Are you planning a tent camping trip to Ford Cliff? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in Pennsylvania with your tent has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Pennsylvania camping adventure.
Short on time? Don't feel like spending half of your free time setting up camp? 32 foot Winnebago already set up and leveled so you can go straight to exploring the area. Come enjoy camping, hiking, hunting, boating, fishing, swimming and much more at this site nestled amongst game lands #287 and the Allegheny river. 2000 acres of game land to explore, half mile from the Erie to Pittsburgh bike trails. Stay for hunting season or launch your boat onto the Allegheny river. 1 mile from Ben Franklin Range.
* New addition On-demand hot water heater
*Now for sale RV starting at $19,500 come stay and see if you want to leave with it.
$20 - $70 / night
One camping area with room for 25-30 tents. Convenient camping for cycling trips along the Great Allegheny Passage!
Primitive Camping Area; Permit required for more than one night stay.
We are a dedicated GAP Trail biker only campground. No vehicles are permitted at our campground. Our location is only 200 feet off the trail just 1/4 mile north of the GAP Trail headquarters building in West Newton. The campground is located right on the banks of the beautiful and historic Youghiogheny River. West Newton is a full service, biker friendly town. You can walk to all the restaurants, bars, stores and Main Street from the campground for dinner and entertainment, or for a home style breakfast in the morning to get ready for your next day of pedaling.
$25 / night
You will be camping on top of our hill that overlooks the town, river, mountains and cannabis field. There is a tent that can be used, fire pit and wood.
$100 - $150 / night
This quiet hiker-biker campground is nestled along a bend in the Youghiogheny River and has room for over 100 tents. It features three Adirondack-type shelters (two for parties of six people, and one solo unit), two fire rings (with free firewood available), a pair of grills, and two picnic tables. There is a composting toilet on site and a well with non-potable water. River access offers secluded spots for fishing and birdwatching. Lovely Slush Run tumbles off the hillside and winds through the campground.
Visitor Information Overnighting at Roundbottom Hiker-Biker Campground is free and first-come, first-served; no reservations are required or accepted.
Ranger
Breakneck is a private campground on the edge of the McConnell’s Mill State Park. They offer RV sites, tent camping and cabins. The tent camping is either grassy, flat sites or on an elevated timber platform overlooking a gorge. They also offer walk-in tent sites down by the creek which are beautiful.
We were lucky enough to be able to to camp down by the stream. There are designated fireplaces. It is quite a walk up the hill to the campground amenities, but worth it to feel secluded down by the creek. From our campsite we walked along the creek into McConnells Mill State Park and joined the covered bridge trail. Approx. 30min walk along the creek down into McConnells Mill State Park.
The campground sells firewood and has great amenities. Note: there is no phone reception at the tent sites by the creek. They welcome fury friends!
Traveler
Campground owners were very nice and helpful. We went there for tent camping and were directed to the very top part of the property. The tent sites are in a large open field with sites around the perimeter of the field.
The campground is situated right off of the main road so the road noise can be an issue if it bothers you. We personally, didn't sleep well because of the road noise.
The campground is pet friendly, even for our bully breed, whom is a gentle giant. That was one kf the reasons that we chose this campground.
Traveler
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.
RangerA Pennsylvania favorite, Clear Creek State Park is a beautifully maintained, scenic park, right on the Clarion River in the Clear Creek State Park. The Park offers movies on an outdoor screen, regular nature talks and walks and has an onsite museum. The park has tent sites, RV sites and cabins. Clear Creek runs through the campground and is a perfect spot for a BBQ or Picnic. It also has a designated swimming beach with sand. There are multiple hiking trails leaving the campground. There is a general store just 5min from the park, plus multiple private firewood options on the road in. The park also sells firewood bundles. The Clarion is a crystal clear, shallow, rock bottom river perfect for a cool off, fishing or kayaking. There are two kayaking/tubing companies in Cook Forest to hire watercraft to float the river. Both floats don’t go as high as Clear Creek State Park so you won’t float past the campground, with the longest being 9 miles. The facilities are always clean, with large shower areas and always fully stocked with tissue. All sites have fire rings with adjustable grills. The best un-powered RV site is site 40– private and waterfront. The best powered-RV site is 39– private and waterfront. There are also two very private tent sites that are waterfront(classified as Kayak In tent sites) numbered CR-001& CR-002. Both waterfront, shaded with fire rings. Excellent tent sites! Note you can only book them for 1 night at a time. No phone reception at this one! They welcome furry friends at selected sites!
