Best Tent Camping near Dysart, PA

Recent Tent Reviews near Dysart, Pennsylvania

319 Reviews of 11 Dysart Campgrounds

• 

  Timothy M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 9, 2018

  Quemahoning Family Recreation Area

  Swimming, fishing, biking, hiking

  On the lake. Good private tent sites in the woods.Rv sites too.

• C

  Chuck M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  S.B. Elliott State Park Campground

  Old and worn out

  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)

• 

  Travis S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 27, 2017

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Red Mo

  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.

• 

  Jenna G.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2018

  Blue Knob State Park Campground

  Great camping experience

  Plenty of trails to hike from easy to difficult. Local history is right around the corner with the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument. Blue Knob houses the second highest peak in PA. The bathrooms were clean. Camp sites are rocky so be sure to bring a mat if tent camping. The park does not offer fire wood for purchase; bring extra.

• N

  Nicole F.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Crooked Run Campground — Prince Gallitzin State Park

  Clean sites with nearby water and bathrooms.

  We used the group tent sites for our Girl Scout weekend. It was a fun weekend. We participated in the Outdoors for Everyone event. The site was clean, decently level area for tents, accessible to potable water and bathrooms with showers. Rangers were wonderful to work with in setting up teaching opportunities for the girls. We will definately go back.

• 

  Denise D.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2018

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Super place for the family and everyone.

  Make 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.

• 

  Alex D.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 7, 2023

  Friendship Village Campground & RV Park

  BIG but beautiful place

  We do a lot of dispersed camping but we spoiled ourselves with this spot. It was $50 for a tent site but I have never used a cleaner camp shower or seen so many amenities on a campground. They were also very accommodating of our late check-in as we travel across the country.

• R

  Rae H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Silver Canoe Campground

  Beautiful tent spot

  My 9 year old and myself got a tent site with electric for two nights and had a great time. The sites were all level and were well-shaded. The pool area and bath house were clean and maintained. The camp store was a great asset for small items left behind, plus prices were great for ice and firewood. We will be back!

• 

  Travis S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2017

  Greenwood Furnace State Park Campground

  Small quiet scenic park with fascinating history

  Beautiful campgrounds with spacious camp sites. Well maintained bathroom and firewood plus ice available at the entrance (this is a great plus for those car/tent camping.

  extremely close to the rothrock forest mountain biking trails. Less than a mile to trails that take you to the IMBA epic coopers gap loop.

  Campgrounds and surround park area were well maintained with a few picnic shelters, a beach and sand volleyball courts. Camp was full and all day use areas were occupied during our stay.

• 

  Matthew H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 20, 2018

  Parker Dam State Park Campground

  Nice park, Surprisingly Nice Swimming Beach, and the Dam is pretty impressive.

  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.

• 

  Dawn C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 17, 2021

  Trough Creek State Park Campground

  Horrible

  We had a terrible experience here. We were at tent site #29 but for only an hour...the "water hookup" was BROWN. The bathroom has no lights or sink... Our 16x16 tent didn't fit the "17x17" tent pad. We had bug spray on and had two ThermaCELLs running and we're literally eaten alive by mosquitoes. And just to top it off there's absolutely 0 cell service. We have Verizon. We ended up packing up and going to a different campground. Holiday KOA about 10min away was incredible. Bathrooms are the nicest I've seen at a campground.

• 

  Zack B.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 11, 2024

  Moshannon State Forest

  Generic positive title

  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.

• 

  Indy A.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 27, 2022

  Silver Canoe Campground

  Excellent time

  I'll start by saying that I have been here multiple times. Each time we are greeted by friendly people. We always stay at a tent site.

  It's very clean and well maintained. All campers have been respectful each time. It's not loud and crazy once 10pm hits. Family friendly and there's a little fishing lake. You can rent paddle boats or canoes to paddle around the lake.

  The main reason we started going there is because they are dog friendly and they don't hold breed restrictions against bully breeds. This place is literally a diamond find for us.

• 

  Jay B.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 5, 2017

  Crooked Run Campground — Prince Gallitzin State Park

  Labor Day 2017

  2 night stay in a tent site. Sites were small, but doable. Very clean and spacious showerhouses/bathrooms in each section. Some sections do not allow pets, even for walking. Lake was large with 26 miles of shoreline. The lake was virtually empty, especially for a holiday weekend. There is a swimming area, also empty. The only boats we saw were pontoons and kayaks. Check their website, maybe that is all that are allowed. We don't have a boat, so didn't ask. Some hiking trails around the park. Surprisingly, we saw NO wildlife, and had no campsite "visitors". The park offered many family friendly programs.

• 

  Ruth .

