Best Tent Camping near Champion, PA
In the Laurel Highlands region near Champion, Pennsylvania, tent campers can find several primitive camping options along the Laurel Ridge State Park and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail. Laurel Ridge State Park offers eight different backpacking campsites along its 70-mile hiking trail, with simple pack-in, pack-out tent sites. The GAP Trail provides multiple hiker-biker campgrounds including Roundbottom Hiker-Biker Campground and Round Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run, both of which are accessible only by foot or bicycle.
Most tent sites in this region provide basic amenities with picnic tables, fire rings, and pit toilets, though potable water can be limited. At Laurel Ridge State Park, campsites require advance reservations and typically cost around $12 per night. While the park claims to have firewood and water available, visitors report the wood is often "punky" and water needs treatment before drinking. Sites along the GAP Trail are generally free, though some like The GAP Trail Campground offer upgraded facilities with showers and drinking water. During peak seasons (October and long weekends), tent campgrounds fill quickly, so midweek visits are recommended for those seeking solitude.
Tent pads throughout the area vary from raised wooden platforms to natural grassy clearings. Train noise is a common feature of GAP Trail camping, as the trail follows historic rail corridors. Areas farther from town offer deeper seclusion, though earplugs are recommended for light sleepers at most sites. The Youghiogheny River provides swimming opportunities at several campgrounds, making summer camping particularly appealing. A visitor noted that "Round Bottom Camping Area is very peaceful and though you can still visually see the GAP Trail, you are not disturbed by passing cyclists." For wilderness seekers, Big Run State Park in nearby Maryland offers more secluded tent camping with sites "spread out, wooded, and some located right along the stream."