Scout
Our stay was over the weekend and into the beginning of the week. We stayed in the dog loop because we took our dog. The campsite was clean, very close to the bathrooms and drinking water. The people were all so friendly, dogs were very well behaved. The facilities were very clean. The activities around the site were abundant and super fun. We camped in a tent, so had no need for any rv hookups. Great experience!
Scout
Went tent camping with my fiancée. Had a great time other than the loud neighbors. Bathrooms were also a bit dirty.
Scout
Was a relaxing 4 days at a tent site. Would absolutely recommend this campground!
Guide
Awesome owners,quiet place to relax. Tent site was nice and conveniently located next to the bathhouse
ScoutI enjoyed my stay at this park. We had a tent site for the weekend. It was a beautiful area and I really enjoyed exploring. Looking forward to going back soon!
ScoutMostly an RV campground, but several tent sites. Each site was very spacious and well shaded. Fire ring and table at each sight. Restroom were a short walk away. Firewood available for purchase. I would stay again.
ScoutI had the most wonderful time on my first tent camping at Racoon Creek. We made a fire, hiked by the moonlight and swam at the warm lake at night. There were other campers around but we rarely noticed them and only when walking to restrooms at the daylight. I will be back soon
TravelerWe stayed here overnight on a trip to Pittsburgh. Tent sites were nicely spaced apart, but were often on inclines, like ours. We saw deer and turkeys, so be on the lookout for lots of animals! Bathrooms were fairly clean! Fun hiking to mineral springs!
Scout
My 9 year old and myself got a tent site with electric for two nights and had a great time. The sites were all level and were well-shaded. The pool area and bath house were clean and maintained. The camp store was a great asset for small items left behind, plus prices were great for ice and firewood. We will be back!
Guide
My husband and I stayed at Site 030 for the weekend and it was beautiful! No electricity and the sites are most tent sites, but the sounds of the creek, birds, and frogs really immerse you in nature! If it rains, it does get quite wet, so be prepared for that. There is opportunity for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking in the area!
TravelerOlder type bathhouses but very clean, stainless steel fixtures. The campground is in two areas but split into about 5 loops. A lot are paved with electric sites, a couple loops are I paved roads and mostly tent sites but very nice! Pretty peaceful place, well patrolled by park rangers!water access in all loops. Outside of camping area are picnic areas and a lovely swimming beach, nice electric only fishing lake!
Guide
I stayed there for two months while I was in transition between states and really enjoyed it. Everything is clean and they offer fun amenities. It’s close to the outlets and Keystone Safari. They have a fishing pond but I haven’t walked over and seen it. It’s across the street of the KOA so you could miss it if you don’t ask about it. The tent camping area is also nice. Kind of a free for all when it comes to what site you pick but it’s a nice wooded area.
GuideI was amazed at the shear size of this campground. It is immense. Granted most of the grounds are devoted to cabins, but the tent sites are great too. I got a lone site tucked half way up a hill, hidden under a dark canopy and at least 500 yards away from my nearest neighbors. Water is readily available. Bathrooms are just as large and very clean. Showers available. Bears congregate frequently. Trails nearby, as are quite a few other natural areas.
ScoutMy family has stayed here so many times throughout my lifetime. We always prefer tent camping, but there are spots for RVs, plus there are cabins and yurts available. It has always been clean, quiet and family-friendly.
There's so much to do here--hiking, swimming, rafting, biking, disc golf, etc. There's also a really nice playground and a great little beach at the entrance of the campground (water is always cold though!) Plus plenty of picnic shelters.
This is also a great place to go year-round for kids interested in learning about nature. There is a nature museum. Seek out Ranger Susanne--she is a really great teacher!
TravelerI'll start by saying that I have been here multiple times. Each time we are greeted by friendly people. We always stay at a tent site.
