Looking for tent camping near Cross Fork? Find the best information on tent camping near Cross Fork, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Cross Fork campsites are perfect for tent campers.
$20 - $22 / night
Lawrence Recreation Area is a day-use facility on the south side of Cowanesque Lake. It is conveniently located on State Route 49 approximately 4 miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area offers a great location for picnicking and shoreline fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers many outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails surround the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The Cayuga Shelter is reservable for group picnicking. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
Lambs Creek Recreation Area is located at the southern end of Tioga Lake, just north of the borough of Mansfield, PA. The recreation area is easily accessible from US Route 15 and offers a great location for picnicking, hiking and biking.
A 3.2-mile paved rail trail travels south from the recreation area into Mansfield. It is open for hiking, biking and roller blading. A boat ramp within the facility provides access to the 498-acre Tioga Lake, which is popular for water skiing, fishing and paddling.
Lambs Creek offers one group shelter. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates up to 100 people in a lovely wooded setting.
Lambs Creek is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$75 / night
South Shore Recreation Area is located on the south side of the Cowanesque Lake along State Route 49, just five miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area is easily accessible from Route 15 and offers a great location for boating, picnicking and fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers a variety of outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails circle the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which travels through the recreation area. It links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The recreation area offers three group shelters. The Iroquois and Oneida Shelters have electric and water hookups; the Mohawk Shelter has water hookups only. All three sites are fully accessible and comfortably accommodate groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
Guide
My family of 4 tent camped here for the weekend. Everyone at this campground was so friendly and nice. The staff really tried to make our stay comfortable. I noticed there was always a staff member driving around in a golf cart, checking on things. The bathrooms were very clean and maintained the whole weekend. The firewood sold at the camp store was only$5 for a large bundle and burned very well. Some campgrounds seem to sell "wet" wood that is hard to light. My only negative comment would be this is more of an RV park. If you do tent camp you should know you will be out in the open, no trees around your site and NO privacy. I will say the tent sites are huge and you can park 2 cars at each one. We made the best of it. We stayed in site 404
Guide
The upper campground has a rustic feel, beautiful views and is a great location for wildlife encounters. While it has some amenities (electric on a few RV sites; scullery area near the pit toilets; showers available at lower campground), these grounds are away from the bustle of the outside world. We are tent campers, and without the need for hookup and never having been there, we reserved site 45--but do not recommend it for its challenging slope. When a loud, disrespectful family set up nearby that first night for a long weekend, we spoke with the camp host (helpful, amenable Jim), who suggested we ask about site 71, the most removed of all the sites. Went to the camp office and obtained it for the rest of our week-long stay--and it was perfect. (While it had a hookup that we didn't need/use, we did pay extra for it--but well worth the seclusion.) Super quiet back there and totally private. Some of the rustic tent sites looked lovely, too (did not note best site numbers; sorry), but we cannot recommend #71 enough. If you're an RV camper, however, the sites with the vista views overlooking the reservoir are amazing, if not somewhat close together.
We wanted to encounter wildlife; went looking for it and found it! Everything seemed to be about an hour or more away on winding roads, but that was okay; love the meandering. We went to:
Pennsylvania is gorgeous!
We also enjoyed meeting Julie at the Lock Haven Visitors' Center and had our only meal out at Deb's in Cross Fork. For ice cream treats (a weakness): Ice Shack near Lock Haven; Old Bull Cafe in Benezette; the kiosk at the top of Pine Creek Gorge.
A very restful, quiet week in early June was just what we needed, and Kettle Creek State Park Upper Campground was wonderful.
Scout
My family and I had a wonderful stay tent camping here. The grounds are huge and very well maintained, including the grass being mowed. There are large, beautiful trees to tent camp in the shade. There’s lots of amenities like volleyball, basketball, playground, swings, all in a safe area away from roads. There’s entrance spots to kayak/ play in the river. Other than a few mosquito bites, we left with a peaceful, wonderful time and memories. Including seeing an eagle fly over the river!
Traveler
Rustic campsites, pretty quiet, great lake nearby. We enjoyed it over a three day weekend doing tent camping with our two bulldogs.
