Pelham is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Pelham. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
This is the largest park in the Morris County Park System, encompassing 3,494 acres of beautiful near-wilderness and recreational areas. The Reservation is the park to visit with over 24.5 miles of multi-use trails for novice and experienced skill levels. For off-road bicyclists, discover the challenge and adventure of the blazed biking trails. Horseback riding, seasonal camping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and softball are recreational activities at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation. Digital trail maps are available online.
One of the outstanding features of the Reservation is the magnificent view from atop Headley Overlook, a 1,280 foot elevation, one of the highest points in Morris County. The Saffin Pond area is a most scenic location to enjoy a day of fishing. The Saffin Rock Rill area offers space for educational programs.
Some of the unique activities at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation include a radio-controlled car track, and model boat racing. All are operated by nonprofit groups comprised of interested residents.
Mahlon Dickerson Reservation (MDR) is a 3,590+ acre park with miles of trails and a Recreational Campground. MDR is a quiet place to enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, birdwatching and more. There are two (2) camping areas within the park. One (1) area accommodates Recreational Vehicle (RV) campers who travel with Motorhomes (Class A/B/C), Trailers/Fifth Wheels and Pop-up Campers. The second area is for Tent and Adirondack Shelter (Shelter) campers.
This campground is designated for recreational camping only.
This seasonal site is intended for short-term stays and does not allow for monthly or long-term reservations.
RV Sites - Reservations area allowed for up to fourteen (14) consecutive nights and cannot exceed 14 reserved nights in a 30 day period. Tent and Shelter Sites - Reservations are allowed for up to two (2) consecutive nights, three (3) consecutive nights on a Holiday weekend and cannot exceed two (2) reserved nights , three (3) on a Holiday weekend in a 7 day period.
You’ve never experienced New York City like this before. A quick ferry ride from downtown Manhattan, our peaceful oasis is nestled in the hills of historic Governors Island. You’ll be surrounded by sprawling green spaces, with unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty across the New York Harbor. It’s a retreat unlike any other in the world. The retreat includes Three Peaks Lodge dining and group activities space, a great lawn, and a collection of luxury outdoor accommodations (Summit Tents and Outlook Shelters) with en-suite bathrooms and entry level Journey Tents that offer a private dedicated bathroom that can be locked and that includes full flush toilets, showers, hot running water and amenities.
**Getting Here: **Collective Governors Island is located eight minutes from Lower Manhattan and five minutes from Brooklyn via ferry. All guests must arrive at Collective Governors Island on one of these ferries. The full ferry schedule can be found here.
Manhattan ferries run daily: 10 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Monday-Friday) and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays)
Brooklyn ferries run: 10:15 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays)
*Note above schedules are subject to changes or time variations depending on time of year. Please confirm the most current ferry schedule here.
MORNINGS BACK TO WORK:Governors Island Ferry only starts transporting back to Manhattan at 10AM to 10 South St., however Collective Retreats guests may take exclusive morning ferries back to 10 South St. at 7:15AM, 7:45AM, 8:15AM, 8:45AM, 9:15AM, and 9:45AM. No reservations are required in advance, see front desk for more info.
$529 - $1200 / night
$5 - $200 / night
An exceptional Resort in a breathtaking location. Panther Lake Camping Resort is nestled in 160 wooded acres featuring a pristine 45 acre lake just 50 miles from New York City. Swimming, boating, fishing or just soaking up the great outdoors, this north Jersey gem has it all!
$150 - $40 / night
$20 - $150 / night
The family campground at Watch Hill provides a camping experience like no other.
Pleasant Acres Farm RV Resort provides a camping experience that you won't find anywhere else. Built on a real working farm in North Jersey, you will find that at Pleasant Acres Farm farming is not just a theme, but truly a lifestyle. You can enjoy hayrides, and baby animal petting, every weekend throughout the summer season. Enjoy special events like cow milking and our famous pig chases. Come, spend some time soaking up the country atmosphere, modern facilities and the timeless hospitality that Pleasant Acres has to offer.
Don't overlook all the fun to be had in Sussex County, NJ. It is waiting around the corner everyday, suitable for all ages and interests. Amusements, Golfing, Zip-lining, Museums, Wineries and Breweries abound including Mountain Creek Waterpark, New Jersey State Fair, Space Farms Zoo and Museums, and Wild West City!