  Guide

  

  Jun. 14, 2021

  Lake Raystown Resort

  Decent

  Camp site was a little awkward when tent camping. We stayed in Birch so not sure about the other sites but it seemed better suited for an RV. Our site had hardly any space for a tent if you didn’t want to sleep on rocks it was nice to be near the lake but glad we had a shaded spot. The showers and restrooms were pretty clean. There was a lot of late night music which we didn’t mind but if you have smaller children it might be tough getting them to sleep. Overall it was a nice spot but seemed overpriced and overrated from what I was told was an amazing campground. We did not try the water park and the “beach” tiny and super slick from all the algae. I did enjoy it but most likely would not camp there again.

• 

  Casey L.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 13, 2022

  DuBois / Treasure Lake KOA

  Large Open Campground

  This campground has a ton of sites and a lot of permanent camper trailers. The tent sites were open and close together so there wouldn't be much privacy during the busy season. We went in the beginning of May so luckily, we mostly had the vicinity to ourselves. There wasn't an established tent pad but it was pretty level. The bathroom was clean. You can get firewood delivered to your site which is nice. I wouldn't stay there during the summer but it was the only place we could find open with availability. It was also fairly expensive in my opinion but that could just be me. I think it would be nice for a family stay but not if you're looking for peace and quiet.

• 

  Britt B.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Lake Raystown Resort

  Great Waterfront Camp Ground

  This campground offers tent sites, RV Sites, cabins and hotel accommodation. The campground is relatively flat and on the shore of Lake Raystown. The amenities are great and located centrally in each section of the park. Lots of trees which adds to the privacy of the sites. 

  Some sites are waterfront, but all are close to the water. All sites have fire rings and picnic tables. WIFI is available. There is a boat hire place located on the grounds that hires pontoon boats and jet skis in season. 

  The lake is beautiful and sunsets from the campground are stunning. There is a sandy beach which is perfect for swimming. Note there are minimum nightly stays over weekends during peak periods. They welcome furry friends!

• G

  Gerard

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 9, 2022

  Shawnee State Park Campground

  Large park, great lake, marginal RV sites

  My wife and I stayed for two nights at this campground and enjoyed it greatly.  We happened to be assigned what I believe was the best of the RV sites, a pull through that had full hook up.  We have a 32 foot trailer.  The site we were assigned was easily accessed and had a nice view of the campground.  However, as we drove through the rest of the RV park area we noted that many of the sites had very awkward back-in approaches that did not provide sufficient area to maneuver a large rig into them.  The lake is gorgeous and has a large, sandy beach.  Would love to spend more time there to explore the park further.  There are numerous tent sites, some with electric, that appear to be large and fairly level.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 16, 2025

  Shawnee State Park Campground

  Huge state park

  General: 300+ site campground with a mix of FHU, 30 and 50-amp electric, and non-electric tent sites, yurts, and cabins. Select loops allow pets but not all do. 

  Site Quality: Varies by type and location within the park. I heeded the advice of other reviewers warning that many sites were not level and did not reserve ahead of time. A Monday in mid-October had many open sites. Most of the non-electric sites were decidedly not level but many of the FHU and electric sites were fairly level, and we did not have a problem finding one. Some sites have gravel pads that were level and vary in length from 20’ to 115’ Most of the non-electric sites had no definable pads at all and as mentioned, were not level. Some roads in the campground were paved but a few were not. 

  Bath/Shower House: was clean. Did not use the shower. 

  Activities: A somewhat dated playground was located in the A Loop. A lake and beach are a short distance from the campground. We did see a boat launch and what appeared to be kayak rentals, but we were there out of season. 

  As remote as the campground feels, there was a surprising amount of road noise. This was just an overnight stay for us. We’ve been to many stellar Pennsylvania state park campgrounds, but this one was not as good as many others.

• 

  Kent L.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 21, 2022

  Seven Points (PA)

  Top 5 Campground in PA

  This campground is located on the east side of Pennsylvania and offers a beautiful view of Lake Raystown. The campground has over 200 sites to choose from, and many of them are right on the water. There are also plenty of activities to keep you busy, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing and my favorite thing to do Mt Biking. Raystown lake is also a really nice boating lake. The lake is a natural beauty with so many coves and inlets for the biggest of boats to enjoy. They do have a camping resort on the other side of the lake which makes it nice for anyone looking for rustic cabins or cabin rentals. 

   There are 50 miles of single track mountain biking at this campground. They are some of the best flow trails on the East coast and are the# 1 trail system in Pennsylvania. This is a family friendly campground and has so much to offer. There are volleyball nets, playgrounds, kayak and paddleboard rentals. The kids took a kayak over to an island and spent the afternoon cliff jumping with a 10 ft and 25 ft cliff to launch off of. The sites here are some of the nicest we have ever seen. They are all big and private with stunning views of Raystown Lake. There are steps down from your camper to a pad with a fire pit and area for a tent. You are literally 10 feet away from the water as you enjoy a sunset while sitting around the fire. The lake is a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or just relax and enjoy the view. We love coming here and spending our weekends on the lake. All tent sites are equipped with picnic tables and most sites are electric. looking for other epic reviews check out the top ten campgrounds in PA https://www.longdaycampingco.com/post/10-best-campsites-in-pennsylvania-gorgeous-sites-to-enjoy-the-outdoors

• 

  Johanna B.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2021

  Duman Lake County Park

  Nice local park

  Duman lake review notes.

