Looking for a place to go glamping near Benton? Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. These scenic and easy to access Pennsylvania glamping locations are perfect for any adventurer.
Boasting 22 named waterfalls amid old-growth forest and deeply-incised canyons, Rickett’s Glen State Park encompasses more than 13,000 acres around a high bluff known as the Allegheny Front. On top of the bluff, several lakes—Lake Jean being the largest—are the source of the many creeks that tumble down the canyons and create the spectacular falls. The area was mostly logged out in the early 1900s by the landowner, R. Bruce Ricketts, before he decided to preserve the woodlands in the falls’ three glens. Following efforts to turn the area into a national park in the 1930s failed, he began selling the land to the state of Pennsylvania, who turned the area into a state park in 1944. The park is now a year-round destination for camping, hiking, fishing, bird-watching, paddling, skiing and ice climbing. Just an hour’s drive west of Scranton, the campground at Rickett’s Glen offers 120 drive-in campsites in two areas near the shore of Lake Jean. Sites can accommodate trailers and RVs up to 40 feet; some sites are ADA accessible, and a few group camps are available. Hookups are not available, but there is a dump station outside the camping area. Facilities in the campgrounds include restrooms with showers, drinking water, an amphitheater, a trail to the lake’s beach, and a designated dog area. The Big Loop campground also has five deluxe cottages available to rent. In a separate area, there are 10 cabins available, as well as a boat ramp (rentals available) and snack bar. Campsite rates range from $15–$20/night; cabins and cottages range from $60–$115/night. The most popular activity at Rickett’s Glen is to hike through the three waterfall glens. This can be done via several looping trails ranging from 3.4 miles to 7.2 miles. Two trailheads are located above the falls, from the lakes area, and one is located below the falls, from PA Route 118. Other summer activities in the park include paddling and fishing on Lake Jean, or just soaking up the sun at the beach. An onsite naturalist offers guided walks, nature activities and interpretive programs. There are also limited hunting opportunities. If visiting during the winter season, many of the trails are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Ice fishing is popular, as is ice climbing on the waterfalls. Check the park’s website for off-season services, accessibility, and ice climbing requirements.
$15 - $150 / night
Are you daring enough to hike the Shades of Death Trail? This is just one of the hiking trails available to visitors at Hickory Run State Park. Not to worry though, the trail is not nearly as ominous as its name. Hickory Run was established as a state park in 1945 following a long and storied history of devastation and restoration. The first settlements in the area occurred following the American Revolution, when landowners began building mills on the local creeks. By the mid-1800s, the area was clearcut, then experienced several incidents of fire and flooding. In 1935 the area was purchased by the National Park Service (NPS) for use as a recreation area, and many of the roads, campgrounds and trails were developed. Ten years later, the NPS transferred the land to the state of Pennsylvania for use as a state park. Just 30 miles south of Scranton, Hickory Run State Park is a 16,000-acre natural area in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains. The area features numerous trout streams, boulder fields, wetlands and restored forests. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, from birds to black bears. The park’s large campground features more than 300 tent, trailer and RV sites, as well as a few walk-in sites and camping cottages. Some campsites are ADA accessible. Park facilities include restrooms with showers, drinking water, two playgrounds, amphitheater, fishing pier, dog-walking area, and a camp store. There’s also recycling and dump stations. The Shades of Death and Beach trails are accessible right from the campground. Campsite rates range from $15–$40/night; cabins and cottages range from $38–$105/night. There is no shortage of outdoor play to be enjoyed on your visit to Hickory Run. On warm days, cool off with a dip in Sand Spring Lake, or go wading below Hawk Falls; cast a line for brook and brown trout in Hickory Run or Mud Run; or test your precision at the park’s disc golf course. There are also several geocaches hidden in the park if you’re up for a little treasure hunting. If you’re packing hiking boots, you have 44 miles of trails to wander. Choose from short, family-friendly nature and wildlife-watching trails, to the more strenuous Boulder Field Trail, which traverses a 16.5-acre field of sandstone boulders that predate several of North America’s ice ages. In winter, many of the park’s trails are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Turn your Knoebels visit into a family vacation by staying at the Knoebels Park Campground! After a long day of riding, playing, swimming and eating at Knoebel’s, you’ll be just steps away from the crackling campfire and your pillow. Our family campground is tucked away in a quiet forest setting, so you can get away from it all and awake refreshed and ready for more fun! Pitch your tent, park your RV or camper, or stay in one of our rustic log cabins.
