The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Bala-Cynwyd, PA

818 Reviews

Fort Washington State Park Campground permits pets at its group camping area, where sites can accommodate 20-100 people. The park features over 3.5 miles of trails through nearly 500 acres of forested landscape, making it ideal for hikers with dogs. Primitive restroom facilities are available year-round, and each group site includes multiple fire pits with provided firewood. The campground operates on a carry-in, carry-out trash policy, requiring campers to manage their own waste. Ridley Creek State Park also welcomes pets at its group camp, offering well-marked trails and creek access perfect for dogs who enjoy water. The park maintains an open field with two camping sites and fire pits, providing ample space for pets to exercise safely within sight of their owners. Park reviews consistently mention the pet-friendly atmosphere and quality hiking opportunities along the creek.

Campers seeking more extensive amenities can find pet-friendly options at Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA, which offers full-service sites for tents, RVs, and cabins where pets are welcome. Located approximately 30 minutes from Bala-Cynwyd, this campground provides electric hookups, water, sewer connections, and shower facilities while maintaining a pet-friendly policy. Alverthorpe Private Park allows pets but restricts camping to Abington Township residents only, limiting access for travelers passing through the area. The suburban park offers shaded tent sites with in-ground fire pits and standing grills, though some review notes indicate facilities may need better maintenance. Cell service remains reliable throughout most campgrounds in the region, allowing pet owners to quickly locate emergency veterinary services if needed during their stay.

Map showing campgrounds near Bala-Cynwyd, PennsylvaniaExplore the Map

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (93)

    1. Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA

    20 Reviews
    Paulsboro, NJ
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (856) 423-6677

    "Beautiful campground — lots of trees, pond, kids play equipment, dog park, etc. facilities all clean and whole place is well maintained. Easy late arrival."

    "The neighbor’s sewer connection is right next to our picnic table! But, the sites are large enough for large RVs, they have 30/50 amp hookups and water & sewer."

    2. Group Camp — Ridley Creek State Park

    10 Reviews
    Gradyville, PA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (610) 892-3900

    $57 / night

    "well marked trails great for hiking. pet friendly! we love walking here with our dog. there are even a few great spots to get a small creek swim in! It also has a greag picnic area with grills."

    "We found a lot of really unique sites around the park. Will keep going back"

    3. Fort Washington State Park Campground

    7 Reviews
    Ambler, PA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (215) 591-5250

    $28 - $72 / night

    "It's almost 500 acres filled with trails, woods,and river. I usually go to the parking right off of Militia hill rd.and Skippack Pike intersection."

    "m following up on my review from over a year ago with new photos, updated weathered campers’ tales and a quick snapshot of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS: HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Rustic group camping nestled in nearly"

    4. French Creek State Park Campground

    81 Reviews
    Geigertown, PA
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (610) 582-9680

    $24 - $122 / night

    "There are numerous hiking trails in the park that seemed to be well marked and maintained. The park is about 20- mins from Reading, and 10 mins from Birdsbroro."

    "There is a connector trail nearby that can get you to most of the hiking trails. Site was nice. Bathrooms okay. This is a pet loop so be aware of dogs. Hiking trails in park were a nice challenge."

    5. Alverthorpe Private Park

    4 Reviews
    Jenkintown, PA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (215) 884-6538

    $1 - $100 / night

    "year ago with some refreshed insight, additional photos and, well, because once wasn’t enough, here’s a quick reel of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS:  HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Hidden slice of suburban woodland tucked"

    6. Evansburg State Park Campground

    6 Reviews
    Skippack, PA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (610) 409-1150

    $43 / night

    "It was a great place to walk with your dog and enjoy the Pennsylvania outdoors."

    "Since he was 2 years old I’ve taken my son, and we always have an amazing time, either hiking the trails to wandering in the woods looking for “adventures”."

    7. Tinicum Island

    1 Review
    Essington, PA
    11 miles
    Website

    8. Village Scene Park

    4 Reviews
    Hatfield, PA
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (215) 362-6030

    $48 / night

    "We’ve stayed here a couple times in past Have family in the area Grew up in this area so very comfortable and easy access to lots of places! This visit we stayed six months may to October"

    9. Old Cedar Campground

    11 Reviews
    Monroeville, NJ
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (856) 358-4881

    $31 - $50 / night

    "This row of sites lacked the trees for shade and privacy found at most other sites around the campground.  The pool was nice and clean."

