Dakota J.
Scout
ScoutYellow Creek Campground — Yellow Creek State Park
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Camping near Johnstown, PA
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
Several good camping spots circle Johnstown, Pennsylvania, within an hour's drive. Ohiopyle State Park draws many campers with its Youghiogheny River access and trails. Cowans Gap State Park Campground has a small lake where you can fish and swim during summer months. Black Moshannon State Park Campground sits near a bog ecosystem with hiking paths through unusual plant communities. Rocky Gap State Park Campground lies just over the Maryland border and has a big lake for water activities. You'll need reservations for most of these parks, particularly on summer weekends when they fill quickly. Check fire rules before your trip as they change based on conditions. Most parks in this area limit stays to 14 days to keep spots available for everyone. Spring and fall camping works best here when the weather isn't too hot or cold. Pack layers, and remember to take out everything you bring in to keep these places clean for the next campers.
Best Campgrounds near Johnstown (121)
1. Quemahoning Family Recreation Area
"Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean."
"The location on the water adds for a great view. Electric only."
from $20 - $50 / night
Check Availability2. Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing
"It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek. Close by is Ligonier, Idlewild, and St. Vincent (where the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place.)"
"Not only were the staff super friendly and helpful, but we were lucky enough to get a full-hookup site right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, everything you want on a spring trip."
3. Shawnee State Park Campground
"Was pleased by the quiet despite size of campground and proximity to highway. Sites not overly large or private. Has wood vending machine at entrance for firewood."
"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 $24 - $122 / night
Check Availability4. Blue Knob State Park Campground
"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 $24 - $130 / night
Check Availability5. Keystone State Park Campground
"Camped in the Lakeside Loop. This State Park is so Clean! The campground gives you easy access to anything you want to do. Fish, swim, hike, bike, kayak. It can all be done."
"This is our second time staying here - once in Electric site on Lakeside and this time non electric site on Hillside. Love this side of Hillside - quiet and shaded."
from $22 - $130 / night
Check Availability6. Laurel Hill State Park Campground
"The lake is separate from the campground, but it is less than a mile away and a reasonable distance walk."
"The site numbering is a bit wonky on the door loop so make sure you look at your map before you start driving the loops."
from $24 - $64 / night
Check Availability7. Woodland Park
8. Yellow Creek Campground — Yellow Creek State Park
"Right on the water, clean, and private access to the lake. Dog friendly cabins were available. We cannot wait to come back."
"The creek surrounding the island does make it cold at night so make sure to pack warmly."
from $44 - $49 / night
Check Availability9. 1889 Park
from $15 - $35 / night
Check Availability10. Kooser State Park Campground
"5 firewood bundles at the entrance. -Cleanest bathrooms/showers -Crystal clear stream with beautiful trail to the lake. Both stocked with fish. -Lots of picnic tables at the lake."
"Kooser State Park sits on the border of Forbes State Forest in the Laurel Highlands. It has a mix of camper & tent sites around a central clearing, and offers a few cabins."
from $26 - $130 / night
Check Availability
Drive Time
- 42 min from Altoona, PA
- 1 hr 11 min from Pittsburgh, PA
- 1 hr 18 min from State College, PA
- 1 hr 50 min from Chambersburg, PA
Recent Camping Photos near Johnstown, PA
250 Photos of 121 Johnstown Campgrounds
Thomas G.
Quemahoning Family Recreation Area
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Duman Lake County Park
Laura
Blue Knob State Park Campground
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Yellow Creek Campground — Yellow Creek State Park
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Somerset Resort
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Shawnee State Park Campground
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Keystone State Park Campground
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Kooser State Park Campground
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Pioneer Lakes RV Park
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Recent Reviews near Johnstown, PA
639 Reviews of 121 Johnstown Campgrounds
Cari E.
