Passing through the state capital of Harrisburg here in one of the most important places in the country for steel, coal and railroads and find yourself looking for an overnight landing pad to call home for the night? Well, if you’ve got an RV, 5th Wheel or Camping Trailer then just head on into this incredibly large, over-the-top Bass Pro Shop located just across from and north of the Susquehanna River, where there is so much ample space, you will wish that you brought more than the single recreational vehicle you are driving!
While the vast expanse of this camping haven is certainly one major upside, so too is the EZ on- and off-again highway access you’ll discover, which when trying to manage driving and maneuvering any size city, is certainly an advantage. Add to this, you are actually at a camping mecca like Bass Pro Shop, you’ll have no shortage of temptations sitting right outside your RV door step with which to reload or add to what little storage you might have remaining. Depending upon what quality of insulation your RV has, you may have to compromise on the peace & quiet you will experience here as the traffic is relatively non-stop.
As far as the parking lot itself, it’s incredibly flat, overwhelming large with a decent sized front lot as well as a football field sized second lot and unlike many other Bass Pro Shops, isn’t jammed packed with boats and camping trailers in the store’s parking perimeter, providing for tons of parking options. I would recommend finding a spot away from the front of the store and towards the eastern and southern fringes of the lot. There’s tons of great lighting here and as the Bass Pro Shop is also connected to a much larger shopping complex, so there’s a really good sense of safety and security here.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) While only about 30 minutes away, don’t forget you are so close to Hershey Park & Gardens that you’ll be surprised you hadn’t smelled the waves of chocolate in the air until only reading about this destination here; (2) Because this Bass Pro Shop is so close to the major thoroughfare of highway 83 and also as a result of being connected to the larger Harrisburg Mall, there’s a ton of dining options including: Feed Your Soul Restaurant, Tomato Pie Café, Papa Joe's Pizza and Subs, Fiesta Mexico, Ruby Tuesday, Neato Burrito (and isn't that just fun to say?!), Starbucks, The Melting Pot and Applebee’s; (4) Should you need to get your reps or steps in, have no worries, as there’s a Planet Fitness nearby; (5) History buffs will get a kick out of the nearby National Civil War Museum that is affiliated with the Smithsonian and makes for a good hour or two of exploring; (6) Should you want to ‘whet your whistle’ while making an overnight stop here, give Lancaster Brewing Company your attention, which is just a short jaunt south of here; and (7) Just because you are in a decent sized city, as well as the state capital, nonetheless, doesn’t mean you can’t whip out your kayak (providing you have one of course) and engage in some decent oaring just due south of here in the Susquehanna River.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 3
Safety & Security: 3
Quality: 4
Peace& Quiet: 3
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 3.
Happy Overnighting!
