Best RV Parks & Resorts near Erwinna, PA

First, as a Thousand Trails member, I didn't have to pay. So far, after visiting 6 rv parks, I do have to say, this one is on the bottom of my list of nice campgrounds.

First the good: there are lots of sites here and the grounds range from being near neighbors to more spread out in the valley. There are lots of trees and the roads are paved which makes it perfect to ride your bicycle. The playground is great for the kids. They have a nice pool.

Now the bad: it's a run down campground. It doesn't look like they have not done any maintenance to the place. The bathrooms look like standard park bathrooms, the general store barely has any items. The kids arcade and activity center has 4 arcade games and barely anything to do but the ball center. The main activity center is closed down. The building that used to hold the water park is abandoned and clutter everywhere. The lake and gazebo have been vandalized.

Also note, if you want peace and quiet, stay away from the tent area. Those who stay there are more of the NY crowd and are very festive.

All in all, we had a nice time. No problems at all.

We stayed two nights at this park because we wanted to spend a day at Six flags. Check in process was painless and the woman at the front desk was super nice and helpful. Many campers here are seasonal or long term stays and were very quiet and respectful. We had a bad luck of the draw being next to a very loud, inebriated family with unruly dogs but luckily they only were there the one night. Once they left, the atmosphere changed and we really enjoyed our stay. We would camp here again to go to six flags because it was easy to drive back a few minutes after a long day at the park. We had full hookup access with no issues as well.

First time using our complementary 1 year Thousand trails pass. It’s a find your own site park. Some are a bit narrow, but I found a nice pull thru. Only real activities here for kids are pool and shuffleboard. Very quite here which I hear is opposite from the North park right up the road. Staff is nice. Would come back

This was the first campground we stayed in with our Thousand Trails membership and, because sites are first come first serve, we weren't sure what to expect. Thankfully, there were many sites available and they were all good sizes. The campground is well laid out- very roomy. It was May and an extremely cool, rainy weekend, so we didn't get to do much in the area, but I would definitely recommend it. As I understand it, we could have accessed the water park at Timothy Lake North, as well.

Check-in was quick and easy in spite of Covid precautions. This is a first-come, first-serve park in the Thousand Trails system so we had to drive around looking for a spot. The check-in process alerted us to the sites that had issues such as no water or cable(there were 5 or 6 of them). No issues navigating my 32' coach through the roads. There were a number of spots that could have easily fit our rig(although a few would have been too tight). The site was level with good power and water. Camp was pretty well maintained and very full. Campers were polite and friendly and probably about 50% or more of them fulltime or seasonal. The amenities were all closed so can't comment on those. A big HOWEVER, though: the cell service for most providers is practically non-existent. I understand this is not the park's fault and some would say that this is"real" camping-- try telling that to the two millennials that were staying with us. I would definitely return except for that.

We stayed at site 15 for 5 days. The sites are nicely wooded, very well spaced, fairly level with 50A service and water hookup. Although the water spigots were shared between sites, they provide hose caddies that should reach most RV hookups. No sewer hookup, but there is a convenient dump station. There are no fire rings in the RV section, only raised grills. We had the place pretty much to ourselves during the week, but the weekend did get busy. AT&T had ok data connection with 1-2 bars most of the time. There is no satellite coverage due to the heavy tree canopy. OTA TV was very inconsistent using an external omni antenna. There is no WiFi. There is a very nice network of trails in the reservation, most if not all were leashed dog friendly. There is a very nice restaurant, Stone Water, less than 10 miles away and is right on lake Hopatcong.

This place is a serious dump with very rude full time campers squatting here. We were pelted by sticks and stones on the 4th of July by the workers attempting to weedwack the stone areas. The full time squatters places are a ramshackle mess, they like to ride through blaring awful music all hours of the day and night…including midnight and 1am. Other squatters think everyone should like their music and play it from their cars while parked at ridiculous levels. No policies are enforced including dogs on leashes, picking up your dog’s poop, or the speed limits. We had to ask ourselves multiple times if we were in the poconos or ghettos. Also, spots are very small and most had no fire rings unless the people before you built one out of rocks from the wooded area nearby. Very sad disgrace of a campground to be part of the Thousand Trails community.

Stayed one night in C-loop in the Fall and it was excellent!!  Weather was great, the lack of people was perfect, and the facilities were more than comfortable.  Sites ranging from level with asphalt and sidewalks to the fire pit to near-natural for that full tent camping experience.  Plenty of full hook-ups interspersed with electric only and no services.  Something for everyone.  

The state park has numerous hiking and biking opportunities and probably some fishing as well.  The lake and pool facilities were closed but the scenery was still in full effect.