RangerKentuck Campground — Ohiopyle State Park
Pick the loop for you
I stayed at two sites at Ohiopyle and I’ll say it again—picking the loop that best fits your equipment is key to enjoying your camping experience here. Not all loops are created equal! My second, and heavy favorite, was my site on Ivy Road. The sites were had more privacy and most importantly, were far more level and easier to access. This loop/road is also more central to the rest of the campground, the dumpsters, and had access to much nicer (still a smidge dingy), larger bathrooms. The cell service here was also decent as this road is in a less hilly area within the campground.
While the park and town are excellent for exploring, I found that the highlight of my trip was Fallingwater—it’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house (personally, I think his best) that offers tours and I was shocked to find that it was less than 10 minutes away. If you need a break from hiking and the river, I cannot recommend it enough!
- Cari E.Ranger
Kentuck Campground — Ohiopyle State Park
Great, but…
My happiness with Ohiopyle SP started off rocky from the start due to two factors, which can also impact your stay:
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No matter what Google Maps tells you, try to avoid taking Sugarloaf Rd into the park—it’s a very steep dirt road that is not at all direct, despite popping you out in the middle of town (which was widely surreal as I landed in the middle of some kind of festival), but most importantly there is no cell service which is frustrating when you’re unexpectedly routed down backroads as night approaches
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which loop you stay in really matters, more so than many other parks I’ve stayed at. My first few nights were on Hickory road and many were small and wildly unleveled—I saw one individual give up trying to get his small RV backed in due to the site being a basin shape. So you truly need to do your research and find a site that fits your equipment. The bathroom in this leg was also small and dingy, to put it nicely, but serviceable. Personally, I would not stay in Hickory again.
That said, this is a beautiful park with phenomenal hiking and water adventures. The town (which is in the park) was also quaint and lovely, with a variety of food and shopping options.
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Heather S.
GuideFriendship Village Campground & RV Park
Home Away From Home
I don’t know what it is about this place but whenever I’m here all my worries are gone! I can honestly say IM RELAXED!!! I’m relaxed- whether I’m riding the golf cart eating ice cream, playing in the arcades, walking around in the campground store, playing mini golf, fishing from our campsite, watching the doggy’s play in the dog park. I’m honestly happy here!!! My favorite sites are by the lake or river. The bathhouses were clean!! We don’t swim but the pools looked great!! I’m always sad to leave but super excited to come back!! I have a video review on my YouTube channel @UpOnTheRidge304 about this campground - feel free to check it out.
- EEmily M.Scout
Rocky Gap State Park Campground
Wonderful family campground
We had a delightful 2 night stay at Rocky Gap in the Dogwood loop. This campsite was beautiful, well maintained and clean, with great access from our area in Dogwood to both the trails and the beach. The campsite itself was a large pull-through, wooded site, that accommodated our big tent and glamping set up for a family of four. The beach was adorable, with a snack bar, playground, nature center and camp store, and I loved that it was only for the campground's use. We took the lake trail walk one day and got to see the campsites that are right across from the lake with amazing views! Minor complaints are that you can hear the roadway from the campsite (didn't really bother us, just noting it) and there's not a ton of privacy in the campground. Neither of these things detracted from our enjoyment of the park and campground though!
- PPam J.
TravelerLaurel Hill State Park Campground
Nice weekend getaway.
We had a great stay. Well manicured grounds. Lots of fallen trees from recent weather. Bathrooms could be cleaner. The camp hosts are awesome people. The area is quiet and peaceful. Lots of bike trails. Lake nice with swimming. Not crowded. Very family oriented. Playgrounds scattered around the campground in really good shape. We stayed at site 173. I loved it. Private. Had a little stream that ran behind it which would have been great for kids to play in. I loved the sound of running water. The fire pit and picnic table were in a little area above the stream surrounded by trees. It was so pretty and felt protected. They sell wood and awesome fire starters on site. Well priced. $5 for big bundle of split wood and $1 for each large fire starter. The Fire starters were so good, I bought extras to take with me. Definitely good quality. Not like the small ones you buy at the store. All in all, I loved it and will go back. I’ll take the grandkids next time. The lake, stream, biking, playground will keep them busy.
