Best Tent Camping near Artemas, PA

Campground is pretty big. The RV sites and tent sites are separated by a drive down the road. The RV side has all the cool stuff; store, pavilion, basketball courts, playground, etc. The tent camping side is just an open field with a pit and picnic table. I tent camped this time around and it's was pretty well spaced out. There weren't many of us in the field so it was pretty nice. The RV side has a ton of seasonal residences. The most half RV/half homes I've ever scene! (A few in the pictures) it's wild. Those sites have a pretty decent amount of space too. The pond has a bunch of ducks that are VERY well fed. One in particular might have been too well fed and maybe sick? Not sure.

We went to Cowans gap last full for a Halloween weekend and the children loved it. We even won the campsite decorating contest. We went this summer and camped in A-tent with friends of ours who had never done it Before & After the amazing trip at callans gap they want to do it again. Awesome beach, nice sights, And a quiet area what more could you want.

We really Enjoyed the spot, there aren’t a lot of tent sites, it’s mostly RV sites, pretty big campground as far as the RV sites go. The tent sites are by the river. It was a pretty quiet campground.

I love this park, and for tent camping, I think this is one of the best. Their tent camping sites are a very good distance from other sites, so you feel much more secluded. Nothing bothers me more than when I have to set up my tent 15 feet away from someone else's that I don't even know. This park does not jam you in like others do, they give you the space you need to enjoy it the best way possible. Love this place!

Tent sites are rough, some outside ring sites have tent pads.

Great place to tent camp with about 10 spots available. It was empty when we went and was perfect. The sunset is breathtaking!

On the lake. Good private tent sites in the woods.Rv sites too.

Tent camped here last Labor Day weekend. Site was a good size. Fantastic KOA. Tons of things to do for our 9 year old!

It was a nice place to stay for kids, lots to do for them. But very expensive for tent camping. I still paid nearly 100 a night.

Great place! Lots to do on-site. Tent camped and really had a great time. Harper’s Ferry is a beautiful place to hike, camp and visit. Highly recommended!

Semi private & large tent sites. Medium size beach and dock to launch kayaks at. Fish weren’t biting for us this weekend!

This is a great place for a long weekend away. The tent sites are nice and they have a number of dog friendly sites. Fun beach area, hikes and fishing.

This campground has an abundance of things to do. The campground offers adventures like rafting, biking, tubing and zip lining to name a few. If you would like to do some exploring, then you can walk the trail right next to the campground into the historical town of Harper's Ferry (If you’re facing the river then the trail is to the right of the campground with a sign reading that you have entered Harper’s Ferry National Park. The trail is about 1.5 miles one way). From there you can grab a bite, visit the history of Harper's Ferry or continue exploring more hiking trails. There are train tracks behind the campground with a train going through day and night. For me it’s a minor inconvenience and my daughter, who even as a baby, slept through it. Do bring ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper. Bathroom and showers located nearby. You’re not allowed to park at the tent sites but most of the tent sites allow you to drop all your camping gear off and then park in a designated area. Between the tent sites being close together and the campground being part of zip lining/rafting courses there’s not a ton of privacy (especially during the weekend). Overall, it's a great adventurous spot!

Campground has nice sized clean sites for tent camping. The park offers a large clean man made lake for swimming and fishing. For the remainder of 2018 the dam the holds back the lake is under repairs so no swimming for this summer.

August 2020 Stay

We camped for 1 night.  We chose site 102 because it looked decent in the picture and seemed a little apart and more private than other areas.  Unfortunately, it was not great for tent camping as there wasn't really a spot to set up our 4-person tent.  We squeezed it in by the fire pit, but if we had wanted to use the fire pit it would have been a fire hazard.  Elsewhere in the site it was rocky or uneven ground.

Looking around the rest of the campground, the loop up near the cabins was a typical RV area with sites lined up with little privacy in between.  I would look at the other loops for our next tent-camping visit.

We were hoping to do some hiking in the morning but got rained out.  However the trails looked nice and we hope to be back soon.

The pet loop mixes tent camping with RVs, which isn't our preference. The sites are arranged around a big field, which means many of them have no trees or shade. If you planned to hang a hammock at some of these sites, you would be in trouble.

But it's a good park. They've got firewood at the contact station.

Plenty of trails to hike from easy to difficult. Local history is right around the corner with the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument. Blue Knob houses the second highest peak in PA. The bathrooms were clean. Camp sites are rocky so be sure to bring a mat if tent camping. The park does not offer fire wood for purchase; bring extra.

Kooser State Park sits on the border of Forbes State Forest in the Laurel Highlands. It has a mix of camper & tent sites around a central clearing, and offers a few cabins. There is a central bathroom with showers, flush toilets and a sink to wash your dishes.

My son and I tent camped here in July to escape the head down in Pittsburgh.  Sits up high in the mountains close to 3000ft elevation.  Park and campground are very small and almost desolate during the week.  There is a main road nearby and you hear industrial trucks rolling by constantly.  There are some great private tent only wooded sites that sit above the main park of the campground so you really feel secluded.

This campground has tons of nice cabins and tent sites, all in wooded surroundings. There is a small creek to play in and a nice little hiking trail within the campground. Has a great water park, playground and bounce pad feature. Definitely recommend for families and /or anyone looking for easy convenience camping.

We do a lot of dispersed camping but we spoiled ourselves with this spot. It was $50 for a tent site but I have never used a cleaner camp shower or seen so many amenities on a campground. They were also very accommodating of our late check-in as we travel across the country.

Basic tent camping sites. Portable bathroom facilities only. Only a mile from the historic paw paw tunnel. Tunnel is very fun to travel through. Kids and adults alike enjoy the tunnel. Tunnel is always nice and cool refreshing during a long bike ride or hike on a hot day. Make sure to bring some flashlights for inside the tunnel as it is a mile long and gets very dark! Amazing to see the work that the canal builders accomplished.

Camp site(Tent camping)

Camp site was pretty small and close to each other. The forest where the camp site was situated was beautiful. We were lucky enough to witness a spectacular light show put up by thousands of fireflies at night.

It is Maryland so watch out for poison ivy when walking through bushes.

Facilities/ Amenities

Bathrooms were clean.

Surrounding area

Walking distance to the huge beach / lake. The area was overcrowded but maintained well and clean.

There are spots of the camp ground for travel trailers that are right on top of each other. No big deal though as there is plenty to choose from. The tent sites are all wooded and nice. My site with my 26’ was tight to get into. Took a little maneuvering to get in but all is well. Overall, will come back many times more.