110 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Established campgrounds surround South Plainfield, New Jersey with several state parks providing a variety of camping experiences. Cheesequake State Park Campground offers tent and RV sites within 15 miles of South Plainfield, featuring fully shaded campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Turkey Swamp Park provides additional options with tent, RV, and cabin camping about 25 miles southeast. Pleasant Valley Lavender offers a unique tent camping experience near flowering fields, while Liberty Harbor RV Park provides urban camping with Manhattan skyline views.
Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally from April through October or November, with limited winter camping opportunities. Cheesequake State Park and other state recreation areas typically close for camping from November through March. Advance reservations are strongly recommended during summer weekends and holidays when sites fill quickly. The region's proximity to major highways makes most campgrounds easily accessible by car, though some visitors note bringing bicycles is helpful for exploring larger parks. As one camper observed: "The campground is large and has wonderful sites that have privacy or can be close to someone if you want. Bring bikes to enjoy all the areas of the park including lookouts and beaches."
Family-friendly amenities feature prominently in camper reviews across the region's developed campgrounds. Shower facilities, drinking water, and electric hookups are available at most established sites, though quality varies by location. Many campers mention appreciating the balance between nature immersion and proximity to urban amenities. Sites at Cheesequake State Park offer moderate privacy with forest buffers between neighbors, though highway noise is occasionally mentioned in reviews. A visitor noted, "Each site is separated from its neighbors by a small (about 5-10 foot) forested area, and are deep enough that you can pitch your tent away from the road and have some privacy." Several campgrounds feature water recreation opportunities, with swimming beaches, fishing areas and boating access enhancing the camping experience during warmer months.
"I stayed at Cheesequake at the beginning of August and had a very positive experience."
"This park is on the list of 50 top NJ Hikes, and it has a few great trails. The trails range from easy to moderate with quite a few lookout locations."
from $200 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Once you get to the campground trail it’s pretty easy going on asphalt surface."
"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!"
"Electrical and water are at the outer edge of each site so you might want an extension cord and/or hose."
from $42 - $79 / night
Check Availability"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
Check Availability"Once you are there, you can walk right across the street to a bayside inlet and sandy shore that is not highly trafficked because no one can park there except those using the campground."
"Rangers at the entrance regulate admittance thus, providing a safe environment within the confines of the base."
from $30 - $50 / night
Check Availability"You have a clear view of the Narrow bridge and at night the city lights light up your surroundings light a nigh light. The camp here has 7 campsites here and it fill up really fast."
"this place is awesome when it comes to finding an affordable place to stay while in NY, this camp ground isnt your usual forest camp sites, however there are some beautiful views, and it is located in"
from $30 / night
Check Availability"So pleasant to sleep near the blooming fields. Campsite is tucked in the woods with. Tent camping in peace and quiet with easy access to major roads and highways to explore central NJ"
from $35 - $50 / night
Check Availability"Park employees and park police drive around through the day. Some big groups of campers got a little rowdy at night. The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting."
"The actual site was nice and was close to the bathrooms. There was plenty of shade as the sun moved throughout the day."
"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."
"Lots of walking paths surround the park & you are also close to Belmar, Point Pleasant, Manasquan (all fun shore towns)."
"Nice state park with trails nearby."
ScoutRestrooms are filthy with mold and mildew.
Water puddled on the restroom floor.really gross.
Cabin was mostly clean. The windows were full of dirt and bugs on the tracks.mattresses were terrible.The fireplace was nice. Kitchen was clean.
Can t wait to move on to a cleaner park.
ScoutOn 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.
RangerWe stayed just a couple nights here on our way north. The camp host was helpful before our stay and during check-in. Our site was pretty isolated from the others, so it was very quiet (no complaints here). There is a decent mix of sunny sites by the river and shady sites under the trees. The weather was perfect mid September. There wasn't anything spectacular for me, but it was a good experience and it was a nice taste of fall PA scenery. Beware that the roads are tight for a big rig. Side note, it did seem like most campers lived there.
GuideBooked 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!
GuideBeautiful campground but made the mistake of going on a holiday weekend, the campgrounds next to us were screaming and blasting music all day and throughout the night so we ended up leaving early. A beautiful campground when there aren’t noisy capers ruining it.
RangerWe 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.
TravelerAnother great experience. Sites were large. Staff was friendly with many different things for kids to do. Great base camp for local hikes.
ScoutAs far as experience it was good. The main issue was the campsite where we were was uneven and caused many of the sleeping arrangements that we had to be not level. This seems to be a specific issue to the group campsite number two as when we went inwards it seemed like everything else was much better.
