Best Campgrounds near Carteret, NJ

I was so excited when we got here. The sites are spacious and it’s really beautiful. But by the 2nd day I had 3 ticks on me. My dog had one and by the end my husband had 2. That was so crazy because we were just sitting by our camper. I have been RVing for 2-3 years and this is the first time this many ticks ambushed us. I could not enjoy myself after having 3 biting me at one time. My husband had just come out of the shower and found 2 on him( not yet attached). Also the bathroom s don’t have shelves and the showers are not very convenient. You have to come out practically naked to get your towel. And since none of the sites have sewers you have to use them.

This is a pricey park, but options are limited. As in almost non existent. This is a prime location for visiting the city or heading down the shore. The light rail is a block away, and the path train is about 8.

Staff is average, as this is not meant to be high end. They are nice but a bit rough. We had some issues with our converter and they wanted to extort a 20% commission to allow our repair man in. A bit of logical conversation put that idea to sleep. Sites kind of level and very close. Power and water, and convenient dump station if staying and needing to dump. The bath house was above average and heated. The laundry was helpful and was acceptable. Having a view of Lady Liberty out your window is priceless.

Getting in and out of the city is an adventure. Stay right off the highway to avoid the $30 tunnel toll. Follow RV life pro and not Waze.

General: Smallish (64-site) county park campground. There are also three cabins. As soon as you turn off the main road to the park, all roads are dirt, which was a bit surprising. They were well-maintained and in dry weather, not a problem, but probably not if it was rainy. The campground is in five loops with the bathhouse located in the D Loop. 

Site Quality: Sites in Loops B-E all have pull-thru driveways. Sites are all level, very generous in size, and reasonably spaced apart for privacy. A lantern hook, picnic table, and fire ring complete each site. As mentioned, all roads and camper pads are dirt. There are some ADA sites but the only thing distinguishing them from others is their proximity to the bathroom. 

Bath/Shower House: Very clean. Soap and paper towels are provided. The only thing missing were hooks or shelves for toiletries but there was a large bench that could be used. Since it is located in the D Loop it would have been helpful to have pathways leading from the other loops. Did not use the shower so cannot comment. 

Activities/Amenities: There is a lake with a boat dock and a small boardwalk. Kayaking/Canoeing, fishing, and swimming. In the summer, canoe, kayak, paddle boats, and row boats are available for rental. Several short (longest one is 2.5 miles) hiking trails that are fairly well-marked but can be a bit confusing at times. Some sections of the trails were muddy due to swamps and bogs but passable. There is also a fitness trail. There is an archery range and a council ring (campfire). There is a dump station and laundry facility with brand-new washers and dryers (however, you need to pay using an app on your phone). The office is open until 9 pm and sells ice, firewood, and bait. There are age-appropriate playgrounds both in the campground and by the office. 

There are not a lot of camping opportunities in NJ, and this was a nice one. The campground was only about 20% occupied when we were there at the end of April, so our stay was a quiet one.

General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.

However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.

All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.