    "Not close off the highway, but wooden sites. Seems as though people spend their summers there. Pool was beautiful and looked new. Mini golf was decrepit and looked abandoned. Store was nice."

    10. Atsion Family Camp — Wharton State Forest

    23 Reviews
    Hammonton, NJ
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (609) 268-0444

    "Some sites have lake-side water access, so bring your canoes and kayaks and reserve these sites (4, 8, 10, 12, 20 and 22) early as they are popular."

    "This was a nice large site in the“pet-friendly” section(sites 26-34) of the campground. Site 34 is close to Atsion Road, so there was car noise, but it wasn’t really an issue to us."

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 93 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Bala-Cynwyd Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Bala-Cynwyd, PA

78 Photos of 93 Bala-Cynwyd Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Bala-Cynwyd, PA

818 Reviews of 93 Bala-Cynwyd Campgrounds

  • Kathy L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2021

    Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA

    Really nice

    We stayed here for a night in transit. Beautiful campground — lots of trees, pond, kids play equipment, dog park, etc. facilities all clean and whole place is well maintained. Easy late arrival. Good location - convenient but far enough off the highway. Would stay here again.

  • L
    Aug. 6, 2018

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Very Dog Friendly

    Campground sites are nice and spacious, bathrooms are good, and there’s plenty to do for everyone. We hiked the 7.5mile lake trail with our two pups. It was beautiful and along the way there were opportunities to kayak/sup, beach it, or even play on a ropes course. We always travel with our dogs and this place has the BEST dog park. Big open space with access to lots of water play. We definitely recommend this spot!

  • E
    Aug. 4, 2021

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Impromtu tent camping success!

    I was able to book my site the day before the trip. The site itself was set back some, and felt secluded while still being near the parking area.

    Walk to bathrooms and camp store was on the longer side. Firewood was $5 a bundle, but the register wasn't working and they could only take cash.

    The hiking in the immediate area was beautiful, lots of fun trails and wildlife. Fishing, kayaking, zip lining, tons of great activities.

    The firepits have grates over one half, so campfire cooking is a breeze. Cook up and use the provided picnic table for an easy dinner set up.

    The park itself is very dog friendly and most sites had dogs. There is also an off leash dog park at Lum's pond and dog water dishes outside the camp store.

    The showers and bathrooms were incredibly well kept with hot water and stocked supplies. If you didn't feel like walking so far, the tents had a spiget with running water near the parking areas.

    Reception for Verizon was spotty, t mobile was pretty great. Wish there was an ATM on site though I don't think the cash only situation is a normal one for this campground.

    All in all an amazing trip, and I'll be back as soon as possible.

  • D
    Jun. 5, 2023

    French Creek State Park Campground

    Weekend Trip To Reading

    My family and I stayed at French Creek State Park while attending an event in Reading. The park was clean and well maintained. We stayed in Loop A which had no camp host. The camp hosts were in loops B & C.  We had a full hook up site. The water and electric worked great! The campground was well patrolled by Rangers throughout our stay. The bathhouses appeared to be clean and maintained. The quiet time starts at 9pm and seemed to be followed by most campers. There are numerous hiking trails in the park that seemed to be well marked and maintained. The park is about 20- mins from Reading, and 10 mins from Birdsbroro. There are many stores and restaurants in the area for food and supplies if needed. We had good cellular service with both AT&T and T-Mobile. The one downside was that there was no off leash dog park. We had to take our dog to a dog park in Birdsbroro. We would stay at this park again.

  • Mackenzie B.
    Aug. 4, 2018

    Group Camp — Ridley Creek State Park

    love it here

    well marked trails great for hiking. pet friendly! we love walking here with our dog. there are even a few great spots to get a small creek swim in! It also has a greag picnic area with grills.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 12, 2022

    Philadelphia-West Chester KOA

    Nice Campground Near Philadelphia

    West Chester KOA This is a really nice KOA not too far from downtown Philly. The campground is located in a beautiful part of the Pennsylvania countryside with rolling hills which meant the roads getting there are narrow and windy. A bridge nearby the campground was washed out earlier by a hurricane so we had to take an alternative route going about thirty minutes out of our way. (Make sure you check their website for directions!) There is a lot to do in the surrounding area like visiting the historical sites in downtown Philadelphia, Valley Forge, or exploring Amish country. 

