Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Gaines? Finding a place to camp in Pennsylvania with your tent has never been easier. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Lawrence Recreation Area is a day-use facility on the south side of Cowanesque Lake. It is conveniently located on State Route 49 approximately 4 miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area offers a great location for picnicking and shoreline fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers many outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails surround the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The Cayuga Shelter is reservable for group picnicking. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
South Shore Recreation Area is located on the south side of the Cowanesque Lake along State Route 49, just five miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. The area is easily accessible from Route 15 and offers a great location for boating, picnicking and fishing.
Cowanesque Lake offers a variety of outdoor activities including boating and fishing. A variety of native fish inhabits the area's streams and lakes. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing below the dam. The fields and forests around the lake are popular destinations for hunters looking for large and small game species that inhabit the eastern hardwood forests. Many miles of hiking trails circle the lake, including the Mid State Trail, which travels through the recreation area. It links the trails at Cowanesque and nearby Hammond Lake into a long path that extends all the way through Pennsylvania from Maryland to New York.
The recreation area offers three group shelters. The Iroquois and Oneida Shelters have electric and water hookups; the Mohawk Shelter has water hookups only. All three sites are fully accessible and comfortably accommodate groups of up to 100 people in a lovely lakeside setting.
Cowanesque Lake is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$40 - $100 / night
Lambs Creek Recreation Area is located at the southern end of Tioga Lake, just north of the borough of Mansfield, PA. The recreation area is easily accessible from US Route 15 and offers a great location for picnicking, hiking and biking.
A 3.2-mile paved rail trail travels south from the recreation area into Mansfield. It is open for hiking, biking and roller blading. A boat ramp within the facility provides access to the 498-acre Tioga Lake, which is popular for water skiing, fishing and paddling.
Lambs Creek offers one group shelter. It is fully accessible and comfortably accommodates up to 100 people in a lovely wooded setting.
Lambs Creek is situated in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling terrain and open fields.
$75 / night
If you're passing through town on your travels or a local looking for a private get away, this is the perfect place to kick back, relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. You can sit by the fire, look across to see fireflies in the field or tilt your head back to have an amazing star-gazing experience. A one of a kind property to make memories with friends, family, or for a special romantic get away. Access to 93 acres with trails to walk or mountain bike on, fields to wander through and wildlife to observe.
$35 - $89 / night
Scout
So myself, my Girlfriend and our dog went up to hike the Grand Canyon and decided to spend the night. We were met with extremely friendly personnel. The site was easy to get to. And the bathrooms and showers were extremely clean. Honestly it was a huge plus picking this place to stay the night.
ScoutBig open campground with lots of sites both electric and non electric. Many rigs in non electric sites running generators 24 hours. Very noisy. Would not recommend
Traveler
This is a nice clean quiet campground. It's a great stop if you're doing rails to trails or swimming at the beach up the road. (Note to get to both places you'll need to drive). We went on a weekday and it wasn't crowded but I've heard on the weekends it gets packed. There are two sets of swings and one slide. The bathrooms have showers and were clean. Some of the spots are smaller and right next to each other (down by the creek and up around top). But spots 68,69,70 are prime. We were in spot 75 right next to the bridge and not ideal
Traveler
We arrived on Saturday and departed the following Friday. The campground was exceptionally maintained, bathrooms and showers virtually spotless and the pool was clearly and consistently maintained at all times. Plenty of space to spread out and walk. All of the roads were paved and sites were very large.
ScoutNice quiet sites, good wifi, clean bathrooms, drinking water and power at all sites. Hosts are very friendly
ScoutThe campground is beautifully kept. Bathrooms and sites were nice. Some sites are alittle closer personally esp in the dog area. It was extremely buggy when we went. Our dogs wouldn't come out of the camper because there was no relief. It was the height of rattle snake season. A site near ours and very close to the playground had a rattler under their camper. Alittle too close for comfort. Otherwise, campers, rangers and hosts were nice to deal!
GuideStayed 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.
Guide
Bathrooms were very clean. Lots of things to do for young ones; heated pool, splash pad, pickleball court, basketball hoops and Gaga ball court. Opportunity to rent kayaks, bikes and golf carts.
Guide
Spent Memorial Day weekend at this campground and found it bustling with activity yet still retaining a serene charm. Despite the crowd, we snagged a spot by the stream, which added an extra layer of tranquility to our stay. As the holiday wound down, so did the crowd, leaving behind a peaceful ambiance. Its proximity to the PA Grand Canyon made it an ideal base for exploration. While the WiFi was a bit spotty, offering only two bars in certain areas, it encouraged us to disconnect and fully immerse ourselves in nature, especially during the mesmerizing stargazing nights. Although there were plenty of annual RV residents, the atmosphere remained quaint and inviting. Overall, a delightful spot for a camping getaway.
