Paramus is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Paramus is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Paramus, NJ. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$5 - $200 / night
"Cabins are always clean and stocked with firewood. Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions"
"One rustic place with many hiking trails to choose from. Camp also provides trucking of gear weather permitting. No vehicles allowed to drive through camp. Trading Post for treats and other items."
$529 - $1200 / night
"The article also mentions the benefits of camping on Governor Island, such as feeling close to nature, relaxing and enjoying a peaceful space, away from the noise of the city."
"Arrived to campsite late but easily found. Campsite and lean to was clean. Fire pit with grill and picnic table."
"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."
$7 - $55 / night
"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."
"So it rained during set up and it rained during take down. It stopped raining for a bit and we took a nice walk around the campsite, out to the lake and back. Then night fell and so did the rain."
"Very kid and pet friendly, lake to fish and kayak on, lots of activities, great pool and awesome hot tub."
"The campground is clean, the people who live there are friendly, very well organized, sites are big, street are easy to travel, the amnesties are good, the welcome center store is has the basic needs,"
$5 - $20 / night
"Camping for summer is pretty limited to Sawmill Lake, as the other locations are for groups or winter camping."
"It is not very private/secluded as it is right by the road, but we enjoy waving at neighbors driving or walking by. Short 5-10 min walk to the restroom and water, no sinks or showers."
" 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."
"Love the pool and small pond for fishing it is well stocked with little fish. The barn with games is nice. They have theme weekends with lots of activities. Nice store & food by the pool."
$75 - $400 / night
"The staff was friendly and accommodating, and the camp store was well-stocked with essentials."
"Rafting and hiking is always a great time, and you can have a good campfire with music and a few beers and nobody is going to bother you."
"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."
"Fire pit had a medal grate to cook on. Beautiful area. we paddled in, the water is very clean and crystal clear"
$25 - $40 / night
"The campground is beautiful and the staff was wonderful! We started our camping season off right with a quick weekend stay at Round Pound. We were very impressed with the playground on site!"
"It has become a home away from home for us and a chance to connect with other Vets. So grateful for a place just for Military and their families and guests."
ScoutThis was a great campsite nestled in the foothills of Northern NJ on the NY border. Small, clean with great views and great location for hiking , cruising etc. Bring your tent or use the existing glamping tents. Headed back for a fall weekend in the "dome" which has incredible views. Try it you won't be sorry.
RangerCampground 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.
GuideStayed 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.
ScoutNice, family friendly campground with 3 levels to camp at. Top level has a pool, showers and bathrooms with laundry area and game room. Middle level has open field with bathrooms with sinks and running water. There is water and electric on the sites at the middle level. River level has more primitive bathrooms and some bathrooms with running water. You can camp right next to the river and it has a great view.
RangerMy first trip to this campground was September 2020. We wanted to get out of the house, but stay clear of other campers during the pandemic. This campsite, CS52, was in the woods and we were able to get the illusion of privacy by parking the cars along the road as a makeshift wall and pitching our tents beside them, facing inward. The other 3/4 of the campsite was bound by trees and shrubs which was nice and why we chose the spot. Other sites are more open and only the darkness of night will give you privacy. Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook.
We hung out at the campsite mostly, using the fire pit, playing frisbee, and relaxing in our hammocks. When we did roam a bit, there was a nice lake, with seating every so often and a boat dock ramp thing in the campground. There was also a playground, beach, pavilion, and picnic tables, but we did not use any of that.
Campsite sells fire wood. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, masks required for the pandemic.
LegendI really enjoyed camping at Shotwell. To get there, you have to drive about 2 miles down a road away from the welcome center. This is nice because it is quiet from traffic from cars. Each campsite is fairly big and far enough away from each other so you feel like you have your own space. Some of the sites had a platform to set up your tent on which is nice, especially if you are going after it recently rained. Our site had a picnic table and fire ring. There was a communal bathroom which was fairly well maintained and a large dumpster near the front of the site to drop off your trash. They did have a cabin-like option but I did not stay in it and do not know much about renting those.
ScoutWe stayed in a RV and a tent. There were eight people in total sleeping on the site. We stayed July 1 and 2nd. The actual site was nice and was close to the bathrooms. There was plenty of shade as the sun moved throughout the day. The park used to be a swim attraction but the water is not safe to swim in because of a dangerous algae bloom. While walking around, it gave off an abandoned summer camp feel. There were maybe six structures (concessions, changing rooms, etc) that were all boarded up. Thursday night was quiet. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature. The next night, there were many more people there. In one site, campers set up at least five tents. They were very loud past the curfew time of 10. Quiet hours were not taken seriously on that night.
RangerThis is a good platform campsite, with a lot of gravel parking or extra tent space. It is not very private/secluded as it is right by the road, but we enjoy waving at neighbors driving or walking by. Short 5-10 min walk to the restroom and water, no sinks or showers. The weather was warm and while it didn't rain, there were some morning drips and drops from the mountain dew or whatever condensing in the tree tops.
The setup is a bit weird, with an upper campsite trail/path cutting through the lower campsite. Twenty-nine is the lower campsite, 30 is the one up the hill. There might be some awkwardness if you did have neighbors at 30. They would be walking in between your tent and campfire, which would be awkward. However, there is a marked parking spot for 30 down the road a bit and also a rocky, more adventurous path through the woods up to the campsite. If asked, we would probably let 30 park with us since there is so much space and safer footing. It would probably be awesome to get both campsites if you had a larger group, 6+. Party campsite at the top and business campsite at the bottom? lol.
We didn't have neighbors at 30, but the campsite across the road, down by the lake, did park nearby. Setting up the hammock was a bit awkward.
Spiders, omg, spiders. So many spiders! I had to clear off so many spiders from my "porch" to sit without fear from above. I will bring a broom now to brush off my foes, the bane of my camping experience. If you can get over that, this is a very good campsite.
GuideStokes 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Paramus, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Paramus, NJ is Camp Glen Gray with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Paramus, NJ?
TheDyrt.com has all 28 glamping camping locations near Paramus, NJ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
