Where are some good places to go camping around New Jersey?

Are there any places in Northern New Jersey where someone can just go camping for free?

• So my friends and I are not only poor, but very lazy and we want to go camping for a few days. We don't want to have to fill out any paperwork or pay anything. Is there anywhere ...show more

• Answer:

  The short answer is No. The long answer is there are group campgrounds at several state parks and forests in Northern NJ, primarily Sussex County, where the cost is "nearly free" for as little as $10 per night for 10 people, and up depending on campsite capacity (e.g., $1 per person per night for the listed group site capacity). While you have to pay for the full group site capacity, you don't have to have the full amount of people stay there. Normal campsites are $20 per night. There is no specific maximum number of people per campsite, but I've found you can get away with two tents, two cars and 8 people per site. At least one person in your group must be 18 or older and you must register at the park office. There are no national forests or BLM areas in NJ or nearby, and the only national park that allows camping near northern NJ is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the Pennsylvania side of the river, south of the Milford and Dingmans bridges. Free overnight camping for thru-hikers is permitted along the Appalachian Trail in Northern NJ. These areas are not accessible by car (at least not legally) and may be used by persons hiking two or more days along the AT. You are only permitted to stay one night per location. There is a nice 72-mile section of the AT from High Point State Forest down through Stokes and into Worthington State Forest, following the Delaware River and the ridge of the Kittatinny Mountains. An easy hiking pace for about 8 hours a day will see you through the entire NJ section in a week or less, with plenty of astounding views and not a dollar spent on campsites.