River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

CAMPING SEASON

The River Bend Group Campground is typically open from mid-April through the end of November. Exact dates change each year, so be sure to get the latest operating schedule on the National Park Service’s Group Camping web page for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

TYPE OF CAMPING

The River Bend Group Campground is a primitive tents-only campground for groups. A minimum of 15 people must be in the group to reserve a campsite. The maximum number of people per site is 25. If your group is larger, please reserve a second campsite.

Each group is allotted eight vehicle parking spaces.

River Bend Group Campground Map

NUMBER OF CAMPSITES

There are five group campsites at River Bend.

Campsite 5 appears to be nothing more than an open field. It is located far from the road behind Campsite 4. A few Campsite 5 reviews that I read on other websites didn’t mention anything odd, so perhaps I just wasn’t looking closely enough, but I doubt it. I actually made a voice note when touring the campground that stated the site was empty. I understand that picnic tables can get moved around, but food storage boxes and fire pits are usually anchored permanently in the ground, and there was no fire pit or storage box at Campsite 5 that I could see.

Campsite 5 at the River Bend Group Campground, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

TERRAIN

The campsites at River Bend are extremely large. The property is massive—you could hold a Woodstock-type concert here—and it could easily hold way more than five campsites. Needless to say, there is plenty of room for tents.

Large campsites at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The campground is essentially a large, level, grassy field. Each site has a shade tree or two, but other than that, the sites are out in the open and exposed to the sun.

Campsite 3 at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Numbered posts supposedly mark the boundary of each campsite, but they really just point to a general area. Since the areas are huge, exact boundaries are not that important. Just look for the fire pit, as there is only one per campsite, and assume that is where you should base your tent pitching, then work your way out as need be.

Campsite 1 at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

The best choices for a campsite are 1, 2, or 3. As mentioned, when I visited, Campsite 5 is just an empty field. Campsite 4, which is on the same side of the road as Campsite 5, is a little more sloped than the others, so I’d choose it only if sites 1 through 3 are not available.

AMENITIES

With the possible exception of Campsite 5, each campsite at River Bend has multiple picnic tables, a fire pit / grill, trash cans, and a storage box to keep food from bears. The number of tables varies at each site, so it appears that groups that arrive early pillage tables from other campsites.

Picnic table and fire pit / grill at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Bear box for food storage at the River Bend Group Campground, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

There is no water or electrical hook-ups at the campsites, but there is a centrally located water spigot that provides drinkable water. From what I understand, it takes a hell of a lot of pumping to get any water out of it. It’s probably best to bring your own.

There are no showers or modern restrooms at the campground. Instead, there are three outhouses, one of which is a fancy outhouse—what Jed Clampett would call a portable toilet in a permanent building. The other two look a little more rustic and are probably more to Jed’s liking.

Fancy outhouse at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Rustic outhouses at the River Bend Group Campground in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

RESERVATIONS

Reservations are required for camping at River Bend and can be made online up to twelve months in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777 from 10 AM to 12 AM (Eastern Standard Time). There is a pay box at the campground, but this is a relic of earlier times (plus the top is missing, so you couldn’t put any money in it anyway).

CAMPGROUND RULES