Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Elm is the way to go. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Elm campsites are perfect for equestrian campers.
In Pennsylvania, the once industrious geography of North Coventry and Warwick now serves as home to 7,730 acres of protected wilderness known as French Creek State Park. Right in the heart of the Schuylkill Highlands, the park’s boundaries make up the largest mass of forested space between anywhere in Washington D.C. and New York City. The diverse land consisting of forests, wetlands, marshes, and sleepy bluffs throughout have become a top destination for the people of southeast Pennsylvania to hike, fish, camp, and bike. At a point long ago, before the industrial revolution, the land was once dominated by ancient forests of American chestnut. Sadly, in 1771 foresters started to clear these trees, in order to create charcoal for the furnace at nearby Hopewell Furnace. However, the forests were still allowed to regrow, with routine clearing scheduled every 25 years thereafter. The furnace was in operation for 112 years until 1883, and its impact on the regional environment was undeniable. The once wooded hillsides, towering trees, and babbling brooks that once existed now appeared as a barren wasteland in many areas. The ecological outlook was looking dim, that is until President Roosevelt started the CCC in 1993 as a response to economic turmoil created by the Great Depression. During the same time, Governor Gifford Pinchot invited the CCC to assist in reclaiming this special land, and they subsequently worked to clear the forests and streams of brush. To commemorate the work, they began the restoration of the historic Hopewell Furnace as well as the creation of many of the facilities still in use today at the park. Among these facilities are several tent camping areas, two group camps, picnic shelters, two small dams and lakes, and even the extensive network of roads and trails that snake throughout the park. Today, the second growth has brought with it a rebirth of life and wonder to the region. This massive expansion of protected land is now home to a multitude of rare animals and plants, not commonly found in the region. For example, French Creek State Park is an Important Bird Area as designated by the National Audubon Society, and an Important Mammal Area as designated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pine Swamp is a State Park Natural Area. The park is now known for its diverse fishing, large abundance of wild game for hunt, and it’s plethora of outdoor recreation activities available within. Visitors to the park have a few options for overnight accommodations. The campground itself is well suited for both large and small groups, as well as individuals. In total, 201 modern sites accommodate thousands of visitors annually. The campground also boast a range of amenities, including a centrally located shower and toilet facility. Additionally, there are ten cozy cabins with heat and electricity. Finally, there are two historic group camping CCC Cabins available. The facilities include dining halls, central washhouses, and cabins for campers and staff.
$23 / night
The campground is open Friday and Saturday nights only. Two camping units are permitted at each site, one unit must be a tent. Sleeping in personal vehicles is not permitted.
$15 - $50 / night
$52 / night
$30 - $100 / night
Guide
Staying in C loop and here are some tips. If you want starlink, stay toward the entrance of the loop for a good view of the sky. If you want to be away from everyone and don't need a site that has good accessibility, stay in C27. You park at the top of the site and walk your tent and gear down a small slope where you can set up your tent. A little further down is a large-ish area with a fire pit and table. You can't see the roady from there and it looks like a great place to get away from it all!
Other sites around C27 have similar set-ups but not so far off the road.
Traveler
We camped in on of the cabins overnight on a recent road trip. Cabins are nice and spacious, bath facilities are some of the best I've seen. We didn't;t get to explore since we were traveling, but there's plenty to do in the area.
Scout
The park itself is beautiful.
First, there is absolutely no privacy. The campsites are right next to each other with hardly any trees. The more dense woods is on the other side of the trail. You can see everything other campers do any they can see everything you’re doing.
Second, The campground is ON the hiking trail so everyone doing the loop walks along the sites. Including people with dogs off leash.
RangerWe arrived when it was dark out and had site #2. The camp hosts were fantastic and helped us back into a spot. The spot was hard to maneuver for a 41 ft 5th wheel because of the turning radius. There was also a drop off on the other side of the road which limited the turning radius as well. We only slept here but it looked like a nice place. The grounds are hilly.the well was dry so there wasn’t any water.
