Best Tent Camping near Bear, DE

We stayed for a weekend and were very happy with our cabin - a pleasant surprise was how incredible the bathroom inside there was - we're talking spectacularly clean! There was a shower stall w/built-in shelves that seemed brand new (no mildew on the shower curtain, no stains, etc.). The small sink had a mirror above it that opens for a medicine cabinet. Plenty of toilet paper but you need to bring your own soap/shampoo/towels.

The cabin featured a separate kitchenette area with regular size fridge, sink, electric stove with oven and some counter space/cupboard and rack for a hand towel. A fire extinguisher was within easy reach. The main area had two Adirontack chairs, table with benches, electrical outlet and wide barn doors (designed to open fully but ours were nailed shut so only a regular door width opened). There was a wood stove which, in August, we did not utilize (and I'd recommend bringing a small fan or two if you come in the summer, it was hot). There was a chalkboard (no chalk).

While we did not think we'd be using the narrow screened in porch it did rain and we were glad to have it. Also inside were two little rooms with bunk beds. I felt claustrophobic in there, imagining spiders and all sorts of creepy things living in there and opted to sleep in the car. Which reminds me - warning - there are tiny deer ticks. Don't go out to the car in the dark when the dew is on the grass w/o covering your feet and ankles, you will get deer ticks. Not like it happened to me or anything, wink wink. That being said, the bunks were clean, if well-used. Bring your sheets/pillows/sleeping bag for them. 

Outside, to the back of the cabin, was a small deck with picnic table, a grill, and a fire ring. Beyond that you will find a path to the lake with beautiful swans.

We walked the path around Thundergust lake after dinner and here is another warning: bring super-woodsman-strong-do-not-mess-with-me bug spray. While we all can get mosquito bites, these babies were like Rambo mosquitos on sterioids - one bite would leave a welt swollen a quarter inch above your skin and an inch and a half long. One bite. Now imaging a dozen of them and you can see why my friend was miserable the next day. We also found the "spotted lantern fly" a pest that is non-native and wrecking havock, which we promptly crushed with a hiking boot.

The swimming area of Parvin Lake was closed due to COVID, but we did a few hikes. There are maps available in the ranger's office - and some pretty cool tie-died t-shirts, too. (I got the turquoise). Anyway, the trails were pretty busy - lots of locals out getting a walk, run, or dog walk in. The hikes were easy, with level, sandy trails that were well-marked. There is a lot nearby the camping area, (like Misty Meadow Sheep Dairy where you can feed the animals and purchase some fantasic dairy products, yarn, and meats) or the Jersey Shore, or Amish markets.  So, while you can have the camping experience you will never feel "alone in the woods", which is why it's a great choice for new campers. Also  families who want the option of day trips close by. Some people had kayaks out on one of the lakes.

While a bit worn from the weather, it was nice to read about the foliage/native plants as we walked the trails. We also caught the end of the blueberry season and I was able to collect enough to make a small batch of jam when I got home.

My four-star rating comes from personal preference for more solitude when I camp. The other side of the same coin is the other negative impression I left with - there was a lot of trash/litter no matter where we were in this park. "Leave no trace" is not practiced here by the visitors, and while the park keeps the cabins COVID-spotless, the grounds are not maintained with the same stringency. In all fairness, the visitors should stop throwing bottles, wrappers, etc. on the ground. Signage and some volunteer days might help.

PROS 

Reserved 328 days prior to arriving

$13.50 senior discount 

Immediately greeted by Loop C camp host who was extremely friendly and helpful 

Site C3 parking pad level asphalt 

Metal frame wooden picnic table that was moveable 

One hook lantern pole 

Metal fire pit which was cleaned out upon our arrival 

Some vegetation between sites provided a bit of privacy from neighbors sites 

Park is 21 miles from Valley Forge National Historical Park. Catch National Park Service 90 minute trolley tour at the Visitor Center. 