Located 50 miles from midtown Manhattan (approx 1:08 minutes) is our brand new campground located right off the Appalachian Trail. The camp is at the base of Wawayanda mountain right between the iconic hikes "Stairway to Heaven" and "Pochuck Boardwalk" on the Appalachian Trail. Hike right from camp up to "Pinwheel Vista" (named one of NJ's best viewpoints!)
At the entrance to the property is the Valley Farmers Cooperative that sells local grass fed meats and artisanal farm goods. You can walk two minutes to Heaven Hill Farm which has plenty of goods, produce, and fun fall activities like pumpkin picking and haunted hayrides. Drive your car from route 94 directly to your campsite nestled in the woods with a great view of the valley. A perfect getaway from the city with plenty to offer.
About 10 minutes down 94 is the beautiful town of Warwick or about 4 minutes in the opposite direction is the town of Vernon. Warwick is a quaint small town with plenty of great restaurants and bars, and famous for its apple picking. Vernon has plenty to offer as well including the popular ski resort/waterpark Mountain Creek and Minerals Spa (Located just under 10 minutes away.)
The quiet charm of Wawayanda State Park appeals to hikers, campers, swimmers and boaters. Forested hills surround Lake Wawayanda creating a restful backdrop for canoeists and fisherman, while steep mountains challenge casual as well as serious hikers. A twenty-mile stretch of Appalachian Trail runs through the park, while the top of Wawayanda Mountain offers sensational views. More than sixty miles of trails are marked in the park.
$50 - $275 / night
Yes, this is a military-only campground but, that doesn't take away from how incredible it is and that is properly advertised.
This place is incredible. Being military-only keeps standards high, the campground clean and well maintained. We've spent years here, with Dan & Janet but, are looking forward to returning this year under new management, as they enjoy retirement after many years of hard work. Boy, does their hard work show! They have poured so much love and attention into the building and maintaining of Lake Frederick!
Between rustic power-only campsites that give you a true camping experience and upgraded but, still simple cabins which allow campers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoor experience, there is something for everyone. The new docks around the swimming area create a safer swimming experience for even the most inexperienced swimmers, allowing them safe and obvious perimeters. The bath house is always well stocked and clean, ready for end of the day cleanup and the laundry facilities are a great bonus for those of us who like to stay longer than a couple days.
You won't want for anything at Lake Frederick and it will be a great way to unplug, kick back and enjoy God's Creation!
Overall a very pretty campground and a nice place for a weekend getaway. We have a tiny camper and we had a great site with power and water. The campground has a lot of seasonal residents, in the summer it's probably very busy and loud. We went early Sept and it was lovely. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a section that is wooded and the sites feel more private. There's another section that's more open for the bigger rigs. The Lake is the gem of the campground with a really nice beach, good for fishing and kayaking. The negatives were the bathrooms. They are very primitive and quite dirty. No one cleaned them the entire weekend we were there, even the ones next to the camp store. There's only one decent bathroom with showers and that was really far from our site. The other thing I didn't like is that they charged us $20 to launch our ckayak but only charge $15 to rent one of theirs. We had a good weekend despite all that though.
I travel the country racing road bicycles(at Augusta, GA now for the Master's Nationals) and the last 10 weeks or so have stayed at 5-6 other RV Campgrounds...at ALL the other RV places they drove me to my site, helped me back in,(I have a 2022 Tundra and a 30' pull behind), provided great Wi-Fi service, cell phone reception was great even in the KOA in the mountains in VA 2 days ago, picnic tables were clean, no bugs or mosquitos to speak off, sites well marked, and all were quiet, this one was relatively quiet as it's a park of 98% permanent sites with cabins, RV's that look like they haven't been moved in years, and other "permanent" type looking sites so adults/families had small fires and were outside until maybe 10:30 which kept me awake...so it's a New Jersey summer camp/place to stay for adults and families with movies at night and bands and tennis courts, and pools, etc. it's NOT for a 1-3 night stay when driving through and all one wants to do is chill and get to sleep early!! No one offered to drive me to my site and it was a MAZE of very small 1 lane roads and the few sites they had for 1-2-3 night guests were impossible to see with the small signs and #'s covered with moss and black mold...so I had to call them and they finally took me to my site...as soon as I got out to detach my camper I got attacked by mosquitos and it was impossible to let my dogs outside my camper and we all got bite a lot, especially when re-attaching it days later...the picnic table was covered in mold and moss, not habitable, there was NO Wi-Fi!! I have NEVER been to a RV park with no Wi-Fi...cell phone reception was terrible, half the time didn't work...and I have never encountered this before but one needed to put in their security code when leaving?? I am not from the region and had no other place to stay as it was 7:30 on a Fri night...every day I left at dawn and didn't come back until almost dark...never so glad to leave a RV park!!
