Best Cabin Camping near Gaines, PA

Our family loved the modern cabins which are available in my of Pennsylvania's state parks. I'd rank any other park that we visit with a five star rating. The staff at other parks will let my family check in before 3:00pm if the cabin is ready.The swim area is one of the best around. Playgrounds are fun& the snack stand is a little expensive, but delicious!I think we picked the week with the most rain of the year to camp but it was still a lot of fun. The hike around the lake is not that long and a pretty easy walk. We did it with a 5 year old and he had no complaints. The nature talks were really fun for the kids and interesting for the adults.

We spent 5 nights at this campground at the end of June 2020. The modern cabins are available for a week at a time in the summer. We paid for the week but knew we could only stay for 5 nights. We were impressed with the 2 bedroom cabin. The kitchen had the usual plus a microwave, toaster and coffee pot. The furniture was comfortable for a cabin and the porch was delightful to sit on during a rainy morning. There are multiple trails around the park that are well maintained. The beach area is small but nice and the concession stand was open every day but Monday. We weren’t impressed with the camping area. There was very little shade in most campsites so we were glad we had a cabin. Overall we had a fantastic time at the park and exploring the area.

The cabin was excellent with all amenities. Trees on our plot perfect for a hammock. You could get on the trail easily and hike the lake the tempted you from the cabin as the sun glistened off the water. During the hike you would pass a red pine plantation, a reminder of the Civilian Conservation Corps. I want to go back there every year. Not just because it is so close to the PA Grand Canyon/Pine Creek Gorge but because this was our honeymoon. Covid-19 forced a change I am so thankful for.

We loved the cabin, the trail by the lake, the easy access to all parts of the Pine Creek Gorge and Wellsboro.

The campground is run by a family who is super nice. The cabins and the bathhouses were extremely clean. I stayed on a full hookup site that had water/electric/ sewer. The sites have Picnic tables and fire rings that are cleaned out.

The campground was really close to Cherry Springs, where we could go stargazing! It is also close to Lyman Lake where we could go swimming and kayaking and fishing.

I had an amazing time here and I already have other reservations because it was great for big families!

There is also a huge ATV trail right across the road that my neighbors rode at all day!

Great site. Pretty self serve, rangers drive through often but never seems to be anyone at the check-in. You can reserve a site or a cabin, or you can show up after three and see what is open. Communication isn't great. Our site which was reserved was not on the board. The reservation system showed us and two others before Friday, at eight thru ten cars came in looking for sites. If I had been late getting in an my site was taken I'd have had to call a ranger to evict. Again, they are driving around doing chores, but no one was there at the office. Trails are well signed at intersections, and they are well worn, but mostly without blazes. Camp sites are tidy and we'll mowed, a trash can at each site, nice combo grill/fire ring. Got a black leg tick, so heed the signage and check for them. Bathroom/showers were well cared for.

kids loved it. was a nice get away for the time we were there. lots of things to do.

The owners are very nice and helpful. It is mostly occupied by regulars but the rental sites are close to the very clean bathrooms and showers. The swimming pool is a nice bonus!

We stayed at site 78 on the Sycamore loop at the end of April in a tent, which isn't the best equipment for this campground. Our site had a blacktop driveway, a very small amount of gravel, and a ton of mud. There was standing water toward the back of our site, and no really solid place to pitch our tent.

It was very windy the night we stayed and the following morning was as well. Because our tent stakes were anchored in mud, our tent blew over and collapsed. Our neighbor's tent did as well.

With the exception of our neighbors, we were the only tents in the loop (the other sites had RVs, and there are 2 cabins and 2 yurts on the loop as well). Firewood is for sale at the camp host site.  Bathrooms are clean and the showers are delightfully warm.

The sites are flat and open. There is a lack of trees, so no real wind break. Each site has a fire ring and a hook to hang food from small animals.

If the primitive sites weren't all booked out (it was the first day of turkey season) we would've stayed there. I'd give this place another chance, but only if we can snag a site at the primitive campground.

Beautiful area all around. Up the road is cherry springs, known as our only Dark Sky Park in PA. The night sky is amazing. There is a lake to do many activities, and a beach there. ATV trails, hiking, beautiful overlooks. No cell service, so you really get to get away from everything.

If you have to be entertained, this might not be the place for you. Nice hosts, well maintained. Nestled in between mountains and right long Lycoming Creek, this Campground is close to great hiking and fishing opportunities. They have a nice group area with large pavilion. Reasonably priced. I only rated this a three because if your looking for a pool, camp store, game room constant activities, then you won’t find it here. But if you just want to get away from it all and relax in a peaceful setting then this would be a 4 or 5!

This is one of the main attractions for the area. Locals come here when the weather is nice.

We stayed in yurts, which are round tents ($38 per night). We had a cozy wooden deck and slept four people in two bunk beds. We also had a cooking stove, refrigerator, heat and electricity.

There is plenty of fishing and hiking to go around.

Really recommend this campsite if you have a little extra money to spend and are looking for a light getaway with friends.

If you're looking for a secluded place for yourself or with a loved one, I would look around the area for a less-popular campsite.

Stayed at this campsite, taking our pop-up camper on its maiden voyage to the Grand Canyon of PA. Was able to choose a location that worked best for us. The area we selected was not busy. Campsite appeared to have a lot of seasonal campers. My husband does not like staying in crowded campgrounds with people surrounding you and up all night screaming and singing. We go camping to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Not to listen to people pretending to relive their college days....lol. Area is open, not offering a lot of privacy, but we had shade and woods behind us, and the ground was grassy and level. The pool was nice and the rec center had a lot of activities for kids. The pond offered fishing and pedal boat rentals. We chose this campsite due to its proximity to the Leonard Harrison State Park. We had no issues here and would recommend.

We camped here and loved it. It's one of the most peaceful campgrounds we have stayed at. The only sounds at night is the wildlife moving about the woods. We saw our first porcupine in it's natural habitat! Plenty of wildlife to be seen both during the day and night.

The bathrooms are very well kept and the rangers are very friendly. Just be sure to stop in the office to check in for your site. Not all state parks require this. The 2 campground loops are small with nice sites. We stayed on sites 1 & 2 which both faced the woods. Even though we were at the entrance to the campground there wasn't much traffic to be bothersome.

We enjoyed the lake for swimming and kayaking. Be sure to have cash for the boat rental and snack bar. They do except cards but your card is ran through the Fox's pizza in town which I wasn't fond of that idea.

We are looking forward to visiting again!

Incredible views, nicknamed the Grand Canyons of Pennsylvania

Very well kept state park. Bathrooms are super clean.. Sites and huge and we had one of the lakes right behind our site. If you like nature this is a great place. Wildlife everywhere. Hiking, fishing, kayaking...you name it. Pennsylvania Grand Canyon is amazing.