Secure, safe, clean bathroom. Had fire pit where we cooked. 90% of the grounds were full of RVs. We were in tents and 10 other families. But all spots were full. Picturesque, family friendly and maxing. They have a pool which will be a fun for kids in summer. Trails to hike and waterbody to kayak. Just an awesome!!
Site 365 at this time of year was very quiet and secluded. Cold it was, 15 degrees was a teeth chattering experience. However our A Liner Ranger kept me warm and cozy. My main reason for venturing out into the area was the beautiful limestone trout streams. Technically difficult to fish I only experienced the most modest success. Streams are close by, hiking trails are numerous and Hawk Falls was a high point of the park. Peaceful, crisp air and beautiful Surroundings. The park is building a new Park Office at the campground so it looks like the facilities are being improved. Electric sites are scattered around an open field, I am never happy being up against a large RV. I usually like to boon-dock which keeps me a bit more secluded. I’m returning again soon and I’m looking forward to another wonderful stay.
This place was actually fantastic, I don't really have anything negative to say about it. The whole scene was exactly what I love about camping, a nice little remote campground in the mountains.
We actually only stayed here overnight to just get out and see the autumn colors before winter hit, so I wasn't really expecting much, but man was I impressed. The drive up to this place was so breathtaking the entire way. Adorable little mountain houses, with bridges that go over a stream to get to their front door. Made me quake with jealousy.
My husband said he would come back here just for the scenic drive to this campsite even, and I'd have to agree. We couldn't have picked a better time of the year too, the fall leaves were so vibrant. When we got to the campsite and checked in, there was a chicken right outside the camp office, which my dog seemed to appreciate most! We were kindly escorted to our site (a nice refreshing change from having to wander around to find the sites ourselves), which was the one farthest away from the entrance. We were able to just drive right up into our site and make ourselves at home for the day. The drive to our site had some inclines and was relatively rocky and some vehicles would surely struggle.
This place was just so calming and quiet, it was really just such a relaxing place to be. There was no irritation from loud, busy nearby roads, no city noise, no people yelling or stomping about. We set up camp and went for a little walk around to explore a bit. There were some open fields, some hunting trails with tree stands, and some remains of old structure foundations, chimneys, and farm equipment. Nothing super exciting but a nice way to walk the dog anyway.
Once it was time to turn in for the night, that's when the cool part happened. I've camped many times at multiple state parks, huge remote state forests, but I've never heard so much wildlife there as I did here. Only shortly after we settled into our tent did we hear foxes fighting right outside our tent, the snorts of deer, and there were bats right above us all night making noise! I guess if you don't like that kind of stuff you should avoid an area like this, but for some of us, this is what camping is all about. It was just so awesome to hear the sounds of wildlife all around you, and it's not something that's too easy to experience at a lot of NJ campgrounds, usually because the places aren't remote enough or campers are too rowdy. This place really delivers when it comes to spending some time in nature.
After a nice relaxing night out in the woods we packed up early in the morning (it was planned to rain the entire day) and headed out to the Cracker Barrel in Clinton to get a hot breakfast before heading home. Every moment was well worth it and the trip was just so rejuvenating despite how short it was. I will definitely be back next season.
Pros:
Picnic tables and fire rings at each site. Fire ring had a grate for cooking.
Nice flat area for your tent. Our site was fully private (could not see or hear neighbors).
Beautifully secluded and quiet. Pretty rare for campgrounds in NJ.
Drive right up to your spot for your convenience. The drive up to the campsite was literally jaw-dropping the whole way up into the mountains. You pass through beautiful, quaint little towns and go over aged bridges, along mountain streams and though open valleys. The entire area is just gorgeous, open country.
Campsites are either in thick, wooded areas, or in open fields.
Dog friendly!
A playground for kids.
Porta-potties were super clean and…actually smelled good??? Maybe they were just cleaned or they are just really well cared for. Either way, it was unusual for a campsite.
Close to the Delaware River, Spruce Run Reservoir, and Round Valley Reservoir.
Wildlife everywhere!
The free-range chickens by the office are a warm welcome.
