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Blue Knob State Park Campground welcomes pets at its shaded sites around the perimeter, including two walk-in sites located just left of the entrance. All ten pet-friendly campgrounds near Claysburg accommodate dogs with varying amenities and restrictions. Lake Raystown Resort offers waterfront sites where pets can enjoy lake access, while Pat's Primitive Place provides a more rustic experience along a creek. Most campgrounds require pets to be leashed, supervised, and properly cleaned up after. RV campers with dogs can find full hookup sites at Raystown Lake/Saxton KOA, which features electric, water, and sewer connections. Pet-friendly cabins are available at multiple locations, including Blue Knob State Park and Friendship Village Campground. Sites are typically clean and well-maintained with adequate space for dogs to rest beside tents or RVs. The campground bathrooms at Blue Knob could use updating but remain functional.
Hiking trails at Blue Knob State Park provide excellent opportunities for dog walking, with paths extending into adjacent state forest lands and leading to the second-highest peak in Pennsylvania. Many sites require bringing extra padding when tent camping with pets as the terrain can be rocky. Most campgrounds don't sell firewood on-site, so campers should bring their own supply. Cell service varies significantly by location—Verizon customers report extremely limited connectivity at Blue Knob State Park but strong signals at Pat's Place. The Raystown Lake area offers numerous access points where dogs can enjoy water activities, with Tautman Run and Aitch providing good fishing opportunities about 15-20 minutes from campgrounds. Local amenities include a Walmart approximately 7 minutes from Pat's Place and Original Italian Pizza about 10 minutes away for campers needing supplies or a meal before setting up camp with their pets.
"it’s small, with shaded sites around the perimeter and two walk in sites just left of the entrance."
"The hiking here is really spectacular with lots of scenery, overlooks, and side trails that extend many miles out into state forest lands which are adjacent to the park."
from $20 - $108 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $20 - $110 / night
Check Availability"Both RV sites and lots to rent to pitch your own tent, fishing, huge lake with beach, lots of activities for the kids throughout the summer, one of the nicest parks we have camped at!"
"Fantastic lake side camping resort. Best for campers or using their cabins but it has freeway access to the lake and beautiful views."
"Ridge camp is the furthest away from the marina and the public swimming area. However it's the closest to the Allegrippis Trail system and from the entrance of the camp loop there is a trail head!"
"It’s close to bathhouse and playground if you want those. There is parking at every bath house. There is trash receptacles at the entrance to the loop as well as firewood or sale."
from $28 - $200 / night
Check Availability"One 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"
"The campground is nestled on the outskirts of Bedford Pennsylvania and is a very easy location to travel to regardless of your rig size."
"The pavilion where all those activities happened were right next to our site (22 with the doggie den)."
"The staff here at Raystown Lake/Saxton KOA are great. They a friendly, willing to help anyway they can, and keep the place spotless."
from $100 / night
Check Availability"We had easy access to things around us but a quick walk along a path brought us to a beautiful spot by the creek. We set up camp right along the creek, as shown in our pictures."
from $25 - $50 / night
"Adjacent huge cemetery site is accessible via a goat path at the back of the campground and provided a great place to walk our dog every day."
"This campground is perfect for people who are looking to get away from busy city life or just want to relax next to a lake."
"We stayed in one of the pet friendly loops of the park. We had a great time in our PUP....bathhouse was clean and well maintained."
from $20 - $57 / night
Check Availability"We wanted to be close to Raystown Lake. Trough is quiet and small. It's really great if you're looking for a spot to "rough" it (not really, but closer than most!) with the kids. Awesome sites."
"Nice small park with gravel drives/roads and plenty of room for big rigs. All sites level with partial shade. Open, but with plently of space between sites. The trails are nice and very sceinic."
from $23 - $25 / night
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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.
RangerThis is a small campground with about half the sites being rustic electric back-in sites and the other being rustic walk-to tent sites. We stayed in the walk-to section. A lot of them are labeled "waterfront" by the park site but ours did not live up to that criteria so be aware of that. We were hoping to be truly stream-side but were not that near to it. The bathrooms were modern and clean. The park is extremely quiet and peaceful, probably one of the most remote PA state parks we've been to. The camper side was pretty full while we were the only ones on the walk-to side. We enjoyed walking the roads and little trails around the campground and seeing the old stone fireplaces/chimneys. There was a dog park area on the walk-to side which was nice. We liked it here.
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.
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
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.
