Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Allegheny National Forest, PA has a lot to offer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Allegheny National Forest and user-submitted reviews.
$51 - $65 / night
"We had a site in the full hookup back in section, they are very nice spacious sites. The park is close to the Allegheny Reservoir and the Kinzua Bridge."
"I don’t really care about hook ups but there’s full hook ups here and I have a nice flat private spot."
$39 - $69 / night
"This campground is easy access to I80, Less than 10 minutes. It is very clean, amazingly helpful staff, mix of seasonal, weekly, and overnight. Nice playground for the kids."
"Apparently lots of other folks agree, many seasonal campers here. Quiet tonight with only 4 or 5 empty spots. We arrived after closing but host drove me hind us."
"Twin Lakes is a beautiful spot, tucked away in a stream valley in the Allegheny National Forest. It's mainly locals who come here, since few outsiders know about it."
"There are 50 campsites, which 23 have 20 and 30 amp electrical service. At the moment there is NO water here, however the dump station is operative. "
$32 / night
$40 - $245 / night
"This campground is by far my favorite private campground. If you have been to this campground greater than 2 years ago, it is time to check it out again."
"The store front has anything you can think of, and the playground is conveniently located. The swimming pool is always cold but feels great on a nice hot day"
$20 - $100 / night
"Gorgeous setting on the edge of the Kinzua Reservoir. The sites are spacious and cabins are also available to rent. Staff are friendly and helpful."
"Willow bay campground is run by the National Forest Service. The reservable lots are wide and numerous for a out of the way sight."
"We've stayed at Kalyumet on our travel trailer at least a dozen times over the last several years. We love it because it's not huge but has all the amenities that we like."
"We enjoyed the pool the walking/hiking trails, a trip into Cooks Forest, and even spent some time at the arcade (costs money)."
$20 - $53 / night
"Nice lake provides good fishing. Peaceful and quiet. Very clean facilities and friendly staff. Close to may Attractions in the area."
"This campground is well maintained, with excellent restroom/shower facilities. Miles of hiking trails accessible right from the campground."
$20 - $40 / night
"Our campsite was waterfront and beautiful, but the majority were just a wooded setting. They all seemed decently spaced apart, or at least felt that way because they had trees between."
"Night sky's are so clear. Campground is absolutely beautiful. Clean and peaceful."
$20 - $67 / night
"Once there, backing in the site was easy, although the narrow road on the loop can be a little challenging, especially if you have a big rig."
"Beautiful park with huge pine trees. 235 sites, many with electric. Most seem pretty level and big rig friendly. Good ATT & Verizon cell service. Nice trails and friendly campground hosts."
TravelerAllegheny National Forest is Pennsylvania's only National Forest and a gem of a location for outdoor recreation. Hearts Content itself is a well-maintained, very quiet campground with some of the most private sites we've experienced in 15 years of regular car camping.
Site A02 is very nice for privacy, one of the three front sites which means a bit of road traffic for other arriving campers, but covered by dense old-growth forest on all three sides and well set off the road. Ample tree coverage means an excellent shade canopy, but not-so-great if you're powering your rig with solar.
Clean, good-tasting drinking water at several community water spigots are available, and the central grassy area even contains a clean and well-maintained playground.
The campground itself is actually across the road from the Recreation Area. The Recreation Area is home to 3 nice hiking trails, including one all-season trail that converts to a cross-country skiing trail in the snowy months, as well as some picnic tables and a restroom.
The campground has a couple pit toilets that have been very well maintained by campground hosts each year we've been there. Zero smell or problems here, they appear to be looked after daily. They are still pit toilets so this is not exactly a luxury affair, but as pit toilets go, these definitely suffice.
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INTERNET: One bar of usable Verizon 4G LTE and T-Mobile 4G LTE suitable for slow web browsing and e-mail, but little else. Because of the very dense tree cover here, Starlink is not really a viable option. The most southern facing sites have more of a clearing which may work for Starlink, but are smaller, less private, and also face the group campsite which is well trafficked by Boy Scout troops and other summer camp gatherings, so you're upping your noise quite a bit.
