Best Tent Camping near Elm, PA

We have been to blue rocks twice for tent camping and it is one on my favorite campgrounds. The tent sites are separated from the RVs and are very large sites, so you have some space from your neighbors. There are hiking trails right from the campground to access the Pinnacle, Pulpit rock and Appalachian trail. The boulder field in the campground is great, too. We loved hanging out on the boulders in the morning, or star watching from them in the evening. The only con was that the water is a bit of a walk from the tents. It could be imporoved by adding even a simple water spicket closer to the tents.

Large campground but only 15 sites dedicated to“roughin’ it” tent camping. However, those sites are isolated from the others. The tent sites were in very good condition, spaced well, and fairly private. Most sites have plenty of shade and grassy, though a few are dirt only. Many sites within walking distance from the lake(no swimming) and set up for you to store and launch your kayak or other boat. Water, bathrooms, and showers a little distant but everything clean and in excellent condition. Ice and firewood available on the grounds. There is also a small store but I didn’t see it because it was open for very limited weekend hours only. Otherwise, major grocery stores are only a few minutes’ drive. Definitely going back…!

"Rocksylvania". According to hikers on the AT, this is what they call Pennsylvania, as they hike through this section of the state. And Blue Rocks Campground doesn't dissapoint.

This campground sits in the woods and rolling hills just below the Appalachian Trail. Nice huge campground. The RV sites are mainly situated at the botom section, and the tent camping is pretty much on the upper portion of the site. The tent sites are pretty spacious. There are also places to buy wood nearby (very economically priced) and the campground sells it also. Worse comes to worse, there is a lot of forage wood on the site as well.

There are plenty of hiking trails, and a "yellow blaze" trail that leads directly to the Appalachian trail (AT). Take a hike up to "Pinnacle Rock" on the AT, and you can catch a nice view. There are rattlesnakes and Copperheads in the area, so be sure to act like you've got some sense.

And not to be missed is the "Blue Rocks" river of rocks, which is situated on the campground, and the reason the site got its name.

We camped in a tent. It was nice and quiet. Lots of birds singing, and owls at night. The bathroom is older, but ok.

This state park is close to Philly but has some wonderful tent sites. There are also cabins and yurts but they aren’t dog friendly. Lots of nice trails.

Adorable little campground! Close to the tourist spots in Lancaster. Great views. Clean, friendly, and would definetly recommend! Clean bathrooms, laundry facilities, full hook ups for RVs, lovely tent sites, great playground for kids.

Family cabins available, tent sites are small. Clean parks with a small stream. Next to Dutch Wonderland, showers are nice, laundry facilities available. Enjoyed our time but only because we were going to the park, not a campground to visit if your looking for quiet and isolation.

We took a chance in September 2020 and decided to make plans to camp for two nights so we could get some hiking in nearby at the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. You're greeted by a sign on the front office door that says "Masks are optional," so that tells you all you need to know about camping here during the COVID-19 crisis. Check-in is easy enough and you are given a card to hang on your mirror that has a barcode to scan to get access to the campground. Then you drive to your site. The signs/directions posted are...not very helpful, and you can easily find yourself face-to-face with someone driving a golf cart from the opposite direction or kids running around through the road, so be very careful. We picked a tent site (218 or 219) as far away from everyone else as we could get. A bunch of the tent sites border the woods, and I definitely recommend snagging one of those if you're able. The tent and RV sites are absolutely crammed together. We started setting up our tent and were somewhat pleased with the amount of space we had from a big family in the next site because we could all enjoy our respective spaces without getting in each other's way. Then another car pulled up and signaled that there was ANOTHER site between us. There wasn't even 10ft between our tents; you could hear everything. The RV/camper sites looked even more snug, so I can't imagine trying to maneuver there. Our tent site was one of the flatter and less rocky ones that I could see. Each site is provided with a fire ring (more like a fire pit/contained cauldron) and picnic table, which was great. I will say that from what we saw, the grounds are kept very clean. The bath house near the tent site is cleaned daily, however not always at the posted hours so I would say to assume it is half an hour before the posted time. There are 2 showers and toilet stalls in each bathroom. Here is where we were the most unhappy about masks being optional: not a single other person that we saw over 3 days was wearing a mask while in the enclosed bathrooms. There are hand dryers, so particles are flying all over the place. There was a concert that ended while I was showering and it was a line of people to get in and the dryers were constantly blasting; I basically held my breath while I was in there. The campgrounds are clean and easy to find off of the main roads. However, if you're looking for a place to stay outside during the COVID-19 situation, look elsewhere.

There are two fun ponds where you can rent boats, go fishing, and swim. There's walking paths around the lakes. The tent sites are rustic and in the woods by a creek. The RV sites are more exposed. There's a bar and restaurant and also an arcade. Overall great place.

I’ve tent camped here many times over the years and always had a pleasant experience. I always choose to go over the dam and camp there. It’s always quieter because there are less children on that side. The beach is the opposite side of the lake.

The campground had a good feel to it. We had a nice view of the lake. We booked a non electric site for our tent camping. The bath houses need updated though. The only negative I can say is that our site did not have a great spot for the tent except by the parking spot and not down by the fire ring.

The camping cabins and yurts are somewhat grouped together in the middle of the campground area. We chose to stay in a yurt, as we were on a business trip to Philly, but wanted a couple days outside before heading home. There looked to be some nice tent sites as well. Lots of hiking trails to explore!