I have TMobile and had no cellphone service at my site. But could get service in other areas.
Site 225 looked like a great site. Up on a hill with a view, full hook up, playground close, and cell service. - AAlly S.Scout
Yough Lake Campground at Tub Run
Awful place
I wish I could give this campground zero stars. Like the reviews below us stated, we were also verbally attacked by the little man on the golf cart. This campground should be embarrassed by the way it treats families. We were supposed to stay Thursday through Sunday with our best friends and our six children. Instead, we packed up and left Saturday after returning from our planned trip to Ohiopyle with our kids. What was supposed to be a fun, relaxing family camping weekend turned into an experience that left us shocked, disappointed, and completely disrespected. We are experienced campers and have spent years creating memories with our children at campgrounds. We are respectful guests, we follow rules, and we have never had an experience like this. Unfortunately, this campground chose poor communication, intimidation, and selective enforcement over basic customer service. During our stay, we had a truck briefly drive down to the swimming area to unload and later reload chairs, coolers, and supplies for our six children. There are no signs stating that vehicles are prohibited on the grass. In fact, there were multiple golf carts in the same area throughout the day, including staff members and seasonal campers, which led us to believe this was permitted. We understand vehicles are heavier than golf carts, but there were zero signage stating no cars allowed. To preface, there was zero damage done to the grass area due to our truck, we took photos prior to leaving the campground to protect ourselves since management is so emotionally unstable. Mind you: this is an army corp engineers campground, by Under federal law(36 CFR§ 327.2), motorized vehicles, including golf carts, UTVs, ATVs, and standard cars, must remain strictly on designated paved or gravel roads and parking lots. We found this rule after we got home and did our research. There were about 5 golf carts AND a gator in and out of the beach area through out the day. If someone had simply approached us and kindly explained that vehicles were not allowed there, we would have apologized. Instead, staff chose to sit back after someone complained, watch my children swim for hours, wait for us to clean up and bring the truck down to reload, then turn a simple misunderstanding into a confrontation. A staff member approached the truck in a golf cart, speeding up and hopping out(this is all on video) while my minor daughter was inside, reached into our vehicle and took our tag then proceeded to yell at us to pack our“shit” and prepare to leave. The way this was handled was completely unnecessary and unprofessional. Our children were present, witnessed this, and were left scared and confused over a situation that could have been resolved in less than a minute with a respectful conversation. We were also told there is a strict 5 mph speed limit and that radar is used because of a serious incident involving a child in the past, He was hit and life flighted. Yet seasonal campers continued driving golf carts around at unsafe speeds while drinking. Rules and safety expectations should apply equally to everyone, not only when management decides to enforce them against certain guests and not their buddies who pay for a seasonal spot. We went to the office in good faith to discuss what happened and believed the situation had been resolved. We stayed another night, only to be told the following morning that we were no longer welcome back. To permanently ban a family over a first time issue involving a rule that was never communicated is absolutely unacceptable. A well run campground understands that communication and respect go both ways. Instead, this campground made paying guests feel unwelcome and disposable. Management needs to take a serious look at how they handle conflicts because this was not customer service, it was an unnecessary escalation. We will never return to this campground, and after this experience, we strongly encourage other families to think twice before booking a stay here. Especially with young children.
Julie P.TravelerBenner's Meadow Run RV Campground
great for families!
check in was easy. there’s lots to do for families kids- there’s ponds to fish, swimming pool, mini golf. golf cart rentals. playground. they also have events like family olympics and outdoor movies. site was also very nice and spacious
N A.TravelerKentuck Campground — Ohiopyle State Park
Fantastic wooded campground
We LOVED our visit to Kentuck campground and Ohiopyle. We went mid-week in early June and had very few neighbors Tuesday and Wednesday, with more rolling in toward the end of the week.
