Pilgrim Lake Campgrounds sits on Stage Road in New Gretna, New Jersey, and appears in the source listing as a campground carrying a 4.5 rating across 67 reviews. That aggregate score is the first thing most people see, but the individual reviews behind it describe something narrower and more specific: a small, wooded property built around a lake, run by owners whom guests repeatedly single out by name. This review pulls together only what the listing and its published visitor reviews actually say, and separates the practical details from the personal impressions.
The picture that emerges is not a large resort. Reviewers describe a compact, quiet campground with tent sites and RV hookups, water for swimming and fishing, and a location close enough to towns, stores and the Jersey Shore that errands and day trips stay easy. Others raise caveats about interior roads, on-site activity options and cost. Both sides are represented below, attributed to the reviewers who wrote them.
Pilgrim Lake Campgrounds at a Glance
The listing classifies Pilgrim Lake Campgrounds under the campground category and places it at 940 Stage Rd, New Gretna, NJ 08224, in the United States, with New Gretna named as the surrounding vicinity. Contact details are published as a phone number, +1 609-296-4725, and a website at pilgrimlakecampgrounds.com, which is the place to check for current information before planning a stay. The property is mapped in the America/New_York timezone, with coordinates recorded at roughly 39.63 north and 74.45 west, and a Google Maps entry exists for the site for those who want to see exactly where it falls on Stage Road.
The activity fields attached to the listing reference camping, RV camping and a swimming lake, and visitors describe using the water for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Reviewers also place the campground in the Pine Barrens and note that it sits within reach of parks for hiking and kayaking, towns for exploring, the Jersey Shore, and everyday stops such as gas, groceries, bait shops and restaurants. Several reviewers mention a brewery roughly twenty minutes away and a bike path nearby, both described from their own trips rather than from the listing itself.
What Do Visitors Like About Pilgrim Lake Campgrounds?
Across the reviews captured here, sentiment runs strongly positive, with the great majority of reviewers awarding five stars and several stating plainly that they intend to return, in some cases for a full season. The recurring notes are the quiet of the property, the appearance of the lake and the wooded sites, and above all the owners, described as kind, welcoming and quick to help. Two reviews pull in the other direction: a four-star review that praises the setting but warns about narrow interior roads and tight maneuvering for large trailers, and a two-star review that compliments the peacefulness while objecting to the rates, the added charges and the lack of on-site activities beyond the water. The 4.5 rating across 67 reviews is consistent with that pattern of broad satisfaction with a few pointed caveats.
1. Owners Who Set the Tone
Almost every review in the source mentions the people running the campground, and the descriptions are warm. Lisa Ricci wrote that Helen and her husband were extremely kind and helpful and clearly care about the experience they provide. B L, stopping by to look at seasonal spots, described Helen and Todd as kind and helpful. Karl Brown recalled that his first phone call was welcoming enough to sell him on the trip, and that the greeting on arrival matched it. Betsy Stein credited Helen and Scott with doing anything they can to make a stay a great experience, and Virginia Edmonds said the same pair made guests feel at home. Everlides Ruiz, visiting with a large church group, thanked Helen for the kindness shown to them.
Other reviewers reinforce the same impression in practical terms. David Gorgos noted the owners were quick to deliver firewood and open their store as needed for ice, and Hope Hausman called them the nicest people and super accommodating. Taken together, hospitality is the single most repeated theme in the source, though it remains a matter of individual experience rather than a guaranteed service.
2. A Quiet Lake at the Center
The water is the second constant. Lisa Ricci described the water as clean and the stay as nothing but peace and quiet. C G called the lake pristine and listed swimming, canoeing and fishing as the ways to use it. David Gorgos referred to the small beach and the cedar lake as perfect for a hot day, and David Pizzolato mentioned renting a kayak and finding cranberries. Karl Brown wrote that he and his wife enjoyed the lake and the boats. Sade' Phillips, dropping children off at camp, said she would return just for the scenery.
Kathy Gelbman offered a more measured description, calling the lake small but pretty and noting that canoes were available for rent at the time of her stay. Quiet is mentioned just as often as the water: B L summed the property up as a beautiful lake and quiet, and David Pizzolato noted it was very quiet at night. Because these are recollections from different years, current conditions and rental availability should be confirmed directly.
3. Wooded Sites for Tents and RVs
Reviewers describe the sites as wooded and spacious, with both tent camping and RV hookups represented. David Gorgos, a tent camper, wrote that there were plenty of good sites for tent campers in addition to the full RV hookups. Lisa Ricci reported that her site was well kept on arrival with no trash and that the water and electric worked perfectly. Hope Hausman, who tent camped, still advised RV travelers to check what size rig the campground can fit, describing it as a smaller campground.
That size question is the practical thread running through the RV comments. The listing's activity fields include RV camping, and reviewers confirm RVs are part of the mix, but the same reviewers suggest asking about length and site fit before booking rather than assuming a large unit will slot in easily.
4. Narrow Roads and Maneuvering
The most detailed caution in the source comes from Kathy Gelbman, who described the setting as absolutely lovely while warning that getting into and out of a site could take around thirty minutes. She described the interior roads as very narrow and heavily wooded, with no easy turns and overhanging brush and small trees that can leave marks on a vehicle or trailer. She noted that she and her husband are seasoned trailer pullers, with a boat and a 31-foot travel trailer, and still found it challenging, while adding that anyone up for an adventure would love the place.
This is a single reviewer's account and should be read as such, but it is specific and detailed enough to be useful for anyone planning to arrive with a large rig. It does not contradict the many positive reviews; it simply describes a physical constraint that smaller units and tent campers would not encounter in the same way.
5. Cost, Fees and What Is On Site
Pricing is where opinions split most sharply. Eric Meyers, giving two stars, wrote that the place is peaceful and very nice but that aside from the lake there is nothing to do there, with no cable and no wi-fi, and that in his view the rates were unbelievably expensive. He also described extra charges for running an air conditioner and an additional fee for daily visitors and an extra vehicle, which he estimated at seventy-five dollars for two visitors and their car for one day. He closed by calling it a very nice place and naming pricing as his only issue.
David Pizzolato described a different side of the same subject, noting that firewood must be purchased on site but calling it a very good deal at ten dollars for a large wheelbarrow of wood that would last a normal camper two to three nights. He also praised the friendliness of the owners and other campers. Because both accounts are several years old and neither is confirmed by the listing, current rates, fees and policies should be verified with the campground directly.
6. Location and Getting Out
Several reviewers treat the location as a practical advantage. Lisa Ricci wrote that it was close to all needs, listing gas, groceries, bait stores for fishing and restaurants. Hope Hausman noted proximity to parks for hiking or kayaking and to towns for exploring. Kathy Gelbman described it as easy to get to and close to the Jersey Shore, with a great brewery about twenty minutes away, a beautiful bike path along a main road, and miles to hike. David Pizzolato placed the campground in the Pine Barrens.
The listing itself supports only the address and vicinity, so these distances and nearby attractions are reviewer observations from their own stays. They are useful as a sense of the area rather than as a current guide to what is open or how far anything actually is.