Stayed in Camp Cabin 41 in middle August 2022. The cabins are basic, but just enough that you need. Electricity, water on site (not in cabin, fan, lots of windows for sticky nights, 2 bunk beds (sleeping 4 total), and a table with 4 chairs. On the front porch are 2 wonderful rocking chairs. There's also a picnic table, fire pit, and grill on site. Parking for 2 cars. It's a relatively short walk to the bathhouse which had showers, toilets, a large clean up sink, and even washer/dryer available for a small price. The hiking here is nice and quiet, the river is beautiful. The cabin was in the electric/water (RV) campground and other than the randomly loud neighbor was peaceful and quiet. Lots of tent campers in this area of the campground too. The rangers are always helpful in the visitor center. Lots of small wildlife here too. I highly recommend this park.
We stayed in camping area A during mid April this year. It was a nice state park. Hiking, fishing, a lake, long creek. Clean bathrooms, heated bathhouse. Our site was #80 and had electric on it, water was just across the road. It was level, with a picnic table and fire ring. The ground was some pretty aggressive gravel, but it kept the ground pretty dry, and it had rained a fair amount in the days before we arrived. Very spotty cell service with T-Mobile. Some spots were more level than others, and others, some looked tricky for larger trailers. Weather was all over the place (as to be expected in this area in mid April. Had all four seasons in 5 days. Would revisit for sure. Totally forgot pictures of the site, but it was pretty typical for a state campground.
Normally we’re tent campers, but this time we opted for the climate controlled cabins of this state park. Cabins were wonderful. Essentially a little house off in its own little “cabin neighborhood.” Kitchen was fully stocked with just about anything you’d need. Only thing you need to bring are linens (because of COVID) and food). Outside there is a large wrap around porch, picnic table, grill, and fire pit. All tucked right against the trees. Rangers at the visitor center were wonderful, and gave our kids a tour of the small animals they kept inside the visitor center. Lots of hiking trails, and we didn’t see a ton of people on them. Good fishing in the river too. Drove through RV campground and spots looked nice with lots of pull through sites and pretty level too. Tent area is in another part of the park. For that you have to park in a lot and take a short walk to each site (though I did see a wagon there for campers to use). We will totally come back.
I've only camped here twice, both times on Memorial Day weekend. Our campground was in the JC Cooper campground area. I think that this isn't fair to this campground because each time its just been too dang busy. I assume that on a non holiday weekend it wouldn't be nearly as bad as when I've been. The lake really is beautiful, though again, busy when I've been there. The bathhouses are always in good shape, with toilets, sinks and showers (and in this post COVID time, smelled of cleaning solution/bleach). When here I've only been in the trailer/electric areas. We're normally tent people, so all this trailer stuff is A LOT for me! If you know what I mean. Sites are generous, but closer together then I prefer. I'd try to camp here again, but mostly in an area where more tents were. Some of the spots along the lake looked nice, though I think I'd struggle to find a flat enough spot on some of them.
More quiet than the Big Meadows area (less people for sure!). Simple campground, with all you need to experience a wonderful time in Shenandoah. In the more northern area of the park, and we found that with a Thursday-Sunday time frame there was so many less people. Bathrooms are simple, and no showers. Our site B125 was not huge (are any sites here huge? I didn't see one!), but we had space for our larger North Face tent on the tent pad (just barely!). Our site had a fire ring and picnic table, though no bear box. Seems like some sites had the boxes, and others did not. Be sure to lock up your food and anything questionable here. Policy was pretty strict about that. B125 was tucked against a hill and woods (and man those woods are right at the edge of your site). Across from us was a handicap site, and next to us was a handicap site as well. It meant we had basically no neighbors for our early June weekend camping. Saturday night was quite full all around (still no neighbors for that spot). Some spots at Matthews Arm are reservable, others are first come first serve. It's cheap! You can park some trailers here, but it probably depends on your set up which spots would be best for that. There are a number of trails that you can get to either from campground, or sorta close. We hiked out near the group site and could get to Overall Run Falls (which I believe is the tallest in the park). As with all Shenandoah hikes, a good amount of up and down on this one. We really enjoyed our visit here and will definitely be back!
Don't forget to wait for full dark, and then look up. Breathtaking.
So. Many. Stars.
We camped here in early April 2021. The first weekend open of the season. This is a smaller campground, only 34 sites, but it had all you needed. Only an hour from the DC area. Sites were generous, and equipped with a good fire pit, and space for parking two cars at our site (12). The parking/tent site was gravel. Picnic table was large and there were two places to hang a lantern. 12/13 were electric sites and water access for the area was right in front of 13. Our friends had a rather large trailer (30 ft) and it "just fit" on site 13. There was a walking path to the bathhouse between 13 and 14. Sites 8-11 were on a nice open field, with some smaller trees. There are lots of trails in the area, though we didn't explore too many on this trip. Bathhouse was simple, but effective with steamy, hot water! People were good about keeping their space in this COVID era (signs for masks for the bathroom, but I never was in there with anyone other than my own family). It was so very cold the first night we were there (25!). We took advantage of our electric site and used a small space heater to take the edge off of that night! Park attendants were the most attentive I have ever seen, making their rounds every 30 min or so. You can hear (when its quiet) the low hum of noise from a nearby road, but I didn't find it troubling. Overall this is a great, easy to sneak away to spot for those of us close to DC.
We were here for just one night during September. Our first time camping in the area and since COVID. Check in process was relatively simple, just pull up and pop out of your car to check in, with mask of course. We got a quick run down, some wood and a brochure with maps and area info. We were at site 133, non electric non water. I feel like the spots at the end of each loop might have slightly more privacy, but our site was fine. It included a picnic table and probably the best fire pit with grill that I've had in a while. It rained the night before we came, and the night we were there so the ground was pretty wet. Bathrooms had a sign for taking care with COVID precautions, and to wear your mask. Bathrooms were ok, but floors were a mess from muddy feet. Not much to be done about that. There were showers, and a dishwashing sink, plus laundry available. It's nice to know we've got a close spot to escape to if we don't have time to go far. This is a pet friendly campground. There's a lot to do out at the whole park, and its worth exploring (we just didn't have time). I'm sure its so pretty out near the water.
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!
Tent site was fantastic, level, trees are well trimmed, but still with good coverage, sites are a nice size. Close enough to the bathroom and water options. Campground well appointed. Nice pool, clean showers, quarters for a shower. We paid $40 night in almost mid September. Its just faucets for water, no sinks for a dishwashing station. You are in a busier campground with lots of RVs, travel trailers and vacation rentals, so its not some peaceful small state campground. Only complaint really would be the folks who drove their golf carts like maniacs. Some enforcement from management would be good there.
First time camping in a long time. Oceanside walk in requires a good amount of work. You’re carrying your gear in to your site, setting up in howling wind (potentially), no water at site. Cold showers. Pit toilets. But man oh man. The rewards are high. Wild horses every day. Beach was right over the dune. Campsite is set behind one dune so there’s a little wind protection. We had one wild thunderstorm night. Survived with our good tent and screen house (do not come without some kind of screen house). But the next morning the mosquitoes were wild. Everyone had bites from our morning packing up. It was hot (camped at end of July/beginning of August), but water was a good escape. We escaped into the town of Berlin on some of the hotter hours of the day for ice cream to beat the heat (and charge our electronics in the car). Great spot. I’d come back, but maybe later in the year when it’s not so hot!