Favorite place ever. You can get there by ferry. Very quiet and comfortable. Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. There are showers, toilets and a café. For those who want to be at one with nature. Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared.
I love this app it’s so easy to find spots to camp now
Very nice forest! The campground is clean, paved nicely and well run. Our site is easily the nicest- all the way in the back with only one neighbor. It is so quiet here. No amenities or extras here, just really pleasant camping in the woods. There are some nice trails around rhe campground as well, but we only stopped for a night so didn't venture too far. There are a lot of bear warnings here so that gave us a bit of pause with our three little boys. The sites are spaced well and have a nice bonus of large fire rings set back in the woods a bit from the pad that you park on. The water hoses provided are plenty long. We didn't need to use our hose at all, just the filter. If you want to decompress and get out in the woods, this is a great spot.
We stayed at Panther Lake as full timers all season. Great during the week but very busy on weekends. Could be noisy with children not very well supervised.
Friendly, helpful staff. Cable TV poor when it rains. Cell service spotty all carriers. No internet at sites. Lake beautiful and pool nice.
I’ve been camping here for the past 2 years. It’s really well maintained and beautiful!
But it absolutely looks amazing to use super user friendly
We got a shelter site. Our 4 person tent fit in the shelter well. The fire pit is a bit too deep and you will need a lot of wood to get the fire tall enough to cook. There is a portable toilet on the side of the tents, and a great bathroom with private showers a short drive in the RV side. The site was large and very serene and peaceful. Only $20 a night is a steal for this experience.
When you leave you have to drive the wrong way in the campground because of the low hanging trees the correct direction. There is a small playground, a mini golf, and a large dog walk. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable of the area. One downfall is you have to drive to the trash bin it is way too far to walk. Our site 30 is overgrown with weeds as were most of the sites although it had been mowed.
Mahlon Dickerson Campground is a true gem. It is a small campground nestled in the woods. There are level padded sites with electric and water (in warmer months). Sites were spaced out with beautiful woods in the background. Hiking trail goes right through the campground. There is a bathroom with showers that is heated in the colder months. There is a water spigot at the bathrooms to fill up your water tanks. Dump station also on site. Each site has a nice picnic table and fire ring. I really enjoyed this campground and would go back again.
Quiet campground with cool hiking trails and VERY clean public bath house. Only thing was is there is not much for kids to do.
Lots of seasonals and lots of cabins, many RV sites I think all with full hookups. A bit pricey. And also no garbage anywhere near the RV sites! Rv sites were mostly pretty flat, spacious and in a wooded area which we loved. Visited in October so leaves were falling and it was perfect weather. There were not many campground employees around. Good family fun though! Plenty to occupy the kids. Playground, hayride, animals to feed (goats, chickens, donkey and pony). There were some organized activities which was nice, not as much as a Jellystone Park. We also parked backwards in our site to buddy up with our friends so if you see in the picture, the campsites really were a lot bigger but we didn’t care bc we wanted to “share the living space”. We used the rest of the campsite on the drivers side of the RV to throw the frisbee, football and play badminton.
The garbage situation was the worst. Most campsites have a service, they tell you to leave it at a specific location by a certain time or they have many garbage cans throughout. This place had their garbage and recycling very far away and without a golf cart (which they had none to offer) or a car, you’re stuck… we were traveling in a large class C (3nights) with one family in a Class A and another in a cabin. The family in the cabin had a car so they drove all of our garbage to the place for us. If they weren’t with us, this wouldn’t have been the place to go, especially for the price I was disappointed about that. Otherwise overall it was a great place to camp and we enjoyed it tremendously!
The leaves are changing, quite during the week. Fire rings, picnic table common. Store on property, with wood, charcoal, snacks,
Love the place ! People were nice. Bathrooms were clean. Only issue is the internet is terrible u have to be near the wifi zones.
