R
Russell A.
Scout
Scout100 Mile View Camping
What a great place. So unique! Love the view, and a great experience! There are no hook ups, so be prepared but if you are looking for the dispersed camping experience you have found it. What a gem!
RV Camping near Lake Ariel, PA
12 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Clayton Park RV Escape in Lake Ariel offers full hookup sites with 50-amp electrical service from May through mid-October. The park features big rig friendly access with water, sewer, and electric connections at each site. Nearby, Keen Lake Resort Campground accommodates RVs with full hookups and 50-amp service, operating from late April to mid-October. Thousand Trails Timothy Lake North and South, located in East Stroudsburg, provide RV sites with water and electric hookups, plus sewer at most locations. Sites throughout the region vary in size and privacy, with some parks featuring pull-through options for larger motorhomes. "Most sites have full hookups with 50 amp electric only so if needed have an adapter available at the small camp store."
Navigating mountain roads to reach some RV parks may require careful driving, particularly with larger rigs. Several campgrounds in the Poconos region have limited cell service coverage, with one reviewer noting "cell service is spotty for all carriers" at certain locations. Dump stations are available at most parks, though some like Timothy Lake South lack this amenity. Winter camping options are limited, with only a few parks like Blue Mountain RV and Camping Resort remaining open year-round. Pet-friendly policies are common throughout the area, though specific restrictions may apply. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, some parks have tight turns that can be challenging for larger motorhomes: "Coming in from the wrong road could lead you to a hairpin turn and steep hill."
Best RV Campgrounds near Lake Ariel (156)
1. Sun Retreats Birchwood Acres
"Very family friendly and lots to do."
"Our RV site was private, surround by trees with a nice fire pit and picnic table."
2. Soaring Eagle Campground and the Inn at Kellam's Bridge
"It is great family camp ground with amenities that are helpful to parents and new campers such as restrooms, showers, camp shop, canoe/kayak/tube rentals and designated drive in sites with fire ring and"
"Nice campground right on the Delaware river great for fisherman ,hikers also great for tubing down the Delaware or canoeing. pretty quiet but we went there in June before school was out so there wasn’t"
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $160 / night
3. Tri-State RV Park
"Open during the winter. Easy on, easy off. Lots of pull through sites. Next to grocery store. CLEAN bathrooms, showers, laundry. Super nice owners. Perfect for an overnight stop."
"This place is unique by location alone! We stopped for two nights on our way to CT. They have an onsite buffet with live entertainment if your timing is right."
4. Thousand Trails Scotrun
"We came in at end of season, so pretty much everything seems closed. But, it’s a beautiful campground and the part of PA is great too."
5. Clayton Park RV Escape
"A well run, well staffed, facilities are excellent. Will return"
"Excellent family quiet area. Pool boats, hike, relax"
6. Mountain Top RV Park
"The newly upgraded camp infrastructure elevated the stay, providing amenities for comfort and entertainment."
"We really enjoyed our stay at Mountain Top. We had to come to the area kind of last minute, and they were very accommodating!"
Check Availabilityfrom $89 / night
7. Skyway Camping Resort
"Nice well maintained park, full hookups with cable and wifi. Office forgot to give us wifi info and had closed early. Very nice staff."
8. Blue Mountain RV and Camping Resort
"Wanted to find a close by place for for a night of Tent camping and stumbled across this winter time ski resort/ spring summer camping and adventure grounds."
"Staff was nice & showed us to our campground, hauled our firewood, and checked in regularly to make sure we didn’t need anything. Restrooms were really clean."
9. Thousand Trails Timothy Lake South
"Pull through spots a a bit tight together but at least they have some. Cell service is awful for AT&T and our T-Mobile gateway."
"Well kept, wooded sites on a mountain. No lake in site. Standard amenities, like pool, hot tub, laundry, outdoor games a community fire pit etc.. Small store as well. 5 minutes to town."
10. Keen Lake Resort Campground
"That said we had plenty of space, it was just very close to the next site. We were on the far side of the lake which is not really within walking distance of the beach, pool and store."
"You are able to camp in tents in the activity field or lakeside. They offer rented cabins/houses and RVs. Their bath houses were clean. The rec room was cool."
