| State: | New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Address: | Wharton State Forest, Shamong, NJ 08088, USA |
| Postal code: | 08088 |
| Phone: | (609) 268-0444 |
| Website: | https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/whartonstateforest.html |
Goshen Pond Camping Area is for moderately experienced or better campers. It used to be lised as "primitive" camping, a title I still found in current online descriptions. It offers fresh water pumps, outhouses, a place to park your car, and open space to set up your tent.
It is not easily accessible from Chew Road, you have to turn down Sandy Causeway, an unimproved dirt road, and then down the lesser improved carriage road that leads to the camping area. You can easily miss this turn-off.
It is not well monitored by the Park Service and I have frequently encountered rowdy teenagers partying and drinking at the site. There can be a lot of rubbish left over from campers who set up and leave food packaging, bottles, chairs, etc. behind. There are no dumpsters or waste bins on this site.
There is access to Goshen Pond for boating and fishing. Goshen Pond is man-made left over from 18th and 19th century mills. It is possible to find a small amount of industrial era footprints and industrial structures if you know where to look.
If you are looking for clearly marked campsites with pre-made fire pits, picnic tables, and bathroom/shower facilities, this is not the place for you (that place is a mile north on Chew Road at Atsion Family Campground).
My grief with Goshen Pond is a combination of lack of care from the park service and the frequency of rowdy teenage parties during the summer. I guess some of my issue is people camping and not cleaning up after themselves, the park service can only control so much, but sometimes so much refuse is left behind it feels trashy and blighted.
Great little public campground, really cheap prices. A bunch of nice hiking areas and if you go after a lot of rain there's a lot of areas around the water ways with tiny water falls which are very tranquil.
Beautiful lake for kayaking. Very peaceful. However, there are thousands of ticks. Found 20+ ticks on my dog.
This is a true gem if you are looking for a quiet place to camp! At night there was no noise but the sounds from the forest. It got really dark as well and peaceful, it made for a great night's sleep! This is a nature lovers paradise with a lot to walk and hike around. The campsites are really cheap, just 3 dollars for a jersey resident and only 6 for non residents! It is "primitive" camping so that means no electric or wifi, a pit toilet is on-site and bring bug spray. There is a water pump which is potable but best to bring your own and toilet paper. All in all this is just a perfect place to get away from it all!
Haven't camped here yet, but I did go kayaking. It was great getting back into the small areas and taking in the peace and quiet of this little pond. There were a lot of beaver dams and lodges to check it too! I tried to connect with Atsion Lake, but the beaver dam and brush blocks you form doing that, FYI.