Johnsonburg Camp & Retreat Center — Local services in Frelinghuysen Township

The unfortunate thing about this retreat center is that it seemed to be very understaffed during our time. There was a shortage of food in the dining hall for almost every meal. Whenever our group went to the kitchen to ask for seconds, they had very little to spare. Apart from that, some of the meals weren’t made to a satisfactory level that a lot of my campers didn’t eat the food. They commented on how the food was ill prepared or the texture was weird. The rooms were very humid and there were no fans in the rooms which made it difficult to sleep comfortably. Opening the windows weren’t an option as the outside wasn’t much cooler, plus our windows faced the boys’ lodge and there were lots of flies buzzing around. There are a lot of details and small things that I could point to that were mismanaged or not supervised or communicated well. Some things were due to poor maintenance of the facilities.

The positives are that the amphitheater was a nice space for us to utilize during our worship service. It was the only room with air conditioning so we took advantage of it. We liked that they provide cushions for the floor seating because after a while, the hard surface hurts your bottom. The lodges were nice in that they had mini kitchens so that the mom’s could cook and prep meals for us. It was nice to have separate smaller rooms for sleeping arrangements and the mattresses were better than what other centers provide. Another plus was the swimming pool. I didn’t swim, but my students enjoyed it and commented that it was clean. They did however have to wait a while for the second lifeguard to show up in order for them to swim so that was inconvenient for us with the limited time they had to swim.

Overall, I think the camp center was okay. It’s not the most comfortable place to stay, but it has attributes that groups can use to enjoy fun activities. However, it did not match my preferences, nor other’s who were part of our group. There are definitely areas of improvement but it wasn’t the best place for those of us who like more comfort and...

There aren't enough words to accurately describe what a magical place this is and how impactful Camp J'burg has been for all my kids and for myself. When Camp J'burg claims that ALL ARE WELCOME in BOLD on the front page of its website, they really mean it. Camp Johnsonburg has been a spiritually formative and safe space for my kids for the past 14 years. My kids had counselors from all over the world, made life-long friends, and have endless stories and priceless memories to share. My oldest went from a camper in third grade to a counselor and young adult leader. I LOVE that the kids get to unplug for an entire week and just learn how to be kids and play in a beautiful outdoor space without a device in their hands 24/7. Camp Johnsonburg embodies what it means to love like Jesus loves and how to care for all people as Jesus cared for all people. The space has also become a restorative retreat for me over the years at the annual women's retreat. When I walked into the dining hall recently, my breath was taken away by all the flags displayed that represented the countries of origin of all the counselors and staff and the progress flag that embraces all the people that God loves, juxtapositioned with the verses to the hymn, "They Will Know We are Christian by Our Love," engraved on the wooden panels on the wall, in clear sight of all who assemble to eat, play, and fellowship in the dining hall. They love. No matter what. That's how I know they're like Jesus. I'm so grateful for their influence on my children's lives as well as my own. Also, their Tempurpedic mattresses in all the cabins and lodges are more comfortable than my own bed. I always look forward to spending time there! There aren't enough stars here to rate how much I...

This place was saddening to say the least. For starters, the price was extremely expensive for only 3 days and 2 nights. The cost of each meal was insane ($15 for breakfast, $17 for lunch and $18 for dinner), especially for the quality of food. Each meal had only one option and they all contained pork which no one in the group ate. There was watery beans and sausage served for lunch. We were so appalled by the food that we had to order outside food for dinner instead of mystery meat they had. Speaking of dining, I was alarmed to see a LGTBQ+ flag in the dining area when this retreat place claims to have Christian values.

The rooms itself wasn’t that bad although there were bugs here and there. The worst situation of the entire weekend was when we saw not one but three rats. There was a giant beefy one and its children which were two white mice, came back to haunt us for our last day. Also, we heard a bear.

Overall, I am extremely disappointed. We spent over $200 for this and we left with utter disappointment. I hope they take this feedback...