Best Tent Camping near Dornsife, PA

Tent Camping Reviews near Dornsife, PA

691 Reviews of 21 Dornsife Campgrounds

• 

  Laure D.

  Legend

  Sep. 19, 2020

  Locust Lake State Park Campground

  Serenity on the lakes

  Pretty campground with lots of lake views. We arrived just before dark which was good because the sites were not level front to back. Most sites had a slope but there were some level sites. You can kayak, canoe, paddle board, and fish on the lake. There are 2 boat launches. The store wasn’t much to speak of. Bath houses were clean. We walked around the lake on a paved level path. They advertise no alcohol. This is near the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine tour which we loved. It’s near the Yingling Brewery tour.

• 

  Joann&WellsThePup I.

  Guide

  Jul. 14, 2021

  Penn Roosevelt State Park Campground

  Quiet camping

  Beautiful primitive campground (tent only). Get a site on the outside towards the water. They are spaced out and peaceful. Has restrooms (no shower), picnic table, and fire pit at each site. Short walk to creek and beautiful pond.

• 

  Cam N.

  Traveler

  Aug. 16, 2018

  Primitive Camping Area — Bald Eagle State Park

  Watch for trains

  I 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!

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• 

  Rick W.

  Traveler

  Aug. 15, 2022

  Colonel Denning State Park Campground

  Tent camping sites

  Walk in sites have picnic table and fire ring. Tent pads are level and smooth. Showers and restrooms are close to sites. Strongly recommend...

• 

  Craig F.

  Guide

  Jul. 1, 2019

  Gifford Pinchot State Park Campground

  Fun Camping and Lake Activities

  We had a wonderful stay at Gifford Pinchot State Park! 

  The camping area at GP is separated into A loop and B loops with approximately 300 sites. 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. Both loops are peninsulas into the lake, which is convenient to launching boats directly from many sites. Loop A is closer to the designated swimming area with a sandy beach and playground. B loop is closer to many of the hiking trails and also several boat launch areas. It is nice that the camping area and amenities are separated from the public day use area. At the entrance to the camping area there are three dump stations. 

  During our stay we were at a full hookup site which was very spacious and often hard to find in PA State Parks. Our site was#299 and for some reason the entire site was paved/blacktop, which was different than all the other sites where the pad was paved and the picnic table area was gravel/grass. While this site made it easy to level our camper, it became quite hot in the afternoon/evening after the sun had baked it all day.

  Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed GP and couldn’t believe we hadn’t visited before because it is a great state park. Wood is available for purchase at the campground hosts’ sites and ice at the park office. As with most PA state parks, quiet hours are at 9:00PM, which is a bit early, and there is no alcohol allowed in the park. We look forward to returning to GP in the future.

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• V

  Valerie M.

  Scout

  Jul. 11, 2018

  Knoebels Campground

  Clean, quiet, inexpensive, fun place to camp!

  Knoebels campground is situated next to Knoebels amusement park and offers sites for tent campers and RVs, as well as cabins.

  There is electricity at every site but not water. There are fill stations throughout the campgrounds. Most sites are level and shaded. There are nice sturdy wooden platforms for tent campers.

  The bath houses are clean and well maintained. There are outside sinks with mirrors, laundry facilities, shower stalls, and toilet stalls. Or if you prefer there are also traditional bathrooms with showers.

  Quiet hours are enforced between 10p and 8a.

  Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Wood is available by the bucket near the check in building. Sites are inexpensive and are all a short walk, or free shuttle ride, to the park!.

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• T

  Theresa R.

  Scout

  Aug. 18, 2022

  Ricketts Glen State Park Campground

  Impromptu trip that we don’t regret!

  This trip was a bit impromptu so we assume most of the good sites were picked over. The site we stayed at was the perfect size for two people, not the biggest site in the campground but we had a bit of a buffer between our neighbors so we weren’t on top of other people. We were located at a bit heavily trafficked area because we were near the entrance of the campground and the restrooms. The state park was beautiful and had a lot of things to do. I recommend doing the Falls trail and to get onto Lake Jean. They have a concessions by Lake Jean that doesn’t only sell food and drinks but some ice and bundle of wood. Definitely bring a hammer because it’s near impossible to stake down your tent by hand because the turf is hard. Would definitely come again and do the primitive group camp option if I can. No cell service (Verizon) but if you drive 10 miles north up towards Lopez we were able to get a signal. This was a nice way to end summer!

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• 

  Napunani

  Legend

  Jun. 25, 2022

  Russell P Letterman Campground — Bald Eagle State Park

  Park Mowers Trashed Our Campsite

  PROS

  Senior discount $18 

  Able to reserve 334 days prior to arriving

  Campground quiet but can hear PA 150 road noise 

  Great night sky viewing 

  Nice privacy from side neighbor's campsite 

  Asphalt parking pad 

  Large gravel around pad to include firepit and utility hook up 

  Grass around gravel, but was mid-calf high 

  Metal fire pit which was cleaned out upon arrival 

  Lantern pole 

  8 miles off of Interstate 80 

  Firewood for sale at the campground; $6 bundle 

  Park is good proximity to Penn State University and Central Pennsylvania 

  Country Pride Restaurant Milesburg (TA truck stop off of Interstate 80) has some terrific food! 

  4 bars Verizon 

  CONS

  $6.50 reservation fee for self made online reservation 

  One day while away from our campsite, park personnel mowed  mid-cafe high grass at and around our site and the mowers threw grass all over our table with a table cloth, chairs, trailer, driveway...you name it...it was covered with grass. Why the mowers didn’t direct the mowed grass AWAY from our items is beyond me. What a mess!!! 

  Check-in clerk at park office was disturbed we checked in with her. Told us just to go to site. Could not tell us if site was vacated. We had to ask for a park map and directions to campground/campsite since this was first time visiting 

  Site MO45 unlevel from side to side 

  Site MO45 NO shade as was the case with most of the FHU campsites

  Metal frame wood top table in bad condition 

  Need pathway from upper campsite to toilet/shower building…have to wade thru mid-calf high grass if you don’t walk on the roadway 

  Toilet/shower facility lit up like a Christmas tree 

  Toilet/shower facility cleaned on Wednesdays only, according to sign on door 

  No WiFi

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• 

  Danielle

  Guide

  Apr. 12, 2021

  Bald Eagle State Forest

  Dispersed Site #13; Pretty, loud, not accessible for pop up campers

  Husband and I set off for a weekend of boon docking at Bald Eagle State Forest in our little pop up camper. We stayed at site #13, which is a dispersed site- not in the campground. 

  Picture a lovely large, round grassy meadow surrounded by trees at the end of a long gravel road. Picnic table, fire ring, one pretty tree in the center, and a babbling brook down below the site. It looks so perfect! Now picture large boulders preventing any wheeled vehicle (including a light little pop up) from rolling into said field. Add in that the I-80 interstate is so close that you can see trucks through the trees in some places- not to mention hear them all.night.long. Would we camp here again? Nope. We would not. Would this be right for some? Probably yes- especially tent campers, loud groups, and those who feel safer with road noise in the background. 

  This site was not listed as"tent only", and I suppose being able to set up on the gravel road did work. But I was majorly bummed we couldn't set up at the back of the actual site itself. The road set up was not nearly as nice. You can see in my photos the size of the site, and the boulders, and where we ended up setting up. 

  I will also mention that the road getting here involved a hairpin turn (from Long Run Rd. onto Ransaires Rd.) that large set ups would not be able to make. We made it work and we had a great trip.

  Not what we expected, but we still had a good time. We will try again at Bald Eagle State Forest, but would not choose this site again.

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