Best Campgrounds near Columbia Cross Roads, PA

The landscape surrounding Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania includes a mix of established campgrounds offering diverse camping accommodations. Several well-maintained campgrounds are located within a 30-mile radius, including Ives Run near Tioga and Hills Creek State Park Campground near Wellsboro. The campgrounds in this region provide various accommodation options ranging from tent sites and RV hookups to cabins and glamping facilities. Many locations like Ives Run feature full hook-up sites with water, electric, and sewer connections, while others such as Sunfish Pond County Park offer more primitive camping experiences.

Seasonal operations influence availability throughout the area, with most campgrounds open from April through October. The topography varies from lakeside settings to wooded areas within Pennsylvania's scenic northeastern region. "Beautiful, scenic and clean! Wonderful campgrounds for the whole family! Beautiful lakes, boating, fishing, swimming, trails, paved sites, full hookups and primitives as well," noted one visitor about Ives Run. Weather conditions can change quickly in this mountainous area, particularly during spring and fall, making advance planning essential. Many campgrounds require reservations, especially during summer weekends and holidays when popular sites fill quickly. Cell service varies throughout the region, with better coverage at developed campgrounds near larger towns.

Waterfront camping opportunities represent a significant draw for visitors to the area. Hammond Lake at Ives Run and Hills Creek Lake provide popular water recreation access points for campers. One camper highlighted that "The Pine loop is a pleasant escape for tent campers hoping for a good view of the lake," referring to Ives Run's primitive camping area. Developed campgrounds typically feature well-maintained facilities including clean restrooms, showers, and garbage service. Reviews frequently mention the spaciousness of sites at locations like Ives Run, where campsites are described as having "plenty of room between sites" with "curved roads and loops" creating a pleasant camping environment. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound throughout the region, with eagles and various small mammals commonly spotted from camping areas near water sources.

Best Camping Sites Near Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania (166)

    1. Ives Run

    15 Reviews
    Middlebury Center, PA
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 835-5281

    $24 - $100 / night

    "It was a great spot and happily, I was totally alone as no one had booked any of the sites near me( the closest people were about 400m away)."

    "Lake Hammond is beautiful with great access."

    2. Hills Creek State Park Campground

    16 Reviews
    Middlebury Center, PA
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 724-4246

    $20 - $75 / night

    "Sites and huge and we had one of the lakes right behind our site. If you like nature this is a great place. Wildlife everywhere. Hiking, fishing, kayaking...you name it."

    "Our family loved the modern cabins which are available in my of Pennsylvania's state parks. I'd rank any other park that we visit with a five star rating."

    3. Watkins Glen State Park Campground

    90 Reviews
    Watkins Glen, NY
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 535-4511

    $20 - $58 / night

    "I absolutely love coming to Watkins Glen Campground, especially when I went to get away from the busy city. This park has gorgeous waterfalls, and great paths to walk and hike on."

    "There was one central bathroom/shower house, so if being close to a restroom is important, choose your site accordingly.  Some of the campsites were quite a walk from the facilities.  "

    4. Worlds End State Park Campground

    28 Reviews
    Forksville, PA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 924-3287

    $20 - $62 / night

    "The park has some good trails with amazing views, a beach area and Loyalsock creek. The campsite was a bit cramped and right next to the main road going in and out of the park."

    "This is another Pennsylvania state park with excellent recycling facilities."

    5. Newtown Battlefield State Park Campground

    2 Reviews
    Elmira, NY
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 732-6067

    $17 - $81 / night

    "Pretty self serve, rangers drive through often but never seems to be anyone at the check-in. You can reserve a site or a cabin, or you can show up after three and see what is open."

    6. Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park PA Wilds

    3 Reviews
    Mansfield, PA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 662-2923

    "We always get a site on the outside of the main circle by the tower slide. There’s lots of shade and optimum view of both playgrounds to keep an eye on the kiddos."

    "Woods and shade but very close to all the happenings. The big playground is new and very nice. The small one is mainly two very big playsets (pirate ship and castle). My kids enjoyed both."