Guide
A dingy place. The ground was swampy the only dry places are the gravel pads in the sites. I wouldn't tent camp here.
On the plus side, strong AT&T and T-Mobile cell signals. (I don't have a verizon device)
Traveler
Tent camped here one night, perfect for a quick little stopover. As other reviewers mention, it’s right near a road so you hear car (and horse & buggy!) noise — would try to get a spot further away from the road if possible. Pretty clean bathroom, easy self-registration process, and not too many folks!
Guide
Nice campground, wooded sites and most were okay for tent camping however some required your tent to be set up a small distance from the fire ring. Clean showerhouses and bathrooms. Big Lake and a few miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.
The Iron Ore mines from the past have left the creek water stained red which is why its called the Red Mo with the locals.
TravelerWe stayed at a tent site, T35 and it was wonderfully secluded. The site itself was fairly uneven and rocky so we had to always use caution when walking around the site but it added to the rugged experience. There are 3 sets of vault toilets around the one way loop and they seemed clean but definitely smelled like vault toilets do. There are usually a lot of spigots around the campsite to get water but right before we left for our trip I got a notification that there was a waterline issue and there would be centrally located water. It ended up being a big portable water truck near the first set of vault toilets on the loop. The primitive campsite is a mix of RV and tent sites and has a good mix of both. The tent sites are definitely more secluded and situated back in the woods, you do have to walk a small path to get to your site and the parking is on the road. We really enjoyed our long weekend kayaking, swimming in the lake (there is a really nice beach on the other side of the lake) and just generally relaxing at our campsite. The rest of the park is situated about a 10 minute drive across the lake. Firewood is very accessible and some right at the beginning of the loop (cash only). Overall we really enjoyed the campsite as well at the State Park, it has a lot to offer.
Guide
We go here every year. Electric hook up, and very nice tent sites along creek. Does get crowded on nice weekends but mostly families. A short drive down to pine creek rails to trails. Beautiful ride through creek canyon. Nice little store at entrance, and several hikes from park.
Guide
This was my 1st time camping at a KOA as the nearby state park was full. This KOA impressed me. The grounds were well laid out and included RVs, campers, tents and us in Hammocks. We were in an area for tent camping though. The individual bathroom/showers were great & clean. Office facilities & firewood access were also nice. I usually camp in state parks, but I’ll give KOA consideration again after this stay.
GuideMake a reservation way ahead of your date as this campground is very popular and sites book early. It has sites to accommodate any R.V. and lot of tent sites. The lake has lots to offer. Swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife watching and a big sky view for star gazing.
Guide
We booked a tent site, and there was only one small patch of grass where we could set up our tent. But the people next to us were in a big group and already had their tents set up very close to our grass, and we didn't feel comfortable camping that close to people. My brother had an RV site, so we went down to his and set up our tent there and it was much nicer. The fire pits are very nice, and the hiking trails in the park are great.
Scout
Stayed at one of the two "Tent Only" sites in the campground. These two sites are shaded, surrounded by trees and pretty much private to the rest of the "Modern" campground. When staying in these sites, you can see from tent site to tent site, noise was not an issue though. You can quickly walk down to the Dam from these sites (like a 5 min easy walk, down a stepped hill).
Bathrooms are really nice and clean, with showers. Bathrooms have lights, heat, and exhaust fans. Everything was kept really clean on a packed July weekend.
I ventured around the "Cabin" area, cabins look really nice (comfortably primative with an external bathhouse, with cabin key only access, containing a potty and shower) some cabins were more.private than others.
Swimming at the beach was surprisingly nice. Water depth is very suitable for young kids. There roped off "Swimming Area" only reached maybe 4-5ft. Row Boats, Kayaks, Peddleboats, Canoes can be rented cheaply to explore the lake. The concession stand at the swimming beach has a very large menu, from fried foods to ice cream.
Hiking trails are really nice, the one that my family did was a few miles of easy hiking, mostly graveled thru nice lush forrested and marshy areas. My young kids had no issues.
Will definitely visit this park again.