Raystown Lake sits at the heart of camping options near Claysburg, Pennsylvania, with elevations ranging from 760 to over 2,000 feet across the region. Most campgrounds operate from April through October, with limited winter camping available. Located in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province, campsites typically require extra padding for tent camping due to rocky terrain common throughout the area.
Mountain biking on Allegrippis Trails: Ridge campground at Seven Points provides direct access to extensive trail networks. "The mtb trails begin just above the upper camp loops and provide a full day of fast flowing singletrack," notes Travis S. The 40+ mile trail system is rated as a premier riding destination in the Northeast.
Ice fishing at Raystown Lake: Winter camping options allow for seasonal activities when most facilities close. "Raystown is a huge boating destination," explains Travis S., with ice fishing opportunities from December through February when conditions permit. Launch points at Aitch and Tautman Run provide good winter access.
Historic site exploration: Within 20 minutes of several dog friendly campgrounds near Claysburg, you'll find unique attractions. "Easy access from the PA Turnpike" to reach "Schellsburg historical sites," mentions Melanie Z. from Shawnee State Park Campground. The Flight 93 Memorial is approximately 30 minutes from most campgrounds in the area.
Reliable cell service variations: While Blue Knob experiences limited connectivity, Pat's Primitive Place offers strong signals. "We had great phone service at the site and nearby (Verizon)," reports Sarah C. from Pat's Primitive Place, contrasting with other campgrounds in the region.
Clean facilities despite high usage: Campground maintenance receives consistent praise across multiple locations. At Four Seasons at Raystown Lake, "They keep the place spotless. It looks like they have recently remodeled the bathrooms/showers (3 of the 4 look brand new), and the pool has been crystal clear," according to Chuck M.
Multiple fishing access points: Anglers appreciate varied lake access throughout the region. "Tautman Run and Aitch - both were accessible and had lots of bluegill to steal our worms," notes Paul B. Fishing opportunities exist within 15-20 minutes of most campgrounds, with multiple species available including trout in smaller streams.
Site terrain challenges: Many campgrounds feature significant elevation changes affecting site usability. At Lake Raystown Resort, Mary C. observed: "Our site had a gravel pad. But the surrounding area was not level and you had to climb up a 2-3' incline to get to the fire pit area. Gets very slick because it doesn't dry out."
Reservation timing strategies: Waterfront sites book months in advance for summer weekends. "We wanted a waterfront site but even trying to reserve the first day we could for this weekend, they were all taken," explains Laure D. For prime locations, reservations open 11 months in advance through the Pennsylvania reservation system.
Weather pattern considerations: The mountain location creates unpredictable weather. "Clouds blowing east from the Midwest tend to break on the mountains here at Blue Knob, so short little bursts of rainfall are frequent, and they don't always show up on weather apps," warns Brian S. from Blue Knob State Park Campground. Pack rain gear even during clear forecasts.
Off-peak swimming benefits: Beaches are significantly less crowded on weekdays. "The lake is clean and refreshing and we have such beautiful views from our camp site. We went down to the swim beach and our kiddo made sand castles and swam in the clear water," shares Jennifer D. Most beaches don't offer lifeguard supervision outside holiday weekends.
Activity planning essentials: Many campgrounds offer structured weekend programs. At Friendship Village Campground, "The property had a movie showing in their barn on Saturday night (Despicable Me) and they also seem to schedule a lot of live entertainment, mostly Bluegrass," observed Christopher R. Most scheduled activities occur only on weekends.
Local supply access: Walmart is a common resupply point mentioned by campers. "There is also a large Walmart about 7 minutes away for any camping needs," notes Sarah C., making it convenient to grab forgotten items. Most campgrounds are 7-15 minutes from basic supplies, though specialty camping gear requires longer drives.
Campground road navigation: Some campground roads present challenges for larger rigs. At Trough Creek State Park, Gary P. reports: "Nice small park with gravel drives/roads and plenty of room for big rigs. All sites level with partial shade." Roads in the region often feature tight turns and steep grades requiring careful navigation.
Hookup variations between loops: Available services differ significantly between sections within the same campground. At Seven Points, Tim J. found: "We took a drive around through the other six campgrounds and decided Point was our favorite, but obviously crowded because it is right on the lake." Each loop offers different amenities and terrain considerations, making research before booking essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Claysburg, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Claysburg, PA is Blue Knob State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Claysburg, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 97 dog-friendly camping locations near Claysburg, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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