The Pocono Mountains offer woodland camping near Cresco at elevations between 1,600-1,800 feet. Campsites in this region experience temperature swings of up to 20°F between day and night, even in summer months. The area's hemlock forests provide natural shelter at many camping areas, with sites often situated on rocky terrain characteristic of the Pocono Plateau.
What to do
Hike to scenic waterfalls: Hickory Run State Park Campground offers 44 miles of trails ranging from easy to difficult. "We hiked both [Hawk Falls and Shades of Death trails] with your 2 large dogs. Both of these trails had a creek and waterfalls," notes a visitor who rated the experience highly despite the trails being marked as "more difficult."
Explore boulder fields: Hickory Run State Park Campground features a unique geological formation worth visiting. "The boulder field was the highlight of our camping trip," shares one camper. Another adds, "Boulders everywhere! Big ones, small ones, run (carefully) across them all! Beyond the Boulder field is a vast, scary, unknown."
Wildlife viewing: Campers can observe local wildlife at Camp Taylor Campground, which features the Lakota Wolf Preserve. "There is a short hike up the mountain there to see the wolves in the sanctuary. There are moments by the fire you can hear them howl in the distance," explains a visitor. The preserve offers discounted tours for campers.
Paddleboating and kayaking: Several campgrounds offer water activities on their lakes. "There is a small mini-golf course, a nice playground with tons of kids running all over. The swimming pond is pleasant and great to cool off in," notes a Camp Taylor visitor. Tobyhanna State Park Campground has a separate shore for kayaks and canoes to enter the lake.
What campers like
Private wooded sites: Otter Lake Camp Resort earns praise for its natural setting. "Sites are very well shaded but some can be tight. Great activities for all ages," reports one camper. Another adds, "We are lucky enough to have a lakefront site at Otter Lake for the Winter season, and feel like we have gone to heaven! The views are breathtaking, the walk around the lake is great."
Year-round glamping options: Luxury camping in Cresco, Pennsylvania extends beyond summer. "We want to come back every year," writes a winter season glamper at Otter Lake. The resort offers "organized activities like softball, archery and ceramics for kiddos. 2 pools, hot tub, sauna, lake beach and swimming. All sites are wooded, clean and spacious."
Clean facilities: Mount Pocono Campground receives consistent praise for maintenance. "Cleanest campground bathouse I've ever used! Great hiking trail right from the site," notes one visitor. Another adds, "The whole place is very pleasant, quiet, wooded, well-landscaped, and cared for. Bathhouse, rec area, pools, playground, outdoor seating areas are all very nice and enjoyable."
Pet-friendly options: Jenny Jump State Forest accommodates four-legged campers. "My husband and I Tent camped in #34 with our dog. The space was reasonably priced, but we did have to pay an extra $5/day for our dog. However, we didn't mind as it was so private we felt like we had the entire Park to ourselves."
What you should know
Bear presence: Several campgrounds report bear sightings. At Tobyhanna, one camper noted, "Just stayed 2 nights with my 7 yrs. old daughter we had a blast... We were warned at check in that there have been a lot of bears in the area but never really thought that we would see one. As soon as we got to our site one came right up as we were setting up our tent. Do not leave any food out."
Cell service limitations: Timothy Lake South RV campers report variable connectivity. "Cell service is awful for AT&T and our T-Mobile gateway. Had to move to a new site to get away from the trees to get starlink connectivity," notes a recent visitor. At Mount Pocono Campground, "WIFI isn't the best fyi," according to another camper.
Site selection matters: "Some sites are more private than others but all have a wooded and private feel," explains a Camp Taylor visitor. At Tobyhanna, "The sites in this loop were spacious and more in an open area, but we were along a wooded area which gave us some shade." Request specific areas based on your preferences.
Seasonal operation: Most campgrounds in the Cresco area operate seasonally. Hickory Run and Tobyhanna State Parks typically run from "2nd Friday in April to 3rd Sunday in October," while Mount Pocono Campground operates "May 1 to Oct 31."
Tips for camping with families
Indoor recreation options: For rainy days, Delaware Water Gap / Pocono Mountain KOA offers alternatives to outdoor activities. "They had mini golf and gem mining, they had a big fire every night AND a giant steer that would come out every night to graze," reports one visitor. Another adds, "The kids were able to enjoy an awesome playground and bounce pad."
Playground access: Consider site location relative to play areas. "Our camp site was great (52), backed onto a wooded area and a big playground was directly in front of us, which worked out perfectly since we have school age kids," notes a KOA visitor. Similarly, at Camp Taylor, there's "a nice playground with tons of kids running all over."
Swimming options: Premium glamping in Cresco offers diverse water activities. "The lake is gorgeous. You can fish in the lake, kayak, bring your own boat and even swim from when it's warm out," notes a visitor to Otter Lake. Mount Pocono Campground features "a huge swimming pool and a toddler's pool," making it suitable for children of all ages.
Evening quiet: Camp Taylor enforces quiet hours. "Unlike many other campgrounds we've been to, they are very good about actually enforcing the quiet hours at night, so you can have an actual peaceful and quiet night around the campfire."
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategy: At Stokes State Forest, "If you are looking for more secluded campsites try to get 13 or 14 as they seem to sick back more. Sites 8-11 are adjacent to the road and in peak times probably have a fair about of foot and vehicle traffic." This kind of specific knowledge helps RVers find the best spots.
Hookup variations: At Tobyhanna, "The sites in this loop were spacious and more in an open area... The bath houses in this loop are non-flush/pit toilets. However, the other camping loops had shower houses and flush toilet restrooms." Know which loops offer which amenities before booking.
First-come considerations: Timothy Lake South operates differently from reserved sites. "This is a first-come, first-serve park in the Thousand Trails system so we had to drive around looking for a spot. The check-in process alerted us to the sites that had issues such as no water or cable."
Weather preparedness: The mountain elevation causes significant temperature drops at night. "The weather was a very hot weekend and our site was in an open area, we had a nice breeze and shade from the wooded area behind our site," notes one RVer about Tobyhanna, demonstrating how site selection affects comfort in variable weather.
