a large mall in Rockaway.

Beautiful park with in the skylands region of New Jersey. Great campsites on a lake, with lots of hiking and biking trails right from your site. Hike to the monument at the highest point in the state, or maybe along the Appalachian trail, or maybe just a swim in the lake. Either way there’s plenty to see and do at High Point State Park.

NO FULL HOOKS ... BUT EVERYTHING IS WELCOME ... THEY HAVE YURTS ALSO ... THERE IS A LAKE AND FOOD STAND AND PADDLE BOATS ... I LOVE THE GROUP SITES ...

Stokes is nestled in a beautiful part of New Jersey and it’s just remote enough that you can get away from the crowds and activity while still being in a short driving distance of restaurants, grocery stores, etc. We stayed at Lake Ocquittunk, which was a little disappointing. The site itself (T001) was absolutely massive and stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately, when the site was cleared, trees were cut down to the stump and the stumps were just left there. This posed both a tripping hazard and a driving hazard. You have to weave your way around the various stumps and small boulders protruding from the ground in all lighting conditions. The site is on a gentle slope, which made it difficult to find a level area for the tent, but we found a spot that suited us perfectly. The campground overall needs some improvement. It almost felt neglected or abandoned. The bathrooms weren’t great, but I’ve seen much worse. The park staff were incredibly helpful and generous with time and information. Directions were easy to follow and we felt comfortable staying there. Ultimately, we would gladly return in the future, but we might visit in a warmer season.

This park has 65 campsites and a few yurts for rent. most of the sites are wooded and can fit a travel trailer or tent easily. The campground map is accurate and the some of the sites offer a bit of seclusion but most are pretty close together. I camped during the week and it was beautifully quite. It has a nice swimming area and lake access. The showers are older and a little dirty but they stay warm and have good pressure. They have a big sink inside to wash dishes out of the bugs at night and the staff was friendly. I camped in site 22 and loved it! We easily hiked around the Delaware Water Gap during the day and felt safe leaving our site here.

Campground Review

Stokes State Forest has four campgrounds. The Steam Mill Camping Area is tucked out the of the way and is the most primitive. It is the smallest of the campgrounds with 27 sites only suitable for tents or small trailers/campervans. No pets or alcohol allowed.

The campground has a pit toilet and a well. Each large campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern hook. Some sites also have a tent platform. Many sites are a bit rocky.

We selected site T219. 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.

Remember, this is bear country so proper food storage is a must. Bear lockers are not provided. The area also has ticks and rattlesnakes.

Outdoor activities in the area abound. Go fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more. There are 21 marked trails that cover over 63 miles within the boundaries of Stokes State Forest. Twelve miles are part of the Appalachian Trail. Pick up a hiking map at the park office or download the Avenza Maps app.

This visit we hiked the Tillman Ravine trail (tip: make the trail a loop and visit both the ravine and the nearby old cemetery).

You can also drive or hike to Sunset Mountain Scenic Overlook for a view of High Point Monument. High Point Monument is the highest elevation in New Jersey and is located in High Point State Park which borders Stokes State Forest on the north. High Point State Park also offers camping, hiking, sightseeing opportunities. And, on the western border of Stokes State Forest is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. So, there is lots of outdoors to get out and explore!

Product Review

We camped at the Steam Mill Camping Area in Stokes State Forest in our campervan over a chilly autumn weekend. We had the opportunity to cook some soup on our stovetop and chill out by the campfire. And, as Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time so we were psyched to try out some new dinnerware and cutlery. This included the FlexiBowl and GoBites from humangear.

What made these humangear products pretty awesome? Well, the fun colors to start. I mean, seriously, my orange bowl rules. The FlexiBowl also has some neat features: it’s flexible - just like the name suggests - and foldable. The bowl can be squished and stuffed anywhere. And, the top section can be folded down to create a smaller bowl. The FlexiBowl is versatile yet durable. It held my hearty, warm soup just perfectly.

I paired the FlexiBowl with one of the GoBites utensils (the Uno model). The Uno model is my favorite - it has a fork on one side and a spoon on the other side. Very simple and convenient. The other GoBites models include the Duo (separate fork and spoon that can snap together) and the Trio (a fork, spoon, and knife - with bottle opener - in a case).

PRO TIP: I keep the Trio GoBites model in my travel pack at all times. It recently came in handy on a (non-camping) trip to Sardinia. The knife on the Trio allowed me to slice some delicious local cheese to pair with bread, jam, and wine that was purchased from the grocery store. YUM.

