Quemahoning Family Recreation Area welcomes pets at all campsites with electric hookups, fire rings, and picnic tables. The campground offers tent sites, RV spots, and pet-friendly cabins near the water, with clean bathroom facilities including showers. Campers note the campground is peaceful and serene with beautiful scenery, particularly at waterfront sites where dogs can enjoy easy access to the beach area and boat launch. The staff maintains very clean facilities and provides excellent customer service when addressing any issues. While most sites have electrical hookups, there are no sewer connections at individual sites, though a sanitary dump station is available.
Laurel Hill State Park and Kooser State Park both maintain pet-friendly camping areas with well-defined pet policies. Dogs must remain leashed throughout both parks, with dedicated walking areas along shaded trails. Kooser features secluded tent-only sites set higher on the hillside that provide more privacy for campers with pets, while still offering clean bathroom facilities with hot water showers. The crystal-clear stream running through Kooser provides a refreshing spot for dogs to cool off during summer months. Pioneer Park Campground offers full hookups for RV campers with pets and maintains a market on-site for essential supplies. Most campgrounds in the region are open seasonally from mid-April through October, with firewood available for purchase at entrance stations or camp stores.
$20 - $64 / night
"Stayed 3 nights because I wanted to be centrally located to the he Flight 93 Memorial and Falling Water (about 30 miles to each). The non pet section is heavily wooded and very shady."
"The pet loop was essentially a field with trees around it. The none pet loop was in the trees and so you sometimes had more space and sometimes were right beside you."
$22 - $70 / night
"Dog friendly. -$5 firewood bundles at the entrance. -Cleanest bathrooms/showers -Crystal clear stream with beautiful trail to the lake. Both stocked with fish. -Lots of picnic tables at the lake."
"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."
$20 - $50 / night
"Quemahoning Family Recreation Area offers great fishing, some nice trails and generally wonderful weather during the summer season. "
"Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean."
$20 - $54 / night
"This camp was laid out very well and had plenty of maps and trails, as well as daily activities. They have a small amphitheater with easy access, a dump and recycling area."
"Aside from the rock water slide, which is burned into the kid's memories, there's great, easy hiking trails and a pet-friendly campsite."
$20 - $110 / night
"Shawnee State Park is a very large campground (319 campsites with mixed electric and non-electric, some pet friendly, some not) about 10 minutes off highway 76 and 20 minutes from the Flight 93 National"
"The morning drive started early, had several stops and starts, and I was once again glad that my big dog was along for the ride."
"Next to sewer tank pump station, though. Not a problem but a few truck visits throughout the day so some people might not like that. Lots to do for kids."
"Big fishing lakes. Pool could use a heater."
$18 - $70 / night
"The campground was family and pet friendly on the hillside section. For the whole family enjoy."
"I camped in the Hillside Loop (Dog Friendly). Not a bad walk to the lake. Site was reasonable leave and plenty of room for my 32 foot Motor home and car."
"Beautiful scenery, quiet location, spacious campsites, full RV hookups, well-placed fire rings, dog park, nice large bathhouses, polite staff, and Wi-Fi that works. "
"All the amenities your could want, it's clean, sites are leveled, it's maintained beautifully, there are cows in the distance, fully stocked store, friendly staff."
"It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek. Close by is Ligonier, Idlewild, and St. Vincent (where the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place.)"
"Not only were the staff super friendly and helpful, but we were lucky enough to get a full-hookup site right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, everything you want on a spring trip."
"Extremely family friendly, lots to do for kiddos on weekend, stocked ponds, bathhouses very close to all sites. Laurel hill cricks/lake are 2 miles up the mountain!"
"The roads around the camp ground could use some maintenance, especially on the hill side by the pool! All in all, a wonderful place to take your family camping!"
GuideOne of the best campgrounds I have stayed at so far the pond is nice and has a 1/2 mile walking path around it with trees and beaches to stop and sit dog park is big and has a place for small or large dogs there is 3 play grounds all different and all well kept
GuideThis campground checks all our boxes. Beautiful scenery, quiet location, spacious campsites, full RV hookups, well-placed fire rings, dog park, nice large bathhouses, polite staff, and Wi-Fi that works.
This is located about an hour away from my home, so we plan on making this our go-to for quick camping getaways throughout the year.
