NJ State Park Online Campground Reservation System

I don't think many of us are thinking about camping in New Jersey in January, but on a cold winter day when you're housebound might be the best time to consider outings for the other three seasons.

Campsite in Wharton State Forest

I have very fond memories of taking my family camping in our state parks when my sons were younger. They especially enjoyed our tent and cabin vacations at Stokes and Wharton and swimming in the tea-colored Pinelands water of Atsion Lake.

This is also a opportune time to consider future trips because  the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry has launched a new online campground reservation system. This NJ Outdoors online reservations system can be accessed at www.camping.nj.gov.

It provides flexible search capabilities for finding and reserving tent sites, cabins or shelters within the New Jersey State Park System, and is part of a broader, ongoing DEP effort to improve customer service and information services through online and mobile-device technologies.

Back when I was making reservations for campsite (and especially for the limited cabins), it was all done by snail mail with an occasional phone call. You could wait a few weeks only to find out that nothing was available.

“The New Jersey State Park System offers some of the best camping experiences found anywhere,” Commissioner Martin said. “This new reservation system will make it easier than ever to plan an affordable weekend getaway or vacation at our great state parks, forests and recreation areas to create memories that will last a lifetime.”

The system, developed in partnership with the New Jersey Division of NICUSA Inc., went live in December, and it provides updated maps and park information filters that allow users to more easily check site availability and plan visits around amenities and recreational opportunities available at each park.

Features of NJ Outdoors include:

• The ability to easily update or cancel a campground reservation;
• A list of current discounts available at state parks;
• A document upload feature for pet license and vaccination documents to make check-in easier at pet-friendly campsites;
• An optional account creation feature, which allows campers to securely store their payment and access their camping history;
• A real-time notification system that alerts campers of events that could affect their stay or upcoming reservations.

“Whether your interest is hiking, kayaking or simply relaxing by the campfire, it is our sincerest hope that residents and visitors will find this new reservation system a convenient portal into planning their camping adventures in a park system that offers a wide range of opportunities for enjoying the outdoors,” said Division of Parks and Forestry Director Mark Texel.

The State Park Service boasts 50 state parks, forests, recreation areas, battlefields, and marinas. Camping is available at 19 sites, from Brendan Byrne State Forest in the Pinelands to Stokes State Forest near the Delaware Water Gap to Parvin State Park in Salem County.

Atsion Lake in Wharton State Forest

Want to get news and photos of what is happening in our New Jersey State Parks?  Follow them on Instagram at www.instagram.com/newjerseystateparks/ and on Facebook  www.facebook.com/NewJerseyStateParks/

Source: NJDEP - News Release