Our site was on a hill and most likely not in a flood area.
Strict rules so that nature lovers can enjoy the outdoors without worrying about noisy neighbors or trash everywhere. Not a place you go to if you want to throw a rowdy party and just generally be a nuisance.
Cons:
- Occasional, very minor traffic noise (mainly just from loud sports cars on the highway)
- The ground is moderately rocky, so there may be some slight troubles getting tent stakes in the ground.
- They do not allow you to gather your own firewood, but they do sell it in their camp store.
Points of interest nearby:
Spruce Run Reservoir and Round Valley Reservoir are nearby for all your fishing, boating, hiking, and swimming (even scuba diving) needs.
If you're looking for a scenic drive that makes you forget that you're in NJ, head on over to the Alpha Grasslands Preserve in Alpha, NJ.
The Delaware River is nearby with some great fishing spots.
Just past the Delaware River through Milford NJ, into PA, is a park called Ringing Rocks County Park. Some waterfalls to see and hiking to do. If you strike certain rocks with a metal hammer they ring, hence the name of the park!
Stayed here 3 days and 2 autumn nights. Our site was nice, though not very defined as far perimeters. We were in the horseshoe row housing a few 5th wheels and small travel trailers in one corner. We were one of the smaller travel trailer in the corner. Nice and no real complaints aside from not being super scenic.
Bathhouse was newly remodeled and very nice. A lot of amenities scattered throughout the campground to check out. The highlight of the campground is the River of Rocks. It truly is a surreal sight. Kids had fun exploring. The campground is a few minutes from a AT trailhead.
If we stayed here again, we tried to get a more scenic site along the creek or nestled in the woods a bit more. Overall a great experience.
Scenic state park with a lake. You can swim in the lake in the summer or do a 5-mile hike around the lake along well-marked walk paths. There are at least two parking lots(no parking fees). Both are easily accessible from State Route 423. One is by the lake spillway), which is very picturesque with the cascading water. This area would be an ideal spot to start the hike. The hike should last 1.5 to 2 hours for the average person. Spray some insect repellent before you start. The other parking lot is near the beachwhich is obviously where you'd want to park if you're planning to swim. The beach area is part of the hiking trail so you can easily start a hike before or after you take a dip. There are shower facilities near the beach. Swimming is at your own risk since there are no life guards around.
Love it!!Our favorite family campground! We've tried to camp at least one weekend a month from spring through fall and try different places,but we always come back to Mountain Vista! The staff is friendly and helpful and they have a ton of great activities from kids carnival, craft beer tastings,farmers market, bingo…the list goes on!Their pool and kiddie splash pad is well kept as are the rest of the facilities. We did the gas saver program for the second time this June and invited lots of friends and family up and everyone had a blast! Lots of great memories made! Also, very pet friendly! We'll be back!
Since it was late in the season, I called ahead to make sure this campground (22 individual sites plus two group sites and four cabins– two rustic and two modern) was still open. I was reassured that it was, that reservations were not needed, and that a ranger would come around to collect our fee ($30 cash or check). We arrived around 6 pm to a completely empty campground. Granted it was a rainy Sunday night, but the gates were open and so were the restrooms, so we settled into site 16, across from the restrooms. Aside from occasional road noise on Cafferty Road, we didn’t hear any noise or see another soul (including the ranger) during our overnight stay. There was no place to self/register/pay that we could find. The next morning, we woke to sunshine and the campground looked beautiful. No hookups and the bathrooms were reasonable but not the best we’ve encountered. The shower did not look very appealing. I did not see the cabins or the pool that is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. I read that two water releases each year in March and early November are very popular for whitewater rafters and many of these paddlers stay in the cabins and campground. I also read about hiking trails but could not find them on the Google map on my phone. Not seeing much to do, we packed up and left what was likely the most peaceful night of camping we’ve experienced in a long time!
I grew up with Tyler in my backyard (literally)
This campground is a nice little hideaway not too far from the beaten path. You can hear some of the highway sounds from the campsites (especially the jake brake). The sites are hit or miss in terms of comfort, some have large, flat, clear spaces for multiple tents, some you have to wedge a tent to avoid rocks. Bathrooms were standard, compost toilets. The showers were free and generally quite hot.