$59 - $160 / night
Lake Glory is Knoebels second campground, set by a beautiful, secluded lake in Catawissa, PA. It’s just a short drive from the park, with free shuttle bus service available to and from Knoebels Amusement Park. Bring your tent, camper, RV or stay in one of our cozy cabins.
There are no extra charges for large families, restrooms, dumping station, play area or guests. There will be a fee of $5 for use of the dumping station by non-overnight guests.
$50 - $80 / night
Nestled along the Susquehanna River in Northumberland, Pennsylvania lies Central Pennsylvania’s premier family campground—Splash Magic RV Resort. From our exciting water park and glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course to the premium cabins and RV camping spots, we’re committed to providing the whole family with a memorable experience that you’ll want to relive again and again. At Splash Magic RV Resort, the fun is endless!
Found on Aspen Lane just off of US-11, you won’t miss our beautiful campsite down the road from Pineknotter and Shikellamy State Park along the Susquehanna River. Splash Magic RV Resort is a short drive away from the towns of Riverside, Winfield, College Park, Sunbury, and Selinsgrove. Continue reading for more information about the available lodging options and fantastic features found at our park, or give us a call to check on campsite availability today!
Traveler
Camped here a few times, for a few days. Each time is always a blast. So beautiful, and clean. Not much fish to catch but overall the experience is always worth it.
Guide
The campground is on a peninsula surrounded by a lake. The larger loop (non electric) sites are more spacious, level and shady. The smaller loop with RV hook ups are more barren. Sites are neat, tidy, and well stocked. Flush toilets. The showers are free but pressure was way too high and water not warm enough. Many families and young campers but CG was quiet at night. There is access to major trails including Ricketts Glen Falls. I did not have cell service with T Mobile.
ScoutI visited Ricketts Glen State Park last year, and it was an incredible experience! The natural beauty of the park is breathtaking, especially with the waterfalls along the Falls Trail– a must-do hike for anyone visiting. The trail is challenging but so worth it; the views are unmatched. I stayed in one of the campsites, which offered a nice level of privacy and had clean facilities, including showers and well-maintained restrooms. Lake Jean was also a highlight, with opportunities for kayaking and swimming, perfect for cooling off after a day of hiking. I'd recommend visiting during the week to avoid the crowds. Truly a perfect spot for anyone looking to escape into nature!
Guide
Good Campground to visit the amusement park. Electrical hookup was a bit far from the camper, so bring an extension cord. Good atmosphere will be back, the kids had a blast.
Guide
5 miles from I-81, quiet and clean! Wait for breakfast at the restaurant
GuideThis is one of the best camping experiences we've had. This state park has so much to offer and the campground is very nice. The campsites are really good, most of them fairly private and level. There are some pull through sites for big rigs but those don't have trees and are not private. We had a site with power for our small trailer and it was fantastic. The bathrooms were kept very clean and they had 4 showers so we never had to wait. There is absolutely no cell service, however, and we had to go all the way down the mountain to get texts or make calls. The trails are very well maintained. If you want to do the Falls Trail ( 21 beautiful waterfalls), it is quite challenging. We were glad to have trecking poles and hiking boots. It took us over 4 hours to do the entire hike. There is a nice beach for swimming, the lake felt clean and wasn't too cold in July. Lake Jean is nice to kayak and there are quite a few tent sites you can launch your watercraft from, as well as 2 public launch sites. I was worried about the weather because it was 98 degrees in NJ but as the park is up in elevation, we did not get over the mid 80's the whole time we were there and the mornings were quite cool. I definitely recommend this park. It does get very busy on weekends so if you can stay during the week it's much nicer.
GuideThe campground is mostly rustic with no hookups, but there are some electric and full hookup sites. Best ones don't have hookups. Have to do the Falls Hike. It's a fairly challenging hike and gets very busy on weekends and past noon, but its a must do.
Scout
Sad place multiple no functional area basketball court with no balls, floating ride "missing parts" no coffee at the store, no milk either, some staff nasty and rude. No cable no wifi this place has extra fees and charges for everything river front is tiny slippery maybe 8ft wide walk. Pictures are a stretch from reality.