    7. Pine Cradle Lake Family Campground

    10 Reviews
    Towanda, PA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 247-2424

    "The tent sites are located in the back of the campground behind the sports field within the trees. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see them but they have them pictured on their website."

    "Great family campground, decent sized sites, many lake side sites, very clean bathrooms/ showers. Several playgrounds, heated pool, pet friendly with shots paperwork."

    8. Sunfish Pond County Park

    2 Reviews
    Granville Summit, PA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 364-8051

    9. Ricketts Glen State Park Campground

    68 Reviews
    Sweet Valley, PA
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (570) 477-5675

    $20 - $92 / night

    "The biggest draw to this state park (which no one in Pennsylvania I spoke with seemed to know about) is the 22 waterfalls!"

    "Many of the sites looked close to the road and not very private but we were in site 63 which was pretty private(though we were lucky neighboring site 62 was empty)."

    10. Gardner Hill Campground

    1 Review
    Elmira, NY
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 732-9827

    "I happened upon this campground by following the blue tent sign on the highway. No frills but very comfy and nice views. Don’t forget to look for the Peace sign."

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Recent Reviews near Columbia Cross Roads, PA

582 Reviews of 166 Columbia Cross Roads Campgrounds


  • julian S.
    Oct. 6, 2025

    Tiadaghton Campground — Tioga State Forest

    Very crowded with bikers

    Nice campsite and cool view but be prepared to have a lot of bikers walking around the campground or stopping for lunch at near by sites. Also would recommend 4 wheel drive vehicles to drive to site, steep dirt roads to access it. It has a nice water front view but if seclusion is something you would like this spot may not be for you.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Sugar Hill Fire Tower Campsite

    Would Stay again

    We stayed here for 2 nights car camping. quiet and clean. spots had fire rings and picnic tables. Bathrooms were clean and had potable water. There were lots of horses. There are hiking trails right out of the site! would absolutely stay here again!

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Sugar Hill Fire Tower Campsite

    Free camping with amenities!

    26 camp sites with bathrooms! That flush! Very quiet and the sites aren’t on top of each other. People bring their horses. You can drive to to your site and tent camp or camper camp. I would come back!

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2025

    Watkins Glen State Park Campground

    Nice campground in a gorgeous state park.

    Nice pretty campground, only electric hookup for the RV sites, tho. The showers were cool, no hot water. Close to some gorgeous hiking tho! And town is about a mile away with shops, restaurants and on the edge of one of the Finger Lakes to make it beautiful!

  • Chelsea B.
    Sep. 27, 2025

    Robert H. Treman State Park Campground

    Good location

    Location: This park is close to Ithaca which was the best part. Trails and Natural Features: We loved the waterfall, swimming area (seasonal so closed when we stayed), and the fall colors. Sites: They have very few electric sites so we decided to boondock. It surprised me that all the full hookup sites were reserved but very people actually showed up for their reservations while we stayed. Lame. And heads up that if you don’t stay in the big clearing for big rigs, there are tight turns between trees to get in and out of the non-electric sites. We ended up making a back-in site into a pull-through site… whoops. Starlink: I work remotely so internet is important. We weren’t camping in the clearing because those sites were booked, but even the Starlink struggled where we were and I ended up working from the library in town. So heads up if you need internet. Bathrooms: They were spacious but older. Temperature in the showers was tricky. Hot is cold and cold it hot. Cool stuff: They had compost bins and provide bags for all campers. That’s cool!

  • c
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Salt Springs State Park Campground

    Worked for me

    I stayed in late September in one of the drive in spots. There were no other campers bc of the season- and it’s mid week. I love this park and it’s close to my house so I just wanted to crash there and wake up early to hike. It was quiet all night. The bathrooms are very far from tne sites and it was visible where some people had relieved themselves in the bushes. There is no potable water anywhere so bring some. I enjoyed it but during the on season or busy times tnere is zero privacy between sites other than sites 13 and 14. Def wouldn’t stay here during summer for that reason.

