Wharton State Forest

This state park is amazing. My family enjoys coming here to visit Atsion Lake. Surrounded by hiking trails, campsites, picnic areas, and playgrounds this red water lake is a ideal. There is something here for very one.
At the entrance there is a small flat fee per car. They hand out trash bags, to ensure your able to clean up. There is p ample parking out side the visitors center and rest rooms.
Yes, there are restrooms and showers, very convenient for little ones, which is why I like visiting.
The Lake
The waters are calm, I don’t worry about waves knocking over or pulling the little ones away. I bring my umbrellas, blankets and cooler full of snacks. There is plenty of room to build sand castles, toss around a ball, or fly kites.
Picnic Area
Occasionally, we come here to grill. There are tables and grills spread throughout which are first come first serve. During the week, it’s less congested. On the weekends, and especially holidays, it’s better to show up early, to secure a spot. Also, it’s always a good idea to call ahead to make sure they are life guards on duty — NO Swimming is allowed if they are not. Also, they close the gate once the area reaches capacity.
Play ground
My kids use the one closest to the lake. There are swings, a slide and a play structure. It’s a nice break from swimming, and is across from the picnic.
If your looking for a fun and stress free family outing this is it. My kids can never say their bored, there are multiple restrooms and parking is not an issue. Just relax and enjoy. My kids always have a blast.

We stayed at the Atsion campsite at Wharton State Forest. The staff at the visitors center was not very forthcoming with the information. Just take your pass and go. No directions to the campsite. No helpful tips. No guidance at all.
You need to be specific and ask for help because they are not going to volunteer anything to you in the way of information!
Having been to many other visitors centers in the Northeast, I’d recommend some training for these folks. While they may be knowledgable when asked, they need to do a better job of welcoming visitors and making sure they have the info they need for their time at the Park.
The restrooms at the Family Campground were AWFUL. They looked like they weren’t cleaned at all during the entire Labor Day Weekend. The showers were full of mud and filthy. The soap dispensers were empty at times.
I understand budget cuts and all that but why offer rest rooms at all if they are going to be left without any cleaning staff?
That being said Atsion Lake was lovely. The scenery was worth the disappointing campsite experience.