We stayed on Hickory Loop with our dog and saw quite a few other dogs while we were there. Not all sites are equal at this campground - ours was huge and lovely with adequate flattish area and a stream running along two sides of it. Others were quite small and not very level. I think we had one of the best sites on the loop, with great trees for hammocks and big rocks nearby, as well as good privacy from other sites.
The campground is very shaded and was regularly several degrees cooler than elsewhere in the park, which was great to home 'home' to. There's a lot of poison ivy in the area, so be watchful.
Firewood is available for purchase on entrance to the campground.
The bathhouse was relatively clean, with a large kitchen sink for washing dishes, three toilet stalls, and two shower stalls. We never had to wait for any of it.
Guide to Johnstown
Camping sites near Johnstown, Pennsylvania range from lakeside parks to forested retreats situated in the Laurel Highlands region. The area sits at elevations between 1,200 and 2,900 feet, creating distinct microclimates that often run 5-10°F cooler than nearby cities. Sites in this region typically open from mid-April through mid-October due to the colder mountain temperatures, with some campgrounds requiring advance reservations during peak summer months.
What to do
Swimming and boating at Quemahoning Lake: The Quemahoning Family Recreation Area offers water activities on a calm lake setting. "Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean," notes Paul B. The recreation area provides boat rentals for those without personal watercraft.
Fishing in stocked waters: Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing provides shoreline fishing access with campsites positioned along the water. A camper mentioned, "Close by is Ligonier, Idlewild, and St. Vincent (where the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place)," making it a good base camp for regional exploration.
Mountain biking trails: Blue Knob State Park sits on Pennsylvania's second-highest mountain with technical single-track options. "The trails also lead to the peak (second highest in PA) and join up with trails on the resorts property," explains Travis S., noting these routes connect to a nearby ski resort's trail system.
Winter recreation options: Several parks maintain trails suitable for snowshoeing when conditions permit. "We enjoyed the waterfront camping and snowshoeing. We got a site by the water and with good tree cover," shares Harry H. about Kooser State Park's year-round recreational opportunities.
What campers like
Private wooded sites: Blue Knob State Park Campground receives praise for its secluded feel and mature forest setting. "Blue Knob State Park might be my favorite place to camp in Western PA. It sits on the flanks of the second highest peak in the state," notes Brian S., highlighting the park's elevated setting.
Creekside camping: Some sites offer direct water access and creek play areas for children. A reviewer at Mirror Lake noted, "A lot of their sites are along a small creek which the kids play in and can float down. Site 26 is our favorite. It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek."
Reasonable rates: Kooser State Park Campground maintains affordable pricing compared to private campgrounds. "Simple wooded beauty in southern PA, an hour or so from Pittsburgh not far off 76. Pros: nice swimming, short trail, great XC skiing (here and nearby), nice green area with rolling hills," writes Justin S.
Helpful campground staff: Many campgrounds in the region pride themselves on customer service. Diana M. shared about Quemahoning, "Ken and his staff do a wonderful job with the park and great customer service also. Whenever we had any requests or any complaints Ken and his crew always took care of it."
What you should know
Limited level sites: Many campgrounds in the area feature sloped terrain that can challenge RV setup. At Shawnee State Park Campground, "I heeded the advice of other reviewers warning that many sites were not level and did not reserve ahead of time," reports Lee D., suggesting booking in advance to secure better sites.
Variable site quality: Even within the same campground, site conditions can differ dramatically. "Many of the non-electric sites were decidedly not level but many of the FHU and electric sites were fairly level," notes a Shawnee State Park camper.
Road noise concerns: Several parks sit near highways with audible traffic. "The park is close to the road so you will experience some road noise," warns a Britt B. about Kooser State Park's location alongside Route 31.
Cell service gaps: Coverage varies significantly between campgrounds, which can affect work-from-camp plans. "No phone reception at this one!" cautions Britt B. about Kooser, while other parks maintain stronger signals for those needing connectivity.