    This is a typical KOA with lots of amenities and activities for kids– swimming pool, jump pad, miniature golf, volleyball, butterfly garden, gem mining, playground, store, dog park, nature trail, etc. There is a large pool area with pavilion but it was closed during our stay since we were there early in the season. The campground is right on the Brandywine River which is a slow meandering pretty river that is great to get your feet wet or go for a paddle. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent if you have time and as there is very little current in the river you can paddle out and back without any trouble. There is a nice, short nature trail which was nice to walk our dog and she enjoyed getting wet in the river. 

    The campground is hilly which means that a fair number of sites are not level. Our site (#27) was level for our RV but the patio sloped downhill and we could not use our picnic table or find a level spot for our chairs. Some sites are “premiums” with paved patios, Adirondack chairs, fancy firepits, BBQ grill, and tables and chairs with an umbrella. These sites are really nice, but you pay a lot more for them. Some sites are located adjacent to the river with nice waterfront views, but beware some might be muddy. There are lots of camping cabins and a couple of glamping tents. 

    Overall, the campground is very clean with no trash lying around and the grass was mowed and trimmed. The 50-amp electric was good as was the water pressure. The sewer connection uphill from our site so it did not drain properly. There is basic cable but since you are so close to Philly there are plenty of over-the-air channels. The Wi-Fi at our site worked well. Garbage is picked up at your site. The surrounding area has plenty of restaurants, shopping, and interesting things to see and do.

  • Caitlin F.
    Jul. 11, 2021

    Butterfly Camping Resort

    Great for families!

    My husband and I came to this campground for a quick weekend getaway with our dogs. We had a great time!

    The campground was very well taken care of. The sites had good tree coverage and we didn’t feel like we were right on top of the next site. There was tons of stuff to do. There’s a pond to fish, trails to walk/bike, basketball, sand volleyball, the list goes on and on. Both nights we were there, there were events being put on (a tractor ride, kickball, and a pool movie night). There was also a dog park which was very nice!

    The staff was extremely kind and helpful and took great care of us!

    Overall I highly recommend this campground, very family friendly. We’ll be going back!

  • Ellen B.
    May. 23, 2019

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Great place in the back yard

    We do Lums Pond at least twice a year if we can get reservations.

    Sites are big and all were redone in the last few years with concrete pads, 30 amp service and full sewer. There are some equestrian and tent sites as well.

    Lots of boating (electric motors only) and kayaking on the pond and a decent amount of hiking. There’s an off leash dog park, equestrian center and boat ramp. Book early because it fills up fast!

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2021

    Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA

    Best KOA I’ve been to

    This is unquestionably the best KOA I’ve been to. I usually do not like KOA, except when there are no alternatives. This one is way above average. Typically these places are all gravel and dust. This one has paved roads, grass and trees. There is a pond for fishing, too. The only complaint is that, like all KOAs, the sites are on top of each other. The neighbor’s sewer connection is right next to our picnic table! But, the sites are large enough for large RVs, they have 30/50 amp hookups and water & sewer. There are cabins and large tents you can rent. There is a playground, pavilion, laundry, and several shower/bathrooms. (The one near us didn’t have hot water. The office people said they were working on it.) There us also a large, grassy, fenced dog park which my 2 spaniels appreciated.

Guide to Bala-Cynwyd

Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Bala-Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Bala-Cynwyd

Tips for camping with dogs near Bala-Cynwyd

  • Always bring plenty of water and a portable bowl for your dog, especially when visiting places like Oldmans Creek Campground, where amenities may be limited.
  • Keep your dog on a leash at Village Scene Park to ensure their safety and the comfort of other campers.
  • Pack a dog-friendly first aid kit and some favorite toys to keep your pet entertained while camping at Ridley Creek State Park.

Pet-friendly campgrounds include

  • The Alverthorpe Private Park is a hidden gem that offers a peaceful camping experience in a suburban setting, perfect for families with pets.
  • Tinicum Island is a unique spot accessible by boat, allowing you to enjoy a more secluded camping experience with your dog.
  • At the Walmart — Philadelphia Supercenter, you can find overnight parking for your RV while being close to amenities, making it a convenient stop for pet owners on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Bala-Cynwyd, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bala-Cynwyd, PA is Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 20 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Bala-Cynwyd, PA?

TheDyrt.com has all 93 dog-friendly camping locations near Bala-Cynwyd, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring