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The coastal region of Dennis, New Jersey provides access to numerous mixed-use campgrounds catering to various camping styles. Belleplain State Forest offers year-round camping with tent, RV, and glamping options, while Ocean View Resort Campground features lake swimming and cabin accommodations approximately 7 miles south of Dennis. Campgrounds in this area generally provide water hookups, picnic tables, and fire rings, with most facilities concentrated along the Route 9 corridor between Cape May and Ocean City.
Seasonal considerations shape the camping experience in southern New Jersey's coastal area. Many campgrounds operate primarily from April through October, with Ocean View Resort open April 13 to October 8 and Whippoorwill Campground available April 1 to October 31. A visitor commented, "Sites are very wooded, close to each other. The lake is huge, the pools are crowded but fun. There is a splash pad for little ones." Most developed campgrounds require advance reservations, especially during summer weekends when beach-goers flock to nearby shore towns. The proximity to popular destinations like Avalon, Sea Isle City, and Cape May means campsites fill quickly during peak season.
Campers report high satisfaction with family-oriented amenities at most developed campgrounds in the region. Swimming lakes, splash pads, and recreational facilities are common features, with several locations offering organized activities for children. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, Ocean View Resort receives praise for its "pirate themed splash pad by the pool" and "brand new mini golf course." The camping areas vary in privacy levels, with some reviewers noting sites can be close together, particularly at busier resorts. While most campgrounds provide clean restroom facilities, amenities vary significantly from basic sites at Belleplain State Forest to full-service RV resorts with sewer hookups, showers, and recreational facilities at places like Sun Outdoors Cape May and Thousand Trails Lake & Shore.
"They allowed me to drive around first and pick out a campsite before checking in. They charge $5 extra for a dog. So far it is very quiet and that's what I was looking for."
"Very nice campground tucked away in southern NJ. Clean facilities. Plenty of space for our tent. lake for swimming and you can rent boats. nice hiking trails and playground."
"It's very close to everything, but you don't even need to leave the campground! There are a ton of activities!"
"We went to Ocean View Resort in New Jersey to kick off the 2022 season in our new Fleetwood Discovery LXE. And we’re glad we did! "
"Stayed in a drive through, patio site with full hook-ups. It was situated on a corner spot. A lot of RV, golf cart, bike, and people traffic due to the location."
"The front of the park is close to the pool and store- if pool noise is a concern you should stay further back. A mix of seasonal,"cabins" and overnight camping. Park was very clean."
"Gravel under the trailer and small river rock around the picnic table and fire pit."
"THINGS I LIKED:
Park is within 30-minutes drive-time to Cape May, Ocean City, and Wildwood
Everything we saw was in great condition, perfectly working order, clean, and looked new
*"
"The only thing that concerned us was there were a lot of little kids walking around unattended. We will def go back."
"Close to beaches and lots to do in the area."
from $43 / night
Check Availability"Great Location and close to Cape May City. 10 min drive to Washington Street Mall. Lots to do during the day."
"Beautiful main building. close to a lovely walking trail."
"well maintained, wonderful pool and splash pad, great location!!"
"Kids love the lake. Bathroom cleaned daily. Could use more showers. Nice and quiet at night."
"We stayed 2 nights at Land & Shore and the first night was Friday night and all 6 families that are members with our own sites were hanging out around a fire pit and at 1016pm someone security person"
"Close to beaches and food. We’ll be back!"
"This campground is about a 15 minute drive from Ocean City. There are plenty of stores close by as well."
"I personally camped in the back yard in my hammock as my family slept in the camper it was humid in the back near the woods but still nice."
"campground— nothing fancy, but everything worked and it was pretty clean and well-maintained Friendly staff including an escort to the site(which was a good size with working utilities)
— Lots of nearby"
ScoutWe stayed at the group site campground with our horse. We found the sites to be large, and clean. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and they have fall activities for the family, at the lake and nature hikes. The porta potty's are very clean, have hand sanitizer and plenty of paper. Will be returning again in a few weeks. Plenty of trails to ride on. A true gem in our own backyard.