This is one of the best campsite I’ve been this year, clean bathrooms with very hot water and flushable toilet. The grounds are full of grass which makes my tent easy to pitch. Most campsite has a view of the Reservoir when sundown has amazing sunsets. Staff are friendly and helpful.
One of the best places in NJ to camp. If your into kayaking, boating, fishing, camping, hiking and much more then this is the place for you. You can either hike in to a site up to 7 miles or as we did, we loaded everything onto our kayaks and took the trip straight across. The view from the beach side sites are amazing, there is plenty of space in each site and plenty of space in between sites. I highly recommend this one to anyone who is trying to get away.
We camped here in almost mid October this year. Our first time in a NJ state park. The tent camping area was right along the river, some sites with direct access, some you'd have to walk a little more to the larger access areas. Our site, 15, had a direct path right down where you could be on the river. It was also very close to the bathroom/shower without actually being close enough that people bothered you, rarely even heard folks going to the restrooms. The camp site was level, huge, good table and had a lantern hook, too. Plenty of places for tent and shelter, plus tons more space. The bathrooms got the job done. Nothing fancy, but had hot water showers, large shower rooms and enough bathrooms as well. Biggest extra was a dishwashing sink which felt amazing after a summer of camping far from water and all the drama that entails. Its a "dry" campground, but I know for sure the sites around us did not follow that rule. No electric, or water at each site, just at the bathrooms. There's so much outdoor stuff to do in this area that honestly I'd go back a ton of times if I could. Hiking, fishing, Lakota Wolf Preserve, Pennsylvania…the list goes on. 100% recommend this area for camping!
Riverside Acres is a modest sized campground in a great.spot. The river in front of first row sites is 200 m broad. Eagles fish here. You can too. Good beginning or end for a canoe trip.
Resident owner is easy to get along with as long as you respect the grounds. She has a wealth of knowledge of the area.
Good tentable spaces on river. Second row has water/electric, shade trees and lawn frontage. Pavilion has tables, a braizer, and one electric outlet. Lawn big enough to play your sport. Inland row has sewer hook ups and the bath house. Facility is an effective combination of old and new, and hot water is plentiful.
If you paddle in, come prepared for comfortable isolation. If you have wheels, anything can be bought with a run into Wyalusing, or Towanda.
When I have been there, if your night life requires things, you should bring your own. Like a chair to watch the moon on the river.
One of favorite spots! This is the second year we've stayed here. We had a scenic site along the Brandywine River. We had a great couple of families stay next to us and our kids made quick friends with their's. They played in the woods, road bike, jumped on the air mattress the campground has, and many rounds of Gaga Ball.
There is also a great run for the dogs to get off the leash for a bit. Our German Shepard made many a friend there. It served as a great place to meet other families as well as a great way to tire our pooch OUT.
We also did some hiking along the train tracks that boarder the campground. I regret not taking advantage of renting one of the KOA's canoes and floating down the Brandywine. There is something special about Chester County that is hard to find anywhere else. So much history and beauty everywhere you go within the county. We will return and are looking forward to it already.
Love it here!Great place to picnic fish from land or boat, go for a nice scenic walk, go Kayaking, etc. If you don't own a boat, you can rent one right at the lake. There is a place here swim as well even though we never swam. The lake is huge and the the area is clean and beautiful! My family and I love going to Nockamixon.DCNR is on top of their game here and my dogs love it as well!There a a couple little spots around the area that have great food as well! Lots of things to do and plenty of room to explore and the cabins are nice and very inexpensive if you want to camp but don't like tents.It's a nice place for boating, but it's pretty popular so don't expect isolation. There are at least three boat launches…one at either end and one in the middle. You can kayak there but the whole lake permits wakes so expect for some choppyness as the boats go back and forth. There are a lot of sailboats there though so at least they're nice to look at.