Guide
Love this park
GuideGreat for families or solo
LegendGeneral: Four loops with a total of 200 campsites. Two of the loops allow pets (A, C) and two do not. Loop D offers no hookups while Loops A-C offer a mix of no hookups, water/Electric, and full hookups. We had no problem securing a site on a weekday in October with no reservation. There are also two yurts and three cottages.
Site Quality: We chose a non-electric site in the B Loop, so this review focuses on this loop. There are abundant trees separating the sites. The pads were paved and B12 was very long. A picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Because the loops are on a slight slope, not all of the sites are completely level, something that would be difficult to determine if making reservations ahead of time.
Bathhouse: Pennsylvania state parks get high marks for their modern, clean restrooms and this park (at least the B Loop) was no exception. Hot showers were no additional charge and generous in size.
Activities: 35 miles of hiking trails. Be aware that the Hopewell Lake Loop is not very well marked (it appears to be a work in progress) although blazes on trees are abundant for most trails. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent during the summer season, and there is a boat dock for your own boat for fishing (either from a fishing pier or on your boat). There is a huge pool available from Memorial Day through Labor Day (there is an additional fee for this). Some of the trails allow horseback riding. Nearby Hopewell Furnace is accessible via hiking trails, or you can drive there. Other activities include orienteering and disc golf. Make sure you wear blaze orange during the fall hunting season as you will hear hunters!
In general, it is obvious Pennsylvania invests in its state park campgrounds and the price is reasonable ($27 for a non-electric site during the week with a $4.50 senior discount). My only complaint is that the dumpsters are a hike from the loops, but this is a minor complaint.
LegendWe just love this little park! Easy to access, big rig friendly although there is a hill to get up to campground. They have water and electricity at most sites and some are dry. They have a very clean bathhouse with a dump station. We love the fishing access, boat rentals, great playgrounds and fun activities for the kids!
RangerInexpensive $15 a night, but you only get picnic table and fire ring. No hook ups. Great children's pond for 12 and under. Brandywine creek and Chambers Lake are there too. Great playground.
Traveler
Starlite offers a wide variety of amenities such as a community pool, general store, snack bar, playground area, toilets, indoor shower stalls, daily activities, pets permitted, water/electric utilities and laundry units. Staff was very friendly! Loved the cleanliness and atmosphere as well!
TravelerCounty park so no booze but camp sites are under trees
Scout
They offer the typical tent camping environment, mostly out in an open field and good walk to showers/head. Other than that was enjoyable place to stay.
TravelerA group of us stayed here over Memorial Day weekend. The sites were super spacious and private. There was enough room for a full overlanding setup, three vehicles, a hammock, two dogs and a two person tent with plenty of room to spare. Good hiking trails were just a short walk away from our campsite. Would definitely go back again.
GuideWe enjoyed our stay here — but mostly because we liked being right on the water. If it weren’t for that this would not be the campground for us. The weather was hot so lots of tubing and fishing and kayaking in the river — we loved to sit out and watch the water go by. Wood at the camp store is incredibly expensive — they don’t sell to nightly campers by anything more than the small bundle ($8) — thankfully a lien seasonal let us buy some of his stock, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to afford more than one fire over the weekend. Come for the river and the kind seasonal people (which is the majority).
GuideWe arrived late moring on Saturday. Reserved site 16 and it was plenty big enough for my 34ft trailer, but not enough to fit my truck. Campground is very clean and the spots are not too close to each other. Rangers are on site a lot and enforce the no alcohol policy, so keep it on the down low. We did get a chance to explore the park itself because the weather was cold and rainy.
TravelerWe liked it so much we stayed another night. Quiet, wooded spots, with a very nice bathhouse, and good trails nearby. We would stay again.