ScoutQuiet primitive campsites with slight road noise. We didn’t hear any train during our stay. We stayed at site 10 on the left branch where the newer gravel tent sites are in the pines. The potalet is nearby. It’s was dark at our campsite when we arrived. Nice and level gravel pad with plenty of room - sites are large enough to pull into and k turn if needed (although we saw the sign saying to park parallel to the site entrance in the morning- we have a roof top tent on our vehicle). When I put my headlamp on there were all these tiny sparkles on the ground out among the pine trees surrounding our campsite. When I walked up really close to one and shined my lamp on it, I saw that they are pretty big spiders. A little unnerving but also pretty? Told my brain I was in a glittery fairy forest and slept fine. 🤣
TravelerMany long term seasonal sites. Good community. Large shower house good and clean . Pool. Game room. Off leash dog park. Wooded/shady sites or no shade sunny sites. Lots of area to walk or play. Large field, basketball couture, frisky golf, play area and laundry room. We were here all summer (June-october). Lots to do in the area. Good food nearby. Ocean city 10 minutes away.
ScoutThis is one of the largest, if not the largest, campgrounds in Southern New Jersey. While on the pricier side, everything is top-notch. The roads are all paved, and not gravel (I hate trying to sleep and listening to the sound of stones grating together). The sites are more spacious than most campgrounds, so it doesn't seem so crowded. The bathrooms are all modern and spotless. There are numerous bathrooms which means most sites have one nearby. They do charge a quarter for showers to encourage water conservation and donate the money to conservation causes. The pool is large, as is the lake. Both are well-maintained. The camp store is enormous and is really nice and well-stocked with everything one might need from food to pool and beach stuff to camping supplies and equipment. There is a nice cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The camp store has a lending library of books and DVDs. There are numerous activities that appear to be well-run, The grounds are shaded with many trees for a great wooded campground feel. The campground is so large that it has an internal shuttle with stations scattered about to help people go between the various important sites such as at the pool, the lake and the store. I found other campers, particularly the seasonals, to be more friendly than other campgrounds at the shore. This requires constant tree care including removing dead trees and branches which they do regularly. The staff is friendly and well-trained. I was in a tent, and when a rare October nor'easter came through, I was offered the opportunity to use a cabin free-of-charge. Fortunately my tent and equipment made it through days of rain and high winds just fine . On my first stay in May, I had to run my dog back to Baltimore towards the end of my trip where he was sadly diagnosed with incurable metastatic cancer. When I returned, I was late and unable to check out by 11, but they allowed me to take as much time as needed to clear the site, as nobody was staying there the next day, which was deeply appreciated - I was an emotional wreck. Oh, and I found the complimentary Wi-Fi to be a great service, and sufficiently fast to allow me to stream ultra-high-definition movies at my site - Most campgrounds charge extra for less-than-good service - a lot more. I find that a big bonus. Overall, I LOVE this campground and highly recommend it.
GuideThis campground is part of the Wharton State Forest and has several campgrounds in the area. Great wooded sites right on a lake. Pretty good separation between sites with good tree separation between sites. Some road noise not overly affecting site.
ScoutI’ve stayed here multiple times over the past 15 years and I have enjoyed each trip.
Depot Travel Park is a well-maintained family-owned campground. It is also reasonably priced, especially given the location that is within a bicycle ride to the beach, the ocean, and lots of shops and restaurants in Cape May. It is the only campground on the Cape May side of the canal.
Please note that this is not a resort campground and it doesn’t have a pool. There is so much to do in Cape May that is doesn’t need to be a resort.
Since it’s not a resort campground, there are not many golf carts, so most people use their bicycles or cars to get around. That also makes the campground pretty quiet, even during the peak of summer.
