Looking for the best options for camping with dogs near Scotch Plains? Find the best information on pet-friendly campgrounds near Scotch Plains, including sites, reviews, and tips. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a place near local attractions, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect spot for you and your pup.
$110 / night
An exceptional Resort in a breathtaking location. Panther Lake Camping Resort is nestled in 160 wooded acres featuring a pristine 45 acre lake just 50 miles from New York City. Swimming, boating, fishing or just soaking up the great outdoors, this north Jersey gem has it all!
Nestled in the foothills of New Jersey’s rural Sussex County, The Great Divide campground is your gateway to fields, forests, mountains—and the finest in New Jersey camping and recreation. Adventure, relaxation, family time or solitude, you’ll find it here. No matter what type of getaway you seek, we invite you to experience camping your way. With dozens of amenities and attractions, The Great Divide is the perfect vacation spot for families, couples and groups. Hesitant to leave creature comforts behind? We offer cabins and cable TV hookups. Prefer to ‘unplug’? Choose a primitive campsite and enjoy sleeping under the stars. From our Olympic-sized pool to our full schedule of family-friendly activities, there’s something for campers of all ages and interests.
Nestled in the Appalachian Wilderness of New Jersey, Stokes State Forest attracts campers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts all over thanks to its many viewpoints and wild terrain. Spanning over 16,400 acres, visitors can expect exciting adventures crammed with tons of wilderness activities. Surprisingly, there’s a large range of amenities within the various campgrounds located throughout. In addition, there’s a host of unique geographic features to keep even the most dedicated busy for weeks. Speaking of geography, there’s no shortage of terrain diversity here. For example, Sunrise Mountain towers 1,653 feet over the undeveloped New Jersey farmland to the East, as well as virgin mountain ranges and forests to the West. Located along the legendary Appalachian Trail, this mountain peak is the most frequently visited site in Stokes State Forest. If you’re not one to hike up the side of a mountain for a view, Sunrise Mountain Rd. traverses all the way to the top for those traveling in a vehicle. Nestled below, the 500+ acre Tillman Ravine Natural Area is a green wonderland home to endangered species such as the Barred Owl. The ravine showcases world-class trails spanning throughout its terrain, complete with babbling brooks and overly-curious bears to dodge during your stay. Additionally, Stokes State Forest is home to the Lake Ashroe Recreation Area which has an area for Kayaking and Paddle Board rentals. Even though there is no boat ramp, nearby Lake Ocquittunk is perfect for small, electric motor boats. In contrast, those looking for swimming should head to Stony Lake, which features lifeguards on duty and a great recreation area for picnicking. Campgrounds are plentiful here, with four different areas to camp at depending on your needs. Shotwell to the East, and Steam Mills to the west both offer normal park amenities, and are perfect for tent campers, or people interested in camping in a lean-to. Just West of Shotwell, Haskin’s Group Camping Area consists of 9 group campsites perfect for groups of 10-65 depending on the campsite. Finally, Lake Ocquittunk has its own campground with reservable campsites, and cabins as well. Fees & permits vary here, so be sure to check the park website for more info. Regardless of your interests, if you love the outdoors in any form you’re going to enjoy your stay here. Stokes State Forest literally offers everything an enthusiast could ever dream of doing. From its babbling creeks and forested ravines, to the breathtaking mountain peaks, this is an Appalachian camping experience you don’t want to miss out on.
$7 - $55 / night
$33 - $42 / night
Traveler
Stokes is my go-to state park for unplugging and enjoying time with my family. We brought our son (23 months at time of visit) on his first camping trip this past September. He loved every minute of it.
Site T07 in Lake Ocquittunk is gorgeous and one of the few relatively secluded sites in the campground. You need to carry your gear down a narrow, rocky path that's a little steep near the road, but it's manageable. There's also a graded path into the site adjacent to a neighboring site, but you should check with those campers if they are ok with you cutting through to use it. (We opted not to disturb our neighbors and take the slope.)
I thought I would be able to launch my kayak from site 7 since it's waterfront, but there are a lot of huge rocks in the water that prevent you from getting out into the lake. We had to find a different launch spot. That was probably the biggest disappointment for us.
Still, I love site 7 and it's absolutely worth the privacy and the views every morning.
Legend
General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.
Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.
Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them.
Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat!
Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.
Traveler
Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.
However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.
All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.
LegendThis is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.
Traveler
Was my very first time camping out, went with my pups and my sons and did the van camping. The spot I had was very well shaded and pretty quiet. The only thing I wasn't big on was how far the trails are, would have to actually drive to it and park in a limited parking area. Due to weather didn't take the risk so am unable to give an opinion on it, but something to remember for the next trip. Only 30-35 min off the parkway, so nice and convenient.
