Best RV Parks & Resorts near Gaines, PA

Stayed for 5 nights with a partial hook up for our brand new 32 foot travel trailer. Other reviewers had mentioned that sites were small, so we specifically asked for a larger site. We ended up getting a corner site right on the edge of a hill looking down on the main office and playground. It was perfect. Playground was huge with multiple playsets suitable for all ages. Bathrooms/showers we're clean and well kept. There was a basketball court, shuffleboard and carpet pool that you could borrow equipment for. Our son and his family rented a wolf den cabin and it was very clean as well. Internet access was spotty, as expected but WiFi at the main office was good. We enjoyed the small, but very clean pool. Would definitely go back. Pet friendly, but there isn't a dog park/off leash area. Staff were friendly and helpful. Right across the street from little pine state park.

This CG has two distinct sections. Near the entrance is the Pull Through Area. Behind a row of trees there are several sites with full hookups including cable TV and Wi-Fi. The sites are open, reasonably level, and a good size. The other sites are in the woods, most of these sites do not have sewer connections. There is a honey wagon service available. We camped with a relative who was new and we were teaching them how to operate their camper. We had a couple of dry days then some rain. Still was a great teaching/learning experience.

Make sure you use a water filter, there was a lot of sediment in the water when we were there. See pictures of 4 days on a new cartridge.

We had a fantastic sunrise one morning.

Adults and Children alike will love the park office / Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park. Learn about this buildings green construction (LEED)geo thermal heat, rain water harvesting system, recycled materials and more! Step inside to view elk bear birds and other wildlife! Learn about the building of the dam and the early days of the CCC camps. If you can get the children out of the office or bring yourself to leave ... make a souvenir penny on your way out before walking across the parking lot and around the corner to visit the arch tree. This park is a long narrow park with a road running through it that is perfect for a bike ride or stroll. On one end is a wildlife viewing area, the other end offers great fishing and a boat launch. Between is a picnic day use area and a 35 site campground with a dump station, a modern restroom with flush toilets and showers. The restrooms and some campsites are ADA accessible. Electric hookups are available and each pet friendly camp site has its own picnic table, lantern hold and fire ring. Elk, eagles deer and many other varieties of wild life can be seen here on a regular basis! There is much to explore here during any season and even on a rainy day the kids will have the opportunity to learn about the world around them! 5 stars Sinnemahoning! What a treasure in the PA Wilds!

General: This is a small 28-site campground located on the east rim of the canyon; seven of the sites are electric and six of them are pet-friendly. We reserved site 17 after looking at the site map because it looked like there was a generous amount of separation between this site and the surrounding ones, however, upon arrival, this was not the case. Although some of the sites are generous in size, there is no physical separation between them. Site 1 would, in my opinion, be the best of the non-electric sites for privacy. Sites 6 and 8, while close to the bathhouse, would likely have people walking through your site to get to the bathhouse. Campers have worn a path between these sites to access it. Props to this park for having recycling bins for plastic, glass, and aluminum. While this park is open year-round, the campground is only open from the second Friday in April through the third weekend in October. 

Site Quality: The parking pad is delineated by rocks but not very clearly defined. There is a generously sized picnic table and fire ring to complete the grassy site. 

Bathhouse: Very clean (we have found most Pennsylvania state parks excel in their bathhouse cleanliness). Hot water (definitely appreciated on this cold weekend!) and one handicap accessible shower (but it was too cold while we were there to want to take a shower although it did look inviting). 

Activities: Two hiking trails on the east rim where the campground is located. The Turkey Path was closed about ¾ mile down (by the waterfall) due to storm damage. Although the trail was clearly marked closed at this point, many chose to ignore it and continue on☹. This trail is challenging as it has steep switchbacks down and back up again and it is narrow and slippery but definitely worth doing. The Overlook Trail, while not long (less than a mile), is also challenging with down and uphills. If you don’t want to (or can’t) access these trails, there is an observation platform where you can enjoy great views of the canyon. All of these trails are accessible from the campground. There is also a long multi-use trail for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. There is a nice playground accessible from the campground. 

Conclusion: We were here the last weekend the campground was open and while the fall foliage was not experiencing the best year, it was still very beautiful at this park, and we enjoyed the hikes.

Taking everything into consideration, it’s hard to find a nicer campground to stay for a night or two weeks.

• clean, well maintained and monitored.

• large sites on macadam pads. Large fields behind most sites for activities.

• full hook ups available

• numerous hiking trails, large lake for boating, fishing and swimming.

• centrally located between Mansfield, Wellsboro and Corning

*pet friendly. Alcohol allowed

the only draw back is that it fills up quickly and you need to reserve many months ahead of time especially for holidays. Not group camping friendly because of the reservation system. No pavilions for group activities within the Campground

Beautiful setting for camping along a stream and the mountains. We try to get here a couple times a year. Electric only but water fill up is in convenient locations. Dump station is provided. Well maintained and clean. So many outdoor activities abound. The Mid State hiking trail comes right through the Campground and there are numerous other trails within the park. There is a lake for swimming, kayaking and fishing. Minutes away from Big Pine Creek and additional swimming, boating and fishing opportunity. A world class rails to trails biking and hiking trails has numerous access points close by. Your in walking distance to Happy Acres Restaurant & Bar. Enjoy a meal, snack, ice cream cone or an adult libation. They also have a well stocked camp store and a game room. Very affordable camp rates.

The owners description was accurate, and the site was enjoyable.  It was somewhat difficult to locate as TheDyrt did not include a street address.  This early in the season water was not available, but electricity was.  The owners description noted a 50 amp hookup which was available, but 30 amp was not.  They did have a 120 v surge protector on site, and we fortunately had an extension cord.  Getting into the site was a challenge, but doable with a 16 foot Basecamp.  Had we been staying for more than one night, or arrived earlier we would have loved to utilize their fire ring!