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Lawrence Recreation Area is a day-use facility on the south side of Cowanesque Lake. It is conveniently located on State Route 49 approximately 4 miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area offers a great location for picnicking and shoreline fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers many outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails surround the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The Cayuga Shelter is reservable for group picnicking. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
Lambs Creek Recreation Area is located at the southern end of Tioga Lake, just north of the borough of Mansfield, PA. The recreation area is easily accessible from US Route 15 and offers a great location for picnicking, hiking and biking.
A 3.2-mile paved rail trail travels south from the recreation area into Mansfield. It is open for hiking, biking and roller blading. A boat ramp within the facility provides access to the 498-acre Tioga Lake, which is popular for water skiing, fishing and paddling.
Lambs Creek offers one group shelter. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates up to 100 people in a lovely wooded setting.
Lambs Creek is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$75 / night
South Shore Recreation Area is located on the south side of the Cowanesque Lake along State Route 49, just five miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area is easily accessible from Route 15 and offers a great location for boating, picnicking and fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers a variety of outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails circle the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which travels through the recreation area. It links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The recreation area offers three group shelters. The Iroquois and Oneida Shelters have electric and water hookups; the Mohawk Shelter has water hookups only. All three sites are fully accessible and comfortably accommodate groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
Guide
My family of 4 tent camped here for the weekend. Everyone at this campground was so friendly and nice. The staff really tried to make our stay comfortable. I noticed there was always a staff member driving around in a golf cart, checking on things. The bathrooms were very clean and maintained the whole weekend. The firewood sold at the camp store was only$5 for a large bundle and burned very well. Some campgrounds seem to sell "wet" wood that is hard to light. My only negative comment would be this is more of an RV park. If you do tent camp you should know you will be out in the open, no trees around your site and NO privacy. I will say the tent sites are huge and you can park 2 cars at each one. We made the best of it. We stayed in site 404
Traveler
Rustic campsites, pretty quiet, great lake nearby. We enjoyed it over a three day weekend doing tent camping with our two bulldogs.
Traveler
3 Of The Best Tent Camping Sites, Nice Hiking Trail All Woods And Nice Store, Not Very Clean Bathrooms But Still Very Nice For A Real Camper
TravelerPioneer Campground in Dushore Pa is a nice, family friendly place to camp. They are located back in the woods off of route 220 just far enough away to eliminate all road noise yet close enough that making a supply run is easy. They have a pool, soccer/ baseball field and many family friendly activities. They also have a few trails for hiking. The staff is friendly and outgoing and enhance the camping experience. They also have a reasonably priced store for general purpose items and Campground apparel. They have camper sites as well as tent sites. The only downside we found is if you’re camping in the tent site and it rains heavily a good portion of these sites flood and fill with water. Be sure to place your tent accordingly. Overall we would definately camp at pioneer campground again.
Traveler
Tent camped here one night, perfect for a quick little stopover. As other reviewers mention, it’s right near a road so you hear car (and horse & buggy!) noise — would try to get a spot further away from the road if possible. Pretty clean bathroom, easy self-registration process, and not too many folks!
Guide
We go here every year. Electric hook up, and very nice tent sites along creek. Does get crowded on nice weekends but mostly families. A short drive down to pine creek rails to trails. Beautiful ride through creek canyon. Nice little store at entrance, and several hikes from park.
TravelerWe stayed at a tent site, T35 and it was wonderfully secluded. The site itself was fairly uneven and rocky so we had to always use caution when walking around the site but it added to the rugged experience. There are 3 sets of vault toilets around the one way loop and they seemed clean but definitely smelled like vault toilets do. There are usually a lot of spigots around the campsite to get water but right before we left for our trip I got a notification that there was a waterline issue and there would be centrally located water. It ended up being a big portable water truck near the first set of vault toilets on the loop. The primitive campsite is a mix of RV and tent sites and has a good mix of both. The tent sites are definitely more secluded and situated back in the woods, you do have to walk a small path to get to your site and the parking is on the road. We really enjoyed our long weekend kayaking, swimming in the lake (there is a really nice beach on the other side of the lake) and just generally relaxing at our campsite. The rest of the park is situated about a 10 minute drive across the lake. Firewood is very accessible and some right at the beginning of the loop (cash only). Overall we really enjoyed the campsite as well at the State Park, it has a lot to offer.
Guide
This was my 1st time camping at a KOA as the nearby state park was full. This KOA impressed me. The grounds were well laid out and included RVs, campers, tents and us in Hammocks. We were in an area for tent camping though. The individual bathroom/showers were great & clean. Office facilities & firewood access were also nice. I usually camp in state parks, but I’ll give KOA consideration again after this stay.