Great park to do everything outdoorsy including, hiking, horseback riding, hunting and fishing. I cought a beautiful Brown Trout here a few weeks ago! Great park.(I put the Trout back in, it was very healthy and I managed to get the hook out quickly, otherwise he would have been dinner!) You need a license to fish, and if you plan on catching Trout you need the Trout endorsement on the fishing licence, currently$9.90.The restroom facilities we're clean. There were plenty of maps and brochures available at the different parking areas. It was a great place to walk with your dog and enjoy the Pennsylvania outdoors.
We love French Creek, it is a short drive from Philly(about an hour in light traffic), but it feels like you left the city far behind you.Campsites are clean and we'll maintained. Some sites are a bit more private than others, but we've had both and they're perfectly fine. The bathrooms& showers are convenient and clean.Access to boat rentals & a swimming pool(both are a bit more expensive than you might expect-- so we just decide on one to do). Town of Birdsboro is nearby for necessary things(drinks, ice cream, etc). All in all, our family's favorite summer spot.The neighboring Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is also very interesting. During the summer months, the pool(very large) is open to the public for a fee, and there's a lake for boating(but no swimming). I highly recommend this place for a great day trip any time of year.
This campground felt huge and was totally packed for Memorial Day weekend. The bathrooms were fine but definitely got crowded and dirty (it rained off and on so lots of mud tracking). The sites are nice but pretty close together. Overall it was a good experience considering that it was a busy holiday weekend with some rainy weather.
There are lots of things to do when staying here. We took an awesome hike down to the waterfall, fished at the lake, played on the playground, swam at the beach, and visited the boulder field.
The camp store is just incredible! You could get lost for hours in there!
Had a great getaway here in early September. During the week it was quiet the weekend came and every site filled up. Even picked fresh apples just down the road.
We stayed here a week in October. The owners are nice and we found the campground to be quite and a good place to hop on a train and ride into Philly. We camped right by the large/nice playground that my kids enjoyed. It’s not far from town, but far enough to drown out the noise of the city.
Stayed in B-08 on mid October and had a great trip. The site was non-electric and it seems most of the outer side of this loop is basic camping with the inside of the loop having power. The other loops offer full hookups but opting for this area kept us from being surrounded by massive RV's. Easy back in spot for our car, partially shaded, decent brush cover between sites and able to keep tent about 20 yards from the road on a crushed rock pad. I will say this site has a little bit of slope but nothing that affected our sleep. The fire ring is very high sided and if you're not sitting on a higher camp chairs you kind of miss the fire. Picnic table was sturdy but easy enough to move lnto place to fit our needs. Tons of hike mg within the park including some historic sites at Hopewell Furnace like the blacksmith shop and old residences. Checked in a. It before the stated 3pm time without issues. Very few rangers seen during stay but it is after labor day and most of the seasonal attractions like the pool etc were closed for the season. Very clean bathrooms with easy to use dish sinks on the outside. Overall for a trip that within 75 minutes of Philly you can't go wrong for a quick jaunt out of town.
A great place to camp for a good nature experience . There are trails that lead from the campground to many miles of wilderness hiking in the federal park and state forests . The Lakota Wolf Preserve is a must see while there and hearing the wolves howl at night while you are out at the fire is really cool . There are a lot of bears roaming the woods in this part of NJ so keep your coolers in the car and garbage in the trash cans . For hiking and a great outdoor and camping in the woods experience check this place out .
Campground Review: French Creek State Park Campground is located in Elverson, Pennsylvania and sits adjacent to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. There are 200 individual sites in four loops, some with full hookups for RVs, some with electric only but mostly primitive sites. There are also several cottages, cabins and yurts available as well.
For this trip, my husband and I camped alongside our friends, which included three other couples and their children, so we took up two electric sites for the tent campers and two full hook up sites for our friends with RVs. We stayed in Loop C, which is the only dog friendly loop in the campground, on sites 35, 37, 39,& 40. Thankfully, a short walk to the bathroom facilities for us tent campers.