Legend
This is an amazing state park that has something for everyone. There is an environmental education center with programs, there is fishing and boating, and an amazing network if hiking and horse riding trails. There are several campgrounds, with tremendous variety for every camping style. There are standard car camping tent sites, RV sites, and yurts and camper cabins. For those who like more rustic options, there are hike-in sites that are beautiful and not far from the parking area. The campsites are nestled in a deep shady mature forest, and peaceful and quiet due to the wooded aspect and spacing of sites (at least for me, in September in a hike-in site not far from the regular campground). It is nice to have such a fine camping and outdoor recreation opportunity within an easy drive of the city of Clarks Summit, so probably a great weekend getaway for local folks, but a wonderful stopover for anyone on a road trip through northern PA as it is not far off Interstate 81. I was there only one day, but would like to be back to explore the trails!
Traveler
This campground is definitely designed for young families. I booked last minute and had to make do with a primitive site which was downhill and a little bumpy. However, there are extremely nice bathrooms and a ton of things to do if you have children like playground, arcade and activities. It’s nice how close it is to downtown Jim Thorpe but it was a little too close together and family oriented for me as someone who travels only with young adults.
Traveler
I’ve stayed here a couple times with groups. I believe it is a great spot to go with people who haven’t camped much before. It has flat tent spaces, generally clean bathrooms, and access to tons of things to do on the campground and nearby.
Guide
❤️😊We would like to thank Hickory for letting us stay their peace fully it was our first camping trip in a 🚎RV travel trailer our first RV purchase you made our stay amazing I loved the environment our favorite spot is the beach trail 🏞️💦right their you can let yourself go and meditate with mother nature 🌍 so amazing hickory has alot to offer you just have to seek it . 🌞 Our favorite spot guess where 😜stay tuned for more The Outsider's 💋🇵🇷🇺🇲
RangerFirst off, if you are going to visit all the falls, bring shoes that you can walk in and that are smart for wet and moist surfaces. Flip flops will not work for this. We had tennis shoes on and that wasn't our best choice, however we don't own hiking boots....might be something we get in time, especially if we go back here. The many falls are breathtaking! We had a very nice site....no electric, clean bathhouses, very quiet. This one was far for us, but we had a very enjoyable time there with our friends!
ScoutThe area is beautiful and I would like to stay in the winter when many of the activities are available and it is warmer. I am just learning about using a travel trailer and the staff was of great assistance. They were easy to reach and were genuinely interested in my stay and plans. They have a dog park which my dog loved.
GuideTwo things: (1) You're in for quite a climb getting up to the campground; and (2) there is no cell service, at least for AT&T. It was also difficult to find, as Google Maps directed us to a parking lot at a trail head that was a good distance away from the campground.
But we loved the campground. We had a quick overnight touch-and-go, and really wish we could have stayed awhile. Will definitely stop in when passing this way again.
Scout
Peaceful little campground five minutes from Ricketts Glen State Park. Accommodating and friendly hosts, clean bath house and firewood for sale on site.
GuideTent camping in the large loop area.
Escaping the Maryland summer heat, the cooler temperatures in Ricketts Glen State Park was perfect. This park offers a variety of activities. Hiking along the Falls Trail being a highlight. The Large Loop is closer and banks along the lake, where there are two separate beach areas perfect for swimming. Kayak rentals, fishing are some of the great water things you can enjoy.
The campsite was perfectly sized for us - tent campers and close but not too close to the clean restrooms. A water spigot was handy across the road. Behind the restroom building is a dishwashing station. While there are showers there, the hot water was actually...cold.
There is a great small camp store if you need last minute items, and the concession stands at the furthest beach sells firewood and ice cream.
There are cabins available to rent, which looked really comfy. All linens, etc need to be brought along though.
GuideBeautiful waterfalls surrounded by autumn color.
This campground offers full-hookup sites on the small loop section. You may also bring dogs to the small loop section. The Large Loop section is more geared for boondocking smaller trailers and tent campers. No dogs are allowed in that area.
Dogs are allowed on the trail, but are required to be on 6-foot leashes at all times.