Back to Nature, Baby!   We’ve been to so many campgrounds of all different types that we’ve come to expect that State Parks almost fall into the same category as RV Resorts. 

With their amenities, immaculately groomed landscaping and higher prices, we’ve almost come to think of them less like parks and more like golf courses. However, Hickory Run is taking a different approach and letting the woods and campground be just that.  Lots of space between sites and a ton of privacy.  Completely natural setting, yet bathrooms were updated, immaculate, and spacious...and the showers were hot.

We only spent a night here on our way to Hershey PA, but the list of hiking options was impressive, check out the Shades of Death Trail?  Don’t know what that’s about, but sounds intriguing!  We'll be back the next time we pass through...

We've started here many times. It's a nice family run campground with spaces from full hook-up, to clamping, to small cabins. There is a swimming pond and a nice hike takes you to the deleware river. Recommend it fully.

I would start with the good if there happened to be any.

I’ll start with pulling into the campground. First of all you have to find your own site as there are no assigned sites available. This had us pulling our 33ft camper around the whole campground until we came across our site we settled for. Now this brings up the site situation. Very rocky and I don’t mean crushed stone, nope just rocks all over the site. Then come to find out no fire ring was available. So we took all the rocks around our site and made our own. So the rocks ended up coming in hand after all…..

Now for the campground itself. This is a thousand trails campground. The website had a list of amenities from arcade to mini golf, laundry facilities and a camp store to name a few. Yeah none of this was available. The arcade and camp store looked like it had been vacant for years. None of the buildings on the campground were open and it was Memorial Day weekend! You had a year to renovate due to COVID!

This campground wasn’t a campground at all! The only thing available for the kids was a playground! Everything was done online as there wasn’t even a office to visit!

If I could review this with a negative star, I would... We spoke to personnel when we made reservations, and were promised a pull through, full hook up that would fit my truck and 34' trailer. Far from that, we could not open our awnings, and site was far from level. Let alone we can not pull through fully. Worst site we have ever been on. Dirty, holes in road, mud everywhere, tree limbs falling on my new truck and new trailer. Garbage in fire pit that they would not clean and dog poop on our site. To make it worse I am disabled with lung disease, and I had truck squeezed on our site, hanging over on empty site next door. Owner called threatening to have me arrested, charge me for 2nd site and demanded we leave campground immediately. What a joke! I would never ever stay here again. BTW, WiFi and cable don't work at all. $62.50 a night is ridiculous.

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.

My family and I stayed at French Creek State Park while attending an event in Reading. The park was clean and well maintained. We stayed in Loop A which had no camp host. The camp hosts were in loops B & C.  We had a full hook up site. The water and electric worked great! The campground was well patrolled by Rangers throughout our stay. The bathhouses appeared to be clean and maintained. The quiet time starts at 9pm and seemed to be followed by most campers. There are numerous hiking trails in the park that seemed to be well marked and maintained. The park is about 20- mins from Reading, and 10 mins from Birdsbroro. There are many stores and restaurants in the area for food and supplies if needed. We had good cellular service with both AT&T and T-Mobile. The one downside was that there was no off leash dog park. We had to take our dog to a dog park in Birdsbroro. We would stay at this park again.

We stayed here for 3 nights while visiting family In Philadelphia. It is a 20 minute ride into Philly and Uber was was quick and responsive.

*note- this does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change.

This is a nice KOA with full hook ups, tent sites,cabins, and even glamping cabins. There is a pool that is open Memorial Day- Labor Day. They also have a catch and release pond and we found a pickleball court at a nearby city park.

We did Chinatown and walked part of the Schuylkill River trail which we accessed by parking near Fairmount Park. This is a great area to explore with gorgeous views and easy access to the River trail. (There are rentals for everything here- kayaks/bikes etc)

IF we had a car with us- we would have considered taking the ferry from Camden’s Ferry Terminal next to Wiggins Park to Philly. (This is also near the Adventure Aquarium and the battleship New Jersey) Here is a link to information about the ferry-

https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry

This is a great location for exploring Philadelphia.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

If you find yourself careening around the picturesque country roads here in Bucks County you will discover Quakerwoods Campground (named of course after the previous tri-cornered hat-donning Quaker residents who settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago) nestled in the verdant, rolling hills of 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 encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, finding a place like Quakerwoods Campground is quite the find, as it will place you squarely in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes here in the Keystone State.

As for the campground, which is just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78, you’ll encounter a destination offering up 170 mostly back-in slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs ranging between $55-$49 in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding, although less so on the interior of the campground and moreso on its perimeter. There’s about 18 tent sites ranging between $40-$45 that  feature 15 amp electric and running water. All RV and tent sites are relatively flat and include a 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 Quakerwoods will rent you one of their 4-6 person campers for $120/ night.