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MAJOR PROS: This is a great campground to just enjoy camping. Set some 15 miles back in old growth forest, the most private of the campsites provide a very pleasant wilderness experience but still some well-maintained amenities like fresh drinking water and good pit toilets. In our experience camping here several times over several years, weekdays are very quiet at this location, perhaps the quietest of any campground of this size and caliber we've experienced anywhere. It's only really Friday evenings and Saturdays where you'll see more than 3-4 other campers in this place.
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The closest nearby town is Warren, PA a small but service-rich town set on the Allegheny River that provides all the necessary stuff - a Wal Mart, a Lowes, and plenty of restaurants and little shops. Warren is the longtime home of a refinery of some sort and on days when the downwind is blowing especially strong, you can catch the faint whiff of a funky but ambiguous smell of…something?
Cell service kicks up to 5G on T-Mobile in Warren itself, but you're still stuck on 4G with Verizon, as of summer 2022.
Back to the campground, I would highly recommend this place for people who can get out there on weekdays and enjoy peace and quiet. Firewood is available for sale at the Camp Host campsite, but there's so much downed wood behind just about every site that purchasing wood really isn't necessary: you can keep a hot fire going all night, for free, just by cleaning out the underbrush.
This is such a pretty, quiet campsite that during weekdays the area deer will often approach from the woods behind the campsites to feast on low hanging leaves. We've seen dozens of them who will get within 10-20 yards of you for a snack later into the night. While never getting too close, it does make for a pleasant wildlife viewing opportunity.
We really like this place. No showers or other running-water facilities and limited internet service prevent this place from being a perfect 5. It is also a bit of a drive into town for provisions or daily ingress if you need these amenities. That aside, tent, trailer or RV, you are likely to enjoy your experience here if you enjoy camping at all.
GuideHearts Content is best described as a way station. The sites are nestled within a grove of immense pines. Some are large enough for large RV’s . There are no showers. Bathrooms are vault toilets. Two of the sites include Adirondack type shelters. A picnic table and fire ring are within each site. I used this site as a staging area to explore Allegheny National Forest for a week. Used a camp shower. The closest town is Warren, PA. Firewood is available at the camp host site. Across the road is an hiking area with picnic tables and the like.
TravelerThis is one of our favorite campgrounds. Very neat & clean. Full hookup sites & pet friendly. Close to dam where the fish are plentiful. Nice level sites.
ScoutWe come here at least once per summer. It is very family friendly, pet friendly and just beautiful. If you kayak, you can drop in up in Warren and come in right at the campground. Ice and wood available on site. Dollar general close by just in case.
GuideGreat place very clean with lots to do. Very family friendly and pet friendly too. Staff is great.
GuideCute little campground with a handful of drive up sites and many hike-in sites scattered along the beautiful Minister Creek in the Allegheny National Forest. There were so many gorgeous hike-in sites it was hard to choose! The scenic overlook hike is pretty easy and there’s a lot of boulders to explore in the national forest. A lovely little weekend get away. Trails are dog friendly, too!
LegendThere was not a real address to set our RV GPS. Waze and Google maps will pull up directions by entering Tionesta Recreation Area. We came in from the west on US-6 to PA-66, and up PA-36. From I-80, take the exit for PA-36 then follow the signs to Tionesta and once you get near you'll see the Tionesta Recreation Area Signs. There are signs to the boat launch area so pay attention and follow the camping signs; the campground(CG) is on the right. If you come in from Tionesta, once you clear the town the CG area is to the left. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon around 3:00 PM and the COE entrance building was not manned, so we took a picture of the CG map and proceeded to back-in site 100 with 50 AMP FHUs. There were no obstacles so our back-in was one and done. The site was just long enough for our 39’ fifth wheel(recreation.gov stated max length 48 ft RV) and we had to park our F450 diagonally in front. We noticed that the site post already had our names and dates of stay. The utilities were about 3/4 the way to the back of the site so no problems with sewer, water, or electric cord lengths. The water pressure was okay at about 42 psi. We did not receive any OTA channels but this site and several others back up to a huge berm so you can get satellite. Most of the sites in the CG have mature trees so the satellite is iffy. We got 2 bars on Verizon. The site lengths vary in the CG and the lengths from the reservation site seemed to be fairly correct. There were quite a few larger rigs here. Most if not all of the sites in this CG are full hookups. We noticed that some were 30/20 AMP. Sites closer to the front of the CG, especially along the river, tend to be close to each other. We found that the 90s- 100s area has the best site spacing with site 100 being one of the most spacious sites. After watching a 40’ 5th wheel struggle to back into site 113, we decided this site is not a good choice for rigs over 35 feet or for someone with below-average backing abilities due to the obstacles getting into the site. The pad angles at 90 degrees, there’s a ditch across the road from the site making it difficult to swing the tow vehicle, and there are trees to avoid. We enjoyed walking our dogs through the CG and watching the groundhogs in the rocks behind our site. We noted during our 4-day stay towards the end of June that restaurants and other sights such as museums may be closed Monday, Tuesday, and/or Wednesday. Get out and explore PA Route 666, which includes the Nebraska bridge, Tall Oaks Gift Shop, and Frog rock.