Scout
I would recommend this campground. It's very peaceful and relaxing. Tent site was a good size. We had water and electric. Pricing was reasonable. The pool was very nice.. along side the river is nuce to be by.. Campground employees as well as other campers were a delight to be around. It's neat that there is a restaurant in the campground too.
Guide
We booked a tent site, and there was only one small patch of grass where we could set up our tent. But the people next to us were in a big group and already had their tents set up very close to our grass, and we didn't feel comfortable camping that close to people. My brother had an RV site, so we went down to his and set up our tent there and it was much nicer. The fire pits are very nice, and the hiking trails in the park are great.
ScoutTwo others and I camped here in May of 2017 and we had a wonderful time. Our tent site was secluded and quiet, but not too far off the beaten path! It was super hot so the pool was a nice cool down after a long day, and they had activities and tractor rides for the holiday weekend. We had lots of fun and great memories - highly recommend!
Ranger
Great place to stay, lots to do in the area including other state parks and forests. Hiking, swimming, taking in the views. Small streams mean tons of bugs, but not much worse than the rest of PA. We stayed in the cabin in winter but we've also done a day visit in the summer. Really pretty tall pine trees in a lot of the campgrounds. Didn't stay in tent sites but they seemed rather spread out for a state park campground. Everything clean and well cared for.
GuideThis state park is beautiful and I consider it a semi-hidden gem. It's our favorite place to tent camp. It's rarely busy and it's first come first serve. They have tent pads which are nice but we have a 10x20 tent so we pick a site that the pad is flush with the surrounding ground. There are bushes and trees between the sites and it feels very private. Sometimes it can feel too secluded but the park ranger drives through a number of times. They are always very friendly. There is no electric but there are spots to get water even placed throughout. The bathrooms are clean and we've never run into any issues. There is some nice hiking here and lots of nature to explore.
ScoutThe setting is gorgeous. Great sites for RVs, but only four sites looked as if they were tent sites- two appeared to be under construction. The two others were at the bottom of a gently slope to the pond and were not very level. The water source was rust laden; I wouldn’t drink it. It came out of a black hose. :(. The bath house was at the other end of the pond (near the RVs) and wasn’t great. Portapots were placed strategically. A good place to camp for RUSTIC camping. Bring your own water!!! But although it was absolutely lovely, I doubt I will ever camp there again!
Traveler
We tent camped and they had openings on Memorial Day weekend. The weather turned out to be bad for camping but management was very accommodating with our requests to change dates and spots. Unlike many campgrounds that cater primarily to campers/RVs, they have nice spots in wooded areas for tenters. Some even have water and electric hookups. There was a decent playground area but the bathrooms could use a remodel. Our spot had a nice soft, flat spot for our tent but was a little cramped (they did have larger spots) and it would be nice to have a grill attached to the fire pit. The camp ground fire wood was kiln dried but cost $15 for a bag that lasted less than a day (and we used it pretty sparingly) so I would suggest buying wood nearby where it can be found much cheaper (please don't transport wood from far away as this contributes to the spread of invasive species like the spotted lanternfly). The proximity to Little Pine State Park was nice.
Guide
This place is not really a campground, it seems to mainly be a seasonal RV resort...in any event, most of the spots were occupied by RVs with things like wooden decks, yard lights, cute little signs, etc.
The tent sites are large enough, but have zero privacy between them--see photo.
What saved this place from total mediocrity is its location right on the river...while I couldn't see the river from my campsite due to brush, it was clearly audible, which was nice. In September the river was flowing nicely, and was mainly a bit above my ankles, although there were some pools that looked like they would go up to about mid-thigh (although I didn't go in the find out).
Firewood sold on-site, and there is a little campstore, although pickings are fairly slim.
TravelerI don’t understand how anyone can say the owners are rude! I just don’t get it…they have been outstanding since they took over and have made some great improvements! That aside, I love this campground! It is my escape away from technology and my time to be one with nature. We tent camp and love the sites as they are right on the creek, a few have direct access to the creek if you have kayaks which is awesome! The views to be had are amazing and lots of hiking in the area, well known for trout fishing, and kayaking!
The campground is clean, organized, has rules, and is quiet! The rules are enforced, which makes it better for everyone!
We try to make a trip up there annually, weather permitting, sometimes twice a year. Never had a bad experience and am grateful for the time we get to spend up there!
Traveler
I’ve stayed here twice for camping trips. It’s a great small campground that has basic amenities. The experience is likely highly site dependent, as there are a few distinct areas to stay depending on your needs and luck. There is NO cell service and park rangers do “rounds” but aren’t stationed at the site. There are a couple of water pumps, several well-maintained pit toilets, and an emergency phone. It’s about 20-30 min to gas. There’s no camp store here but about 3.5 miles away at Poe Valley there’s a store, real bathrooms and showers, kayaking rentals, etc. There’s a guy that sells firewood just past Poe Valley. The Poe Paddy sites I prefer are well-shaded, fairly large, surrounded by trees, and private (but you’ll be able to hear a couple neighbors). Dogs are only allowed in the RV loop, which is intense gravel, so be sure you have a good sleeping pad if you’re tent camping. The campground is in the middle of the dense Bald Eagle State Forest with lots of hiking opportunities. The creek that runs through Poe Paddy is awesome for wading and people also tube it when conditions are right. Get a Purple Lizard map for best enjoyment of the area.