Traveler
Great tent site with lots of room. Have your own little driveway to park your car right next to the site. Comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Need lots of rope for setting up tarps as trees are far apart. Cute little stream in the back with a log crossing. No cell service, near town with free wifi. No toilets or garbage. Good amount of traffic coming down the road but isn't an issue at night time.
Ranger
Great place to stay, lots to do in the area including other state parks and forests. Hiking, swimming, taking in the views. Small streams mean tons of bugs, but not much worse than the rest of PA. We stayed in the cabin in winter but we've also done a day visit in the summer. Really pretty tall pine trees in a lot of the campgrounds. Didn't stay in tent sites but they seemed rather spread out for a state park campground. Everything clean and well cared for.
GuideThis state park is beautiful and I consider it a semi-hidden gem. It's our favorite place to tent camp. It's rarely busy and it's first come first serve. They have tent pads which are nice but we have a 10x20 tent so we pick a site that the pad is flush with the surrounding ground. There are bushes and trees between the sites and it feels very private. Sometimes it can feel too secluded but the park ranger drives through a number of times. They are always very friendly. There is no electric but there are spots to get water even placed throughout. The bathrooms are clean and we've never run into any issues. There is some nice hiking here and lots of nature to explore.
Traveler
We tent camped and they had openings on Memorial Day weekend. The weather turned out to be bad for camping but management was very accommodating with our requests to change dates and spots. Unlike many campgrounds that cater primarily to campers/RVs, they have nice spots in wooded areas for tenters. Some even have water and electric hookups. There was a decent playground area but the bathrooms could use a remodel. Our spot had a nice soft, flat spot for our tent but was a little cramped (they did have larger spots) and it would be nice to have a grill attached to the fire pit. The camp ground fire wood was kiln dried but cost $15 for a bag that lasted less than a day (and we used it pretty sparingly) so I would suggest buying wood nearby where it can be found much cheaper (please don't transport wood from far away as this contributes to the spread of invasive species like the spotted lanternfly). The proximity to Little Pine State Park was nice.
Guide
This place is not really a campground, it seems to mainly be a seasonal RV resort...in any event, most of the spots were occupied by RVs with things like wooden decks, yard lights, cute little signs, etc.
The tent sites are large enough, but have zero privacy between them--see photo.
What saved this place from total mediocrity is its location right on the river...while I couldn't see the river from my campsite due to brush, it was clearly audible, which was nice. In September the river was flowing nicely, and was mainly a bit above my ankles, although there were some pools that looked like they would go up to about mid-thigh (although I didn't go in the find out).
Firewood sold on-site, and there is a little campstore, although pickings are fairly slim.
TravelerI don’t understand how anyone can say the owners are rude! I just don’t get it…they have been outstanding since they took over and have made some great improvements! That aside, I love this campground! It is my escape away from technology and my time to be one with nature. We tent camp and love the sites as they are right on the creek, a few have direct access to the creek if you have kayaks which is awesome! The views to be had are amazing and lots of hiking in the area, well known for trout fishing, and kayaking!
The campground is clean, organized, has rules, and is quiet! The rules are enforced, which makes it better for everyone!
We try to make a trip up there annually, weather permitting, sometimes twice a year. Never had a bad experience and am grateful for the time we get to spend up there!
Traveler
I’ve stayed here twice for camping trips. It’s a great small campground that has basic amenities. The experience is likely highly site dependent, as there are a few distinct areas to stay depending on your needs and luck. There is NO cell service and park rangers do “rounds” but aren’t stationed at the site. There are a couple of water pumps, several well-maintained pit toilets, and an emergency phone. It’s about 20-30 min to gas. There’s no camp store here but about 3.5 miles away at Poe Valley there’s a store, real bathrooms and showers, kayaking rentals, etc. There’s a guy that sells firewood just past Poe Valley. The Poe Paddy sites I prefer are well-shaded, fairly large, surrounded by trees, and private (but you’ll be able to hear a couple neighbors). Dogs are only allowed in the RV loop, which is intense gravel, so be sure you have a good sleeping pad if you’re tent camping. The campground is in the middle of the dense Bald Eagle State Forest with lots of hiking opportunities. The creek that runs through Poe Paddy is awesome for wading and people also tube it when conditions are right. Get a Purple Lizard map for best enjoyment of the area.
