Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS,(National Park Service) within the DWGNRA,(Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or that are camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

As a result of the global issues, at the time of this review I wasn't really sure we would even be able to camp at all.  However, after a few phone calls and messages we were given the green light to go.  The NPS then informed me that they were starting to close off island camping on the river and going to "rotate in" some new sites to help with land management.  Almost like a farmer rotating crops.

With that, we set out to find a new night one campsite for our trip.  We were pleasantly surprised as we neared the island to see that what we had thought to be closed, actually had a new site number sign.  Immediately making shore we discovered that along with new site number signs, there also was new regulation signs and firepits. 

ONLY AT SITES 1 and 4......  Sites 2 and 3 no longer have any signage or firepits.

Returning home I contacted and updated the NPS, who said it should not have had any new site work.  With that said, if you use Nanamock Island during the 2020 season, do so at your own risk.

As always, camping on the island is such a treat.  You totally feel that your party is alone out on the river, the entire world is yours and yours alone.  There are no public interactions, (beyond the neighboring sites), on the river for miles, if not days - other boaters varying... 

Its always in nice shape, if not pristine.  Group/family accommodating, pet friendly, PRIMITIVE camping that takes you back in time.  You have Raymondskill Falls about a half an hour above you on the river, and down river you will shortly come to Dingman's Crossing, (lots of history), and a short hike takes you to two more waterfalls.  This is only some of whats in the area...

The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site is a primitive campsite. There is a fire ring suitable for cooking on as well as allowing you a small fire. You will also have access to a privy style toilet a short distance in the woods behind your site.

This site is a riverside site that will hold 2-3 smaller tents. It is well maintained by the NPS and had no litter or garbage on site. It is very secluded and tucked into the forest between the Delaware River and the McDade Trail.

To reach this site you can put boats in the water at two locations, Dingman's Ferry and Eshback Access. If you start at Dingman's Ferry, you really should go for a hike first. If you hike about 30 minutes each way you will be able to see two very impressive waterfalls. Silverthread Falls and Dingman's Falls are right up the road from the river access point and well worth the walk. There are also tons of hiking trails a matter of minutes from your camp leading to minor waterfalls, overlooks and historic cemeteries. The trails are all well marked and easy hiking.

Nightfall is great. Once the darkness sets in you easily forget your closeness to civilization. No traffic noise, usually there are no other campers close by, which allows you to just sit and enjoy the sounds of the river and the wildlife around you.

Morning sun comes right in on the tent sites making the morning start off on a great note as well. It is definitely worth the stop if your paddling down the river.

This review is of site #4 on Namanock Island. The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site is a primitive campsite. There is a fire ring suitable for cooking on as well as allowing you a small fire. You will also have access to a privy style toilet a short distance in the woods behind your site.

Let me say that of all the places I have ever camped, having an entire island to yourself is a feeling I have never experienced anywhere else.

The campsites on this island are always very clean, if not pristine. In the 7 years I have camped here I do not think I have even wore shoes here once. Never any glass or trash anywhere.

There is tons of room to enjoy your camping trip, its an island that is at most shared by 3 other camping groups. Once night falls the absence of light sources beyond your camp remind you that you are truly alone in the wilderness.

The fishing here is decent, but its a shallow part of the river so in the summer months the fish seek deeper waters. As for local wildlife, you can expect to be visited by a masked robber or two during the night, but a bear bag handing will eliminate any issues.

Stopping here is normally a very simple thing as most of the island has a 3-4 foot shore around it of river rock. This makes for an easy landing and unloading of boats. However, spring time trips can find the water levels much higher and swifter making it more difficult to arrive safely, or dry.

If you paddle across the river from the site, it is only a 10-15 minute hike along the road on the Pennsylvania side of the river to reach Raymondskill Falls. A "must-see" if your stopping here. The New Jersey side will require a longer hiking time, but will take you along Old Mine Road where there are more things to see than you can imagine.

