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A dirt road winding through a hardwood forest carpeted in fallen leaves, birches along its edge.

The Overland Directory

Camping equipment in New Jersey

Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate.

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New Jersey by the numbers

of New Jersey is federal land 1
3.8%
183,084 of 4,813,440 acres, with no BLM ground and no national forest
acres in the Pinelands National Reserve 31
1.1M
22 percent of the state, seven counties, 56 municipalities, and the first national reserve in the country
of legal road on the Wharton vehicle map 5
270.2 mi
175.5 unimproved, 37.2 more for in-season hunting access, 57.5 paved
acres in Wharton State Forest 6
124,000+
The largest single tract of land in the New Jersey State Park System
High Point, the state high point 4
1,803 ft
USGS, footnoted to state surveys, and the park agrees. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 1,802
tire diameter that bars you from state park land 7
40 in
N.J.A.C. 7:2-3.2(e), which also bars more than two axles and every ATV
federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 2
2
Both National Park Service, both booked ahead, none first come; our build of the federal recreation database
climate regions in one small state 35
5
The Pine Barrens is its own: sandy soil drains fast, nights run cold, and the ground is vulnerable to forest fires

Kit for Pinelands nights and coastal days

Sandy Pinelands soil radiates heat fast after dark, which is why the state climate office notes the Atlantic City airport running well below the marina thirteen miles away, so pack warmer bedding than the daytime suggests. Fires are permitted only in stoves, fireplaces, fire rings or approved camp stoves, and restriction stages can ban open fire without prior notice, so a gas or liquid fuel stove keeps you cooking through a Stage 3 order. Several forests state that they have no trash receptacles at all, so bring bags. Water at primitive sites ranges from potable to nonexistent depending on which one you book.

The full guide to overlanding New Jersey

What vehicle camping gear has to do

Vehicle camping gear works under a different constraint than backpacking gear. Weight matters less, but everything has to survive vibration and dust and pack the same way every time. Stores that understand the difference stock 12-volt fridges, water systems and kitchens rather than ultralight pots.

What they carry

  1. 0112-volt fridges and slides
  2. 02Stoves and kitchen systems
  3. 03Water storage, pumps and filtration
  4. 04Chairs, tables and shelter
  5. 05Sleep systems
  6. 06Lighting and power stations

How to choose camp equipment

Buy fewer, better things. Every item has to be packed, carried and cleaned.

  1. 01Buy the fridge for your power system, not the other way round. Ask about power draw and what battery it needs to run overnight.
  2. 02Pack it before you buy it. Bring the measurements of your cargo area or drawers.
  3. 03Favor gear that can be repaired and has parts available.
  4. 04Choose a kitchen you can set up in the dark, in wind, when you are tired.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

Space and power are the limits.

  1. 01Vehicle and storage dimensions
  2. 02Your power system, if you have one
  3. 03How many people, and how long you stay out
  4. 04What you already own
  5. 05A budget range

Questions people ask

Do I need a 12-volt fridge?

For trips longer than a weekend, most people never go back. No ice to find and no wet food. It does need a house battery or a power station that can carry it overnight.

How much water should I carry?

Enough for drinking, cooking and washing between reliable refills, with a reserve. How much that is depends on the climate, the people and how you cook. Carry it low in the vehicle, and in more than one container.

Is a power station enough, or do I need a second battery?

A power station is simple and portable and suits lights, devices and a small fridge for a couple of days. A wired house battery charges while you drive and suits longer trips and bigger loads.

How high is New Jersey?

