Campgrounds and RV parks near Millington, NJ

The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is the anchor attraction. Primitive trails are open during daylight hours only, and camping and picnicking are not permitted, but the Wildlife Observation Center boardwalks and Pleasant Plains Road drive are strong bets for spotting wildlife and the refuge's varied birdlife. Water and trail time cluster to the northwest. Electric and gas motor boats, canoeing, and kayaking are permitted on the Musconetcong River at Stephens State Park, which is stocked in spring with brown, rainbow, and brook trout. Voorhees State Park offers scenic hiking trails and an observatory administered by the New Jersey Astronomical Association, home to a 26-inch Newtonian reflector telescope with year-round sky-watch programs. Families staying at Panther Lake Camping Resort get lake swimming, a sandy beach, a heated pool, mini-golf, boat rentals, and planned weekend activities on site.

Northern New Jersey camping runs on a tight calendar. Stephens State Park campsites are open April 1 through October 31, and Voorhees State Park family campsites, shelters, and group campsites are available the same window. Private resorts follow a similar pattern: Panther Lake Camping Resort operates from April 15 through October 31. Spring brings cool nights, trout stocking on the Musconetcong, and migrating warblers moving through the swamp. Summer is peak family season, when weekend sites fill weeks ahead and lakefront resorts run at capacity. Fall delivers hardwood color across the Highlands and cooler, drier nights, though services taper as the October closure approaches. Winter camping is essentially unavailable at these parks. State family campgrounds and shelters close by November, and day-use trails remain open for hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Bears are active from early spring through late fall; black bears are found throughout New Jersey, and feeding bears is dangerous and illegal, so proper food storage matters.

State park sites are basic. There are no RV hookups at Voorhees, but facilities include a dump station, modern toilets, and showers, plus three shelters with wood stoves and bunks. Stephens sites are similarly rustic, with picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, and a bathhouse; expect some road and occasional airplane noise carrying through the trees. Private resorts offer more of the amenities RV renters want. Panther Lake Camping Resort includes a sandy beach, heated pool, tennis and basketball courts, mini-golf, playgrounds, laundry, a general store, and boat rentals, along with 30- and 50-amp sites and a dump station. Cell coverage is uneven in the wooded areas west of Millington. Service is spotty throughout most of Panther Lake's property, with reliable coverage limited to areas near the entrance, pool, and pavilion, so download maps and reservations before arrival.