GuideLyman Run holds a special place for me. It’s nestled within the gold level dark sky area. This means on a clear night and with a waning or new moon, one could see the arm of the Milky Way with millions of stars- more than most people see in a lifetime. The camp sites are a bit rough- there are two loops, with one loop catering to the mostly RV crowds and the remaining one for tents. There are a few really good and shaded tent sites in the RV loop. The location of the park is near Cherry Springs SP, which gets all the attention for the night sky viewing. We were able to use Lyman Run as a way station as we visited Kinzua, the PA Grand Canyon, and other sites in the PA Woods area. There’s even a chance to watch elk nearby. Each site has a fire ring, with wood available nearby. Amenities include a beach at a nearby lake, warm showers, and good hiking trails. There is a general store nearby, but the nearest town is almost 45+ minutes away. But hey, there’s a Fox’s Pizza there, so ... win? Since Cherry Springs (at the time of this writing) does not take reservations, we opted for the sure thing. Tent pads are well taken care of and the bathrooms are clean. This park is worth the time and view- you will not be disappointed.
TravelerI throughly enjoyed my time at Bald Eagle State Park. We stayed at a tent site, I believe 58 in the rustic camping section. The rustic section was located around a large loop with each site ranging in a few feet from the car-friendly loop to about the 50 foot walk where our site was located. While this is a primitive site, planning ahead you can place yourself near the vault toilets. If there was running water in the bathrooms– we didn’t find it! There are several water pumps located around the loop and we used that for washing dishes. Our site had space for two tents with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The fire ring was actually one of the best I have experienced– featuring a grill grate with adjustable levels for exposure to heat. The site also had a hook for keeping food or garage elevated from critters. Hammock lovers: we had plenty of trees to easily string our hammock near the picnic table/fire ring. Now the trains. An active railroad sits about 75 feet away from several of the rustic sites. We noticed the 7 p.m. train on Saturday evening. What we didn’t expect was being awoken at 5 a.m. to a freight train blowing through full steam– really gets your heart pumping– did not need coffee that morning. The rustic area also has access to a trail that loops about two miles near the lake and rustic campground. It was a fun place!
Guide
Twin Lakes is a beautiful spot, tucked away in a stream valley in the Allegheny National Forest. It's mainly locals who come here, since few outsiders know about it. If you come in the spring or fall, you're likely to have the whole recreation area to yourself, though the swimming beach can get crowded in summer. Originally, there were supposed to be two small lakes--more like ponds--on this site. But money for the second pond was redirected elsewhere--to construct the swimming area at the Lolita Campground instead. And so, the little body of water called "Twin Lake" sits solitary and with a misleading name. The campground is quiet and pleasant, with large, sunny sites for trailers in the lower loop and shaded tent sites in the upper loop. Unfortunately, nearby gas drilling has made the drinking water unsafe, and so the National Forest Service first closed the upper loop, and now for the 2018 "camping year" it has closed the entire campground. The ANF website promises that this is temporary, and the campground will reopen. In every way, Twin Lakes is a lovely location, with dark, towering hemlock trees, rustic old CCC architecture, and a serene little lake completely encircled by a walking trail. Black bears have long been habituated to humans at Twin Lakes! Keep your food and toiletries in the car. To my knowledge, no one has ever been attacked by a bear here. The wild and overrun Twin Lakes Trail is a linear backpacking route that starts here and heads westward toward the North Country National Scenic Trail. But unfortunately, the Twin Lakes Trail ends up getting lost in those dismal parts of the forest that have been completely trashed by gas drillers. I hope this campground reopens. I have fond memories of bringing my kids here when they were little, flying kites, picking berries, swimming in the frigid spring water! PS: If you've got a tall trailer, be sure to check the Twin Lakes page on the ANF website; there's a way in, but it's not all that easy to find.
RangerUPDATED reviews for rustic and modern cabins.