From Highlands at 5 feet to High Point at 1,803. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Branchville The Stokes State Forest office and the Sunrise Mountain road 581 ft
  2. Sussex The last full services below High Point and the state’s top corner 441 ft
  3. Blairstown The inland way to Millbrook Village and the middle of Old Mine Road 343 ft
  4. Columbia Worthington State Forest, the Water Gap and the south end of Old Mine Road 308 ft
  5. Chatsworth The middle of the Pine Barrens, between Wharton and Penn State Forest 95 ft
  6. Hammonton Full services before Batsto and the southern Wharton sand roads 95 ft
  7. Browns Mills Nearest services to Brendan T. Byrne State Forest and Whitesbog 85 ft
  8. Medford The western approach to Atsion and the Wharton campgrounds 57 ft
  9. Woodbine The Belleplain State Forest gateway in Cape May County 43 ft
  10. Absecon Services near the Forsythe refuge headquarters and its wildlife drive 22 ft
  11. Tuckerton The Penn State Forest approach, and the Bass River forest office address 14 ft
  12. New Gretna The Bass River State Forest turn off the coastal highway 12 ft
  13. Brigantine The only road approach to the North Brigantine Natural Area beach 7 ft
  14. Ocean City The town side of the Corson’s Inlet beach driving permit 7 ft
  15. Seaside Park Last town before the Island Beach gatehouse and the sand 6 ft
  16. Highlands The bridge into Sandy Hook and Gateway National Recreation Area 5 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. High Point The state high point, on the Kittatinny ridge in Sussex County. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 1,802 1,803 ft
  2. Sunrise Mountain The second highest summit in New Jersey, reached by a road that gates every winter. Our own reading at its map point gives 1,648 1,653 ft
  3. Sunrise Mountain Sunrise Mountain Road, Stokes State Forest: Branchville, Route 206, the Appalachian Trail on the Kittatinny ridge 1,653 ft
  4. Mount Tammany Above the Delaware Water Gap in Worthington State Forest. Our own reading at its map point gives 1,521 1,527 ft
  5. Apple Pie Hill Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the Wharton fire tower rise in Burlington County. No agency publishes a figure for it 204 ft
  6. Bear Swamp Hill Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point in Penn State Forest, where the forest itself describes the hill as approximately 140 feet above sea level 160 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

36
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, the site’s own build of it. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  4. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition: Highest and Lowest Elevations. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  5. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Wharton State Forest Visiting Vehicle Use Map: about, enforcement, timeline and frequently asked questions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  6. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Wharton State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  7. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. New Jersey State Parks Code, N.J.A.C. 7:2 Subchapter 3, Motorized Vehicles, quoted in full by the Department. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  8. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. N.J.A.C. 7:2, State Park Service Code, courtesy copy: Subchapter 6 Camping, 7:2-5.4 and 7:2-2.12. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  9. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Park Service. New Jersey State Park Service Reservation Policy and General Camping Rules. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  10. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Island Beach State Park Mobile Sport Fishing Vehicle Permits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  11. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Island Beach State Park. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  12. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Park Service. Island Beach State Park area map and visitor brochure. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  13. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Bass River State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  14. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  15. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Penn State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  16. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Belleplain State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  17. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Stokes State Forest, including Sunrise Mountain and seasonal road closures. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  18. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. High Point State Park and New Jersey Veterans’ Memorial. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Worthington State Forest. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  20. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. Corson’s Inlet State Park, including mobile sport fishing permits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  21. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. North Brigantine Natural Area, including mobile sport fishing permits. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  22. New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Department of Environmental Protection. Recreational fire permits and restriction stages. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  23. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Wildlife. Wildlife Management Areas. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  24. National Park Service. Directions, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  25. National Park Service. Touring Old Mine Road, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  26. National Park Service, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. NPS Announces Implementation of Winter Service Levels, Plowing Priorities. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  27. National Park Service. Basic Information, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  28. National Park Service. Sandy Hook, Gateway National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  29. National Park Service. 2026 permits, Gateway National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  30. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  31. New Jersey Pinelands Commission. The Pinelands National Reserve, and its Size page. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  32. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Snowmobile, Dirt Bike, ATV and Agricultural vehicles: licensing, registration and where they may be used. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  33. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice. Guidance on Off-Road and All-Terrain Vehicle Use on Public Lands and Public Roads, 22 May 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  34. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. New Jersey Driver Manual: winter driving, studded snow tires, snow and ice removal and idling. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  35. Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist, Rutgers University. The Climate of New Jersey: the five climate regions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  36. New Jersey Department of Transportation, Community Programs. Pine Barrens Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Reviewed September 25, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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