Normally site 35 would have been way too small for our usual gear– a behemoth 9X15 tent- but it was a perfect fit for the tent I was reviewing on this trip. Our friends, who have the same large tent as us, stayed on site 37 and had plenty of space to pitch it, but many of the sites surrounding ours were very rocky and left little option for a larger than normal sized tent so keep this in mind if you have a large family sized tent. I’ve included a few photos of the surrounding sites for future reference. The bath/shower house in this loop was adequate and includes two dish washing stations outside. The showers had good pressure and hot water. It was cleaned often throughout the weekend, however it is definitely in need of an update.
We also checked out the other loops for future use and found Loop A to have very spacious, less rocky sites, however, there was little shrubbery between each site, making them less private than the sites in Loop C.
There are two lakes in French Creek, Hopewell and Scott's Run and each contain many species of fish. We spent Saturday afternoon fishing but not catching anything at Scott's Run. It’s a beautiful location and it was still a fun way to spend the day with the kids away from the site.
We found several places nearby to purchase wood, besides the supermarket and a nursery in town, there are a few residents that sell it right on their front lawn so be on the look-out en route to the park entrance.
Generally, we camp in the off season, and usually have the whole place to ourselves, so I had some concern prior to arrival that every site in every loop was booked for the whole weekend and expected it to be noisy, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It was quiet and our neighbors were respectful of the quiet hours and our space. It was a wonderfully peaceful weekend for us all and we will definitely visit again soon.
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Product Review: Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 Tent
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am occasionally offered the opportunity to test new outdoor products. For this trip I tested the Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 Tent https://wenzelco.com/ivanhoe-6/.
Generally, my husband and I use a larger ez up tent, but I liked this tent specifically for the design which is reminiscent of the tent my parents used when I was a child and figured it would be a good option for shorter weekend trips, rather than our 9X15 ez-up.
The set up was relatively easy, although one person might have some difficulty. It held up well during an evening thunderstorm, but for a small seam leak near the door. We believe this is a result of the fact that our site was slightly uneven and that particular corner was not as evenly pitched with the other corners of the tent which resulted in a bit of a gap in the roof.
The airflow is great, with the small vent in the rear, two side windows and the full screen door. There are also two smaller vents at the top- though neither seem seem to add that much airflow,- perhaps a design flaw or more likely the uneven ground it was pitched on.
I love the fact that there are awnings over the side windows, but in order for them to be effective one must stake out three guy lines on each side, plus the one on the front and the back. Knowing this I had purchased some small lights to hang on the lines to prevent tripping on them at night and it worked out perfectly.
The front doors are secured closed from wind and rain by velcro strips, rather than the standard ties. There are four side pockets and a handy troubleshooting guide sewn into the interior wall for any issues you experience while in use, such as leaking, condensation, or a faulty zipper.
I am very happy with this tent. For the two of us it was the perfect size for our ten inch high queen size air mattress and some minimal gear. The peak height was just over 6 foot, so we were both able to stand upright without issue.
If you're looking for a nice place to disconnect from everyday, you found your spot. The Muddy Creek borders the campground on one side, which is a really nice backdrop. Sites are generally open and not very private, but the general vibe of the campground is slow pace and relaxing so you don't really mind the lack of privacy. We stayed during October and they had a scavenger hunt and hayrides for the kids in the evenings. Kids loved it. My daughter came up big with her first trout out of the Muddy Creek. Bathhouses aren't the best, but get the job done. Overall a great place to unwind and have some lifelong memories with the kiddos.
On the surface the campground is average. The secret it packs is the great town in which it shares it's name. You are 5 minutes from the wonderful town of Jim Thrope. Can't say the campground offers too much other than the basic campground experience. Though if coupled that with the opportunity to experience Jim Thrope, it sets the Jim Thrope Camping Resort apart.
My son, brother, and nephew tent camped. The tent sites are not very defined, level or rock free. Makes it fun searching for a good position within the site, kinda like roughing it in the actual wild… so not really a complaint. Sites are not very private or secluded. I could personally use a bit more privacy, not enough to be a deal breaker. Bathhouses are rougher, but usable and not dirty per se. Just rustic.
A major pro is access to the Switchback Trail from the campground. A wonderfully scenic trail.
Overall I would and plan on returning.