Legend
We stayed in New Jersey for our 5th campground on the East Coast: Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold. This is a County park.
Near some Revolutionary War battlefields.
I really liked this park! They have 2283 acres. A 17 acre lake. Some hiking trails & a nice campground! The sites are all pullthrough. There's lots of vegetation for "privacy". We had a site on the perimeter, which are forest views. Only problem is none of the roads are paved. All are packed sand. We could tell it rained recently because of the muddy tracks. Fortunately it didn't rain while we were there!
Shower/bathrooms are clean, but dated. They're checked regularly. The bath house is for the entire campground. 3 out of the 4 women's were working. There's a shared dressing area.
There's a laundry that doesn't take quarters. EPay.
There's a nice playground in the campground.
They have 3 cabins for rent, with forest views.
The lake has fishing & boat rentals. No gas motors. There's no swimming at the lake. Cell service was fair.. No WiFi.
They have an archery range.
This was my favorite campground on our trip! I really enjoyed camping here! There's a rustic retro quality to the place. I adored the campsites & I didn't see any really bad ones.
Legend
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. Very scenic with a small lake, a pond & surrounded by woods. This is also the most expensive campground on our trip at $96.11 a night.
Lots to do for families- they have kayaks for camper use. Horseshoes, tether ball, volleyball, a pool, a playground, a dog park. There's a swimming beach.
One strange thing is there's a lot of tent sites & they seemed popular. For the amount of tent/popup sites they only have 1 shower per loop. They are very clean & checked often, but they're used heavily during the weekend. I had better luck Sunday evening. A bench outside the bathroom would have been nice to sit & wait.
The rv sites were all full hookup on our loop.
We came in on a Friday & found out this campground ROCKS!!! They have live bands every Friday & Saturday night during the warm months. This might explain the higher rates. Party on!
Legend
Be advised that Skyline RV Camp has moved to:
50 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
The original property location at 2 Oak St was sold and is now private property.
Google Maps coords are 40.730491531436556,-73.9577966772486
There no longer is a waterfront view of the NYC skyline when camping at Skyline RV. The website views are misleading.
GuideStokes State Forest is a beautiful park with a lot of different trails to check out, though some of them are difficult to access due to parking. The camping areas are split between two different entrances. If you’re in Lake Ocquitunk, like I was, you don’t enter at the main entrance, you have to go past the main entrance about another mile on rt. 15 N. and enter by the YMCA. All the other camping areas are near the main entrance by the forest office. The campsites themselves are a little too close together in some spots with little coverage or privacy. There is a day parking area which is only accessible going through the main entrance by the forest office— if you visit during the week park entrance is free, but on the weekend fees can be a bit steep. I wasn’t super happy with my campsite as I wasn’t able to physically have my car on the site like I thought. I had to park in a small lot above my campsite and carry my belongings down a short slope to the site. I like to car-camp so this was a bit of a let down having my car separate from my actual campsite.
The bathrooms were nice and had flush toilets, but the showers were out of service during my time. Bathrooms are extremely spaced out so you will have to walk a far distance unless you strategically choose a site next to one. I drove through the other campsite and only saw 1 set of bathrooms that had toilets and showers per campground, not including the outhouses I saw for those in the small cabins.
Scout
Doing this review because a lot of them feel extremely outdated, so here we go.
Access: There are two ways to get to your campsite, boating and the great 3 mile trek. Starting with the hike, the path is not the best, filled with a ton of rocks placed by the lands-men. It makes the hike extremely difficult which could have been avoided. Moreover, theres a few points on the trail where you’re walking side by side from a highway, crossing driveways, passing construction zones, and past fencing. Extremely awkward and takes you out of the hiking experience immediately. Not ideal especially since you have to pay to camp on the site. I was extremely dissatisfied. Boating may be more worth it to avoid these downfalls and get your moneys worth.
Amenities: There are two water pumps. One at the beginning of the camp site and one at the end. They tend to get far if you plan on camping further into the campsite so I would plan ahead. The primitive restrooms aren’t maintained at all but if you’re there more for the"outdoorsy" experienced not a huge downfall. Most of the campsites have access to a picnic table and fire ring which is a huge plus.
Overall: For starters, the water is beautiful and clean, although there is no swimming, swim at your own risk and don’t get caught? I had a wonderful time at this location, the sites were big enough for play and privacy. The water was clean and provided a lovely view in the morning and it was quiet and dark as expected by sundown. But this site just missed with the awful trail of three miles. Although there were service roads throughout the campsite, visitors were not able to use them. The necessary carry in and out for 3 miles is a huge downfall. Moreover, the hike itself along highways, across roads, and down strategically places pebbles and rocks were a huge miss and made it extremely difficult and slippery. I highly recommend boating as hiking will probably make the experience a lot more sour than wanted. It shouldn’t be a"choose between the two" considering you’re paying but what can you do… pick boating if you really want to see it for yourself.
