Best Cabin Camping near Emporium, PA

Beautiful facility- typical Pa mountains, abundant green trees, water...nice Campground AND cabin rentals are really nicely situated. Water was thick with weeds & lilies but ok nonetheless. Great day trip spot.

Long drive (almost a mile) into the campground from the main road. You follow the creek into the campground where it also meets the Clarion River. Lot of crayfish to catch in frigid cold Clear Creek and great tubing in the Clarion River. Cabins, RV and tent sites available. I’ll be honest, the tent only loop l, sites 43 and higher are not that great. Nothing flat and very difficult to find a good spot on them for a tent. But they are also the most private sites. Clear Creek State Forest is just next door and offers lots of hiking and biking trails. Farmers Inn is just outside of the campground with great food and Cooks Forest is a short drive away with go carts tubing and canoeing and kayaking.

The park is on the scenic Clarion River and offers tent camping, some sites are paddle in only, RV sites, small and larger rustic cabins, and even a couple of yurts. It’s very well maintained, including the restroom/shower houses which were very clean. The upper loop tent sites are a bit more secluded and there is plenty of space for the larger cabins. The smaller cabins are more clustered but we enjoyed staying in them on a couple occasions. Be sure to bring kayaks or inner tubes for lazy hours on the river. There are kayak rentals nearby also. The Clarion River is full of wildlife including bald eagles hunting the river and an occasional black bear nearby.

Be sure to visit Beartown Rocks that is close by. It offers a nice view of the rolling hills of Pennsylvania.

We head out to Allegany State Park every year in late fall. The cabins are perfect for cooler temperatures and cozying up beside the wood stove. The table and chairs provided inside the cabin are perfect for eating on and prepping food. 

 The buffalo trail is perfect for a weekend getaway, with Cabin 8 far in the corner, providing lots of space between nearby cabins. It is also beside the river and provides a wonderful sound to fall asleep to.

Shower facilities are just down the road and were very clean! The bathroom facilities on the buffalo cabin loop are also equally clean and warm in the colder temperatures!

We have tented and RV'd at Clear Creek. A must do when camping in Pennsylvania. The Clarian river is great for kayaking . Multiple trails off of park. Biking and breweries close by. if you have RV/travel trailer do NOT recommend the non-power sites, they are not level enough, you may really have to bring up the trailer. There were wonderful campsites hosts when we there

Pros; excellent location, great friendly people, clean and stocked bathrooms which include showers. Some sites are separated.. great camp hosts

Cons…a few sites are really close, however not a bad thing here as we got to meet a lot of great people, so for us it was kind of a Pro.

Love camping at allegheny. Cabins are pretty large and have some great surounding areas, like creeks right next to the cabins. Great place for family camping with tons of different activites offered around the park.

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.

We have made it an immediate family tradition to stay here for Thanksgiving.

This place is great for family camping. It has a nice variety of cabins along several loops.

Cabins range from rustic to downright homey.

The Red House Administration building is a great central location to meet up with other camping families.

Staff is super friendly & helpful.

This campground has something for everyone-camper and RV sites with and without electric, tent sites, single cabins, group cabins, etc. It has two beaches, several hiking trails that range in difficulty, points of interest (ex-thunder rocks is a must see), two camp stores, a museum, gift shop and restaurants. It truly has something for every kind of camper.

I haven't been back to Allegany in some time, but my family frequented the park when I was younger. It's really an amazing place for a family trip since there are cabins! Our family of 6 fit comfortably in one cabin when we were all small. There's beaches, guided nature trails, biking, hiking. Basically, Allegany has it all. Do not miss the thunder rocks, they're really, really enjoyable.

General: 73-site campground; most have electric hookups, and some are FHU. Pets are only permitted at selected sites. There are also 20 (13 rustic and 6 modern) cabins. Cell service is extremely limited to non-existent (Verizon). 

Site Quality: Pads are gravel and most appeared to be level. Site 70 was at the end of the loop which is why we picked it. A picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook complete each site. 

Bathhouse: As has been our experience in all PA state parks, the bathhouse was pristine, and the shower (for no additional cost) was clean with plentiful hot water and was very much appreciated. 

Activities/Amenities: Coin-operated laundry. A playground is in the campground and there is an additional one at the swimming beach. The swimming beach is open from mid-May to mid-September, from 8 am– sunset. Electric motorboats are permitted on Moshannon Lake. Boat rentals are available in season. Permits are required. 24 miles of hiking trails, including two trails directly from the campground to the lake. In the summer, there is a camper store/concession stand. Hunting is allowed in season. There are 4.3 miles of mountain biking trails. 

I used to think Oregon State Parks were the best, but Pennsylvania State Parks have them beat by a mile. We have yet to be disappointed by the amenities(especially the clean bathrooms) offered at the half-dozen state parks we have visited so far.

There is a ton of things to do. Beautiful cabins

Cabins are great for families and there are also activities and hiking....Close to some attractions for adults and children too.

Clear creek is a nice quiet relaxing family camp place. Swimming was nice. There is a playground near campsites and cabins if you would like one.

Stayed in camper, tent, yurt, and cabins. Always a clean and up kept park. Lots to do in the area. Don't get caught boozing. There pretty strict.

The cabins are awesome all year round.

The park has a lot to do in the summer but a group can still have a blast in the winter.

The water is easy to find, bathrooms are available with showers, and the options are tents, cabins, or RV camping. Do not leave food out. The bears are very ambitious.

This park is a fun place to hike and explore. Check out Thunder rocks and climb boulders the size of a house. The cabins are nice and seem to be well kept and quiet everytime I've stayed in them.

Cabins feel rustic but are new (2014?) and modern. Had everything we needed for a weekend with extended family, almost like a hotel in what they supply. Open all year. Allegany State Park is nearby for hiking, snowshoeing, XC skiing, leaf peeping,etc.

This is our absolute favorite park to camp! You can stay in Red House area or Quaker Area. You have the option of staying on a tent site or in a cabin. Great fishing and hiking and lots of other stuff to do!

This has become a very popular campground and reservations fill quickly. We usually try for an entire family outing here once a year in October. Very nice, clean campground on the river. We have stayed in sites and a cabin, but never one of the yurts. Family friendly and not overly crowded.