One of the Best Kept Secrets in Gloucester County – Lake Kandle

In my previous post, I shared that we held my son Matthew’s birthday party at Lake Kandle this weekend.  I am finding that more and more residents of Gloucester County have not only never been to Lake Kandle – many have never even heard of our own little hidden summer oasis!

Lake Kandle is located on Chapel Heights Road in Sewell behind behind Duffield’s Farm Market (which is a gem of Gloucester County in its own right).  There’s very little to hint to the tucked-away scenic spot behind the fields except for a small sign by the road announcing Lake Kandle Campground and Swim Club.

Turn down the road that leads between fields of peaches, pumpkins and other crops and you soon come upon a sparkling filtered lake complete with its own sandy beach and even a mini-water park for the little ones! 

There’s plenty for the big kids to do in the lake too – several diving boards (including a high dive), paddle boats, lakeside fishing, a Tarzan swing, and a twisting, turning tube slide that dumps you out into the clean, cool water.

The lake is surrounded by trees, completely blocking out the hectic world of Washington Township that surrounds the campground.  You feel as though you’re in your own little paradise just a few miles from home – and with the current price of gas, finding those special spots close to home is more important than ever!

We have found that since we’ve joined Lake Kandle, we no longer feel the need to drive to the shore for water fun.  While my children are busy building sand castles and splashing in the lake, I can relax knowing that not only are they completely surrounded by attentive lifeguards, but there are no large waves or rip tides to worry about either.  I have a much better chance to catch up on my summer reading at Lake Kandle then I ever did at the shore.

Not only are there activities for the whole family at the lake, there is also a huge crystal-clear swimming pool to cool everyone down on a hot summer day.  There’s even a little kiddie pool for the toddlers with its own dedicated lifeguard.  My family has been to many campgrounds in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and we have yet to find a pool as large or as well-maintained as the one at Lake Kandle.

One of the best parts of enjoying the water at Lake Kandle is the abundance of shady spots.  Unless you bring your own umbrella to the beach, you are hard-pressed to find a spot in the shade.  But with all the trees surrounding the lake and pool, you are sure to find a cool spot out of the harsh rays of the sun at Lake Kandle (and if you’re a die-hard sun worshipper – there’s plenty of sun to be had too!).

There’s a large picnic grove in the center of the campground as well as a playground, basketball court, ping-pong tables and a fabulous snack bar that serves everything from hamburgers and fries to ice cream and water ice.

Even if you’re not a camper, you can still purchase a swim club membership at the campground for a very reasonable fee.  All of the facilities are available for swim club members from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The cost of a membership is so low compared to owning and maintaining your own pool – and your children will have other children to play with all summer long.

Lake Kandle is a family-friendly facility that does not allow alcoholic beverages or – unfortunately for us – pets either.  The pet restriction is my only complaint about the campground.  I would love to park our camper there for the season, but part of the reason that we enjoy camping is that we can bring our dogs along with us when we travel.

So for now, we’ll just enjoy our Lake Kandle swim club membership and continue to camp elsewhere.  Speaking of which…there are some other campgrounds in Gloucester Country that we have yet to visit – who knows what other gems are out there waiting to be discovered in our own backyard?