Drive Time
- 23 min from Scranton, PA
- 1 hr 10 min from Binghamton, NY
- 1 hr 12 min from Kiryas Joel, NY
- 1 hr 23 min from Allentown, PA
Recent RV Camping Photos near Lake Ariel, PA
241 Photos of 156 Lake Ariel Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
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Thousand Trails Scotrun
Thousand Trails Timothy Lake North
Thousand Trails Timothy Lake South
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RV Park Reviews near Lake Ariel, PA
942 Reviews of 156 Lake Ariel Campgrounds
Nancy W.
LegendHickory Run State Park Campground
Peaceful State Park Camping in the Fall
This is a large campground with a wide array of campsites so be careful attention when you book online, especially if you have a pet because some sites are not pet-friendly. Some are 50-amp full hook-up and some are primitive with no hook-ups.Â
There is a nice nature center with interesting interpretive exhibits and lots of informational brochures including ones about the hiking trails, bears, scat and tracks of local animals, and fishing. Our site was at the edge of the campground and backed up to Route 534 which resulted in a bit of road noise at our site. Other than the road noise the campground was pretty quiet and was not very crowded when we camped there in October.Â
Not all sites are level and we happened to book one that was not and we had to live with a slant for our stay. The roads in the park are gravel/dirt and since it rained the day we arrived the roads were a muddy mess which made the roads slippery and there were lots of potholes. Unfortunately, some campers were disrespectful and left bags of trash in the fire pit and scattered around their site which was totally unnecessary because there were dumpsters plenty of dumpsters in the campground. Since we camped at Hickory Run late in the season, there were no camp hosts and the trash never got picked up.Â
The campground is open from mid-April to mid-December; however, the shower facilities and dump station are not available after the third week of October so plan accordingly. We really like the hiking trails which are of varying degrees of difficulty and lengths. The Hawk Falls is a nice easy walk (1.4 miles round-trip) to a waterfall but is extremely popular so don’t think you will be admiring the falls alone. The parking lot at this trail head fills up fast so you better get there early if you want to get a spot.Â
You can enter the park from two different directions. If you have a big-rig, it is best to approach from the east side. We made the mistake of coming in from the west side as we dropped down from I-80 and came down 534 and the road was really windy with no shoulder. Luckily, there was very little traffic so we could go 10 mph and safely navigate the roads.Â
Be aware alcohol is not allowed in PA state parks. This park does allow hunting in certain sections of the park. The no-hunting areas are clearly marked with white no hunting signs on trees and you can also pick up a brochure from the office that designates hunting and no-hunting sections.
Tony F.
Guide100 Mile View Camping
The best views
This is a hidden gem, as close to dispersed camping you can get with dirt, gravel roads, large stone fire pits, a amazing views with the added benefit of a five gallon jug of non potable water and very clean port-a-potties. The owner regularly patrols the site and makes sure everything is okay.
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.LegendRicketts Glen State Park Campground
Beautiful Falls!
What a great campground! We stayed here on a recommendation from a friend after the Overland Expo. Great hiking trails and the falls were absolutely breathtaking. Truly enjoyed our stay and plan to return!
- WWill W.Guide
Lackawanna State Park Campground
Car camping
Stayed October 14 without reservations because website showed lots of availability. Office was closed (M-F 8-4) so submitted honor system envelope with cash and stayed at Site 041 on Carpenter loop. Shower building was a short walk and was spacious enough. Water temp didn’t quite reach hot but was warm enough.
Electric kept on tripping breaker.
- jjeanne A.Guide
Council Cup Campground
Better than nothing
Small campground with rude owner. Everything I asked about was putting her out. It was cheap though at $36 for water and electric with a military discount.
Thomas B.
RangerNeversink River Resort
Cool Riverside Campground
I'll start by saying this is a site-specific review (C20). I booked using Campspot and didn't select my own site but put in the criteria for my rig (30ft TT plus truck) and got a 50A back-in spot. The site was big but abnormal. Between the picnic table placement and the trees, I ended up right around 50ft from the electric and water, and the water spigot was so low I could barely put on my camco filter. With the uneven dirt roads, I had to unhitch with my truck in a gigantic puddle (lol). The site was otherwise fine aside from my gate code not working on Day 2. As for the campground as a whole, I thought it was pretty unique place by the river that offered several good amenities and activities, like downstream river tubing, an arcade, bathroom/shower facilities, a small store, little trails, and more. I would say this place borders the more primitive side.
Kathy L.RangerHickory Run State Park Campground
Beautiful forest
Gorgeous forested area in the Poconos. We stayed on the Rattlesnake Loop which was lovely. Sites not super private but most nestled in trees. The only bummer was that that Campground Loop didn’t have any direct links to the trail network and was far from it. The other Campground Loop was closer to trails and office. Would return!
