Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Zelienople, PA

Very conveniently located off the interstate. Follow the signs to the campground NOT the GPS in order to avoid some narrow and sharp turn roads. Staff were super friendly! Front desk staff were knowledgeable and and helpful. We had some issues with our power, and Larry was at our site within minutes to fix it. Big open dog park! There are only a few shaded spots. Spot width was a little narrow where we stayed (on the hill), but perfect for a quick overnight stay. Bathrooms were fairly clean, laundry was nice. The pool looked very well maintained.

In the past 5 years, I've made 13 trips to Raccoon Creek State Park and spent 16 nights in a tent there. It is my local state park and I can tell you lots about it.

The D loop is really great tent camping at Raccoon Creek State Park. It's tents only, no RVs. So it gets a really fun, party vibe on Saturday nights during the summer. There's a trail right to the beach near the D loop, so it's a great place for families to go with pets. The sites are big, wooded, and all close to the bathroom.

The C loop, however, doesn't take pets (which stinks). When we have our dogs with us, we gravitate towards the C loop. It's fine, but it's not as fun as the D loop.

When we don't make a reservation and we have our dog, we end up in the F loop. It's not our preference (but--let's be clear--even the worst site in the F loop is better than NO trip!).

I started camping at Raccoon back in the 60's as a little person with my family. Hadn't been for several decades, but finally got back with my husband and cats the past couple of years. Great park ony a 1/2 hour outside of Pittsburgh. The campground has something for everyone - RV sites with electric (although I wouldn't recommend bringing your 40' rig...sites can be a tad on the smaller side) or secluded sites just for tenting. Restrooms are clean and well maintained. Two loops allow pets F and B, but only some sites in F have electric, so be sure to check if that is what you need. There are many hiking trails that are not too strenuous or you can take a 10 mile trip around the lake. Lots of birds for viewing, particularly near the beach. You can put in your kayak or fish on the shore at the fairly large lake. Boats do require a launch pass which you can obtain from the park office. And don't miss the Wildflower Preserve if you are there in May or late summer! Great place to take the family and relax in nature!