This area is rich in history, folklore, legends and locations that anyone camping here would truly enjoy knowing/seeing.

Campground Review

Stokes State Forest has four campgrounds. The Steam Mill Camping Area is tucked out the of the way and is the most primitive. It is the smallest of the campgrounds with 27 sites only suitable for tents or small trailers/campervans. No pets or alcohol allowed.

The campground has a pit toilet and a well. Each large campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern hook. Some sites also have a tent platform. Many sites are a bit rocky.

We selected site T219. It was a solid choice: private but close to the toilet and water. Some sites located around the opposite side of the ring back up to a babbling brook. The rushing water will soothe you to sleep.

Remember, this is bear country so proper food storage is a must. Bear lockers are not provided. The area also has ticks and rattlesnakes.

Outdoor activities in the area abound. Go fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more. There are 21 marked trails that cover over 63 miles within the boundaries of Stokes State Forest. Twelve miles are part of the Appalachian Trail. Pick up a hiking map at the park office or download the Avenza Maps app.

This visit we hiked the Tillman Ravine trail (tip: make the trail a loop and visit both the ravine and the nearby old cemetery).

You can also drive or hike to Sunset Mountain Scenic Overlook for a view of High Point Monument. High Point Monument is the highest elevation in New Jersey and is located in High Point State Park which borders Stokes State Forest on the north. High Point State Park also offers camping, hiking, sightseeing opportunities. And, on the western border of Stokes State Forest is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. So, there is lots of outdoors to get out and explore!

Product Review

We camped at the Steam Mill Camping Area in Stokes State Forest in our campervan over a chilly autumn weekend. We had the opportunity to cook some soup on our stovetop and chill out by the campfire. And, as Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time so we were psyched to try out some new dinnerware and cutlery. This included the FlexiBowl and GoBites from humangear.

What made these humangear products pretty awesome? Well, the fun colors to start. I mean, seriously, my orange bowl rules. The FlexiBowl also has some neat features: it’s flexible - just like the name suggests - and foldable. The bowl can be squished and stuffed anywhere. And, the top section can be folded down to create a smaller bowl. The FlexiBowl is versatile yet durable. It held my hearty, warm soup just perfectly.

I paired the FlexiBowl with one of the GoBites utensils (the Uno model). The Uno model is my favorite - it has a fork on one side and a spoon on the other side. Very simple and convenient. The other GoBites models include the Duo (separate fork and spoon that can snap together) and the Trio (a fork, spoon, and knife - with bottle opener - in a case).

PRO TIP: I keep the Trio GoBites model in my travel pack at all times. It recently came in handy on a (non-camping) trip to Sardinia. The knife on the Trio allowed me to slice some delicious local cheese to pair with bread, jam, and wine that was purchased from the grocery store. YUM.

The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site is a primitive campsite. There is a fire ring suitable for cooking on as well as allowing you a small fire. You will also have access to a privy style toilet a short distance in the woods behind your site.

The site itself is very nice. It is spacious enough for a medium to large group to camp at without feeling like you are on top of each other. There are 9 other sites in this group and they are all within shouting distance of one another, but have enough wooded growth between them to allow you to forget the other sites are there.

The sites are all kept clean and the NPS will come through from time to time and do repairs and/or upkeep as needed.

A short hike, approximately 10 minutes or so, will take you to the Decker Ferry House. A house that dates back more than 200 years and is rich in history. Walking 5 minutes more will find you on Old Mine Road. Old Mine Road has many amazing places that help found this country. From cemeteries, churches, houses, and military forts to abandoned towns.

Warning, this site is frequented nightly by the local wildlife. Black bear and raccoons are not shy and a hanging "bear bag" is seriously recommended. Once night falls you will also be treated to the sounds of an owl from the ledges across the river that I have yet to see, but have heard for 7 years running.

Also this year I had the pleasure of opening my eyes just after daylight and from the comfort of my hammock watching a Bald Eagle working on its nest and feeding riverside.