The campground sells firewood and propane, but there is no camp store. Again, it doesn’t really need one, since there is a farmers market at the end of the driveway, and a CVS and an ACME supermarket within bicycle riding distance.
If your site doesn’t have a sewer hookup, the dump station is a little awkward to access, but they have a daily honey wagon for a reasonable fee, which is great. If you notify the office the day before you need it and they are usually there in the morning.
They close for the season n October, but they reopen briefly during the Cape May Christmas Parade weekend in December. That’s one thing that I’d like to do soon.
I really like this campground and I am always recommending it to friends.
GuidePretty easy camping trip, plenty of room to set up camp. Level spots. We stayed on south inlet campground. They have small camp store multiple laundry and bath houses. Great stay if you enjoy fishing, as. You can fish the inlet at the campground. They have a very nice playground for kids as well! Only negative is no camp fires allowed, they do have a community area you can have a camp fires allowed. Also no wifi
ScoutMy check in was for 8-6-2026, and bc I’m a new driver and wanted to beat traffic I got there early (7am) so I sit there waiting till check in time. When suddenly the park police show up. He’s accusing me of camping over night there. I told him simply I wasn’t and where I was night prior (would never sleep somewhere without permission). So we go to the store to kill time before we check in. Come back for Check in and the whole staff in just the office alone were so arrogant and cold to my mom and I, leaving rude comments to us and not only where they like that but the staff outside the office was acting like that alongside the rangers and park police. They would watch us the whole visit in the distance parking there cars a little ways watching everything we did,even driving by slowly a bunch of times in just an hour alone. My mom and I couldn’t do anything with out them showing up 2 mins later. Example we were walking our dog enjoying our time(trying to) and all of a sudden one of the office ladies pulls up right in front of us speeding, parks their car, gets out and walks a distance from us standing there and taking pictures of us…. For walking our dog who’s on a leash and didn’t even do anything. The whole trip we felt uncomfortable and unwanted and to find out they police when we were going on walks where coming up to campers near us bribing them with free firewood to get any information on use (told to us by other camper). I paid a lot of money to be harassed and followed the whole time. We never did anything we abide by every rule and keep to ourselves everywhere we go. They even made my mother cry…
ScoutGreat place. Close to beach. No septic hookup
Camping areas near Dennis, New Jersey offer a mix of wooded environments and easy beach access within coastal Cape May County. Most camping facilities sit within 15 minutes of popular Atlantic Ocean beaches, with elevations rarely exceeding 50 feet above sea level. The sandy soil throughout the region creates unique camping conditions that visitors should prepare for, particularly during summer when temperatures regularly reach 85-90°F with high humidity.
Hiking trails: Belleplain State Forest features well-maintained walking paths through southern New Jersey woodlands. One visitor notes, "We have walked through the site areas and they seem to be a nice size but not offering too much privacy. We are usually there in the off season so not sure how crazy it gets in the warmer months with the lake being there."
Lake activities: Beachcomber Camping Resort provides swimming and boating options in their private lake with beach area. "They have an arcade, laundromat, lakes with beach space, pools, a tugboat, golf carts, hay rides, bonfires, a playground, activities, etc. Went with two young children and we had a blast," shares one camper.
Mini golf: Ocean View Resort Campground unveiled a recently constructed mini golf course for guests. According to a review, "Last year they unveiled a brand new mini golf course. Bathhouses are very clean and updated. They have a Great swimming Lake with a huge sandy beach."
Rail trail access: Sun Outdoors Cape May provides convenient access to the regional bike path. A visitor mentioned, "There is an 11 mile rail trail across the street as well. The negative would be the number of long term sites, but the campground was overall clean and the staff were all very nice."
Water features: Sun Retreats Seashore Campsites & RV Resort offers multiple water recreation options. A camper reports, "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."
Beach proximity: Campgrounds throughout the area provide convenient access to regional beaches. One guest at Whippoorwill Campground shares: "Clean safe nice place to camp. Would recommend to anyone. Close to beaches and lots to do in the area."
Kid-focused amenities: Ocean City Campground & Beach Cabins features modern facilities for families. "This place had a lot to do with kids! Lake, pool, ice cream, arcade, mini golf, mining station, activities. Does get very crowded and definitely have to book a head," reports a visitor.
Updated facilities: Many campgrounds in the region have invested in infrastructure improvements. A camper at Belleplain State Forest noted, "First time here and will be back…. Best state run campground I've been to. Friendly staff, clean facilities, so much to do. Offers more then some private campgrounds."
Reservation timing: Most campgrounds fill quickly during peak season from late June through August. Book 3-6 months in advance for weekend stays. Sites at popular locations may require booking up to a year ahead for holiday weekends.
Insect considerations: The coastal environment creates ideal conditions for mosquitoes, particularly during summer evenings. A visitor to Whippoorwill Campground noted: "My kids Loved the arcade. We are from the Midwest and we HATE sand. This campground was on sand, but not right on the beach. Bathrooms were very nice!! The mosquitoes were vicious."
Seasonal differences: Thousand Trails Sea Pines experiences significant changes in crowd levels depending on time of year. One camper mentions, "We were able to tune into some really dorky TV stations. One was in Japanese, two were in Spanish, and got some oddball stations in English."
Site privacy: Privacy levels vary significantly across campgrounds in the area. A visitor to Belleplain State Forest observed, "Positive: Our site was HUGE!!!! It was also super private with trees and a lot of privacy from the road and our neighbors. We had friends stay in the lean-tos nearby and others visit. We had room to park several cars."
Water recreation options: Thousand Trails Lake & Shore provides varied water activities for different age groups. A visitor notes, "I liked the lake and waterpark. However, the water in the waterpark was ice cold."
Splash pads: Multiple campgrounds feature dedicated water play areas for young children. A visitor to Ocean View Resort Campground shares, "Ocean View Resort was an excellent resort for our family with two toddlers. Kids loved the Splash Park, Arcade, Tram Car, playgrounds and Lake."
Bathroom facilities: Facilities vary significantly between campgrounds. A camper at Belleplain State Forest reports, "We were NOT happy that the bathrooms next to us were closed, apparently for years, and it was not noted. We purposely booked in 105 due to the proximity. The other bathrooms in the CCC were a good walk, and pretty run down."
Transportation options: Consider renting a golf cart at larger resorts for easier movement with children. A visitor to Beachcomber Camping Resort mentioned, "You can rent golf carats which the kids loved and we used the whole weekend since it was so cheap & campground is huge."
Site access challenges: Some campgrounds feature narrow roads and tight turns that challenge larger rigs. A camper at Sun Retreats Seashore Campsites notes, "We had a large pull through lot with our 36 foot fifth wheel. Friends had a tiny lot with their shorter camper. They had no privacy."
Power connections: Verify electrical hookup details when booking. Only certain sections of some campgrounds offer full hookups. A visitor to Belleplain State Forest explains, "Stayed in site 116 in CCC section (only section with electric and water). Good privacy. Staff at office said all the roads in the CCC section were 2-way. Not wide enough in my opinion."
Dump station limitations: Plan ahead for waste disposal, especially during busy checkout times. "The worst was the dump station. It is just a little hole on the side of the road and the ONLY dump station for the 3 campgrounds! It was very unlevel and not easy to fully dump our tanks."
Cell service: Coverage varies significantly across the camping areas near Dennis. One camper at Belleplain State Forest reported, "Virtually NO cell service with AT&T, TMobile or Verizon. AT&T we the better of the 3. Our Winegard/Gateway give us no internet which we normally get. There'd be way too many trees for Starlink."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Dennis, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, Dennis, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 116 campgrounds and RV parks near Dennis, NJ and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Dennis, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Dennis, NJ is Belleplain State Forest with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Dennis, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Dennis, NJ.
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