GuideTwo night stay, large loud parties make it hard to enjoy but once most of them left it was nice to walk down to the river. Bath house with toilets and showers, not all lights working. No swimming access but boat access and trails for hiking.
Urban campers seeking sites near South Plainfield, New Jersey can access multiple options within 45 minutes of the city. The region features elevations ranging from sea level at coastal sites to 1,200 feet at inland forest campgrounds in the highlands. Winter camping availability varies significantly by location, with several sites remaining open year-round while others close from November through March.
Hiking near reservoirs: Round Valley Recreation Area offers trails with varying difficulty levels around its 2,350-acre reservoir. "This is a great campground that is super private and quiet - great for getting out to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. It's a pretty strenuous hike, but you'll be rewarded for the effort," notes one camper at Round Valley State Park Campground.
Urban exploration: Camp Gateway at Staten Island provides unique opportunities to view the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. "This campground is amazing. You have a clear view of the Narrow bridge and at night the city lights light up your surroundings like a night light. There are abandoned buildings here and you can do urban exploring," writes a reviewer at Staten Island — Gateway National Recreation Area.
Water activities: Many locations feature swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating. "The water is crystal clear, the area is clean. There's bathrooms and pumps but we just filtered the water from the reservoir instead which tasted a million times better than the well water," mentions a visitor to Round Valley State Park.
Privacy between sites: Turkey Swamp Park features well-spaced campsites set among wooded areas. "Sites are in the woods and widely spaced apart to give you privacy and the feeling of being out in the Forrest. Sites are tent and RV sites and you are allowed to have a tent on the site with an RV at no extra charge," explains a camper at Turkey Swamp Park.
Unique camping experiences: Pleasant Valley Lavender offers tent sites near flowering fields. "So pleasant to sleep near the blooming fields. Campsite is tucked in the woods with. Tent camping in peace and quiet with easy access to major roads and highways to explore central NJ," shares a reviewer at Pleasant Valley Lavender.
Urban proximity: Many campgrounds balance natural settings with quick access to urban conveniences. "This is a great site for those who are not avid campers. It's close to town if you forget something and it has all the facilities you may need, bathroom, shower, etc. The best part is all the trails," notes a Cheesequake State Park visitor.
Noise considerations: Highway proximity affects several campgrounds. At Spruce Run Recreation Area, "Late at night you can hear the drone of a major highway," mentions one camper. Similarly, at Cheesequake State Park Campground, a visitor notes, "The Parkway is right there so its not a nice quiet place."
Bathroom facilities: Quality varies significantly between locations. "The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. I thought with COVID they were cleaning them more, but for the entire weekend, someone's #2 remained all over the toilet, floor, and corner wall," reports a Spruce Run camper.
Campsite selection: Level sites with adequate shade can be hard to secure. "If bringing your RV, the safest bet is to reserve a spot with no shade as the other spots often times have very low hanging tree limbs," advises a Spruce Run Recreation Area visitor.
Playground access: Many parks feature dedicated children's areas. "There are age-appropriate playgrounds both in the campground and by the office," notes a reviewer at Turkey Swamp Park.
Biking opportunities: Several campgrounds feature flat, safe areas for children to ride. At Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, trails and roads provide safe riding spaces. "The campground is small but also secluded. We always hike to the lake here, it's a very easy hike and also very peaceful," explains a visitor.
Wildlife awareness: Bear activity requires proper food storage. "There are a lot of bear warnings here so that gave us a bit of pause with our three little boys," mentions a Mahlon Dickerson Reservation camper with young children.
Water hookup distance: Some campgrounds require extended hoses. "Website lists water hook ups at long distances but they have hose reels to help with that. Our site (15) said 75' however the 50' hose reel made it to our rv connection," advises a Mahlon Dickerson camper.
Urban RV parking: Liberty Harbor RV Park offers Manhattan access despite limited amenities. "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," recommends a camper.
Site leveling: Most campgrounds offer relatively flat areas. "The campsites are paved and mostly level. They are wooded and large. Water and electric hookups and a dump station," notes a visitor to Mahlon Dickerson Reservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near South Plainfield, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, South Plainfield, NJ offers a wide range of camping options, with 110 campgrounds and RV parks near South Plainfield, NJ and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near South Plainfield, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near South Plainfield, NJ is Cheesequake State Park Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 21 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near South Plainfield, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near South Plainfield, NJ.
What parks are near South Plainfield, NJ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 parks near South Plainfield, NJ that allow camping, notably Gateway National Recreation Area and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
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