The section of river this site is on is well known for its catfish population and your a mere 1/2 mile up river from Big Flatbrook, a "trout stream of no mean reputation" which is full of native brook, brown, and rainbow trout.

All in all an amazing time to be had by everyone lucky enough to stop here.

The campsite in this review has two major points to express beyond the actual review.

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS, (National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

This site was actually an Eagle Scout project according to the signs. There are two different levels to the campsite, which is nice for boaters. We were able to leave the boats on the lower level,(yet more than high enough that the river is no issue), and camped on the upper level. There are railroad tie stairs from the river up to the site, making it nice weather muddy or dry.

This is actually the second to last site on this section of river. After another 1/2 mile and there are no other campsites for more than 20 miles, and those are private or reserved sites.

There was quite a bit of room, and the site was very clean. According to all the literature this is a site with no road or trail access. HOWEVER, as dusk fell, a small group of local fishermen came walking through the camp to access the river. It turns out the locals know this place well and it is very popular with the anglers.

As soon as they seen the site was occupied they did change their path of travel, but still was a little bothersome when expecting total seclusion.

Upon leaving this site you will only travel down river about 30-45 minutes before you come upon Shawnee Golf Course. Its pretty neat to see, the last few holes of the course are on an island mid-river.

Beyond that another 20 minutes and you find yourself at the New Jersey Welcome Center and Mt. Tammany, a large mountain that forms the eastern side of the Delaware Water Gap. It has a moderate difficulty hike that takes about an hour an a half round trip to complete, but it has the most incredible view. You have to go to the top if you get here. If not it will always be one of those "I should have" memories. The Appalachian Trail also cuts across the top of this mountain.

All in all, a great campsite, just do not be surprised if in the middle of the night you have local fishermen visiting.

Campground Review:

First, this site is only accessible by canoes or kayaks. There is no public road access to the campsite. Secondly, the site is maintained by the NPS,(National Park Service) within the DWGNRA, (Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area). People found camping at this site that are not on a river trip or that are camped at the site for longer than one day can expect to receive hefty fines from the NPS.

Tucked away on the New Jersey side of the river, about a 1/4 mile after the Nanamock Access, you will find the 6 sites that make up Sandyston Canoe Campground.  Its a very quiet area, as there is no access to the general public.   It is primitive camping, so no facilities for waste, water, or anything that you did not pack in with you.

It is always a clean set of sites, a few of them are fairly large and accommodate large groups, however we camped at site 5 this trip, which was more than adequate for two of us.

This site is in the heart of the historic area of the river.  Within minutes on the Pennsylvannia side of the river  you can hike to Raymondskill Falls, (one of many in easy walking distance), as well as search for abandoned/forgotten homes and mills,(some of which date back to the 1700's), or try your luck at fossil and artifact hunting.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, there are times that I have the oppurtunity to test and review various products while camping.  This trip I was able to test TWO products from GCI Outdoor, their Quik-E-Seat and Pack Seat.  

First, the Shipping took literally 3 days from order to door with standard shipping.  They were well packaged and arrived in perfect condition.

The "Pack Seat" was an excellent choice,  I don't think it weighs even a full pound, and packed it is just over a foot in length.  This allows it to easily pack in a backpack, however it even has a carabiner attached for clipping virtually anywhere, including your belt.

I have had other 3 legged stools, but this one is one of the only ones I've had with a lower section of fabric to keep the legs from over-extending. 

The Quik-E-Seat is just as pleasing.  It is slightly larger while packed and transporting, but it has a back support, cup holder and carrying strap. Just unfold and your good to go..

Both seats were very well made, fairly waterproof, padded and comfortable.  you never once worry about balance or feel like your perched awaiting disaster.  These seats are definitely well worth the investment and should be a part of everyone's base camp.

***Sidenote.....   The Pack Seat is the perfect height and sturdy enough to be a "temporary Table" for those that are tight on packing space or footprint room.