The restrooms were clean and convenient. I found the hot water in both the small and large loops to be tepid at best.
Site 135 was perfectly level which made setting up camp easily. The water spigot was hard to operate as it was stiff. So bring along some WD 40 just in case.
The Falls trail is a hard/difficult trail. Although the loop is just 4.1 miles around, there are many stone steps and steep inclines. Bring hiking poles to help with the descent and ascent, along with snacks and water.
GuideWe had a great camp spot! We stayed 2 nights and it was actually the more secluded camp site. I do see however that there are definitely cramped camping sites. The staff were friendly and there were flushable toilets. The location was so great because it’s just right above Jim Thorpe!
ScoutRicketts Glen has beautiful scenery. We were in the big loop. Many of the sites looked close to the road and not very private but we were in site 63 which was pretty private(though we were lucky neighboring site 62 was empty). Had beautiful lake views from multiple directions and short distance to lake. A couple minutes from the bathroom and even closer to nearest water pump. Site 65 looked nice as well- but closer to path to lake so might have more foot traffic going by. 61 and 62 were right next to each other and not so wooded in between. I wouldn't recommend either unless get both (but 63 is larger and more private than either 61 or 62)
The bathrooms were ok. The floors were pretty dirty but other than that were decently clean and were stocked with toilet paper and hand soap (no paper towels, only hand dryers). The showers were really nice: free, hot water- each shower had a door and then an area with bench and hooks and then the shower with a curtain. There wasn't a place to put soap in shower though unless you put it on the floor.
The campground was pretty full when we were there but it wasn't loud and nights were quiet.
The falls trail was beautiful. We started from route 118 and from there to waters meet wasn't too bad (especially if take moderate upper trail at split) but after that it did get more challenging and the Ganoga Glen section was scary-(we did it going down)- especially Mohawk fall area which was incredibly steep!
The visitors center is quite nice and the rangers were very nice and helpful there.
We had a wonderful time at Ricketts Glen - it is really a beautiful place.
LegendNice state park. Wooded campgrounds. Nice sites. Boating and fishing.
GuidePretty good State park. Convenient to Scranton. The bathhouse was adequate and clean. Site was paved but not really level and layout was odd, fire ring and table were on drivers side. Didn’t use facilities but Lake looke nice
Scout
Looks cute from the outside but once you get in you are immediately disappointed. The cabin had a smell, a wrinkly floor, and was very dark. There is a lack of any shelf or cabinets and only minimal hooks to put your things. Even the TV was on the dining table and you can't use the remote from the bed either. We used the table benches and top of fireplace to place our stuff. We also had no AC. The signs on the wall said make sure you turn off the AC, but no AC. Our friends stayed in cabin 6 and it was so cute, bright, and had AC. Our other friend stayed in 2 and it was much better than ours as well. 3 was better too.
In addition they would not honor a AAA discount due to already paying, what?!
LegendStopped at Lackawanna on our way to Vermont... good overnight spot!
Legend
Cute campground with RV and creekside tent sites near Lehigh Gap. The staff here was incredibly friendly and helpful and they have a well cared for site. My favorite spots are the tent-only sites along the creek. They are peaceful and separate from the RV area. The only downside is they do not have potable water in that area and the bathroom is a portapotty. However, you can head up the hill to the main part of the campground and use the bathrooms they have available there. If you want a really private area head up to their hilltop sites which are tent-only and have lots of space with a decent view. If you are staying here I definitely recommend heading down the road a short way and hiking on the AT from the Lehigh nature center.
Legend
A single-level open-sided AT shelter near the Lehigh Gap trailhead. The shelter itself is well maintained and has a raised covered platform for sleeping with plenty of space for lots of hikers. There is also a spring nearby for filling up water. Out front of the shelter is a very large campfire ring though there was a mess of junk around it when we were there. If you are planning on tent camping there isn’t really any flat area to set up around the shelter so you might want to keep moving to one of the next sites. The shelter itself can be found fairly soon after the split with the bypass trail and is down the mountain so both are protected from bad weather but also don’t have much of a view. If the weather is good I recommend planning to stay up on top of the mountain at one of the more scenic campsites.
Guide
The host makes you feel like family
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Benton, PA is Ricketts Glen State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 67 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 29 glamping camping locations near Benton, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
