EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ – The wait is over. Today marks the official opening day of the 2026 camping season at Ocean City’s Coastal Escape RV Park, welcoming RV owners, campers, van travelers, and families back for another season of campfires, campground traditions, and weekends at the Jersey Shore.
Located at 1410 Somers Point Road in Egg Harbor Township, the campground officially opens on May 15, 2026, kicking off a season that runs through October 25.
For many campers, opening weekend is more than just checking into a campsite. It is the unofficial start of summer. Campers begin pulling into their seasonal and weekend sites, awnings come out, grills fire up, bikes hit the campground roads, and neighbors reconnect after a long winter.
This year’s opening weekend schedule focuses on the simple campground traditions that many campers look forward to every year: hayrides, coffee with neighbors, outdoor fun, and a movie night at the pavilion.
Friday, May 15 – Opening Day Activities
The first official campground event of the season begins Friday evening with a classic campground favorite.
Hayride – 8:00 PM
Campers are invited to meet at the Pavilion and take a ride around the campground.
For many families, hayrides are one of those timeless camping traditions that never really go out of style. Kids wave at campsites, parents relax for a little while, and new campers get their first look around the park as the season officially begins.
Opening night hayrides also give returning seasonal campers a chance to reconnect with familiar faces and welcome newcomers arriving for the weekend.
Saturday, May 16 – Community, Family Fun, and a Movie Night
Saturday’s lineup continues the relaxed campground atmosphere with a mix of social events and family-friendly activities.
Free Coffee & Donuts – 9:00–10:00 AM
Campers can meet at the Pavilion for free coffee and donuts and take time to meet their camping neighbors.
One of the things that makes campground life different from other vacations is the sense of community. Opening weekend mornings often become a mix of introductions, catching up with returning campers, sharing travel stories, and easing into the slower pace of campground life.
Sudsy Saturday – 2:00–2:30 PM
Campers are invited to meet on the Field and prepare for some outdoor fun.
While details are simple, events like Sudsy Saturday are exactly the kind of lighthearted campground activities that families remember. Kids can burn off energy, parents can laugh along from the sidelines, and everyone gets a break from screens and schedules.
Movie Night – 8:00 PM
Guests can join everyone at the Pavilion for a free movie.
Movie nights at campgrounds have become a tradition for many families because they combine the feeling of an outdoor summer evening with the comfort of being surrounded by fellow campers. After a day of activities, campers can settle in and enjoy a relaxed evening together before another day at the campground.
The Start of Another Camping Season
Ocean City’s Coastal Escape RV Park continues to focus on a traditional camping experience built around simple pleasures: campfires, family time, outdoor activities, and easy access to the Jersey Shore.
The campground offers:
- 50/30 AMP full hookup campsites
- Water and electric sites
- Pet-friendly camping
- An Olympic-sized pool
- Heated pool
- Playground
- Basketball court
- Volleyball
- Horseshoes
- Gaga pit
- Dog park
The campground’s location in Egg Harbor Township places campers close to Ocean City beaches, Atlantic City attractions, local nature areas, restaurants, fishing, and shore destinations while still offering a quieter place to return to at the end of the day.
For many RV owners and campers, opening weekend represents more than just a date on the calendar. It signals the return of warm evenings, outdoor cooking, campground walks, meeting neighbors, and the familiar routine of relaxing outside after a long winter.
As campers settle in for the first weekend of the season, the atmosphere around the campground feels familiar once again: bicycles riding through loops, smoke drifting from grills, people setting up chairs outside their RVs, and families beginning another summer of memories at the Jersey Shore.
Ocean City’s Coastal Escape RV Park officially begins its 2026 camping season today, May 15, with opening weekend activities continuing throughout the weekend.