The amenities here at Quakerwoods Campground are plenty, inclusive of: 4 Pristine restroom& shower facilities, Wi-Fi service, Free wagon rides(every Saturday), Camp store, Fishing pond, Adult& kid swimming pools, Walking paths, Fishing pond, Game room, Family bingo, Mini golf, Baseball field, Horseshoe pits, Kids Playgrounds, RC track, Front& Back pavilions, Sand Volleyball court, Cornhole, Basketball court, Designated dump stations, water stations, Bonfires, 2 Shuffleboard courts, Ice for sale, Propane refueling station, Laundry-O-Mat, Themed weekends and Pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) As a tent camper, I was impressed by how Quakerwoods segregates mi tent pitchin’ bredren from the rest of the folks who bring their homes with them on wheels, placing tent sites across the other side of a small creek on the southwestern periphery near the fishing pond; (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; and (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.

Happy Camping!

Campground Review: French Creek State Park Campground is located in Elverson, Pennsylvania and sits adjacent to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. There are 200 individual sites in four loops, some with full hookups for RVs, some with electric only but mostly primitive sites. There are also several cottages, cabins and yurts available as well.

For this trip, my husband and I camped alongside our friends, which included three other couples and their children, so we took up two electric sites for the tent campers and two full hook up sites for our friends with RVs. We stayed in Loop C, which is the only dog friendly loop in the campground, on sites 35, 37, 39,& 40. Thankfully, a short walk to the bathroom facilities for us tent campers.

Normally site 35 would have been way too small for our usual gear– a behemoth 9X15 tent- but it was a perfect fit for the tent I was reviewing on this trip. Our friends, who have the same large tent as us, stayed on site 37 and had plenty of space to pitch it, but many of the sites surrounding ours were very rocky and left little option for a larger than normal sized tent so keep this in mind if you have a large family sized tent. I’ve included a few photos of the surrounding sites for future reference. The bath/shower house in this loop was adequate and includes two dish washing stations outside. The showers had good pressure and hot water. It was cleaned often throughout the weekend, however it is definitely in need of an update.

We also checked out the other loops for future use and found Loop A to have very spacious, less rocky sites, however, there was little shrubbery between each site, making them less private than the sites in Loop C.

There are two lakes in French Creek, Hopewell and Scott's Run and each contain many species of fish. We spent Saturday afternoon fishing but not catching anything at Scott's Run. It’s a beautiful location and it was still a fun way to spend the day with the kids away from the site.

We found several places nearby to purchase wood, besides the supermarket and a nursery in town, there are a few residents that sell it right on their front lawn so be on the look-out en route to the park entrance.

Generally, we camp in the off season, and usually have the whole place to ourselves, so I had some concern prior to arrival that every site in every loop was booked for the whole weekend and expected it to be noisy, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It was quiet and our neighbors were respectful of the quiet hours and our space. It was a wonderfully peaceful weekend for us all and we will definitely visit again soon.

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Product Review: Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 Tent

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am occasionally offered the opportunity to test new outdoor products. For this trip I tested the Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 Tent https://wenzelco.com/ivanhoe-6/.

Generally, my husband and I use a larger ez up tent, but I liked this tent specifically for the design which is reminiscent of the tent my parents used when I was a child and figured it would be a good option for shorter weekend trips, rather than our 9X15 ez-up.

The set up was relatively easy, although one person might have some difficulty. It held up well during an evening thunderstorm, but for a small seam leak near the door. We believe this is a result of the fact that our site was slightly uneven and that particular corner was not as evenly pitched with the other corners of the tent which resulted in a bit of a gap in the roof.

The airflow is great, with the small vent in the rear, two side windows and the full screen door. There are also two smaller vents at the top- though neither seem seem to add that much airflow,- perhaps a design flaw or more likely the uneven ground it was pitched on.

I love the fact that there are awnings over the side windows, but in order for them to be effective one must stake out three guy lines on each side, plus the one on the front and the back. Knowing this I had purchased some small lights to hang on the lines to prevent tripping on them at night and it worked out perfectly.

The front doors are secured closed from wind and rain by velcro strips, rather than the standard ties. There are four side pockets and a handy troubleshooting guide sewn into the interior wall for any issues you experience while in use, such as leaking, condensation, or a faulty zipper.

I am very happy with this tent. For the two of us it was the perfect size for our ten inch high queen size air mattress and some minimal gear. The peak height was just over 6 foot, so we were both able to stand upright without issue.