Tips for camping with families
Look for creek play areas: Laurel Hill State Park Campground offers water features beyond the main swimming beaches. "The beaches were great. We went canoeing on the lake. And had fun just hiking around a bit," shares Kate D., noting multiple water recreation options.
Choose parks with playground equipment: Many campgrounds feature dedicated play zones within walking distance from sites. "It has a pretty decent campground with nice spots. A great area for hiking and taking walks. Pet friendly," mentions Danielle W. about Kooser State Park.
Consider cabin options: For families new to camping or during inclement weather, several parks offer cabin accommodations. "My family stayed in one of the cabins while friends were in their campers. The cabin was great, very clean and cozy," writes Austin B. about Mirror Lake's rental options.
Check pet policies by loop: Not all campground sections permit animals. "There 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," advises Casey L. about Laurel Hill's distinct camping zones.
Tips from RVers
Extension cords recommended: At many state parks, electrical hookups may be poorly positioned. "The electrical hookups are not played out well like an expensive RV park with the shared power post on the entrance side of the camper. You may want to have an extension for your power cable," advises Erik E. from Laurel Hill State Park.
Check site dimensions carefully: The mountain terrain creates challenges for larger rigs. "We have a 35' TT and there was no way it was going to fit in the site we originally booked. Luckily it was opening weekend and the rangers and super accommodating!" warns Brittany V. from Shawnee State Park.
Limited water hookups: Not all parks offer full hookups at every site. "We stayed in one of 4 full hookup sites. My complaints...WAY too close to the neighbors and VERY little shade," notes Olivia L. about Kooser State Park, highlighting the premium on full-service sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there tent camping available near Johnstown, PA?
Is there tent camping available near Johnstown, PA?
Yes, there are several tent camping options near Johnstown. Laurel Ridge State Park Campground offers peaceful tent sites along the scenic Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, providing a true nature experience in a narrow strip of protected land. For more developed options, Kentuck Campground — Ohiopyle State Park is known for accommodating last-minute tent site reservations and offers access to numerous outdoor activities. Both locations are within an hour's drive of Johnstown and provide essential amenities for tent campers including fire rings, picnic tables, and nearby restroom facilities.
Can I find RV camping near Johnstown, PA?
Can I find RV camping near Johnstown, PA?
Johnstown offers several excellent RV camping options. Friendship Village Campground & RV Park near Bedford is highly recommended for RVers, with easy access regardless of rig size and straightforward check-in procedures. The campground is conveniently located on the outskirts of Bedford. Yough Lake Campground at Tub Run primarily caters to RVs and boaters, offering open sites with hookups. Additional RV-friendly options include Woodland Park near Ebensburg and Keystone State Park Campground, both accommodating larger rigs with appropriate amenities and hookups.
Where are the best campgrounds in Johnstown, PA?
Where are the best campgrounds in Johnstown, PA?
The Johnstown area boasts several highly-rated campgrounds worth visiting. Hidden Springs Campground stands out with its clean facilities, well-lit bath houses, and peaceful atmosphere even during busy weekends. For history buffs, 1889 Park offers a unique experience at the site of the historic Johnstown Flood dam. While more of an RV park with ten gravel sites, it provides an interesting historical perspective. Other excellent options within a reasonable drive include Quemahoning Family Recreation Area and Blue Knob State Park, both offering diverse recreational opportunities and well-maintained camping facilities.
What lake or beach camping options are near Johnstown, PA?
What lake or beach camping options are near Johnstown, PA?
The Johnstown area offers several outstanding lake camping destinations. Seven Points (PA) provides a beautiful Lake Raystown experience with over 200 sites, many directly on the water. Activities include swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. Rocky Gap State Park Campground features spacious, shaded sites with easy access to beach areas, clean bath houses, and beautiful mountain views. The park offers both standard campsites and rental cabins. Additional options include Shawnee State Park Campground with its scenic lake hiking loop, and Yellow Creek State Park, both providing water-based recreation with convenient camping facilities nearby.
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