GuideWe don’t live far from this campground, so it was a quick weekend trip in early April. Early April in western Pennsylvania means overnight temperatures in the 40’s and highs in the 50/60’s. The campground sits at the top of a ridge, with an uphill climb if coming from the south. We stayed in site #50, which was in the middle of the loop. Once there, backing in the site was easy, although the narrow road on the loop can be a little challenging, especially if you have a big rig. Once parked, leveling was easy and we were set up in no time. Our site was a little short, so the back door to our camper was near the fire ring, which resulted in smoke blowing through our camper, but nothing a can of Fabreze didn’t fix when we got home. The campground has a nice playground, volleyball court and open grass area for tossing a football or playing soccer. There are a couple of fresh water stations around the loop, so plan accordingly before arriving or be prepared to block traffic on the narrow road while you fill up with fresh water. The dump station was very open and convenient, so departure was quick. We will definitely visit this campground again, but will probably pick something with more shade, especially if visiting in the summer. We have a Winegard Air 360*, but Verizon 4G LTE was non-existent. OTA TV signal picked up a couple of TV stations.
RangerBeautiful park with huge pine trees. 235 sites, many with electric. Most seem pretty level and big rig friendly. Good ATT & Verizon cell service. Nice trails and friendly campground hosts.
RV camping near Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania offers a blend of natural beauty and convenient amenities, making it an ideal getaway for outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best RV campgrounds in Allegheny National Forest?
Tionesta Rec. Area Campground offers beautiful level sites with full hookups, spaced nicely apart, and features like picnic tables and multi-tiered fire rings. Its location near the creek and surrounded by tall trees makes it a top choice for RVers. Buckaloons is another excellent option, known for being family and pet friendly with a beautiful setting. RVers appreciate that kayakers can drop in upriver and paddle directly to the campground. Other solid options include Willow Bay Recreation Area and Kiasutha, both accommodating to larger rigs with hookup options.
What amenities are available at Allegheny National Forest RV parks?
Cook Forest State Park Campground & Cabins features 235 sites, many with electric hookups that are level and big-rig friendly. The park offers good cell service (AT&T and Verizon), hiking trails, and pet-friendly areas with dedicated pet trails. Parker Dam State Park Campground provides full hookup sites that are pet friendly, with neat and clean facilities. Across the forest, common amenities include fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets. Some campgrounds offer firewood and ice sales on-site, while others have limited facilities but make up for it with scenic locations.
Do I need reservations for RV camping in Allegheny National Forest?
Yes, reservations are highly recommended for RV camping in Allegheny National Forest, especially during peak season (late spring through fall). Hearts Content Recreation Area has limited sites large enough for RVs, making advance booking essential. Popular weekends fill quickly at Allegheny River Campground, where reservations secure your spot at this clean, family-friendly facility. Parker Dam State Park can get particularly busy on weekends, with visitors noting they needed to reserve one of the few remaining sites well in advance. For the best selection of RV-suitable sites with hookups, booking ahead is strongly advised, especially for holiday weekends.
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