  • Well-maintained small park, stocked lake, popular with local fisherman. Kayaking/small boat fishing. I’ve seen bald eagle and osprey.
  • Six campsites, w/mature trees, level, w/paved drive & gravel area, large enough for mid-sized RVs. They state 40 ft., but all are back in. All have (lighted)30 amp & water. We did not see the tent sites. Not sure if they are developed, ask.
  • Number one is closest to the bathhouse, number five was less shaded. Number six is closest to the road.
  • Newer restroom, w/two stalls each. Push-button, hot showers. Men’s worked best.
  • Campsite number one is closest to restroom, but also behind picnic shelter number 12, so if the shelter is booked for a party could be noisy? Day use people bugged out quickly at dusk.
  • We were in #1 in May & had the entire campground & upper park to ourselves.
  • They have a kids’ train in summer.
  • Nice playground.
  • The only real downside of this campground is that the local road is close by and you do get some traffic noise before dark. It is not a high traffic road however. Dumpsters were overflowing with weekend trash & bathrooms needed a bug sweep-out. Sportsmen were target shooting nearby before dark FYI.
• 

  Diane T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  Greenwood Furnace State Park Campground

  No phone service, no problem!

  This campground helped me finally convince my fiance that not all 'campgrounds' are actually waterpark/family fun/RV parking lots, and that there are a lot of secluded, forest, nature-oriented campgrounds!  We came here in mid June so it was a bit chilly  at night and warm during the day - bring layers + raincoats as the PA mountain weather can be iffy! The campground can host tents, as well as RVs/campers, and includes clean bath houses with both toilets and showers. You can also buy firewood at the entrance. Sites have a picnic table + fire ring. There is little to no phone service here and it's not super close to town, so come prepared. It's a short distance to some amazing hikes, as well! The park itself has a playground and lake to swim in (though it was too cold for us to use it), as well as the historical furnace itself to explore.  The campground is also about 30minutes from State College in case you crave a night on the town during your stay.  As typical for campgrounds, some spots are more secluded than others. We stayed in one (forgive me, I can't remember the site #, perhaps 020?) where we were able to plop our tent into a nice tree-surrounded plot. There are also a few tent sites (18A)  right next to a hidden creek in the back corner of the campground which we explored while there - these sites are very secluded and you really feel like you're away from it all. We reserved this site for later this summer and will update with pictures & info afterwards.

• 

  Kassie F.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2019

  Bush Recreation Area

  Not too shabby

  My husband & I recently purchased our first 20ft. pull-behind camper. Having made reservations for a tent site for Memorial Day weekend back in February, there were slim pickings when it was time to find a site w/an electric hookup mere weeks before the 3 day weekend. I stumbled upon Bush Recreation Area on recreation.gov (FYI- the website has been redesigned & is still working out kinks) and it was the only campground w/availability. It’s located east of Pittsburgh and is tucked alongside a large boat dock/launch on the Loyalhanna Creek. Motorized boating is allowed and there’s access for fishing from the shore. Some of the sites are more open & exposed (see picture) but others are back in a more wooded area further away from the water. There wasn’t a map for the facility on the website; we stayed at site 18 & noticed the higher the site number (starting at about #25), the further back in the wooded area it was, where there’s more privacy. It’s definitely a great choice for families, especially those w/young children- there’s a nice playground and green space. Reservations are required (recreation.gov) and as of 5/25/19 the dump station is closed & undergoing construction. My husband and I prefer places w/easier access to hiking & biking trails and more privacy, but for our first weekend in our new camper, it worked out well!

• 

  Ann P.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 25, 2019

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Black Mo is a unique treasure

  UPDATED 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.

• 

  Jedediah P.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 10, 2021

  Ridge Campground

  Very Nice

  Very nice campsite!! Some sites do have limited places for larger tents because of roots but pretty good place to camp.

• M

  Margaret Y.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Seven Points (PA)

  Beautiful Spot

  I’ve camped here twice, two years ago in a Kodiak tent and this year in my Airstream GT24. Such a lovely spot! It’s spotless, and Raystown Lake is gorgeous.

• 

  Kristen H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2020

  Seven Points (PA)

  Sections

  Seven Points campground is encompassed by multiple locations in the Seven points area. Senoia campground is a beautiful campground with waterfront and wooded camping areas for tents and rv/pull behind.