Leo C.
Scout
ScoutWinding Hills Park
Nice but dated
Nice campground, bathrooms are clean but dated, first come first serve for the sites.
Camping near Pompton Lakes, NJ
136 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Campgrounds near Pompton Lakes, New Jersey range from established state parks to private resorts, with most facilities located within a 30-mile radius of town. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation offers large, wooded campsites with water and electric hookups for tents, RVs, and cabins, while Harriman State Park's Beaver Pond Campground provides tent and RV sites with various amenities including showers and toilets. Camp Glen Gray features cabin accommodations with electric hookups and shower facilities. The region includes both drive-in sites with full hookups and more primitive hike-in options like those found along the Stonetown Circular trail.
Access to campgrounds varies seasonally, with many facilities operating from April through October or early November. Wawayanda State Park Campground remains open from April 1 to October 31, while Beaver Pond Campground at Harriman State Park typically operates from April 22 to October 9. Several campgrounds require advance reservations, particularly for weekend stays during summer months. The terrain throughout the region features wooded, sometimes rocky sites that may present challenges for larger RVs. Campgaw Mountain Reservation permits tent and RV camping but requires permits and offers limited amenities. As one camper noted about Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, "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."
Waterfront camping represents a significant draw in the region, with several campgrounds offering lake or river access. Wawayanda State Park provides boat-in camping options alongside traditional drive-in sites. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area features multiple boat-in campsites along the river, accessible only by canoe or kayak. Campers frequently mention privacy and natural surroundings as highlights of their experiences. A review of Sandyston Boat In Campsites described it as having "quite a bit of room, and the site was very clean." Many campgrounds in the area maintain a balance between accessibility and natural setting, with several state parks offering hiking trails directly from campsites. Cell phone reception varies significantly throughout the region, with some remote areas having limited or no service.
Best Campgrounds near Pompton Lakes (136)
1. Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park
"Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill."
"The grounds are just steps away from Welch Lake, offering a lifeguard monitored sandy beach which is open during the summer season for swimming, fishing, and small boat craft further out."
from $21 - $24 / night
Check Availability2. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation
"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."
3. Camp Glen Gray
"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."
"Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions"
from $5 - $200 / night
Check Availability4. Sebago Cabin Camp — Harriman State Park
"It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it."
"This place is only an hour away from NYC with so much to do and see. These cabins are VERY rustic, four walls, a cot, and a fridge."
from $130 / night
Check Availability5. Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #1
"Stonetown Circular trail is a 11 mile medium/high difficulty loop trail. This is the first of two primitive sites along the trail. The trailhead is across the street from a large parking lot."
6. The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center — Harriman State Park
"This was beautiful campground with an even nicer lake. You are able to do a hike around the lake."
"Great trails to hike for novices looking to branch out but not too large that you'll be lost forever lol highly recommend and can't do so enough 👍🏽"
7. Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #2
"Stonetown Circular trail is a 11 mile medium/high difficulty loop trail. This is the second of two primitive sites along the trail. The trailhead is across the street from a large parking lot."
8. Wawayanda State Park Campground
"It is off the beaten path without any running water or showers within walking distance."
"Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes. One downside is there were obviously people who had visited and didn't understand what LEAVE NO TRACE means. We'll bring a trashbag next time."
9. Campgaw Mountain Reservation
10. Liberty Harbor RV Park
"This is all about location. The closest RV park to NYC. It's basically a parking lot with a dump station. Not much else. Pick one of the larger end row sites to get a little extra elbow room."
"Basicly a parking lot, but the location can't be beat. 2 ferries that run to Manhattan. Path train is a 12 minute walk away that will take you yyo manhatten."
from $145 - $180 / night
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Drive Time
- 27 min from Kiryas Joel, NY
- 33 min from New York, NY
- 1 hr 9 min from Bridgeport, CT
- 1 hr 16 min from Trenton, NJ
Recent Camping Photos near Pompton Lakes, NJ
483 Photos of 136 Pompton Lakes Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Campgaw Mountain Reservation
Mahlon Dickerson Reservation
Wawayanda Group Shelter
Tentrr Signature Site - Appalachian Trail Hilltop Hideaway - Coleman Cooking Site
Moon Valley CampgroundD
Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park
Woodland Trails
Black Bear RV ParkT
Kittatinny Valley State Park Campground
Croton Point Park
Pleasant Acres Farm RV Resort
Great Divide Campground
Recent Reviews near Pompton Lakes, NJ
869 Reviews of 136 Pompton Lakes Campgrounds
Thomas B.