Shady Maple Smorgasbord...authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cooking…largest buffet in the USA…16 miles from French Creek SP 

CONS

$6.50 reservation fee for making my own on-line reservation 

Horrible signage along PA-345. Never saw very small sign when we where intensely searching 

Such a large overall park, but camping loop sites are jammed together

Pitiful low water pressure  in Loop C

Site sewer connection is high; needs to be knocked down to ground level 

Short length of site caused creative tow vehicle parking 

Loop C women’s toilet/shower building a big nasty mess Saturday 

Trash dumpsters are on the main road near the campground check-in station (not walkable) 

Noisy campground; 9pm quiet hour not enforced

Lots of barking dogs 

No wood sales in park 

No WiFi 

1 bar Verizon

Campground Review

This state park is tucked in the largest tract of forest that lies between New York City and Washington D.C. and it is absolutely stunning. The area is full of whitetail deer, raccoons, opossums and other abundant wildlife so be watchful when driving especially during dawn and dusk hours.

The park has tons of amenities from freshwater ponds to a fish to a staffed swimming pool. There are multiple playgrounds for kids to play on and plenty of green space to roam. There are four camping loops (A, B, C and D). Loop A, B and C are in close proximity to one another while D is a bit further away and may be used for overflow camping. Loop A offers simple sites with no hookups. Each site has a fire ring and grate of some sort, picnic table and flat space for pitching a tent. Some sites in this loop have lantern posts but not all of them do. Unfortunately, the flat spot in our site that was not gravel was low-lying and would have flooded in the rain (which was forecasted). We wound up pitching our tent on the gravel to avoid waking up in a puddle. Beware, there is a TON of poison ivy riddled throughout the grounds. Some of it looks like it has been sprayed but it is still rather abundant.

The facilities in loop A are VERY nice and look as though they have been remodeled recently. There bathroom has roomy toilet and shower stalls, nice sinks and is all tile (very nice, clean tile). Outside the bathroom are two dish sinks with both hot and cold water. It was nice to not have food caked in the bathroom sinks!

The sites in loop A are rather impacted and there was a fair amount of garbage littered about which was disappointing. However, the sites in this loop are nicely spaced and while the campground was busy, we felt like we had plenty of space.

We drove through the rest of the loops and found that Loop B was very packed and sites were on top of one another. This was a loop with full hookups so there were RVs and other vehicles everywhere. Loop C, which allows pets was also a bit of a mess. Part of it is just an open field that looks more like a parking lot, however, if you keep driving the loop you will find more normal sites in the trees. We didn't have our dogs this visit, otherwise we might have stayed in this loop.

All in all this is a great spot close to the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (totally worth a visit). I would certainly recommend staying here and checking out the area.

Gear Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing the Ledlenser MH2 Headlamp. This headlamp is interesting and will definitely be great for certain applications, though it will more than likely not be my go to light in the backcountry.

Pros:

1. When on the concentrated fish eye setting it is quite bright and would be great for point specific lighting needs. For instance, setting a bear hang in a tree where you need more focused and centralized lighting.
2. Several settings including a strobe mode as well as a red light setting (more about the red light in the con section below).
3. Seems to be well built and relatively durable. The strap itself is quite nice and comfortable across both the back and forehead.
4. Batteries held up well compared to some other models on the market but this may be attributed to the lower lumen (100) rating.

Cons:

1. When not on the fisheye/centralized setting, the light is not too bright. While the casting area is greater you definitely loose the brightness and any setting between the two doesn't yield great lighting results either. I would probably only use this for applications where I need light focused on one area.
2. The red light is relatively useless in my opinion. It would be ok for reading but due to it's positioning on the actual housing, it is difficult to direct in a useful direction.
3. The headlamp itself is quite heavy. After wearing it for an extended period of time I felt as though I would have liked it to be a bit lighter.
4. The headlamp requires 3 AAA batteries but only came factory sealed with 2.

Overall this is a nice little headlamp. I keep one in my car as well as in our car camping box as an extra light source around the campground. As I mentioned, it won't replace my backpacking go-to model but it certainly worth the investment if you are looking for a spare or heavier duty model for those instances when weight doesn't matter.

Thanks for the opportunity to check out your product.

We decided to stay a weekend at Susquehanna based on the reviews on the Dyrt and it’s closer proximity to home. We arrived and were greeted by super friendly rangers who gave us the lay of the land. We found the rangers to be very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife, plants, and trees in the park. They had two display tables full of flora and fauna by the check-in station set up for kids and adults alike to glean some knowledge. On one night while we were there, there was a program run by the rangers where kids could learn about some common native and invasive species.