GuideLyman Run holds a special place for me. It’s nestled within the gold level dark sky area. This means on a clear night and with a waning or new moon, one could see the arm of the Milky Way with millions of stars- more than most people see in a lifetime. The camp sites are a bit rough- there are two loops, with one loop catering to the mostly RV crowds and the remaining one for tents. There are a few really good and shaded tent sites in the RV loop. The location of the park is near Cherry Springs SP, which gets all the attention for the night sky viewing. We were able to use Lyman Run as a way station as we visited Kinzua, the PA Grand Canyon, and other sites in the PA Woods area. There’s even a chance to watch elk nearby. Each site has a fire ring, with wood available nearby. Amenities include a beach at a nearby lake, warm showers, and good hiking trails. There is a general store nearby, but the nearest town is almost 45+ minutes away. But hey, there’s a Fox’s Pizza there, so ... win? Since Cherry Springs (at the time of this writing) does not take reservations, we opted for the sure thing. Tent pads are well taken care of and the bathrooms are clean. This park is worth the time and view- you will not be disappointed.
TravelerI throughly enjoyed my time at Bald Eagle State Park. We stayed at a tent site, I believe 58 in the rustic camping section. The rustic section was located around a large loop with each site ranging in a few feet from the car-friendly loop to about the 50 foot walk where our site was located. While this is a primitive site, planning ahead you can place yourself near the vault toilets. If there was running water in the bathrooms– we didn’t find it! There are several water pumps located around the loop and we used that for washing dishes. Our site had space for two tents with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The fire ring was actually one of the best I have experienced– featuring a grill grate with adjustable levels for exposure to heat. The site also had a hook for keeping food or garage elevated from critters. Hammock lovers: we had plenty of trees to easily string our hammock near the picnic table/fire ring. Now the trains. An active railroad sits about 75 feet away from several of the rustic sites. We noticed the 7 p.m. train on Saturday evening. What we didn’t expect was being awoken at 5 a.m. to a freight train blowing through full steam– really gets your heart pumping– did not need coffee that morning. The rustic area also has access to a trail that loops about two miles near the lake and rustic campground. It was a fun place!
Guide
The upper campground has a rustic feel, beautiful views and is a great location for wildlife encounters. While it has some amenities (electric on a few RV sites; scullery area near the pit toilets; showers available at lower campground), these grounds are away from the bustle of the outside world. We are tent campers, and without the need for hookup and never having been there, we reserved site 45--but do not recommend it for its challenging slope. When a loud, disrespectful family set up nearby that first night for a long weekend, we spoke with the camp host (helpful, amenable Jim), who suggested we ask about site 71, the most removed of all the sites. Went to the camp office and obtained it for the rest of our week-long stay--and it was perfect. (While it had a hookup that we didn't need/use, we did pay extra for it--but well worth the seclusion.) Super quiet back there and totally private. Some of the rustic tent sites looked lovely, too (did not note best site numbers; sorry), but we cannot recommend #71 enough. If you're an RV camper, however, the sites with the vista views overlooking the reservoir are amazing, if not somewhat close together.
We wanted to encounter wildlife; went looking for it and found it! Everything seemed to be about an hour or more away on winding roads, but that was okay; love the meandering. We went to:
Pennsylvania is gorgeous!
We also enjoyed meeting Julie at the Lock Haven Visitors' Center and had our only meal out at Deb's in Cross Fork. For ice cream treats (a weakness): Ice Shack near Lock Haven; Old Bull Cafe in Benezette; the kiosk at the top of Pine Creek Gorge.
A very restful, quiet week in early June was just what we needed, and Kettle Creek State Park Upper Campground was wonderful.