Legend
We stayed at Kymer's on a whim for a weekend, so we could be close to Mountain Creek for a Spartan Race. It truly exceeded our expectations in all aspects. This is a family friendly, camper-friendly place. Lots of seasonals- everyone waves, everyone stops to chat. This is what a campground should feel like. The sound of laughter and play sitting around the huge, clean pool was refreshing. Our site was Oak 10. It was level, good placement of electric water & sewer connects. Camp store has all the basics you might need. There is a brook that flows adjacent to the property. It's peaceful & magical. Pet friendly, although we didn't have our pup with us. We will be back again. I almost feel like I'm revealing a hidden gem with this post. 💎
Scout
Great location!
Traveler
We recently went camping with a tent there. Not tent friendly first night we slept on rocks second night we got moved to a spot which actually had some grass. Everything has weird hours. The cafe is only open on weekends and the store is only open from like 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. and that's it. The pool hours are good they're from 11:00 to 7:00. The bath houses are fine. It's just that there's nothing to do in the morning time nothing at all the lake that you want to call it or river it was all green like there's better campsites out there but this one isn't that bad If you're just staying for a night or two but just do not use a tent.
Guide
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.
Guide
I’ve been here twice now and it is a beautiful campsite. Individual campsites are separate from cabin and group sites.
Tent campsites have benches and a fire pit. Group campsites have large stove. The cabins seem clean and well maintained. All the sites are set up nearby the office where people are all day should you ever need anything. The workers are super friendly and regularly make rounds of the grounds.
Bathrooms are spread out so it’s never a far walk from your site. They are super clean with a shower and two stalls. There is a water fountain outside of them. One of the bathrooms has a playground next to it for people with kids. Hiking trails are also spread out among the campsites as well.
I solo camp and have always felt safe at these campgrounds. Not to mention the hiking and scenery are absolutely breathtaking.
The non camper public area has benches and a parking lot for visitors of campers or people doing day hikes.
ScoutI took my 5 year old-son and wife, all of us first time campers. this place was great. The site was very nice, all the people friendly and area beautiful.
Legend
Pros: 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities
Cons: Sand sites Overpriced Tight site & hard to get in/out for big rigs
ScoutThe hike to get to the campground is a bit long (4 miles; we did it in ~2h). Since there were 95 degrees, it was challenging. The campsite was really nice, even if the pic nic table was almost completely broke
Scout
I was warned about this place and told not to go here, gave it a chance anyways and biggest regret. Spent$300 on 2 sites and for extra people to come which is ridiculous to begin with but did it anyways. They seemed laid back as a person was drinking a beer in the office. So im not sure why there were rangers stalking us in the woods... right after my fiance proposed getting down on 1 knee the rangers come running to ticket us for having a celebratory drink!! Completely ruined our entire weekend and engagement. Got a ticket minutes after our engagement!!! Never had an experience like this camping out of 100 camping trips we've done!! Worst place we have ever been to. Let alone u can't swim even swim at the riverfront sites. The water is 1 foot deep the entire river across. IF YOU WANT TO CAMP AT A GREAT RIVER CAMPGROUND GO TO WORTHINGTON NJ!!! RANGERS AND STAFF WILL NEVER RUIN YOUR NIGHT AND THE CHANNEL IS RIGHT AT YOUR SITE SO CAN SWIM!!! ONLY$25 A NIGHT!!!!:D Only 20 min from this rough campground Go to Worthington you won't regret it, you'll regret it at dingmans
TravelerAverage at best but better during the week . Can get really overcrowded on summer weekends sometimes . On holiday weekends it looks like a refugee camp . Always seems to be kids in charge here and it shows . Nothing gets done about late night noise when it occurs .
Traveler
I recently had a camping experience at High Point that unfortunately did not go as planned. My family, friends and I rented a camping site and a cabin for a two-night stay, looking forward to a relaxing weekend in nature. However, our trip took an unexpected turn that left us feeling frustrated and disappointed.
On the first night, we received complaints about the volume of our music and karaoke around 7 pm. While we promptly lowered the volume, we later found ourselves facing further complaints about noise levels, despite our efforts to be considerate of other campers, especially since we had children with us and we were a group of about 28 people. The following day, we were taken aback when the police arrived at our cabin and informed us that we were being evicted from the site due to noise complaints and the placement of our tents in the cabin's backyard.
