Want to know where to find great family campgrounds and campsites close to home? Click on your state to see info about all sorts of campsites, from State Park details to links for private facilities. (Sadly, there are no National Park campgrounds in the Delaware Valley, but you can click here for info if you're looking to travel to one.)
PENNSYLVANIA | NEW JERSEY | DELAWARE
PENNSYLVANIA CAMPGROUNDS & CAMPSITES
National Forest campgrounds
Allegheny National Forest: PA's only national forest spans 517,000 acres across four northwestern counties. Amid this expanse are no less than 10 campgrounds of varying sizes, amenities and recreational opportunities.
State Park campgrounds
First-time camper at a PA State Park? Acclimate yourself with the First Time Camper Program: For $20, you'll receive equipment rental, expert hands-on instruction and two nights of camping.
Bald Eagle State Park: Two campgrounds, boating, fishing, swimming and wildlife watching amid the lake- and mountain-sited 5,900-acre respite in north-central PA's Bald Eagle Valley
Black Moshannon State Park: Remote, wild setting around the spring- and stream-fed Black Moshannon Lake, on 3,394 acres of forests and wetlands just east of Philipsburg.
Cook Forest State Park: A National Natural Landmark, thanks to the "forest cathedral" of white pines and hemlocks, the park sits on a 19-mile stretch of the Clarion River, just right for canoeing and rafting.
Gifford Pinchot State Park: You'll find these 2,338 acres of farm fields and wooded hillsides around Pinchot Lake in northern York Co.
Hickory Run State Park: In the Western Poconos, the 15,990-acre park boasts 40+ miles of hiking trails, trout streams galore, three natural areas and a boulder-strewn National Natural Landmark.
Hills Creek State Park: Small in comparison to the other parks listed here (407 acres), Hills Creek, in Tioga Co., has a lake replete with osprey, loon, waterfowl and warm-water fish.
Kooser State Park: The altitude here (2,600 ft.) makes skiing an outdoorsy addition to the activities enjoyed at this 250-acre park in the Laurel Highlands, also home to a trout stream that flows through the park's full length.
Laurel Hill State Park: A mature trail system, mountainous terrain, the Jones Mill Run Dam and a large focal lake mark this park, on 4.062 acres in Somerset Co.
Promised Land Pickerel Point: Atop the Pocono Plateau, 1,800 feet up, the 3,000-acre park boasts two lakes, cabin camping and hiking trails that traverse beech, oak, maple and hemlock trees.
Pymatuning Jamestown: With a size befitting its name (16,892 acres), this reservoir-based park is one of the most visited in PA. Along with multiple wildlife viewing areas, there's also a fish hatchery and visitor center.
There are also a ton of privately owned campgrounds statewide. Search by location here and know that these vary greatly in price and amenities.
NEW JERSEY CAMPGROUNDS & CAMPSITES
State Parks
Allaire State Park: This Farmingdale floodplain on the canoeable, fishable Manasquan River boasts 200+ species of wildflowers, plenty of birds and wildlfe, trails galore, a 19th-century iron-making village and the Pine Creek Railroad, which still runs antique steam trains.
Bass River State Forest: Lake Absegami anchors the Tuckerton park's pine/oak woods and Atlantic white cedar bog.
Belleplain State Forest: This forested land in Woodbine is populated by stand of young pine, oak and Atlantic white cedar.
Brendan T. Byrne State Forest: The former Lebanon State Forest in Woodland Twp. is home to sandy trails, swampy areas and iron-rich streams.
Cheesequake State Park: In the near middle of the state (Matawan, specifically), Cheesequake has both a northeatern hardwood forest and the types of marshes and cedar swamps more frequently seen farther south in the Pine Barrens.
High Point State Park: Check out the entire Delaware Valley from High Point Monument, 1,803 feet above sea level, in this skiable, hikeable Sussex tract with landscaping by the sons of famed Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmstead.
Jenny Jump State Forest: The rocky Jenny Jump Mountain Range in Warren Co. lends great views of the Kittatinny Mountains to the west and the Great Meadows to the east.
Kittatinny Valley State Park: Lots of water (four lakes, Gardner's Pond and the Pequest River) join wildlife-laden lands, trails, even a small airport to host boaters, fisherfolk, cross-country skiers, hikers and horseback riders.
Parvin State Park: This Pine Barren haven in Pittsgrove has three bodies of water (swim only in Parvin Lake) and 200 varieties of flowering plants.
Round Valley Recreation Area: The massive reservoir in this Lebanon park, one of the few NJ respites that offer wilderness camping as well as hiking, sledding and cross-country skiing, is stocked with lake trout. Note that the eastern side's campsites are accessible only by hiking or boating.
Spruce Run Recreation Area: This Hunterdon Co. spot in Clinton has a large reservoir with 15 miles of recreational shoreline.
Stephens State Park: There's rocky but easy walking along the fishable Musconetcong River in this Hackettstown park along the old Morris Canal route.
Stokes State Forest: Part of the Appalachian Trail and Tillman Ravine, in Branchville, Stokes offers scenic views from the top of Sunrise Mountain, attractive to photographers as well as the outdoorsy.
Swartswood State Park: NJ's first state park, in Newton and open year-round, is a historic landmark destination that sits on boatable, fishable Swartswood Lake.
Voorhees State Park: Get a glimpse of the reservoirs at both Round Valley and Spruce Run from overlooks at this park, right in the heart of South Jersey.
Wawayanda State Park: Another stretch of the Appalachian Trail runs through this lake-sited Hewitt tract, which has both hills and steep mountains to appeal to all levels of hikers.
Wharton State Forest: Home to the Colonial-era Batsto Village, this close-to-home Pine Barrens stretch of Hammonton also has plenty of rivers, streams, hiking trails, unpaved roads for mountain-bikers, multiple bodies of water and fields that host a wide array of wildlife and birds.
Worthington State Forest: With a pond carved by glacial forces during the last Ice Age, this northern NJ spot offers scenic hiking trails (that can be steep) along Dunnfield Creek up Mt. Tammany.
There are also a ton of privately owned campgrounds statewide. Search by location here and know that these vary greatly in price and amenities.
DELAWARE CAMPGROUNDS & CAMPSITES
State Parks
Family camping is widely available throughout the Delaware State Park system. Campgrounds all provide drinking water outlet, modern shower and bathroom facilities and sewage dumping stations; electric and water hookups are also available at many sites, which may also include a fire ring and picnic table.
Camp from March 1 through Nov. 30 at:
- Lums Pond State Park, Bear (year-round camping available)
- Killens Pond State Park, Felton (year-round camping available)
- Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes
- Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach
- Trap Pond State Park, Laurel
Rent cabins at Killens Pond and Trap Pond or yurts at Lums Pond and Trap Pond. Reservations can be made between one day and one year in advance and are strongly recommended. There's a two-night minimum stay between May 1 and Oct. 31, with three-night stays mandated on certain holiday weekends.
There are also a ton of privately owned campgrounds statewide. Search by location here and know that these vary greatly in price and amenities.
