Bass River State Forest

Bass River is definitely a spot that I’ll come back to again and again. It’s easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway, the staff is very friendly and very helpful, the whole property is gorgeous and there are great amenities nearby.

I gave 4 out of 5 stars because the bathrooms are an absolute disaster. That said, we only used one of the buildings (closest to our site) and there were multiple bathroom buildings on the south shore campground. I’m hoping that the construction on the nor shore campground addresses this issue.

While there isn’t a ton of privacy, there is a little more space than you’d find at other campgrounds. We could definitely hear other people, but we didn’t see them much. Road noise was occasionally noticeable, but it was never a problem. In less than 10 minutes, you can be back in civilization with plenty of food and drink options nearby, not to mention a Walmart Supercenter.

Being here over Memorial Day weekend wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it could be. I’ll come back again over the summer and fall.

We only saw the South Shore sites because the North Shore Campground was closed to the public at the time (though I believe it has since reopened.) However, from reviews here it seems the North Shore sites are a lot more densely packed so if that’s a negative for you look at the South Shore first. We arrived late but it seems on weekdays there is plenty of availability, so we were able to reserve a site in advance with no one around us. It turned out our site (41) was one of the smaller, more exposed sites but with no one in the surrounding sites we still felt isolated, which is what we were looking for. However, over the weekends the sites fill up so if some level of isolation and/or privacy is desired, try to arrive early enough to drive around and pick one of the larger and more isolated sites, of which there are plenty. (The office allows in-person reservation changes with a nominal$2 processing fee.)

The sites themselves are very well kept though the fire pits could use a little maintenance or upgrading. We were very satisfied with the condition and selection of sites but the one major drawback, as has been mentioned elsewhere, was the condition of the bathrooms and showers. They were only minimally maintained and cleaned (I hope) and intensely buggy. I don’t blame the staff who were always extremely friendly and helpful – I just think they are severely understaffed. If this makes you uncomfortable, having your own available portable options might help.

As for recreation, the beach was open, but swimming was not allowed since, at this time, they did not have lifeguards during the week. If having playgrounds in the campgrounds appeal to you, note the sites are minimal and were closed during the weeknights we were there. The trails seemed varied, family friendly, and peaceful. If the recreation offerings are important to you, I think the weekends have more options available – but check in advance.

I would love coming back again during the week or a non-peak season weekend if the beach and lake was available and the facilities were a little better cared for. There is a nice selection of well-maintained sites for every type of camper, whether in a group or looking for some solitude. The office staff are very helpful, and my sense is that calling ahead may get you answers to any concerns you may have

Checked in late so had to figure out where to go without a map, I was on site 21 which is the sites right after the Lean-To's. Pulled up to the site and you come down a little hill and you get a picnic table and a fire ring along with a big spacious site! Ground is pretty level here and had minimal grass, behind the site is woods and to the right is the Lean-To's but they are a good distance away so they don't disturb. Unfortunately when I came the lake was closed to boat rentals and swimming, but staff was very knowledgable and helpful. The only negative I have about this campground is the bathrooms. When entering the bathrooms, there was toilet paper all over, cobb webs and bugs flying all over the bathroom. They looked as if they get cleaned maybe once a week IF THAT. After staying for the first night, I purchased a pop up privacy tent and can't wait to use it as it would be better than the restrooms here unfortunately. That is the ONLY negative I have, would DEFINITELY recommend and would stay again in a heart beat!

My family and I camped at Bass River this weekend. We arrived on Friday and camped on the south side camp area. I believe that the North area is closed due to Covid , but I am not 100% sure about that. The site we had was large with a trail that lead down to a stream. It looks like due to covid that every other camp site is being used. It was cold this weekend, and I think that had an effect on the amount of people in the campground as well.  There are no hook ups at the south end so we had to fill our tanks at the campground and bring a generator. 

All of the other campers close to us were pretty quiet and the staff from the park as well as Park Police seemed to drive through every couple of hours. There were bathrooms near our site, but they did not have showers , or hot water. AT&T cell service was reliable at the campground. There are alot of well marked hiking trails here as well. The campground is about 10 mins from Tuckerton where there are numerous places to grab food as well as Pineands Brewery. Overall we had a great experience here. The campground was well maintained, and the staff friendly. We will go back again during this same time of year. I can not ssay how it would be to stay here during the peak season when the lake is open, but for this time of year it was great!

Husband and I spent the weekend at Bass River SP with the Pop-up camper. Stayed in spot#35, on the South Side Campground. We have never camped here before, but wanted to hike the Batona trail nearby. Reviews I’d read said the North Shore Campground was densely packed- the online map when booking showed that, so we picked South Shore spot #35 because it was camper friendly and seemed furthest away from other people. When we arrived that proved to be true, and we would definitely pick that spot again. The Rangers drove through several times before dark, but after dark there was little to no State Park management presence. Fine for us, but if I’d been next to the partiers camped a ways over, I would have been annoyed because quiet times were not enforced. The bathrooms were not close to our spot, which was fine for us. Toilets were not too bad, and were cleaned regularly. An even cleaner private bathroom is attached to the park office- a drive or bike distance- open after 8am, if you fancy your privacy. The showers were not nice- think cramped, stained, buggy stalls. I think the park really should replace the bathroom/showers with whole new buildings. You can hear the Garden State Parkway from the campsites, if that’s a deal breaker for you.(Wasn’t for us, plus the partiers a ways over were much louder than the distant road noise.) There is lots of recreating to be had here. The lovely beach was closed when we were there, but looked like it would be fun. We had a great 5 mile hike on the Batona Trail, and put the canoe in the lake. Lake was beautiful-very clear and calm. The trail was well blazed and not crowded. Passed maybe 1 other person per mile. This would be a great campground for bicyclers too. We will come back for the recreation, but not for the facilities. And if it was booked up, this would be a pretty crowded campground. Recommend spot #35 for privacy, or spot #21 looked good as a backup option, for campers. Tenters could book #37. Highly recommend South Shore campground for distance between sites. You can take dogs if you pre register and bring paperwork.

I have stayed here many times over the years, usually for a long weekend.  Longer trips were spent there with my parents when I was a kid.   I prefer the south shore campsites to the north shore.  The sites on the south shore offer a little more privacy and aren't as crammed.  I'm particularly fond of the dog friendly loop, its a newer loop and the bathrooms are more modern than the others scattered around. 

We have also stayed in the camping shelters a few times and a cabin once.    The shelters offer no frills sleeping quarters with two bunks beds, so four beds and closet/pantry on both sides in the rear for food and gear, a wooden table in and pot belly stove for warmth or a one pot meal in the front room.  Bathrooms are in a separate building across the road and are shared with the other shelters occupants.  The exterior includes a fire pit, picnic table and a fire ring for larger meal prep.

The cabins are a two steps above the shelter with a full kitchen and bathroom with shower, but otherwise rustic, with three sets of bunk beds, a wooden table and two Adirondack chairs in front of a fire place.  The screened in porch at the rear of the cabin overlooks the lake and has plenty of room for camp chairs.   There is also a picnic table and a charcoal grill outside.

The beach is home to the cleanest, most wonderful lake I have ever set foot  in.  There are picnic tables and grills scattered all around the beach near the parking lot and it does get crowded in the summer months.  There is also a concession stand open in the summer months, serving light fare -- burgers, dogs, ice cream, soda & chips.