Best RV Parks & Resorts near Butler, PA

Tomlinson Run is a small state park situated in the northern panhandle of West Virginia nestled between eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Plenty of things to do there including but not limited to…. Mini golf, hiking trails, biking, swimming, fishing, paddle boats, parks for the kids, and of course the camping. The campsites here are mainly gravel pads with the exception being the asphalt handicapped spots (2). Most spots are 30 amp with a few 50 amp (new for 2021). The park also has a few primitive spots available and some yurts and cabins to rent. I have a 38’ fifth wheel and the spots are tight for it (even the couple pull thru). Campground facilities are clean but dated. They state new facilities are coming soon. The campground is at the top of a hill and the spots are wooded and shaded. I would consider the camping to be spaced generously (room to stretch out). They have a small camp store and information available. A breakfast is available during peak season for a small fee. They do have water and a dump station available (free for campers to use).

This campground is deceptively big! The nightly RV sites are close to the park entrance and are relatively flat. The campground hosts themed events, game nights and arts& crafts. There is a swimming pool and playground for the kids. It also has a small café that sells baked goods and coffee. On Saturdays they sell amazing Armish Donuts! 

Further into the campground the sites turn to more permanent sites. Further up the hill are more cottages and camping. This campground is steep in parts and too large to walk efficiently. There is a fenced dog run area and a beautiful lake. All sites have fire rings. There is an onsite laundry, WIFI, onsite dump station and propane refill station. 

You can also buy ice and firewood. The campground is gated. Lots to do at the campground and lots to do in the surrounding area. They welcome all furry friends!

This is a large state park offering electric only sites

The sites are set amounts the forest and there are several loops to choose from. Loop F is pet friendly. All sites are within walking distance to amenities 

Amenities are quite run down but functional 

Wildlife is beautiful and its a short ~10min drive to the beach area of Raccoon Creek lake. 

Two (2) dump station spots and fresh water taps location throughout the park 

NOTE: Many sites are not level, you will require blocks/timber to level out campers. Tent campers should choose their site using the photos on the state park site. 

All sites have a paved car space.

General: 50-site (all but six with electric hookups) campground plus two yurts and three cabins. Two sites are handicap accessible. 

Site Quality: The sites have gravel pads (except the handicap-accessible ones which were paved). The sites were completely covered with leaves when we were there which made it challenging to determine where the actual (narrow) pad was. Sites appeared to be level. A fire ring and wooden picnic table complete the site. 

Bathhouse: A little dated but clean. Two of the stall doors did not latch properly. Didn't use the shower so cannot comment but there was a sign indicating it took a while for the water to warm up.

Activities/Amenities: There is a small camper store, laundry, and a playground. In season, there is lake swimming and a boat dock. There is a fishing area, mini-golf and disc golf, and several short hiking trails. Unfortunately, since we arrived late afternoon and had to depart early the following day (and were camping off-season), we could not take advantage of any of these things. What we lose in activities, we gain in a quieter camping experience with fewer crowds, which is generally preferable for us!

There 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.

After getting off I80, our RV GPS wanted to take us on a wonky route, so we followed Waze and the campground’s(CG) web instructions that took us across the causeway on N. Hermitage Rd, then a right turn off on Birchwood Rd, which led us to take a left turn back across N. Hermitage Rd to get back to the Shenango Rec Area turn. Once we got to the CG, check in was quick and very easy. Just happened, our next door neighbor/camp host checked us in and told us we could get water off their site so we proceeded straight to site 199 that’s a back in with electric(50/30 AMP) only plus one of the better spaced sites in the CG. We had to maneuver a couple of times to get into the 90 degree site but the road was wide with no obstacles to prevent swinging into the site. We quickly found out that our 50 AMP connection had issues and after reporting it, a maintenance crew came within 20 minutes and fixed a bad breaker. We got 3 bars on Verizon and a handful of OTA channels. Due to the amount of mature trees, satellite would be iffy depending on your site. There are no FHU sites(camp host sites have electric& water). Electric sites are centrally grouped within the loops and spaced closer together than most COEs. The majority of the sites within this CG are dry camping and they too are fairly close together. The sites right on the lake were all dry camping. With all the dry camping sites in this CG, its nice that they allow generator use during non quiet hours. Quiet hours here are 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. There are water spigots periodically located within the loops and the CG map identifies where they are. There’s also a two-lane dump station located near the entrance but there is no potable water. There are signs stating no alcohol in the park, but people were openly drinking. We also noted that the contractors who clean the restroom/shower facilities start early in the morning and close the facility while cleaning, which was inconvenient for the dry campers just waking up. If we were to stay at this CG again, we’d come during the week and get a dry camping site on the water.

We 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.