Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Dallastown, PA has a lot to offer. Dallastown is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Pennsylvania camping adventure.
$20 - $89 / night
"The lake is large and gorgeous. There are a lot of lake side campsites which are amazing. The hosts are all very friendly."
"All sites had a paved pad, varying in size depending on the location, with tent site being smaller. Most sites have electric and there are 22 full hookup sites in the camping area."
$20 - $195 / night
"The open field pet friendly sites are also large but provide no shade and it gets hot! You can feel the difference between these sites and the interior loop sites. "
"Nice big flat sites, lots of shared common areas. Heavily wooded in the sites we stayed in but there are some that are out in the open without many trees."
"We stayed in one of the cabins, which had 2 beds and a bunk bed, sink and toilet, refrigerator, microwave, dining table and sofa. There was also a front porch with picnic table and fire pit."
"Lots of activities available. We were in a secluded spot. Wifi and cable were poor on the weekend. Large campground with some good trails.
Will definitely return!"
$45 - $279 / night
"Nice chairs, fire pit, and picnic table. The bath house was extremely clean and very nice. The pool was nice, but being that it was the end of June, the water was freezing! I couldn't get in!"
"A little pricey and strict for vistors, they need to leave by 10 and can’t bring their pets."
"I got an amazingly large site with a nice fire pit and picnic table. The site was very level so that was great! Nice indoor and outdoor pools! Cable TV isn't free, but I never use it anyway."
"We first had a 2 point site near the river, but when it rains the sites get flooded with runoff from the campground.
We moved to a full hookup on the Delaware section."
"The location also kept us fairly bug free."
"There was a lot of space so walking our dogs was great. The smaller bathroom stalls are pretty small but got the job done. Playground and pool were both nice and clean. Wonderful place for a family."
"We were there around Halloween and they had decorated the park so nicely. The sounds of the farm animals all around was fun and amusing for us."
"It’s private property and they can certainly decide who can rent their spots.
The campground itself is in excellent condition."
"There were trees in the back along the creek that shaded the picnic table a little. This part of the campground is quiet. In the front area it’s very close together and crowded."
"This campground has a little something for everyone, from full hook up sites neatly stacked next to each other, to quiet patches of grass next to the river."
$60 - $100 / night
"Very nice campground nice size sites all have picnic table and fire ring. Lot of full time RV here but many other for people traveling and tent sites also. Nice lake for fishing. Easy check in."
"Just takes away from the rural feel. Cabin was clean and perfect. Grounds were very clean. Toilet and showers clean. Golf carts a little dated but overall good. Night time was serene and quite."
"Tent sites are lined up along the water which is great for fishing (especially when you need to stay close to the littles sleeping in the tent). Lots of benches lined up along the water."
"Close to all shopping and local activities and restaurants. Cozy and friendly here."
LegendSite Details: We stayed in the Dragonfly camping cottage (quick weekend trip without the husband, and I’m not quite up for towing and setting up the popup by myself with 3 kids!). It was a standard rustic-type state park cabin, with one double bed, one single twin bunk, and one regular set of bunk beds, so it sleeps 5-6 comfortably. There was also a sturdy dining room table with chairs and an oscillating fan inside. Electricity/lights and heat, but no AC. Very clean inside. The cabin also had a really nice front porch, picnic table, and fire ring, and was situated with a beautiful lake view. The area we were in contained both rustic cabins and yurts (which looked really neat).
Facilities/Overall Park: Multiple bath houses were scattered among various loops, and each one we visited was very old, dim and drab, but they were also spacious and reasonably clean. Showers all had old rust and water stains. However, it was nice that there were so many of them, because this is a very large state park with multiple camping loops. Most tent and basic RV sites were shaded and private, while the newer FHU sites were more open (but still nicely spaced). Hosts and rangers were nice, but not very helpful or proactive when they needed to correct a reservation mistake they made (but it worked out in the end). There is a beautiful lake with a really nice day area in the center of the park, with a great playground and concession stand. The lake is popular for fishing and swimming, although there is oddly no sand beach; swimmers just entered the water straight from the grass.
Surrounding Area/Attractions: Not much going on in the immediate vicinity, but Harrisburg, Amish country, and Hershey are all doable day trips from the park. We were here just for the Hershey RV show, and it was an easy 40-minute drive.
Overall, this was a very pretty park with site options for every type of camper, but certain elements are in need of updating. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to make this park a destination, but it’s a nice option as a base camp for visiting the RV show or other attractions (with a much cheaper price tag than the private CGs closer to the action).
GuideWe stayed for 10 days in a rustic cabin. Campground is well organized and clean. Tons of activities and even a hiking path. Pet friendly with small dog park. We had civil war soldiers drilling and staying the weekend we were there. Bathrooms are super clean.
GuideWhat a wonderful place! The resort is spacious, scattered throughout the woods. The RV sites are comfortable with all the amenities. And the customer service is impeccable.
We stayed during a few weekdays in October and we almost had the whole place to ourselves. We stayed in one of the cabins, which had 2 beds and a bunk bed, sink and toilet, refrigerator, microwave, dining table and sofa. There was also a front porch with picnic table and fire pit.
Honestly, the beds were not very comfortable and way too small for a couple to sleep in one. It was a VERY dark walk to get to the bathhouse for showers. And the fire pit had no grill, so we ended up having to use the stoves of some RV camping friends for meals. Otherwise the stay was great.
I would strongly recommend camping there in the summer months or during weekends in the shoulder season if you have social kids like mine. There were tons of things to do there for adults and kids alike. The activities — such as putt-putt, jump zone and the playground ended up being kinda boring for them without others to share it with. Obviously that would change with crowds. And advance reservations are a must — this place books up fast!