  • Bare Soul  W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 15, 2025

    South Slope Trail Head Dispersed Camp

    Relaxing

    There is one campsite near trail. There was more traffic than I expected. Also there is no cell service. No real tires

  • B
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Leonard Harrison State Park Campground

    Small campground with clean bathrooms

    We stayed here Wednesday through Saturday of Labor Day weekend.  On Wednesday and Thursday nights there were about 5 sites that were taken. By Friday they were all full

    The campground is a simple loop of 28 sites.  19 are non -electric and 9 are electric. Sites are spacious and easy to back in to. I believe there are two pull throughs. Water spigots are continently located around the campground.  

    The PA Grand Canyon Visitor center and the Turkey Path (main path down into the canyon) are a short 5 minute walk across the parking lot from the campground.  For biking there is the  Pine Creek Rail Trail, that runs the length of the canyon at the bottom. To access from the campground you can drive there in 16 minutes Darling Run trail access area.

  • Mindie C.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Pinecreek Campground

    Overnight stay

    The campground is cute and quiet. Staff is friendly and helpful. My only complaint is the condition of the roads. They are in dire need of grading and new gravel. Be careful!


Guide to Columbia Cross Roads

Campgrounds within a 30-mile radius of Columbia Cross Roads, Pennsylvania offer diverse overnight options across rural landscapes at elevations between 1,100-1,800 feet. Most camping areas sit in the Chemung River watershed, where summer temperatures range from 55-85°F with afternoon thunderstorms common. Cell service varies significantly throughout this region, with better reception typically available near Mansfield and Wellsboro.

What to do

Swimming at designated beaches: Hills Creek State Park Campground features a swimming area with snack service. "The swim area is one of the best around. Playgrounds are fun & the snack stand is a little expensive, but delicious!" reports J K.

Hiking through gorges: Watkins Glen State Park Campground offers access to dramatic rock formations and waterfalls. "Watkins Glen was absolutely beautiful. The sites are quite wooded with plenty of space in between. The gorge trail is a MUST," notes Laura L.

Fishing opportunities: Pine Cradle Lake Family Campground provides catch-and-release fishing without requiring a Pennsylvania license. "You can rent non electric boats and they offer catch & release fishing without a PA license in the lake. My son caught 2 sunfish," shares Amy R.

Seasonal nature programs: Educational activities run through summer at many campgrounds. "The rangers offer educational programs that are free of charge!" explains a camper at Hills Creek. Rangers conduct guided walks identifying local flora and fauna at several area campgrounds between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

What campers like

Spacious sites: Campers consistently mention the generous spacing between sites. "Sites are very spacious and clean. Love it here peaceful and quiet," notes John E. about Ives Run.

Clean facilities: Bathhouses receive high marks for cleanliness across multiple campgrounds. "Bathroom/showers were well cared for," reports a visitor to Newtown Battlefield State Park, while Pine Cradle Lake earns praise for "immaculate" restrooms that are cleaned "twice daily."

Water recreation: Lakes provide multiple activity options. "Well organized camp with sites in full sun to full shade and everything in between. Grounds had swimming area and multiple boat launch locations on large man made lake," explains Jeremy C. about Ives Run.

Limited connectivity: Many campers appreciate the reduced cell coverage. "No cell service, which is refreshing. The sound of the creek nearby is really soothing," notes Katy R. about her stay at Worlds End State Park Campground.

What you should know

Weather variability: Temperature swings of 30+ degrees between day and night are common in spring and fall. "I think we picked the week with the most rain of the year to camp but it was still a lot of fun," shares a Hills Creek camper, highlighting the need for proper rain gear.

Advanced booking requirements: Popular campgrounds fill months ahead for peak season. "The only draw back is that it fills up quickly and you need to reserve many months ahead of time especially for holidays," cautions James P. about Ives Run.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Columbia Cross Roads, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, Columbia Cross Roads, PA offers a wide range of camping options, with 166 campgrounds and RV parks near Columbia Cross Roads, PA and 6 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Columbia Cross Roads, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Columbia Cross Roads, PA is Ives Run with a 4.8-star rating from 15 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Columbia Cross Roads, PA?

What parks are near Columbia Cross Roads, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 parks near Columbia Cross Roads, PA that allow camping, notably Tioga-Hammond Lakes and Cowanesque Lake.