RangerNeversink River Resort
Cool Riverside Campground
I'll start by saying this is a site-specific review (C20). I booked using Campspot and didn't select my own site but put in the criteria for my rig (30ft TT plus truck) and got a 50A back-in spot. The site was big but abnormal. Between the picnic table placement and the trees, I ended up right around 50ft from the electric and water, and the water spigot was so low I could barely put on my camco filter. With the uneven dirt roads, I had to unhitch with my truck in a gigantic puddle (lol). The site was otherwise fine aside from my gate code not working on Day 2. As for the campground as a whole, I thought it was pretty unique place by the river that offered several good amenities and activities, like downstream river tubing, an arcade, bathroom/shower facilities, a small store, little trails, and more. I would say this place borders the more primitive side.
Edwin R.ScoutCheesequake State Park Campground
Park uses county cops to shut down park by 9pm.
On Friday, September 4, 2026, I rented a trailer and brought my family to Cheesequake State Park to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary over the extended Labor Day weekend. Around 9:20 PM—well before the park's designated 10:00 PM quiet hours—we were sitting inside our canopy, playing Jenga, and listening to low background music. Two officers from the Matawan Police Department approached our campsite. They were polite and courteous, simply offering a standard reminder to wrap things up by 10:00 PM. Before they could leave, however, a third, senior officer intervened. Wanting to"show them how it's done," he made the two polite officers return and stand by to watch as he demonstrated how to aggressively harass campers. Flashlight in hand, the senior officer approached with an immediate hostile attitude, treating us like criminals as he demanded to know who rented the site. He began reiterating rules and claimed we had too many vehicles. We had three cars, one belonging to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, who was visiting with her daughter. She had paid the$10 visitor fee at the main office and was instructed by staff to obtain the gate access code from us, the primary renters, if she got locked in. No staff member ever informed her of an 8:00 PM visitor departure deadline, leading us to reasonably assume visitors were permitted until quiet hours began at 10:00 PM. The officer rudely snapped that she had been given wrong information. The senior officer then used profanity in front of three small children, aggressively telling her to ("get her shit and get the fuck out!") in that manner or use profanity, the officer went from hostile to furious. He angrily declared that these were official violations and threatened that he could be issuing us tickets instead. Desperately searching for anything and everything to throw at us, he demanded that we turn off our idling car—which was supplying power to our campsite—and instructed us to make sure the campfire was doused before shutting down for the night. He then proceeded to shine his flashlight into our private setup—including our canopy, tents, and the inside of our trailer—searching for any other possible violation while the two polite officers were forced to watch. What was supposed to be a special 10th wedding anniversary celebration with my family was completely ruined by a senior officer misusing his authority to put on an unnecessary display of intimidation. Worse than just ruining our night, he spent that evening teaching those two police officers how to be bad cops. He corrupted two officers in real time, demonstrating firsthand exactly why most people have lost faith in the police force. The next day we was ready for them. We turned off our lights and quietly by the fire while they went next door to harass an asian family that had just set up camp and had their leds lights on.
- eedgar V.Scout
Black Bear RV Park
Super clean and quiet
Past reviews has mentioned that the office seems to be closed often, while I found that to be true I had no reason to contact anyone. This is definitely one of the cleanest quiets site I’ve ever visited
- KKelly B.
GuideClarence Fahnestock State Park Campground
Check site photos first
Definitely a wide variety of sites—look at the site pictures before booking—there are two areas where it’s just an open field with bonfires and picnic tables that I’d avoid. I could see a large group going there or something but personally it doesn’t offer any privacy.
BUT if you book one of the other sites that DOES have privacy you’ll be in camping heaven. The “hike in” sites are more like “walk-in,” I was worried at first but it’s some are as little as a few yards from the road. The most annoying part was lugging the cooler back and forth, but totally worth it
- KKelly B.Guide
Stephens State Park Campground
Great last min getaway
Booked the day before—even on the holiday weekend! Just 1.5 hours outside of NYC, site was a bit close to the neighbors (fire pit was very far back and basically in the neighbors’ campsite, but we put up a “privacy clothesline” and hung a tarp over it for a bit of extra coverage.
The staff was friendly and helpful, they said it was the busiest they’ve seen the campground all year (there were lots of large groups but everyone seemed to settle down by 9:30pm
Poison ivy was EVERYWHERE at our site so make sure to stick to the open areas and the paths. Lots of families around, we felt very safe Bathrooms were fine—it was my impression they’re usually cleaner but the high traffic of the weekend left a bit to be desired, (lots of families around=dirty diapers in the bathroom trash bin) but it’s camping! I’m not gonna argue w a flushing toilet!
- KKevin F.
TravelerTri-State RV Park
A place to stay in an area lacking campgrounds.
This area seems to be devoid of campgrounds except for this one. It’s basically just a large parking lot with hook ups. Completely open, which is great for Starlink. Bathrooms were slightly above average; fairly clean and places to hang clothes for your shower. Has a laundry but be sure to bring quarters. It is about 100 yards from the interstate so you’ll get a lot of noise and diesel exhaust fumes.
- Sue B.Ranger
Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA
Great off season camping
We camped here in our pop up for our Anniversary in November. We were impressed with the cleanliness and available amenities for the time of year we were camping in! Close proximity to DWG and PA AND NJ attractions.