Some things you should be aware of before booking: The office, playground, dog park, pool, laundry are located at the top of the hill. Camping spots are downhill, a good distance from the office and amenities. Trash is located off site in a pullout on the road you drive in on. There are 2 showers for women and 2 for men. Both are old and not well maintained or in our experience clean, either. In general the camping spots are not well maintained, weedy, un-level and picnic tables are weathered and warped. This resort campground is composed of mainly residents, the rules (we observed) apply to the overnight campers, not the residents. Children of the residents run free all day and past curfew in the evenings unsupervised. The setting is quiet, the views from the upper level are lovely. With some updating of bath facilities, cleaning and leveling of campsites, uniform enforcement of rules, Pleasant Acres could become a resort destination.
It’s a really good place!!!!
Upon arrival we had a bit of a mix up. Someone was planted in our assigned spot. After a phone call, all was ok. The farm has goats, a donkey, and a pony within the campground. Very cool. Weekend was busy as usual but during the week it seems to be seasonal that stay. A bit out here in the middle of nowhere, 15-20 minutes from any town. Make sure you have what you need! Other than that, I would definitely come back.
It is a nice campground with lots of shady RV sites. Fire rings and picnic tables provided at each site and cabin. Lots of family activities on the weekend. Enjoyed the pool and hot tub, Hiking trails and paved roads to ride bike. Staff is friendly and helpful. WiFi only around office and bad cell service with Verizon.
Cabins are always clean and stocked with firewood. Lots of hiking trails. Trading post is well stocked and volunteers are always friendly and able to answer any questions
The campground is clean, the people who live there are friendly, very well organized, sites are big, street are easy to travel, the amnesties are good, the welcome center store is has the basic needs, showers and bathrooms are decent, and most important to me, to assure my family's well-being, the security detail is good ,and patrols all areas throughout the night(this coming from a executive security consultant) . Now comes the BUT, but there's no wifi, or phone signal, anywhere other than near the entrance, pool area, pavillion, lake, and welcome. You would have to go over to that area, to get any emails, call, or messages, or get a weboost. Maybe, you can do what I did. I called a relative, and gave them the phone number to the campground office. Instructed him. "Only if someone is dead or dying, call the office, and tell them what happened, so i can call home." I wouldve not left if the person is already dead, haha. what can I do? Cant ruin my kids having fun. We really enjoyed the place. Spent July 2 to the 6th 2021
This is my second attempt at posting a review here. I am not a fan of camping "resorts," so keep that in mind if you are looking for an incorporated waterpark,theater, etc.. The spacing is perfect, even packed you have space and privacy. The views are amazing. Plenty of trails, plenty to do near by. Place is perfect. The price is astonishingly low.
Please keep in mind I am not and have never been a fan of "resort" campgrounds, so things like wifi, pools, etc, are not here (that I know of). There are plenty of trails, water (creeks, pond,lake,) views and even if the place is packed there is PLENTY of room. The price makes it even better. Just best place I have ever been and plenty to do near by.
Mountain Lakes park is a great place to camp within driving distance from NYC. A fun option available at Mountain lakes is to rent a yurt to camp in. The area, as the name implies, is home to several lakes which can be used for various recreational purposes. There are also many hikes which can be trekked straight from the campgrounds which is always a huge plus in my mind. When we were there it was right after a rain storm and everything was a bit muddy and slippery. We will definitely be planning a trip back to Mountain Lakes when the weather gets nicer though!
We stayed at site 15 for 5 days. The sites are nicely wooded, very well spaced, fairly level with 50A service and water hookup. Although the water spigots were shared between sites, they provide hose caddies that should reach most RV hookups. No sewer hookup, but there is a convenient dump station. There are no fire rings in the RV section, only raised grills. We had the place pretty much to ourselves during the week, but the weekend did get busy. AT&T had ok data connection with 1-2 bars most of the time. There is no satellite coverage due to the heavy tree canopy. OTA TV was very inconsistent using an external omni antenna. There is no WiFi. There is a very nice network of trails in the reservation, most if not all were leashed dog friendly. There is a very nice restaurant, Stone Water, less than 10 miles away and is right on lake Hopatcong.
We've been coming here for at least 13 years. We love that its a place specifically for Vets and active Military. everyone is amazingly respectful of each other and the caretakers take such care of the grounds. It has become a home away from home for us and a chance to connect with other Vets. So grateful for a place just for Military and their families and guests. It is a sweet reminder that there are still places that appreciate their service. Beautiful views, clean bathrooms, and nice trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Pelham, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Pelham, NY is Mahlon Dickerson Reservation with a 4.7-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Pelham, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 glamping camping locations near Pelham, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