We hiked the Green Trail, which had a sign saying it was ‘very difficult’, but we found it to be no problem for our crew of seven kids aged 3-10 and four adults. We only passed one other hiker. We saw some champion trees, lots of deer, and had some run ins with more than a few spotted lantern flies. One ranger told us they have nine champion trees in the park, we’d love to go back and hike to find the others.

With only two loops, the sites were fairly spaced out with lots of trees between them. We had a spacious electric site for our pop up and camped with friends who had a nice level, secluded tent site. We hardly ever heard any neighbors and all was quiet at night. Each loop shares a bathhouse, and there are some portable toilets spaced around the loop, too. The facilities were cleaned every morning. They even have a large laundry utility sink in the bathhouse should you need it. The only downside we found was that showering at prime time (around 8 or 9 pm) led to very little hot water. A small price to pay for good camping and hiking!

Stayed in B-08 on mid October and had a great trip. The site was non-electric and it seems most of the outer side of this loop is basic camping with the inside of the loop having power. The other loops offer full hookups but opting for this area kept us from being surrounded by massive RV's. Easy back in spot for our car, partially shaded, decent brush cover between sites and able to keep tent about 20 yards from the road on a crushed rock pad. I will say this site has a little bit of slope but nothing that affected our sleep. The fire ring is very high sided and if you're not sitting on a higher camp chairs you kind of miss the fire. Picnic table was sturdy but easy enough to move lnto place to fit our needs. Tons of hike mg within the park including some historic sites at Hopewell Furnace like the blacksmith shop and old residences. Checked in a. It before the stated 3pm time without issues. Very few rangers seen during stay but it is after labor day and most of the seasonal attractions like the pool etc were closed for the season. Very clean bathrooms with easy to use dish sinks on the outside. Overall for a trip that within 75 minutes of Philly you can't go wrong for a quick jaunt out of town.

I booked a tent site as my first introduction to the park. Setting up a reservation was incredibly user friendly, park staff was fantastic at getting us checked in, and the camp store was well stocked and priced. 

Our site, however, left something to be desired. The sites were all very close together, and the tent pad areas were fairly small. You can drive right up to your site and park there, which is incredibly convenient in terms of unpacking and set up. Around our site was pretty loud with neighbors at all hours, regardless of quiet hours, and balls being kicked into our tent pad area from surrounding visitors. There were some bottle caps and garbage on our tent pad upon arrival.

I think if you had kids and were looking for a "not so quiet" get away into nature, this would be a fantastic spot. There were larger and more private sites on our loop, and if I returned I would prioritize getting one of those. There are also more loops than the one we were on. 

The firepit had an adjustable height grill grate, and there was a picnic table at each site. Firewood ran $5 a bundle at the camp store.  Ice and potable water was also available. 

There was a nearby dumpster that was easy to use. Disappointed that there did not seem to be a recycling receptacle. Bathrooms were nice, the handicapped shower was very spacious. No shortage of hot water. 

We hiked all available trails from the trail map, though it seems there were more than listed, and a portion of the park is closed following previous tornado damage. We saw an abundance of herps, gorged ourselves on pawpaws, and generally foraged and tracked a ton of interesting wildlife. The trails themselves were pretty, but the rankings somewhat misleading. The "hard" trails would be hard in comparison to a flat gravel path, but in terms of general hiking, were comfortable with only a couple mildly steep or narrow points. I am unsure if the ranking system is for general hiking or in terms of ADA accessibility, however. If accessibility, it makes a lot of sense. For hiking? Less so; I'd rank the trails as a normal difficulty for their 'hard' trails. 

The beaches were lovely! We did not get the opportunity to kayak, swim, or fish, but are hoping to do that sometime in the future. Was still relaxing to sit out with a book and watch the water.

I do feel like we explored most of what the park had to offer, so while I would be happy to return it feels less urgent to do so. I think I would be better equipped to pick a site (or explore a cabin!) the next time which would resolve my minimal issues. Given the relaxed atmosphere of the trails, close amenities, etc. I think this would be a good choice to bring friends who are new to the camping scene, or for families.