- JJayTraveler
Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA
Large sites & friendly staff!
Another great experience. Sites were large. Staff was friendly with many different things for kids to do. Great base camp for local hikes.
Guide to Pompton Lakes
Camping spots near Pompton Lakes, New Jersey range from secluded tent sites to full-service campgrounds with cabins. The region sits within the Skylands region at elevations between 200-1,000 feet, creating varied terrain for different camping experiences. Most camping areas close during winter months, with main camping season running April through October when average temperatures range from 60°F to 85°F.
What to do
Hiking access directly from campsites: At Wawayanda State Park Campground, trails connect directly to camping areas. "Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes," reports one visitor who plans to "bring a trashbag next time" to help with trail maintenance.
Swimming in natural settings: Several campgrounds offer lake swimming from Memorial Day through Labor Day. "The lake and pool were a big plus, especially for hot days," notes one camper about Panther Lake Camping Resort, adding "you are allowed to rent boats and take them out on the lake."
Primitive camping along trails: For more adventurous campers, hike-in sites along hiking routes provide solitude. "Stonetown Circular trail is a 11 mile medium/high difficulty loop trail. This site is about 4 miles into the hike... right next to a flowing stream with fresh water," describes a camper who found the site marked by a sign reading "The Island."
What campers like
Wide spacing between sites: Campers frequently mention appreciating privacy at Beaver Pond Campground. "The biggest positive about Beaver Pond is how spread out it was. You definitely feel like you have your own space and are not camping on top of your neighbor," writes one reviewer who also enjoyed the "communal sink which made it very convenient and easy to wash dishes and fill up water."
Platform camping options: Several campgrounds offer raised platforms for tents. "Many of the camping options were on platforms which is especially nice if it recently rained or if you are expecting rain during your stay," notes a visitor to Beaver Pond Campground.
Variety of camping styles: Campgrounds in the region accommodate different preferences. "I have gone from tent platform, tent camping, tarp, and now hammock camping," shares a long-time visitor to Camp Glen Gray, describing how they "found something new and better each every year." Another camper praised Camp Glen Gray's cabins as "always clean and stocked with firewood."
What you should know
Bear activity precautions: Multiple campgrounds require proper food storage due to bears. "Welcome to Bear Mountain" grumbles the park ranger as he sits in complete darkness!" recalls one camper at Beaver Pond Campground who received a "run down on bear activity in the area."
Seasonal availability impacts: Most campgrounds operate on limited schedules. "Campsites were open in June," reports a visitor to Wawayanda State Park, though they cautioned about "primitive bathrooms" that "need ventilation."
Variable terrain for tent placement: Finding level ground can be challenging at some sites. A reviewer at Sebago Cabin Camp notes the cabins are "VERY rustic, four walls, a cot, and a fridge. You still feel like you are 'roughing it' but with the convenience of a fridge."
Limited cell service: Connectivity varies widely across the region. "Absolutely zero phone service (for T-Mobile) which was AMAZING," enthuses a Sebago Cabin visitor who appreciated disconnecting.
Tips for camping with families
Look for campgrounds with youth activities: Some locations offer structured programming. "The ceramic class was fun for the girls," mentions a visitor to Panther Lake Camping Resort, where "two teenage girls had a blast in the lake and riding their bikes around."
Consider cabin options for mixed comfort levels: Cabins provide shelter while maintaining a camping experience. "It is great if you are going with a group/family and people want to sleep inside a cabin as oppose to a tent outside," explains a reviewer at Sebago Cabin Camp.
Check proximity to attractions: The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center offers significant advantages for families. "This campsite is accessible by public transportation. There is a shuttle run by the campsite to and from Tuxedo Park Train Station," notes a camper who appreciated this convenience for day trips.
Tips from RVers
Water hookup logistics: Some campgrounds require extended hose connections. "Website lists water hook ups at long distances but they have hose reels to help with that," explains a visitor to Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, where "our site (15) said 75' however the 50' hose reel made it to our rv connection."
Navigating larger RVs: Several campgrounds can accommodate larger vehicles despite tight access roads. "Easy to navigate our 38 ft. RV. Easy to dump and fill," reports a camper at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, while another noted the sites are "paved and mostly level."
Electricity considerations: Electric hookups vary between campgrounds. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation provides "large, wooded campsites with electric and water" that one camper described as "beautiful and quiet, and close to beautiful hiking trails, lakes, and other outdoor recreation opportunities."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
What camping is available near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, Pompton Lakes, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 136 campgrounds and RV parks near Pompton Lakes, NJ and 5 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
Which is the most popular campground near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Pompton Lakes, NJ is Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park with a 4.2-star rating from 41 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Pompton Lakes, NJ.
What parks are near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
What parks are near Pompton Lakes, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 parks near Pompton Lakes, NJ that allow camping, notably Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Gateway National Recreation Area.
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