GuideWe stayed at a Susquehanna river view site with full hookups for 2 nights. Site was level and shaded, but very close to neighbors. Most sites were occupied by permanent or seasonal residents. Bathrooms and grounds were very clean. Rates are reasonable for what you get, and they offer discounts. We would stay here again. Update: Storms with heavy rain in the area made the river rise. We were told the campground is susceptible to flooding, so check the weather when you come!
RangerWe went to Little Buffalo State Park for Labor Day weekend and had a blast! Great neighbors, lots of kids to play with, good playground and very clean facilities (cleaned daily). The driving path is gravel with a steep hill at the end so if you can help it I would avoid sites 32,34,36 as they are VERY difficult to back into with larger rigs. People’s trucks kept sliding down the gravel hill as they tried to back in. Overall, lots to see and do, beautiful hikes and views of the lake, will revisit!
Legend
Close to Jim Thorpe and tons of recreational activities. If you’re driving through the area, there’s a Cabela’s nearby that allows boondocking. Also very close to a few Appalachian trail heads.
There’s a cute river that flows through the campground and this one has a doggy park. Love this one!!
TravelerWe have been camping at Starlite with Dave and family for 15+ years. The campground is in a great location with easy access to Lancaster, Hershey and many other places to explore. The facilities are spotless and the campground is maintained to the highest standards I have seen. There are regular activities for all ages including bingo, crafts and live music. Add all of that to the best view we have seen and it’s a win win. We highly recommend!
GuideIn terms of PA State Parks, this one is ok. There is a pool (with a fee) that is pretty nice. The campground is small and functional. Would stay here again but not something I would seek out.
TravelerWe loved the lake campground. My kids are age 3-12. There’s running water available, porta potties are very clean and don’t smell and are lit with a street lamp. Very quiet at night. The park ranger this weekend was the nicest and very helpful with directions to walk to the playground and indoor restrooms. The lake is about a 3 minute hike down the clearly marked trails. Each site has a large picnic table and a fire ring with a built in grill. Plenty of firewood to be found. Great for families. We are already planning our next trip. Super great price at $15/night as well. The children’s pond is a short ways away for well stocked fishing.
GuideIts an amazing little quite camping ground. Super clean. Lots of easy hiking trails and tons of fishing.
GuideWe had a great family camping weekend at Starlight and will definitely return in the future. Yes, it is quite hilly throughout the campground, but the individual sites are very level to park the camper with almost no blocks needed.
We had two sites this trip with water and electric, but they do have quite a few full hook-up sites. Overall the sites were large, with trees between, providing additional privacy. Except for the Plateau sites, which have the amazing view, the rest of the campground had a great tree cover! Too often private campgrounds attempt to squeeze as many sites as possible and end up with campers on top of their neighbors, but at Starlight, the sites felt very secluded. Water pressure and electric were both great throughout the stay. There is no internet, but we had good cell phone service.
The employees in the camp store are amazing and go out of their way to make you feel welcome! I felt everyone went above and beyond to help me from the reservation process through check-in. The camp store is well stocked and also serves hand-dipped ice cream.
Starlight is a nice campground to relax or explore central Pennsylvania.
ScoutFantastic weekend with family. Large campsites at the Lake Loop. Map is a little deceiving- the sites are farther from the lake than I expected and there are no running water bathrooms. Very clean and wooded sites. Walking/hiking trails and the lake were super peaceful.
TravelerThe pool here is top notch and it's good for fishing but the hiking isn't super great. We did have a nice bat spotting walk with a Ranger when we were there and there's an interesting historic mill you can tour. The camping area was pretty hilly and not super large but it gets the job done. I'd recommend visiting the nearby huckleberry natural area to see one of the oldest living plants in the world and Hall's Dairy for excellent ice cream.
GuideNice for a smaller campground. Only downfall is we have smaller children and we could not bike from the campground to the pool, it was too far and the hill to get back was too big for them to ride up. Pool was great once you got there. Bathrooms are clean
Horse camping in Pennsylvania offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the scenic trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Elm, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Elm, PA is French Creek State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 75 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Elm, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Elm, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