It's very clean and well maintained. All campers have been respectful each time. It's not loud and crazy once 10pm hits. Family friendly and there's a little fishing lake. You can rent paddle boats or canoes to paddle around the lake.
The main reason we started going there is because they are dog friendly and they don't hold breed restrictions against bully breeds. This place is literally a diamond find for us.
GuideLong 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.
Traveler
I've only camped in state parks before. We went to Bear Run during the pandemic, when the state parks weren't open yet.
We were tent car-camping. We felt as if Bear Run really catered to RVers.
The tent sites were small and crammed together. There was no bathroom (only a porta-potty). There was no place to wash dishes (the closest thing we could find was a hose that was FAR away). There were no grates on the fire-pits for cooking (as there are at DNCR facilities).
Now that said, you CAN drink alcohol there (which IS a plus).
And the staff was awesome ... we could CALL them on our phone and they would bring us stuff (more fire wood, a grate for cooking). THAT was nice.
But without a closer bathroom and a place to wash dishes, we would just as soon go back to state parks.
TravelerIn 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!).
TravelerWent to Raccoon Creek State Park to camp for Labor Day weekend. We booked campsite F1 since we had 2 dogs and the F loop allowed dogs. This site was great! We could fit two tents and it was nice and secluded from the other sites. I recommend booking a site that is on the outside of the “loops” if you want some seclusion. The inner loop sites are right on top of each other, good for Rvs, not so much for tent camping. The bathrooms were a little bit of a hike, the next loop over, but they where clean and had flush toilets and running water along with a shower and sinks to wash dishes. There was a place to get water across from this site which was very convenient . The dog walking trails weren’t bad, but they where very up and down hill, at points steep and rocky. The spring was a really cool hike (right off the park office parking lot.) Down by the beach they had a place to buy wood, only $5 a bundle and the beach place also sells bags of ice. Overall a really good family campground!
TravelerI have been to Raccoon Creek many times as it is one of the closest camping places to the Pittsburgh metro area. The park it self is large, has over 40 miles of trails, a fantastic backpacking loop setup for beginners, and a nice lake for swimming, fishing, ect. I would give the park as a whole a 5/5 but for tent camping the campground is mediocre. It is a really large campground with lots of adjoining loops. We stayed in the tent loop at the back of the campground. The area is not wooded at all and most sites look right into the sites next to them. If you are like me and crave privacy, avoid. The bathroom was rather dirty also. There is a trail that leads down from the tent loop to the beach which is cool but very very steep (not for too young or old). Overall, if you are looking to stay in a camp in this park I'd suggest doing the backpacking loop instead. Grab your permit at the park office, park at the heritage trail lot in the southern end of the park and hike to the Pioneer shelter. Sites 4 and 5 are amazing. Note though that the Pioneer site does not have water so you will need to filter water from a stream on the way, though there are many opportunities. The Sioux site is overgrown and is not worth backpacking to, though it does have a water pump and is close to the park office.
GuideWe 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.
Guide
Duman lake review notes.
GuideI was here the Friday of Labor day weekend. The woman who took my reservation was great and the grounds were nice. They had several options including tent sites in a large open area, some areas that were a little more secluded, lean-to, RV parking and tent platforms which was where i landed.. The 2 stars is due to the fact i was surrounded by people who were beyond drunk,obnoxious and extremely loud which is fine its all a part of camping right? They were hanging out playing there music when i first arrived about 6 and i can appreciate some good fun and music! (but how much Johnny Cash can one handle?) They then moved onto some less appealing tunes which i do not have children but there were plenty riding their bikes by so I'm sure mom had to explain some words that evening. Nothing was done regardless of the vulger lyrics but i figured what do i know I'm not a parent! I had been traveling for days so i was exhausted and managed to fall asleep only to be woken around 11:00 by several people across the way having a blast laughing and yelling which went until 2am and a couple next to me screaming and arguing at each other until 3am.. Quiet time 10:00? At least tone it down! No one addressed the situation. So if you like to hang out and party it up this is a great place. If your looking for a family oriented camping experience maybe not so much..
Tent camping near Ford Cliff, Pennsylvania, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from well-equipped campgrounds to more primitive settings, there's something for everyone.
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