Highly recommended. Definitely worth checking out.
GuidePreface: if your main objective is activities for children, you have come to the right place. This place is loud and full of kids.
We booked a site but chose not to pay to select which one. All the pictures looked great! We ended up on a grassy hill in the back. The spot was so unlevel there were 19 inches between my bottom step and the ground. This site was the same price as level ones closer to activities.
Also bathrooms were outdated. They had older residential toilets that plugged constantly. The day we left 2 of the 3 in our nearest bathroom were out of order.
Aside from all the above, the Dog Park is awesome. It’s the size of a real, normal dog park. The ice cream on site is also a nice perk.
RangerThis may be the first campground I give a 10 out of 10! All the amenities your could want, it's clean, sites are leveled, it's maintained beautifully, there are cows in the distance, fully stocked store, friendly staff. Laundry, bathrooms, fairly spacious sites, a pool, dog park. Very, very nice.
GuideNew Germany State Park is situated in Garrett County Maryland. The park has a small lake, a few trails, and two camping loops. The Hemlock loop- the only loop that allows pets, is smaller and is mostly made for tent camping, though one site has electricity, but only big enough for a teardrop camper. There is a bathroom with a hot shower. The problems with the Hemlock loop is the proximity to the other campers. Our neighbors were loud, their kids were louder and their dog was ear- splitting loud. The tent pads are varied in size with sites 52, 53 and 57 being just big enough for a large tent and not much else. Every site has a large picnic table ( that is impressively hard to move) and a fire ring. Some sites are not very level, not not as much that your rolling out of bed in your sleep. There is water, but just at the bathroom area. This makes sense since the loop itself is very small. Deer are dense in these parts, and bears frequent the area. Summer temps usually do not get as nice 85max most of the summer. There is also cross country skiing in the winter. Despite the smaller sites, the Hemlock loop is frequently full, as is the non pet loop, which can accommodate larger tents and RV’s., but no pets.
TravelerI was the only tenter at the time of my stay; had the whole place to myself. The sites are spread far apart and wooded. Table and fire rings are at each site. They have a brand new bath house which was spotless and a well kept dog park for the furs. If desired, there is a group campsite and the use of a pavilion too. The camp store if beautiful and has everything in it should you forget something. I’ll definitely be back.
GuideStayed 3 nights because I wanted to be centrally located to the he Flight 93 Memorial and Falling Water (about 30 miles to each). The non pet section is heavily wooded and very shady. The pet section is more of a loop set up with some trees. The no pet section had no, zero, zilch cell service so my stay was super quiet. Site 173 was easy to back into and had a large picnic area with a fire ring next to the brook. There is a lake with a small beach and a boat launch and numerous hiking trails. The park will s very nice pretty and during the week fairly empty. I would recommend
GuideWe chose this campground for its proximity to home with the chance to swim in the lake.
The camping did not disappoint. We always try to book “outside” loop sites so we don’t have “back neighbors” but none near the lake were available, so we took our chances on an “inside” site in E loop. It was great, smallish, but plenty of vegetation to make it feel private. (Some poison ivy around the edges, though.) The pull-in sites in general seem a bit small (space for our two 4-person tents and that’s it), but are well shaded and separated from neighbors by small patches of woods or bushes. The pull-through sites in our loop were more exposed to the road, but had a bit more space.
There was some noise from the interstate. There were surprisingly few mosquitoes. The bathhouse was clean, but showers were not very warm.
The swimming was unfortunately disappointing. The roped-off swimming area was 3 feet deep at the most. Warm water in August, nice for kids to splash around, but not really good for actual swimming. Bonus for dog people: pets allowed on the beach and in the lake.
During COVID-19, the bathrooms/bathhouses at the beach area are closed; porta-johns only.
We rented paddle boards and a canoe one afternoon and paddled around to one of the lake inlets, which was actually deep and had a good swim. But this is technically not allowed.
If you feel okay about rule-breaking and have water-safe family members (and no pets), I would absolutely choose a site in I loop close to the lake. The sites in E loop closest to the lake are actually up a fairly steep hill from the lake path.
Hiking trails were nice. My kids especially liked the rock scramble-ish up and down the stream gorge on Evitt’s Mountain trail.