March 2020, Modern Cabins: Before COVID-19 hit PA we stayed in one of the modern cabins. Wow...everything was seemingly quite new and it was extremely comfortable. Nice bathrooms, nice kitchen, etc. One of the best things about Black Mo is how isolated it feels and it's never crowded in the off-months. The Moss Hanne is still a thrilling trail even in the winter months and there's been a lot of beaver activity since we last visited including a very impressive dam.
October 2019, Rustic Cabins: We stayed in one of the rustic cabins on a cold October weekend. Very charming small cabins with robust woodstoves. Although we probably could have been more careful, there were unfortunately some very bothersome mice who kept us awake each night...and were seemingly not very afraid of us! The construction of the rustic cabins is such that there probably isn't much you can do about mice getting in. If this doesn't bother you, these cabins are really cute and cozy.
July 2019, Tent Camping: As far as camping goes, the loop area is a bit cramped for my taste, but if that doesn't bother you it's fine. Clean bathhouse and convenient outdoor sink for washing up after dinner. Overall one of the best PA parks and well maintained.
I really have to address some of these other reviews, though:
"Water was thick with weeds& lilies but ok nonetheless." Wow! Pitcher plants, sundews and water lilies are not "weeds." They are unique to bog environments and don't grow in other places. The vegetation in the lake is what makes Black Mo black, so picturesque and unlike other PA parks!
"The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either." Like many state parks in this part of the world there is no cell service, so you need to bring a real map (Purple Lizard) and look a few things up on the internet ahead of time. Black Mo is literally ten minutes from Philipsburg where there is surely an ice cream stand, 25 minutes from State College, which has tons of touristy offerings…I could go on but really this is laughable.
LegendWe stayed here over a weekend and the campground was packed because there was a Penn State football game. Once the weekend was over, the park cleared out and it felt like there was more space and it was much quieter. Our site was the only one available for that weekend and it was a premium with a large paved patio with a nice outdoor patio set with table and chairs, a swing, and a sunken fire pit. We loved this deluxe site but they are a lot pricier than the standard ones.
The park is fairly small but has some really nice sites. There are 91 RV sites to choose from as well as tent sites, cabins, and “lodges.” Some are pull-thru and back-in sites ranging from full hookup deluxe, full hookup 50A, full hookup 30A, and water/30A only. The campground is built on a hill and sites are terraced. Some pull-thru sites have a very steep short hill to go up which made for some RV’s scraping bottom. The section in the front of the park is open with spotty trees; whereas, sites in the back of the park are tucked in the woods and are a lot more private. Roads in the back section are narrow and the sites are not very long and suitable for small campers. Some sites are not level at all and others are sloped such that you have to pull all the way forward into your site to get level.
Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There are about 45 cable channels. Satellite reception at some sites would be difficult as trees would interfere. There is free Wi-Fi at each site which worked well at our site (#32). Amenities include a covered pavilion, off-leash dog park, camp store, swimming pool, playground, basketball/volleyball courts, and fishing pond. We were there during the off-season but apparently there is lots going on in the summer with hayrides, treasure hunts, Sunday morning pancakes, and a splash pad.
This KOA is close to historic sites, Amish markets, Penn State and a couple of state parks. For outdoor adventure, visit and hike Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Parks. Black Moshannon has great trails and a wonderful lake to kayak. The creamery on Penn States campus is delicious. Visit Mt Nittany or other wineries which have pretty good wine. Overall, it was a good place to stop and generally we liked the park. The price listed above was for a deluxe full hookup site (which included a paved patio, sunken fire pit, patio furniture, and a swing) and not a standard site.
TravelerStayed with my husband last fall for our first camping trip and have zero complaints. This place was perfect has everything you need. The surrounding area is loaded with things to do as well if you feel like venturing out. Cherry Springs Dark Park is just up the road but the view from our tent was just as good. We also stopped at the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Hiking trails were within walking distance from the tent. Looking forward to our next stay and some more camp food!
Guide
Incredible views, nicknamed the Grand Canyons of Pennsylvania
Tent camping near Cross Fork, Pennsylvania offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cross Fork, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cross Fork, PA is Colton Point State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Cross Fork, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Cross Fork, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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