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

We are avid campers ranging from our early days of remote, rustic tent camping with just the two of us and 20 years later upgraded to our travel trailer that houses our two kids and two dogs. We love going on different adventures and experiencing new ideas so when we came across Tentrr we really wanted to see what it was all about. This location was about an hour and a half away from our home so it was far enough to feel like we were getting away but close enough that we could be home quickly in case of an emergency since we decided to make this an adult trip. It was a beautiful drive to the campsite and we drove by a few times because I didn’t see the small Tentrr sign on the mailbox post. We eventually figured it out and we found the host aside of the dirt lane chopping wood. He greeted us and took up back to the campsite. It was at the far end of his property right up against the property line which was a small wire fence. We were a little disappointed at how close the neighboring structures were however that was behind the tents and didn’t impede the magnificent view looking out to the front of the campsite. He showed us around and made sure we were comfortable with everything. We had pre-ordered firewood and he already had it stacked by the firepit ready to be burned. We got settled in and unpacked our supplies and set up our camp. Already provided was a large canvas tent that housed a queen bed with two night stands along with some books, an air mattress pump, lantern and some bee spray. Behind that was another tent pad with a 4-6 person tent already set up with a queen size air mattress already blown up. It would have been perfect for another couple or kids. I was extremely excited to camp in a tent with a stove in it and once we had unpacked and the host left I noticed the stove was not in the tent. I was so disappointed. We packed assuming that there would be a stove to help keep us warm at night. It went down to 40 degrees that night so we had to make due with extra layers and bundle up but we made it through the night. However, the stove in the tent was the thing I was looking forward to the most and I feel like I didn’t get the whole experience. There were also two Adirondack chairs on a nice sized front deck of the tent along with tiki torches which definitely helped at night for late night trips to the bathroom. Along side of the tent was the privy and loo. Also provided was a small picnic table with cabinets which stored some additional supplies like baggies for the loo, paper towels, matches and newspaper for the fire. There was also a 5 gallon water container and we were advised of where we could fill up if need be which was just at the bottom of the field near the entrance to the campsite. However we also brought 5 gallons of water so we were good. There was also a small charcoal grill provided however we brought along our campstove because it is like an extension of me that I can’t camp without. Alongside the table were two hammocks. The way they were set up was a little awkward because they bumped into each other since there were only three posts they were hanging on. I tend to get really motion sick so I could only sit on it for a few minutes and had to get off. If you want to have a campfire at this site be prepared to walk for the firepit is a good distance away. Although you did get a nice view of the steer and sheep in the next field while watching the fire I think it would have been much better to put the pit out in front of the tent and hammocks instead of off to the side. When I make my site I like my fire to be in the center of my campsite whenever possible. The way this was set up made it feel like we were just sitting out in the middle of a field. Although, I really did enjoy being able to cook over the fire as there was a swinging fire grate on site. We roasted some jalapenos over the fire and then made jalapeno popper dip. It was awesome! We cooked dinner over the fire as well which was just as delicious. The best part of this trip was definitely the views. You look out over the field and see the mountains in the background with the river running between them and it just takes your breath away. We also happened to be camping when there was a full moon. The stars and moon were absolutely amazing. We got some great night shots and the moon is so bright it actually looks like the sun in the photos. As I mentioned earlier we did a lot of rustic camping and we did that in a state forest where we were the only people around sometimes for miles. We have also done the family campgrounds and state park camping as well. This site was probably a good compromise in between as far as how remote the site was and the noise factor. I think this would be great for a family who are just starting to get interested in camping and would like to experience it first without making a large investment into buying your own equipment. I would do this again for a special occasion however I don’t think I would spend that amount of money each time when I already have all of my own equipment and can go more remote camping for much cheaper. It was definitely fun and we had a very relaxing time just hanging out with our dogs and each other. The whole process was smooth from the booking online to checking out. Our host, Tigran, was very nice and communicated very well before and during our camping experience. This was a great way to social distance so if you need to get away this is a great place to start. Adventure is out there!

Me

Proximaty to the Delaware makes this campground amazing. Bring your own kayaks to make it even more special.

We had tons of privacy and a view of the Delaware river right from my hammock. Leashes pets allowed, and they have a large store on grounds if you forgot anything.

Nice campsite river view. Fun on the Delaware.

I have been to this campground with family and friends 4 times. Every time we have had issues with loud neighbors at 12am, but I have called the front and they resolved it. This campground is a in between a highway and the Delaware River. The highway is a trucking highway so it is not a good spot if you are trying to get away to peace and quiet. But it is perfect for those who never camped before. The bathrooms are clean, the pool is small but clean and the store has anything you can imagine. There is a liquor store across the highway for breakfast sandwiches, coffee and nightcaps. They also have a great tubing down the river company that the ride ends at the campground. There is a large area for kids to play and a large bon-fire set up at night.

Great for tubing and boating in the river. Large sites. Nice pool. Only complaint is we got a site next to a seasonal camper who did no maintenance at all. Other than that it was pretty cool.

This campground has a good amount of primitive tent and RV camp sites. I went for the primitive tent camping out a solo camp and was pleasantly surprised with how nice the river was and community turned out to be.

They have kayak and tube rentals if you want to float the river. I enjoyed my stay here thoroughly and the rangers we very nice and felt well taken care of and left alone as well.

Fire pits were provided and there’s a great campground store that came in handy for food and drinks.

The river is beautiful in this area and worth the stay.

This was our first visit to the campsite and we just weren’t impressed. Very few activities and really no sense of community within the campground. We asked staff that were on golf carts for some information and they didn’t know how to answer our questions either. The river was beautiful but the jet skiers were crazy and took away from the beauty and relaxation. Disappointing.

Great site, clean amenities, super fun river rafting, easy check in and out. Everyone was very helpful. We will be back!

This might be my 3rd or 4th trip there. They advertise WiFi but the WiFi never works. No cable hookups. And cell service is at a minimum. Every time we go there, it’s a new excuse about the WiFi. Funny thing is, they take the time to show you your password lol.

Nice big group site and fun walk to Ghost Lake.

This place was great, they allow dogs and had hiking trails with beautiful views you could enjoy right from your campground. It’s also close to other local hikes like Mt. Tammany. The campgrounds and bathrooms were clean and well kept. Great place to get away for the weekend with the family!!!