Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park - Elmer

By reading the reviews some people love the place while others hated it. We we're somewhere in the middle. My reaction was"meh". We stayed on premium site number 54 from Wednesday until Sunday at a total of$343. At that price, I was expecting MUCH more. The place is very quiet until Friday but noise is no issue to us as we love being in the middle of the action. Most people also respected quiet time. The entire campground is sand and gets very dusty and messy. This was the dirtiest campground we've stayed at, meaning the trailer and truck needed a full bath once we got home. The activities were cute and the pool and splash pad was really the only main attraction. Site was gravel with a small concrete patio and decently sized. All hookups worked as required so no complaints there. Make sure you bring everything you need with you, because this place is literally in the middle of nowhere and a minimum 15 minutes ride to any type of civilization. Don't plan on arriving after dark as there is no type of lighting other than what the other campers have lit up. Overall we had a decent time, but for the price, we've stayed at much nicer places and most likely won't be coming back.

We are annual visitors to Yogi Jellystone in Elmer, NJ by virtue of location, as it is close to home and a convenient spot for several people in our x-large camping crew.

The pro's: This campground is well-designed with spots that can make most campers happy. There are wooded tent sites, field sites, full plug-in RV sites, and RVs and cabins for rent. There is a sizable splash park and pool with giant inflatable water. They have recreational activities for kids and families from ice-cream parties to bingo to hayrides to movies on a giant screen in the rally field. There is something for almost everyone.

The con's: It is our "per night" most expensive camping trip each year and runs us close to $165 for a weekend with a site with water and electric. This might seem reasonable for families who enjoy all the bells and whistles and activities but we are just looking for a place to gather with our camping friends and we rarely indulge in the activities. The other con is that someone akin to a "campground bouncer" (that is really a thing) will harass and threaten you and your group throughout the night for even so much as laughter and guitar playing after quiet hours. My group makes a concerted effort (and succeeds) in booking a large area away from most other campers. Regardless of the distance we create, they shut us down every year. But we are a resilient group and it sometimes takes until the wee hours until we truly shut down.

A pro: They haven't kicked us out yet.