Art S.LegendMoon Lake Recreation Area Campground — Pinchot State Forest
Quiet camping
Just a few others here so it is quite peaceful. A one mile walk gets you to the lake. They have a covered pavilion with plenty of picnic tables. My site is large with plenty of trees providing shade. The outhouse is a bit of a walk. Garbage cans are inside it. I haven’t seen a water source but it might be around.
Guide to Lake Ariel
The Pocono Mountains region surrounding Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania sits at elevations between 1,300-1,800 feet, creating cooler summer temperatures than nearby urban areas. The landscape features mixed hardwood forests with hemlock, oak, and maple trees surrounding numerous lakes and streams. Most RV sites near Lake Ariel remain open from late April through mid-October, closing during winter months when temperatures regularly drop below freezing.
What to do
Fishing access points: Clayton Park RV Escape provides direct lake access for fishing, with one visitor noting the area has "great river based location" with "sites [that] are huge, plenty of room for 2+ family campers." Some campgrounds have designated fishing areas for guests.
Kayaking and canoeing: Soaring Eagle Campground offers rentals for water activities, with a reviewer mentioning it's "great for fisherman, hikers also great for tubing down the Delaware or canoeing." The Delaware River provides calm waters suitable for beginners.
Hiking trails: Nearby state parks and forests offer trails ranging from easy to moderate difficulty. One camper at Blue Mountain noted, "There were endless activities from hiking to mountain biking. We visited in fall so we had the entire place to ourselves."
What campers like
Spacious sites: Many campgrounds in the region offer larger-than-average sites. A visitor to Soaring Eagle Campground mentioned, "The sites are larger than most campgrounds and well spaced out. I have been there on busy holiday weekends where it was full but still peaceful and private."
Clean facilities: Keen Lake Resort Campground receives consistent praise for maintenance, with one camper stating, "The bathrooms were the cleanest we've ever experienced at a campground" though noting "The showers are coin operated."
Family-friendly atmosphere: Multiple campgrounds offer structured activities for children. A reviewer at Keen Lake shared, "They have activity coordinators that make sure there is something to do for all ages every hour of the day!"
What you should know
Seasonal operation: Most campgrounds close during winter months. A visitor to Thousand Trails Scotrun mentioned, "We came in at end of season, so pretty much everything seems closed. But, it's a beautiful campground."
Variable cell service: Coverage can be inconsistent throughout the region. A guest at Thousand Trails Timothy Lake South noted, "Cell service is ok. Verizon is 25 down 10 up. Tmobile is unusable."
Site selection matters: Locations vary significantly in terrain and amenities. One camper at Keen Lake advised, "Get a site on the lake" and "If you don't want to drive during your stay, camp on the side w/ the beach and pool."
Tips for camping with families
Activity planning: Keen Lake Resort Campground offers scheduled recreation options throughout the day. A camper shared, "This place is perfect for families, beginners, adventurers, and fisherman alike. They have an overabundance amount of activities scheduled for campers."
Swimming options: Many local campgrounds have both pools and natural swimming areas. A visitor described their experience: "The kids had fun riding bikes on the road, which was off the main road. Each day we would paddle over to the swimming area on the lake."
Playground access: Facilities for children vary between campgrounds. A visitor to Mountain Top RV Park reported, "They have a small playground that would be better suited for older children, and there's also a nice lounge room with games, a pool table, a tv and puzzles/board games."
Tips from RVers
Site dimensions: RV sites near Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania typically accommodate rigs up to 40 feet, though some locations have limitations. A camper at Tri-State RV Park noted, "Lots of pull through sites" making it "Perfect for an overnight stop."
Hookup quality: Water pressure can vary significantly between campgrounds. One RVer at Timothy Lake South mentioned, "Best water pressure I have seen on the east coast, unregulated it's over 80 psi."
Terrain considerations: Some campgrounds have challenging access roads. A visitor to Mountain Top RV Park advised, "If you're booking, it may be best to book on the upper levels because the lower area where we were did flood pretty bad a couple times when there was a lot of rain."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Lake Ariel, PA?
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Lake Ariel, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Lake Ariel, PA is Sun Retreats Birchwood Acres with a 4.2-star rating from 6 reviews.
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RV camping near
Lake Ariel, PA?
What is the best site to find RV camping near Lake Ariel, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 156 RV camping locations near Lake Ariel, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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