I would highly recommend staying at Merry Meadows, especially if you have an RV and a group of friends to join you!
GuideLarge campground with electric RV/camper sites as well as non-electric tent sites. Several bathroom and shower facilities. Lake-side sites are available and each site comes equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and parking spot. Friendly staff, decently maintained. There were several planks missing from our picnic table and the parking spot was a mud hole. Some pet friendly sites are available as well. A snapping turtle stopped by for a visit at our campsite and ended up laying eggs! Quite a sight to see, there is plenty of wildlife around to enjoy during your stay.
GuideOlive Green cabin, owned/operated by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is a two floor primitive cabin near Frederick, Maryland. It's a log cabin that was built around the mid-1860's. The last private owner, Olive Green lived in it until the 1980's (I think) when she was still living primitively without electricity or water. She grew her own food and had livestock on her property. The cabin itself is stocked with various cookware (including cast iron), bed frames, tables, chairs, books and games. We went in December after a storm and needed to shovel our way to the outhouse. Manual labor is not a bad thing! The opportunity to stay here and live primitively for a weekend was nice. The only downside is that the cabin is not effectively insulated, with numerous holes between the logging that lets a good amount of cold air in at night. There is also a wood burning stove on the first floor that's great for cooking on, but doesn't produce a lot of heat that needs to make its way to the sleeping quarters in the loft.
RangerMostly an RV campground, but does have a few campsites and cabins. Campsites can be on top of each other and can be very rocky or muddy. We actually broke quite a few tent stakes just trying to get our footprint down.
The campsites available are primitive or have water and electric and bathhouses / restrooms are located in a few spots around the park.
Fire rings are at each site, but appear to get moved a lot.
The camp store sells firewood for $5 per cord and has other necessities, including coffee.
Some cabins, like those in my photos, are brand new and have everything you would need to set up house minus linens, towels, toilet paper , paper goods and toiletries.
Would definitely revisit.
LegendThis PA state park felt, upon first impression, very tightly spaced and had an overall crowded feel in loop C, the only dog friendly electric loop. The sites that aren’t ADA have more space between them than we did. Our site C41 was full hookup as are several others (1-7, 39-47). This is an ADA site, there are several of them. Perhaps this is why it’s crowded so they could fit extra ADA sites? They are very level and have paved pads, but also a paved picnic pad, and paved fire ring pad. Non ADA full hookup sites appeared to be the nicest though they were narrow and some weren’t level side to side. There were a lot of rocks embedded in the ground around and on many sites. Non ADA sites have only a paved pad for the RV. The picnic table and fire ring were behind our RV and when sitting at them, we were within view of sites 37, 39, and 40. I felt like I was in a townhouse setting. Non ADA sites varied as to where picnic and fire rings were set. Also many sites looked like there was quite a drop off at the edge of the already narrow pad so that you had a big step down off your last RV step. Site C42 is ADA and is a nice, semi private, spacious site. Though I’d choose from sites #1-7 next time. ALL parking pads are 45’ long.
Loop B has a mix of electric and non electric but doesn’t allow pets. That loop was more spacious and had trees between some sites so it felt more private. The sites appeared level. There are Yurts and mini cabins outside Loop C that had lots of space around them. Loop A is a pet loop but no electric. However, it’s closed now for what appears to be renovations. Loop D is non electric, no pets.
The campground had no vacancy on this particular weekend. One car allowed per site and most had to park perpendicular. Sites were short (45’ long). 2nd cars are $5 a night but wouldn’t fit in most sites.
The day use areas have frisbee golf, boat rentals, fishing, hunting, hiking, and a pool that overlooks the lake. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is adjacent to the park but was not fully open due to covid. It’s a large state park. The pool was nice looking but not open until Memorial Day. Boat rentals are available weekends in May and Sept. and daily all summer. These amenities were far from the campground and would require driving your car. Hiking trails were plentiful but most were labeled as “more difficult.” Horse back riding is allowed on some trails. I didn’t see any trails that started at the campground loops.
Overall, it’s an adequate campground but not my favorite.
TravelerThe Hilton area campground is unique because, unlike the Hollofield area of the park, it doesn't allow RVs and its tent sites are non-electric. However, a tiny cabin experience with electricity is available... within the same loop as non-electric tent camping. My non-electric tent campsite was surrounded by brightly lit cabins, even unoccupied all of their porch lights stay on all night. It doesn't make the upper half of the campground ideal for stargazing. The other reviewers are correct that the lower half of the loop is situated lower in the valley which will make any rain you get more difficult, so avoid booking a site at the very bottom. Overall the campground and state park deserve 4 stars because from what I could see tent pads were level, firepits had grill gates, showers were hot, and staff were cleaning and maintaining the grounds everyday. But be safe; prepare detailed offline navigation if you use the trails surrounding the camp. I definitely got lost relying on blazes for what I thought was supposed to be the Charcoal Trail.
GuideDeer Spring Loop is near the top of the mountain.
This is not a pet friendly loop.
Site 112 is level, mostly shaded, backs up to the woods and has electric.
The site is between two cabins. Not a problem except the cabins were empty and the ac was running. Noisy and kind of wasteful.
There are lots of good hiking trails in the park. It’s a nice walk to the lake. Note that the hike back is 2/3 uphill.
They sell ice at the camp entrance, which is nice.
The bathrooms were moderately clean and had plenty of hot water.
I was not aware that there was a camp host until the third morning as I was readying to leave. I approached another camp to ask a question and they said they were the “camp hosts”.
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