RV Rental Jenny Jump State Forest, NJ

Many of us visit national forests for hiking, and at Jenny Jump State Forest you’ll find around 11-miles of trails for you and the family to explore. When camping with an RV here, the majority of the trails start right on your doorstep.

Many of the trails are quite short, being under a mile long, but this opens them up to the whole family as they are generally easy to moderate. The longest hike is the 8.6-mile Jenny Jump Trail that starts close to the park office and winds along with a series of ridges, finishing on Mountain Ridge Road. The trail is graded as moderate, so most people can manage it, and it is generally through forests, so cool and shady in the summer.

For a slightly shorter hike of around six miles, take the Summit Trail for about 1.4-miles until it intersects the Ghost Lake Trail, which continues on for a further 1.8-miles. The trail follows the ridgeline for much of the route, passing scenic views and then crossing Ghost Lake.

For a shorter loop hike, you can combine the Spring Trail and Swamp Trail to make a 1.35 loop near the camping area. Graded moderate to easy, it is suitable for most people.

At Ghost Lake, you’ll find a boat launch for small craft, and there is fishing in the lake where you can catch bass, catfish, and sunfish. At Mountain Lake, you can fish from the shoreline.

Picnicking is popular in the park, and there is a small shaded picnic area with tables and barbecue grills. Bear in mind that alcohol is prohibited on the campground and while dogs are allowed on most of the park, they are not allowed in the overnight facilities.

The campground at Jenny Jump State forest is quite limited, with only a few rental RV sites, no electric or water hookups and WiFi is not available. This is a very basic campground, that will suit those looking for peace and quiet.

There are restrooms with drop toilets and hot showers, the sites are secluded, and the views are very good. Many of the hiking trails start at or close to the campground, making them an excellent opportunity to get out and enjoy with the family.

There are not any real facilities at Jenny Jump State Forest campground, and the nearest town is Hope, just a couple of miles west when you travel in your RV rental. Here you’ll find a general store, a few restaurants, ATM’s and a gas station. A little further west on the highway will bring you to Columbia and Portland, two towns facing each other across the Delaware River. The towns offer more facilities and also beautiful drives along the riverbank.

While in Hope, you might enjoy a day at the theme park, Land of Make Believe, that caters for children and adults of all ages. Started in 1956 as a place for adults and children to have fun together, the park has grown steadily and now has separate amusement and water park areas. With around 25 rides in the amusement park and plenty to do in the water park, this is a day out for the whole family.

When you visit Columbia, a trip to the Lakota Wolf Preserve will be an interesting excursion. The preserve is only open for booked viewings, so be sure to call first. The tours take you through the preserve where you can see four separate packs of wolves. Note that you can not bring pets along, not even if you leave them in the car. Tours take a little over an hour, and there is an observation area. Bring your rental RV to the preserve and take the shuttle bus to the observation area, or enjoy the short walk from the parking lot.