Best RV Parks & Resorts near Elm, PA

I don’t know if the Amish camp, but regardless, if you’d like to experience what it’s like to go camping in Amish country then Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country RV Resort has you covered. First of all, whenever I see that word ‘resort’ I always wonder – is it really a resort? And, well, while we're on that particular question, what makes a place a resort in the first place? In my estimation, a resort has to have a pool and likely some of those splash pools, probably gated or requires some sort of secure admittance, full of recreation options, is a restful respite and (very probably) features a Tiki Hut or some version of an outdoor bar that is serving up delicious libations. Apart from that very last amenity, this particular RV campground destination ticks most of the boxes.

So, should you be looking for an authentic Quaker environ to enjoy some of the best of what the great Keystone State has to offer, then you might want to give PA Dutch Country RV Resort some consideration, but before you do, you’ll need to secure a membership with Thousand Trails in order to access this, and indeed the other 250 or so other campgrounds this camping conglomerate has throughout the US. The biggest downside to this particular campground is its very close proximity to the PA Turnpike, which while convenient, might detract a bit from the peace & quiet you might be expecting when here at your new-found camping ‘resort.’ That said, as the PA Dutch Country RV Resort rests at a slightly higher elevation than the turnpike, I have to admit, we really didn’t notice much of any noise coming from the highway and what’s more, this campground is completely surrounded by a fairly dense forest, which likely is what blocks any irritable sound and most certainly blocks any highway or traffic visibility.

Should you decide to leave ‘the reservation’ for any reason, you’ll be engulfed by the incredibly rich, verdant countryside populated by incredibly rural residents who’s ancestors settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago. Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside (of which my Irish ancestors intermingled with a long time ago) is a combination of rolling hills in a plush countryside punctuated by massive rolled bays of hay in the surrounding fields, covered wooden bridges and the occasional quaint New England well-preserved charming towns that you will be sure to encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, discovering a spot like PA Dutch Country RV Resort places you in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes anywhere in the Keystone State.

Should you need directions to this campground, it’s just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78. Here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort you’ll encounter a destination offering up 267 back-in and pull-through slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding with about 6 tent sites offering 15 amp electric and running water. You will discover that no matter where you look on this property, you will have to contend with sloping land as this campground appears to be situated right on the side of a heavily wooded hill. That said, we didn’t have any problems laying out our campsite that came with the standard-issued picnic table and in-ground fold-up fire ring. Don’t have an RV, 5th Wheeler or Tent? Not a problem, as the good folks here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort will rent you one of their 3 cottages for the night.

As previously mentioned, with the term ‘resort’ there should be a ton of amenities that one conjures up and PA Dutch Country RV Resort does not disappoint with plenty of amenities, inclusive of: 3 fairly massive restroom & shower facilities, Wi-Fi service (at a cost), trading post / camp store, swimming pool, walking paths, clubhouse/ office, playing card room, church service, crafts & arts, family bingo, community library, mini golf course, basketball court, horseshoe pits, kids playgrounds, fire pit, designated picnic & BBQ areas, ranger station, recreation hall, cornhole, basketball court, designated dump stations, water stations, ice for sale, propane refueling station, RV storage, Laundry-O-Mat and pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are an RVer or 5th Wheeler, the best sites IMHO are those that back up to the periphery and are northernmost up the slight embankment as you’ll have greater privacy and less noise being furthest away from all of the action in the center of this campground resort – these sites include: #C1– C5, #D9– D17 and #E44– E49; (2) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, while there’s not a ton of restaurants around these parts, there are a few and they are pretty amazing, including favorites Brick Tavern Inn and The West End, McCoole’s @ The Historic Red Lion Inn and Sage Alley Brewery; (3) In the event that you need to replenish any of your supplies, rest assured as in nearby Quakertown, there’s a Giant & Aldi’s grocery store as well as a local Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, Kohl’s and Link Beverages to stock up on the 21+ liquid refreshment; (4) Should you be towing your canoe or kayak with you and are eager to get the beak of your waterbird wet, then head on over due east of Quakertown Campground to Nockamixon SP where there’s a sizeable, yet skinny lake just begging for you to navigate it and get some good, hard oaring in; and (5) As a tent camper, while there are only 6 or so spots to choose from, you’ll be happy to know that these are also located on the periphery, with #L1& L2 being southernmost, which I would avoid altogether as this places you too close to the highway) and #T9– T12, which are located northernmost and are the best tent campsites to book.

Happy Camping!

No frills or extras at the campground, but great place to set up camp! This campground has spacious level sites with gravel pads, full hookups, and fire rings. A great location to stay in proximity to lots of Lancaster attractions/activities. Owners were both very helpful and friendly. The campground is currently offering a Coronavirus Camper Stimulus package (see their website for promotions) based on the PA re-opening phases when we went. This made an already affordable campground even more affordable while allowing people the opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy nature.

Some great hiking and biking trails nearby not to mention a nice area to walk in the woods at the top of the campgrounds mountain. We specifically went to two different sections of the Enola Low Grade Trail about 20 & 30 minutes away. Our favorite was along the Susquehanna River in Manor Township.

This isn't a resort, but if you need a place to wind down, have a fire w/ some peace and quiet, and camp this place is nice. Some rundown trailers and an old falling apart house in the campground that take away from it's beauty is the only reason I gave it a 4.

We have a 31' travel trailer and we had Site 62 at top of mountain which we fit into fine. The sites are mostly back-in sites. All the sites at the top were just as awesome!

