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Camping

Established Camping

Brendan Byrne State Forest

Brendan Byrne State Forest, near Woodland, New Jersey, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature. This campground offers a clean and simple environment, perfect for tent camping, RVs, or even glamping, with sites that come equipped with picnic tables and fire rings for cozy evenings.

Visitors rave about the well-maintained bathrooms and showers, which are a pleasant surprise in the camping world. The nearby trails provide a great opportunity for hiking, with a notable 12-13 mile loop that features a lovely lake area, making it a hit among those who enjoy a good trek. As one camper put it, “If you want to get away and feel like you’re truly in nature, this is a good spot to visit.”

While the sites can feel a bit close together, many appreciate the quiet and clean atmosphere, especially during the off-peak seasons. Plus, there’s a Wawa just a short drive away for any last-minute supplies or snacks. Whether you're looking to unwind by the campfire or explore the surrounding trails, Brendan Byrne State Forest has a lot to offer for a memorable camping experience.

Description

State Park

Brendan Byrne State Forest is in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, a unique ecosystem known for its sandy soils, acidic waters and diverse plant and animal life. Campers can explore the forest's numerous hiking and biking trails or go fishing or boating in the nearby streams and lakes. The forest also offers a range of educational programs and interpretive displays, providing visitors with the opportunity to learn about the region's natural and cultural history. Visitors can also enjoy a meal at one of the forest's many picnic areas, or spend the day exploring the nearby towns and attractions. There’s also disc golf and guided nature walks.

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Location

Brendan Byrne State Forest is located in New Jersey

Detail location of campground

Directions

From the NJ turnpike, take exit 7 and follow Route 206 south to Route 38 east, to second traffic light, then turn right onto Magnolia Road (Route 644). Follow Magnolia Road until you reach the Four Mile Circle. From the circle, take Route 72 east. Make a left at Mile Marker 1. There is a Forest Entrance Sign on your left as you turn in. Take the first right and the office is on the left.

Coordinates

39.88582935 N
74.52297797 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

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  • AT&T
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  • T-Mobile
    Fair

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Pull-Through Sites

Drive Time


Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

16 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 28, 2024

Nice spot in the pines

We stayed on a mon/tues at the end of August and the campground was fairly empty and quiet except for a few generators running & air planes/ helicopters going over. There is an air force base in the area.

Site 33 is the back corner so we did get a bit more traffic going past to get on the sand trails. There is also background noise from the road, but not too loud. There are not many RV sites in the 3 loops - just a handful which is a shame because many of the sites marked as tent only look like they could easily accommodate most RVs, especially smaller rigs.

The dump station is locked so get the combo from the office if you want to use it. The ranger station is a bit of a drive from the camping area so if you don’t have cell service make sure you get it at check in.

Go down to the pond and check out the carnivorous plants- one of the most unique things in this area!

Several choices for hiking, but it’s the pine barrens so it is flat and sandy and ticks can be overwhelming at some times of the year.

Overall this is one of the nicer & quieter options for pine barrens camping

Site33
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Laura G., August 28, 2024
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Laura G., August 28, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2023

Beautiful, remote and pristine

This was definitely a unique camping experience for me. The forest is absolutely beautiful, but not by any design. Instead, nature is just doing its thing. Sand roads crisscross the whole area and navigation can be a bit tricky the first time around.

The campgrounds are clean and simple. Some reviews mentioned that the borders between sites are a bit murky, which I agree with. In the larger loop, one site easily blends into another. I stayed in the smaller loop (1-13), which was simple and a bit more private. The bathrooms nearby were immaculately clean, which hasn’t been the case at many other state campgrounds. There was some occasional road noise, but nothing that kept me up at night. However, there was some low flying air traffic going in to the joint base nearby. It wasn’t terrible, but it was definitely noticeable.

In a pinch, there’s a Wawa about 5 minutes away from the campground. Beyond that, there’s a bar and a gas station a bit further away. Anything else is a bit of a hike. If you want to get away and feel like you’re truly in nature, this is a good spot to visit.

Site11
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Jonathan L., August 5, 2023
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Jonathan L., August 5, 2023
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Jonathan L., August 5, 2023
  • (11) View All
Reviewed May. 16, 2022

Decent camp ground with good hiking

Just like any other organized camp ground part of your experience is who is near you. The site itself is exactly what you want/expect but this state forest has a 12-13 mile loop with a nice lake area about 3/4 of the way through that is really nice. Have been here on many occasions. Like anywhere in this area the mosquitoes are bad in the summer for plan for that but if you are looking for a straightforward camping experience with a nice trail network this is your place.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Paul T., May 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Paul T., May 16, 2022
Reviewed Mar. 26, 2022

Amazing

A bit close to each other but we winter camp so it was empty super clean and easy to get too

Sitesite 23
Month of VisitMarch
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Reviewed Jun. 27, 2021

Nice campsite for car camping

Flat site, no tent bed, enough space to park two cars. Campsite decent size, but some don't have clear boundaries to neighbors, and sometimes not optimally configured (e.g., the site next door's fire pit was placed on the edge of its site/right next to my site). Could hear the traffic on Rte 72 at night despite being a half mile away.