Feeling discriminated against and confused by the sudden eviction, we tried to explain our side of the story. We had moved some of our belongings to the cabin due to a marathon event taking place in front of our campsite, which was causing significant noise early in the morning “since 5 AM”. Additionally, there was confusion regarding the use of motorcycles on the premises, which further added to the misunderstandings that led to our eviction.
Despite our attempts to follow the rules and seek clarification, our family weekend was disrupted, and some members even opted to leave the site. The entire experience left us feeling uncomfortable and frustrated, especially considering the efforts we made to comply with the park's regulations.
While I appreciate the police officer's effort to provide us with another chance to rectify the situation, the manner in which the eviction was carried out and the lack of communication from the park management was disappointing. I believe that incidents like these should be reported to ensure that future campers do not have to go through similar challenges.
Moving forward, I hope that similar situations will be addressed more effectively to avoid inconveniences and unease for fellow campers. It is my hope that park staff will thoroughly investigate complaints, ensuring accuracy by confirming the exact site before taking action.
In summary, the manner in which the incidents were handled, the lack of transparency and fair treatment, and the impact on our camping experience all point towards potential discrimination. It is essential to address and report such instances to ensure that all campers are treated fairly and respectfully in the future
Scout
Cool
Guide
Yes, this is a military-only campground but, that doesn't take away from how incredible it is and that is properly advertised.
This place is incredible. Being military-only keeps standards high, the campground clean and well maintained. We've spent years here, with Dan & Janet but, are looking forward to returning this year under new management, as they enjoy retirement after many years of hard work. Boy, does their hard work show! They have poured so much love and attention into the building and maintaining of Lake Frederick!
Between rustic power-only campsites that give you a true camping experience and upgraded but, still simple cabins which allow campers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoor experience, there is something for everyone. The new docks around the swimming area create a safer swimming experience for even the most inexperienced swimmers, allowing them safe and obvious perimeters. The bath house is always well stocked and clean, ready for end of the day cleanup and the laundry facilities are a great bonus for those of us who like to stay longer than a couple days.
You won't want for anything at Lake Frederick and it will be a great way to unplug, kick back and enjoy God's Creation!
TravelerShady sites . Nice pool . In a pretty area of NJ . A great campground but it can get a migrant camp kind of feel to it on holiday weekends or when they let huge groups come in . Would make a wonderful RV only resort .
LegendWe stayed at Adventure Bound Tall Pines in Elmer, New Jersey, for Memorial Day weekend for a quick getaway. Despite reserving and paying for a“Premium” site, it fell far short. But there were still a few things we liked…
THINGS I LIKED:
1. Super-friendly staff, especially Allie, who was courteous and seemed to try to make things right
2. Lots of mature shade trees
3. DJ at the pool Saturday and Sunday and live band Saturday evening
4. Close proximity to Delsea Drive-in Theatre and Cohenzick Zoo
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH:
1. I reserved and paid-in-full for a premium site which listed 50-amp service and a concrete pad. Nope. Only 30-amp service and no concrete pad. When I called the office, assuming there must’ve been a mistake, I was told by two different staff members that their website is“wonky.” I wouldn’t mind as much, but this weekend was 90-degrees each day and humid, so it would’ve been good to have air conditioning.
2. The entire park was dirty sand with weeds growing everywhere
3. This place is not big-rig friendly, difficult to navigate some of the turns in our 45’ motorhome and taking scratches from tree branches that should be trimmed
4. I paid$432 for 3-nights and feel like I was taken
WOULD WE COME BACK?
Nope. I’m sticking with campgrounds that give you what you paid for.
Traveler
nice quiet place next to the del water gap. very clean bathrooms and attentive staff.
Guide
My family and I stayed at Tip Tam this weekend. The owners and staff were very friendly and accommodating. The camp store was great also. As it is very early in the season the pools were not yet open but appear to be very nice. There are alot of activities with in the campground as well that were impressive. Just from walking around I saw the two pools, an RC track, bocci, shuffle and board. They did have organized activities set up as well. There is also a pavillion in the middile of the campground with a Ms Pacman/Galaga classic arcard game, as well as a small library and soda machine. AT&T cell service was good. Te site are very close together, and you can hear your neighbors easily. There is not currently a dog park, but the owner told me that they were going to be constructing one in the future. There is a Monmouth County dog park under five minutes away that is huge. There are many close by food options and stores as well.
Camping near Scotch Plains, NJ, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds nearby, you can find the perfect spot to enjoy nature, whether you're in a tent, RV, or cabin.
Whether you're looking for the best camping near Scotch Plains, NJ, or just a weekend getaway, these campgrounds offer something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Scotch Plains, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Scotch Plains, NJ is Round Valley State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 24 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 76 dog-friendly camping locations near Scotch Plains, NJ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