RangerThere are two main loops in this campground. One that is pet friendly and more of a pitch-your-tent-in-the-yard thing and another that is pet-free and wooded. We didn't realize and stayed in the first one. Dogs were barking at all hours and there's no privacy. We drove through the other one and it looks so much nicer. Campsites more spread out with trees in between and way quieter. Will definitely stay there if we return.
Pet friendly camping near Boswell, Pennsylvania offers outdoor recreation opportunities at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 feet in the Laurel Highlands region. The camping season typically runs from mid-April through October, with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F during the day and cooler nights in the 50s. Most campgrounds in the area feature a mix of wooded and open sites with varying degrees of privacy between campsites.
Mountain biking trails: 15-mile network at Laurel Hill State Park Campground offers routes for various skill levels. "Great for families to get away. Quiet and scenic, great trails. Close to lake and fishing," notes Natalie L., highlighting the park's diverse recreational options.
Boulder climbing: suitable for beginners throughout the park system. "This was a very fun place! There was easy little rocks to boulder and climb! And even a few smaller caves to explore! It was an adventure paradise with a close location to the seven springs ski resort," shares Jill R. about her experience at Laurel Hill.
Lake activities: boat rentals $15/hour at many area lakes. "Kayak rental of $15 for an hour was the cheapest we have seen and allowed us to explore more of the lake," notes Erik E., who visited Laurel Hill in June 2024 and appreciated the affordable water recreation options.
Shaded tent sites: higher on hillsides at Kooser State Park Campground provide more privacy. "There are some great private tent only wooded sites that sit above the main park of the campground so you really feel secluded," explains Matt R., who tent camped there in July to escape summer heat.
Clear streams: accessible from campsites for cooling off during hot weather. "There is a nice playground area for kids and some nice overflow tent sites nearby. Several pull thru sites are available along with some nice sites near the creek," notes Kevin E., who camped at Kooser but mentioned the challenge of leveling rigs on some sites.
Quiet weekday camping: less crowded during non-holiday periods. "Park and campground are very small and almost desolate during the week. Sits up high in the mountains close to 3000ft elevation," shares Matt R. about his experience at Kooser, noting the elevation helps escape summer heat from Pittsburgh.
Site selection critical: check photos before booking. "Looking at our site, 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," advises Laura from her experience at Ohiopyle State Park.
Pet loops vs. non-pet loops: significant differences. "There are two main loops in this campground. One that is pet friendly and more of a pitch-your-tent-in-the-yard thing and another that is pet-free and wooded. Dogs were barking at all hours and there's no privacy. We drove through the other one and it looks so much nicer," explains Casey L. about Ohiopyle's contrasting camping areas.
Limited grocery options: stock up before arrival. "Not a lot of restaurants or stores nearby, so keep that in mind if you'll be there awhile," advises Becky C. about camping at Hickory Hollow, pointing out the rural nature of the region requires advance planning for supplies.
Accessible fishing ponds: multiple locations throughout Hickory Hollow Campground provide safe fishing spots. "The lake and farm country provided a welcoming and relaxing setting. The trail around the lake was perfect for running or walking," shares Brandy Q., who enjoyed the campground's layout and amenities.
Creek play areas: shallow water access for supervised water activities. "Alot of their sites are along a small creek which the kids play in and can float down. Site 26 is our favorite. It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek," recommends Mathew H. about Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing.
Playground facilities: varied by campground with different age appropriateness. "The playground area is unsafe. The wood on the playsets are falling apart and splintering," warns Brandy B. about Pioneer Lakes RV Park, highlighting the importance of checking facility maintenance when traveling with children.
Site levelness: varies significantly across parks and specific sites. "Many of the sites are not level at all and take some serious work to get your rig level," notes Kevin E. about his stay at Shawnee State Park Campground, a common observation at mountain campgrounds in the region.
Electrical setup: bring extension cords for some power connections. "The electrical hookups are not played out well like an expensive RV park with the shared power post on the entrance side of the camper. You may want to have an extension for your power cable," suggests Erik E. after his experience at Laurel Hill State Park.
Dump station locations: plan ahead as not all sites have sewer connections. "Most sites have electrical hookups, there are no sewer connections at individual sites, though a sanitary dump station is available," explains a camper about the Boswell area campgrounds, emphasizing the need for tank management planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Boswell, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Boswell, PA is Laurel Hill State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 28 reviews.
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