Bathrooms were clean and stocked, warm/hot water available. No issues with firepit, water, plenty of tinder nearby. Bought firewood at the office for $7, but there is plenty of dead wood lying around outside the campsite. Picnic tables were somewhat hacked/battoned for kindling, but many sites had a log lying around for such purpose.

Went during the week and there were only 3 other campsites in use, ran into very few people on the trails. Ticks were definitely present but wasn't too crazy - found 2 on me in 3 days, no mosquito bites... thanks permethrin!

Site54
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 24, 2021

Great campground

First off, I will start by saying you have to drive a good amount of distance to get into the campground and that is something I really enjoyed! Made me feel super secluded and disconnected from the outside! The bathrooms and showers here were in really good condition, well cleaned and stocked, and was pleasant to use! The campsites are a little bit close to each and didnt offer much privacy but they were right in top of each other. Only weird rule I saw was that fires can only go from 6pm till 7am which was odd but wasn't a deal breaker. Seasonal rangers drove by a handful of times and there was a dumpster at the entrance of the campground area which was nice. Overall, I would 100% go to this campground again and I really enjoyed my site. Also, there is a good amount of trails and a wawa down the street if you forgot anything for your trip

Site21
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Dorian P., June 24, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Dorian P., June 24, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Dorian P., June 24, 2021
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jun. 9, 2021

June Camping

Spacious campsite, although the closest water spigot wasn't working. Not a big problem as there are plenty of others. Bathrooms were clean. Showers were a little spidery but kind of expected at a campground. Ticks were very active on this visit be sure to remember your bug spray and tuck your pants in your socks! Overall a great time.

Site70
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Megan S., June 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Megan S., June 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Megan S., June 9, 2021
Reviewed Jun. 6, 2021

Had a great time!

Nice weekend at a new-to-us campground, August 2020. Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook. Privacy depends on the campsite, some have more trees and plants than others. We chose a corner site to hopefully have less interaction with neighbors during the pandemic. We stayed at the campsite mostly, burning stuff and listening to music. Water spigot is nearby. Short walk to the bathrooms. Whether was very warm, then it rained. The pine barrens are very different from the mountains we normally camp in upstate.

Campsite sells fire wood. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, masks required for the pandemic. Also has a center washroom or laundry room, but it was closed for the pandemic.

Oh, got a bit lost on the way. Internet had us take unpaved "roads" directly to the campsites, when it would have been better to go past the ranger station and stick to paved main roads through the park.

Site061
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Dwight D., June 6, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Dwight D., June 6, 2021
Reviewed May. 31, 2021

Memorial Day Camping Trip

Well maintained campground and facilities. Lot of trails nearby, though some of the trails are shared with motorized vehicles/bicyclists.

Site053
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Vinayak Vinod C., May 31, 2021
Reviewed May. 4, 2021

Spring Camping

Good size site. Plenty of room to park two cars. Firewood available for purchase at the park office but you have to make sure it will be open depending on your arrival time. Lots of trails that were well marked. Clean bathrooms. Went to a program about beavers that included a hike around Pakim Pond to see their dam, very informative. Looking forward to visiting again.

Site57
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Megan S., May 4, 2021
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Megan S., May 4, 2021
Reviewed May. 17, 2019

Love this spot

Went in April. Allows dogs after a deposit. Must purchase their firewood. Good bathrooms/showers. Great location for hitting the 4x4 trails.

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2018

Great campgorund

Nice and quiet, sites are spaced out enough to offer privacy. Good trees for hammocking! Plenty of room for a few tents at each site. 1 bathroom a short walk from the sites, and hiking trails are walkable.

Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Lindsay D., July 27, 2018
Reviewed Jul. 18, 2016

My fav!

I grew up at this camp ground. Spent every summer here. Some of my favorite things about this place are 1) it's far away from traffic noise. You can't here any cars or any other noise from civilization at all. It's at least 10 miles away from anything more than a single house in the woods. 5 miles away from the main road. It just makes for better camping. 2) it's in the great NJ pine barrens. This place is fantastic! The smells, the sounds, the wildlife. Love it. 3) the walking trails! There are probably hundreds of miles of trails through the woods and bogs to explore. Can't tell you how much I love it. Could spend a whole vacation just with these trails and never leave this state park. 4) clean bathrooms to take a shower after your adventures. Well...pretty clean by camping standards. 😉 Hot showers are there. Everything you need.

  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Benjamin K., July 18, 2016
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Benjamin K., July 18, 2016
  • Review photo of Brendan Byrne State Forest by Benjamin K., July 18, 2016
  • (4) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at Brendan Byrne State Forest?

    Camping at Brendan Byrne State Forest can cost between $3.00 and $60.00 depending on the site.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Brendan Byrne State Forest?

    Brendan Byrne State Forest allows vehicles up to 50 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Brendan Byrne State Forest?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Brendan Byrne State Forest, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.