Camping at Dingman's

We had a great time camping at the Dingmans’s campgrounds. We pre-booked for 2 nights with a river view spot. It was great and a bit away from the regular camping spots and bathhouses giving it a secluded look. There are around  8 such special spots that are highly priced.  If you do not mind the portable pots and willing to take a 5 minute walk to the nearest bath house for flushable toilets, these campsites are great with dense covering of trees, overlook of the river (though the river is not right visible from the tent, as it runs at a lower level and we have to go to the edge of the campsite and peep to take a glimpse of the waters)  , with a ramp to get into the waters at  a stone throw distance. Total amount needs to be paid in advance for reservations and non-refundable. I would rather suggest that you book for a night and hopefully able to extend for additional nights as there were lot of spots available unless it is a long weekend.

The portable pots were neat and so was the bathhouses. There was a notice that the water has been recently treated for some type of coliform bacteria. We had the fire wood from the office and they have a good supply of different items though a little pricey.  There was so much open space in front of these campsites and a volley ball net as well! Our kids enjoyed riding their tricycles in the open space lawn and a great way to keep them engaged with Ball, and other such outdoor activities.

The campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. It does NOT have a grill though. You could buy it at the office store or plan to bring one in ahead. We brought our own supply of firewood chips, starters, matchbox etc. It tends to get very cold during the night and reached around 50F on this hot summer day in the last week of May. Don’t forget warm socks and muffler if you were like me. It is a great way though to woke up in the morning  to the chirping of birds, woodpecker drilling, etc. It would be a great idea to get your hammocks. We had sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and veggies barbecued over the grill. Don’t forget to pack trash bags to take out what you brought in. There is a trash station near the bathhouses. Also, additional facilities like dump station for RVs are also provided.

The Delaware River was at a low level and just reached above ankle. It is a haven for tiny fish and tadpoles. There are pharmacies ( Rite Aid, CVS) and food  joints at a 20 minute driving distance from the campgrounds.   

Further down the road and another 10 minutes, you will reach Bushkill waterfalls. Known as the Niagara of Pennsylvania, it is a family friendly site to visit. It is NOT stroller friendly though.  There are 4 different routes to choose from and ranges anywhere from 15 minutes to 2.5 hours walk depending on the color of the route you choose. They provide you with a map when you buy tickets. Tickets are priced the same for entry and retain it if you want to re-enter later in the day. Have water and snacks handy for kids. Wear comfortable shoes. It was warm and pleasant down there when we visited in the last week of May. Try to get in early as it tends to get crowded as the day progresses.

There are a variety of stores available. Don’t miss the fudge/ice creams store. The snack center has cheese pizza as vegetarian option. They sell the infant carrier at the outing wear store that might be handy if you have an infant to carry. Take great pictures of Bear and deer on display at the entrance.

 There are a lot of picnic  tables around the stores. In addition, there are some picnic tables with great view of the lake at the kids playground situated opposite to the pedal boat station at the lake near the entrance.  To pedal boat in the lake, kids have to be at least 3 years old and above. We cooked our lunch at the campsite, packed it and had it at the bushkill waterfalls with a scenic view of the lake. It was great fun!

Key words : Camping, Delaware Water Gap, Dingman , Bushkill, Waterfalls, Pennsylvania, New Jersey