Guide
We had the pleasure of renting a cabin at World's End State Park for the first time in February 2016 after being convinced by friends to check it out. We were immediately in love with the babbling river that ran right beside our cabin. On cold days and nights we could stay warm under our roof covered front porch fireplace and still enjoy being outside. There is no better place to curl up with a book and some coffee on a cold, winter morning. The cabins stay very warm with a wood burning stove- sometimes even too warm and windows need to stay cracked open. We purchased wood from a local gentleman who delivered. A list of these services are available inside the check-in area, which also serves as a cool local mini-museum of sorts. There are several amazing lookout spots in the area that you can access via car. The cabins generally sleep 6-8 very comfortably with 4 double bunk beds in most. The cabins also have electricity and include a stove and refrigerator. There is no plumbing, so no sink or toilet but there are several very well maintained and equipped bathroom houses throughout the cabins area. The bathrooms are private and have showers and dishwashing stations. If you are looking for comfort, bring your own good camp chair. The cabins are only equipped with wooden chairs and a wooden bench seat. As soon as we left the park and were able to access cell phones again, I booked another cabin for myself and kids for their Spring Break in April 2016. This may become a tradition as we had a fantastic time hiking the area in the Spring. Butternut trail is right in the campground and is a perfect two-hour hike for kids who don't mind a good hike. There are some tricky spots, but it's manageable and well worth it when you reach the lookout at the top. The folks at the welcome center are knowledgeable and can point you in the direction of some great local trails. Forksville General Store is also nearby and there you can get cell service and a nice meal. The owners were regionally from Philadelphia and according to my son, make a fantastic cheesesteak. We are excited to visit World's End again this spring and winter. We have not visited in the summer but hear that it gets more crowded. We have friends that recently stayed there in a tent campsite and had a great visit.
LegendWe stayed here over a weekend and the campground was packed because there was a Penn State football game. Once the weekend was over, the park cleared out and it felt like there was more space and it was much quieter. Our site was the only one available for that weekend and it was a premium with a large paved patio with a nice outdoor patio set with table and chairs, a swing, and a sunken fire pit. We loved this deluxe site but they are a lot pricier than the standard ones.
The park is fairly small but has some really nice sites. There are 91 RV sites to choose from as well as tent sites, cabins, and “lodges.” Some are pull-thru and back-in sites ranging from full hookup deluxe, full hookup 50A, full hookup 30A, and water/30A only. The campground is built on a hill and sites are terraced. Some pull-thru sites have a very steep short hill to go up which made for some RV’s scraping bottom. The section in the front of the park is open with spotty trees; whereas, sites in the back of the park are tucked in the woods and are a lot more private. Roads in the back section are narrow and the sites are not very long and suitable for small campers. Some sites are not level at all and others are sloped such that you have to pull all the way forward into your site to get level.
Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There are about 45 cable channels. Satellite reception at some sites would be difficult as trees would interfere. There is free Wi-Fi at each site which worked well at our site (#32). Amenities include a covered pavilion, off-leash dog park, camp store, swimming pool, playground, basketball/volleyball courts, and fishing pond. We were there during the off-season but apparently there is lots going on in the summer with hayrides, treasure hunts, Sunday morning pancakes, and a splash pad.
This KOA is close to historic sites, Amish markets, Penn State and a couple of state parks. For outdoor adventure, visit and hike Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Parks. Black Moshannon has great trails and a wonderful lake to kayak. The creamery on Penn States campus is delicious. Visit Mt Nittany or other wineries which have pretty good wine. Overall, it was a good place to stop and generally we liked the park. The price listed above was for a deluxe full hookup site (which included a paved patio, sunken fire pit, patio furniture, and a swing) and not a standard site.
TravelerStayed with my husband last fall for our first camping trip and have zero complaints. This place was perfect has everything you need. The surrounding area is loaded with things to do as well if you feel like venturing out. Cherry Springs Dark Park is just up the road but the view from our tent was just as good. We also stopped at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Hiking trails were within walking distance from the tent. Looking forward to our next stay and some more camp food!
Guide
Incredible views, nicknamed the Grand Canyons of Pennsylvania
TravelerWe tent glamp with a Q air mattress and lots of room. Happy Acres had tent spots with electric and water. We were put in a hollow that had space for 6 tents, but with the exception of one (rainy) night when there was one other tent, we had the hollow to ourselves.
The showers and bathrooms were older but in good working order and clean—but a hike from the tent so if you’re like me, a portable loo is a must.
We visited over Labor Day weekend 2021 — intended to stay 4 nights and ended up staying a whole week!
Ranger
We stayed at site 78 on the Sycamore loop at the end of April in a tent, which isn't the best equipment for this campground. Our site had a blacktop driveway, a very small amount of gravel, and a ton of mud. There was standing water toward the back of our site, and no really solid place to pitch our tent.
It was very windy the night we stayed and the following morning was as well. Because our tent stakes were anchored in mud, our tent blew over and collapsed. Our neighbor's tent did as well.
With the exception of our neighbors, we were the only tents in the loop (the other sites had RVs, and there are 2 cabins and 2 yurts on the loop as well). Firewood is for sale at the camp host site. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are delightfully warm.
The sites are flat and open. There is a lack of trees, so no real wind break. Each site has a fire ring and a hook to hang food from small animals.
If the primitive sites weren't all booked out (it was the first day of turkey season) we would've stayed there. I'd give this place another chance, but only if we can snag a site at the primitive campground.
Cedar Run, Pennsylvania, offers a fantastic backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to different preferences and needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cedar Run, PA is Colton Point State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
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