The campground has approximately 35 sites, most with water and electric, which is rare for many PA state parks. The sites are mostly level, gravel, and good sized for averaged sized RV’s. Larger rigs may have some issues with site length on a few sites, so check ahead of time, but there are a couple pull through sites. Fire rings and picnic tables are at each site, but no wifi in the campground area. We did have cell phone service at our campsite.

The sites along the outer side of the look are more wooded than the inner sites.  The bathhouse is modern, very clean and well maintained. A playground is near bathhouse in the campground, along with several hiking trails. The dump station is easily accessible. Firewood is also available for purchase at the campground.

The campground is located across the road from the actual state park, which is beautiful and well maintained. A large lake is the centerpiece surrounded by multiple hiking trails, picnic areas, and a large swimming pool/aquatics area (in season). The road going to the park and campground is well maintained, with very wide shoulders for easy access, biking, and running. Fishing and boat rental are available on the lake.

We had a wonderful weekend at LBSP and plan to include it on our “Go-To” places to visit and camp.

Our first trip of 2023 was to Country Acres Campground in Gordonville, PA. And what a great campground to start our season! This is a great spot for visiting Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County and about a one-hour drive to Hersheypark. 

Our site(# 837) was a good size for our motor home+ toad. It was level and covered in gravel, like all sites and roadways within the campground. Our site had full hookups, decent wi-fi, cable TV, a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely kept grassy area between sites. 

Becci was super nice at check-in and check-out. They offer a 2:00 pm check-out which we enjoyed. And there are free tickets available for the Amish Farmland Bus Tour. There’s a small, basic tree at the front office. The pool wasn’t yet opened for our stay. They offered a 10% Good Sam discount(which is nice). 

Bottom line: We had a great time at Country Acres Campground and can’t wait to go back! 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Clean and well-maintained property 

• Quiet campground with friendly neighbors 

• All of the RVs appeared well-maintained with no seasonal sites 

• Easy access from Route 30

Large 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.

We spent the Memorial Day weekend at Philadelphia/ West Chester KOA Holiday in Coatesville, PA and had a good time. 

We paid$135/night for Back-in Patio Site#25. A bit pricey considering the lack of elbow room, but it’s a great site and everything is well-kept. There was just barely enough room for the motorhome and Jeep Wrangler. 

I did have major trouble backing in because the road is too narrow for a 45’ motorhome to back in on a nearly 90-degree angle. So difficult, that I cracked the bottom of my front cap catching the grass and gravel beside the grave road. I think this would’ve otherwise been a 5-star review.Don’t stay in this site in a big motorhome. The trailers/5th wheels seem better because they ‘bend’ at the hitch. 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Great site(once you’re in it!) including patio furniture on a paver patio and seating around an upgraded fire pit. The landscaping made up for the tight squeeze. 

• Clean and level gravel site with well-maintained utility hook-ups. 

• Close to Longwood Gardens; Wilmington, Delaware; and a handful of local museums and gardens. Not too far from Philadelphia. 

• Super friendly staff. Every interaction with employees was extremely nice. Other campgrounds and even hotels can learn a lot from these folks. 

• The whole park is quiet and well-maintained. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH: 

• Heads up, big rig owners! Tight squeeze into Site 25. 

• Get cozy, the sites are quite small and tightly packed together. 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

• Absolutely, this is a nice campground staffed by super nice people with plenty to see and do in the area.

Great no frills place to relax. No activities and not much open for touristy stuff due to Covid 19. But the daily views of fields, farmers plowing with horses or the buggys going by was great. The road seems highly traveled surring weekdays so I would suggest a site far from it. Pull throughs offer the best views. Some buddy sites also available in pull through area. Small dog park, too small for our two labs.

We were in site 50 for this trip, however if you have a decent sized rig I would steer clear of this row. The road for this row is narrow and there is a fence that makes backing in more difficult, especially for a 30+ ft travel trailer. The photo I included with the line of trees is a wider road, there is no fence and the sites are angled better for easy back in.

This is a nicely laid out campground with 4 loops and many site choices - non-electric, electric and full hookup sites (water, sewer and electricity); a couple yurts; and 3 camping cottages. (There are cabins elsewhere in the park.) We just showed up on a Wednesday in early October but I'm sure you'd need a reservation on a weekend.

Activities

• See the photo that shows 35 miles of hiking trails. It's an excellent brochure! Some trails are hiking only; others allow mountain biking in addition to hiking, and there are equestrian trails.

• Boating and fishing

• Swimming pool by Hopewell Lake

• Disc golf

• Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is on your way to the campground.

The Sites

• See photo of the campground map along with typical site photos.

• 4 loops: no electricity in A and D, mix of electric and non-electric sites in B, and a mix of full hookups, electric and non-electric sites in C. Loop C is the only loop open all year with no guarantee of access in the winter.

• Asphalt pads are all supposed to be 45 feet.

• The sites looked level but many of the pads in Loop A were just a bit downhill as you back in. That means our heads are downhill for sleeping unless we turn our teardrop trailer, so we just looked until we found a level site. If you're into leveling a camper, it's not a big deal. We can adjust our back end, but we don't mess around with anything else. It is what it is!

• There are water spigots around the loops and recycling/trash disposal and a dump station on your way in/out.

• Site map shows some ADA accessible sites.

New Restrooms Are Worth Noting

• See photos.

• Push button showers. You can't adjust the temperature and you have to keep pushing the button every 30 seconds or so. I guess this saves water.

• Two utility sinks outside the restrooms are a good addition.

Pet Owners: Pets are only allowed in loop C.

A Couple Warnings

• PA state parks do not allow alcoholic beverages at all. That's what they say.

• Hunting is permitted in most of the state park. That would put a real damper on my hiking at certain times of the year because the hiking trails run right through these areas.