Guide
This is one of the best campgrounds we've ever stayed at. Beautifully maintained and landscaped, and the sites are level. Our site was literally on the river, we even saw an eagle. Their bathrooms are so clean I almost swept from joy. Keep in mind you need quarters for a hot shower but I only needed 2 quarters for 6 minutes, plenty of time. What I love most is how accessible the biking trail and river are. The staff will even shuttle you to the kayak drop off site for a fee, and then you just pull in right to the campground. We have been coming to this area for years and this is the first time we were lucky to snag a site for a Holiday weekend. We won't stay anywhere else from now on.
Guide
The sites are just pull offs along the road. the road isn't heavily traveled so it's not too bad. The problem was the night that I stayed there it had been raining non stop for several day and the whole campsite. was several inches of mud. there wasn't any grassy areas to park near. All in all not a bad place in dry conditions. it was reported to be free with a permit but the permit was about $15
Scout
We stay every year usually a few times a year and always come back. This year the changes that have been happening are unreal. The new owners have renovated everything top to bottom. The biggest one being the brand new pool and deck
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Firefly Acres is a great spot to setup camp with tons of activities nearby including trails for hiking & mountain biking. Check them out and share some pics of your stay!
Scout
Rolling hills, lots of room between sites, curved roads and loops (versus straight roads and everyone parked like a mobile home park) make for a very pleasant site. Lots of different settings to choose from.
GuideWell established campground with many campsites, both with and without hookups. Bathrooms, showers, boat launch, beach, playground, and a camp store. Lots of great trails nearby as well. Worth the visit!
Guide
This is a big park. We just reserved one night as as an overnight stop after a 10 hr day of driving. We travel with a dog so our only choice for an electric site was on the Sycamore loop. The Oak loop does not allow pets. Sites we nicely laid out with level gravel and a fire ring. Looks like there lots to do around the park, especially for families.
Scout
Very clean,family friendly ,relaxing
Guide
Very nice campground, well maintained quiet, clean restrooms and showers, nice sized sites, very nice owners
Scout
My family and I had a wonderful stay tent camping here. The grounds are huge and very well maintained, including the grass being mowed. There are large, beautiful trees to tent camp in the shade. There’s lots of amenities like volleyball, basketball, playground, swings, all in a safe area away from roads. There’s entrance spots to kayak/ play in the river. Other than a few mosquito bites, we left with a peaceful, wonderful time and memories. Including seeing an eagle fly over the river!
GuideStayed in the modern camping section. Easy access to camp ground. The check in process was just to drive to the site and set up which was different but very easy. The sites are private on the sides with some green space to play on. Lots of extra places to park extra cars or bring a second vehicle with a boat.
The kids had fun riding the bikes around the loop and taking the short cuts cut in around the loop. We had fun walking to the foot bridge to go fishing.
The camping area was very quite both mornings and evenings. We saw the park rangers drive through multiple times per day.
The bathrooms were clean. There are no shelfs in the showers (except for a bar of soap) but they had hooks to hang your clothes.
The racoons were a fun surprise on our last night! We left the grease trap from the Blackstone out and the they found it. We did not see any bears though we heard they are there.
We had smoke from Canadian forest fires so haze in the pictures is smoke not haze or rainy days! The walking trails are great. You can see the largest white swamp oak in Pennsylvania!
Definitely check out Penns Cave too.
Ranger
This a small campground, around 33 sites. The pads are all gravel except for the handicapped pad, which is paved. This campground is alcohol free and upon checking on you are asked if you have any alcohol. The sites are fairly spaced apart and many are shaded by large pine trees.
The park visitor's center has many participatory A/V camping and wildlife exhibits. The law enforcement/ranger was exceptionally helpful and friendly and he provided me with the locations of current elk sightings.
I had no verizon cell service in the park.
Guide
Tent sites along a confluence of creeks; ankle deep clear water. Amazing miles of upstream hiking, water holes, rope swings, etc.
Perfect for little kids and adults.
Short drive from Letchwood State Park
GuideThe Pine loop is a pleasant escape for tent campers hoping for a good view of the lake. Note that the access gravel access road to this loop is about a mile to the "comfort station" with flush toilets and showers. This loop only has pit latrines. Site #136 was slightly sloped towards the lake, the ground was soft enough to get stakes in easily. Would return again but probably stay on the lakeside of the Pine loop next time.
Scout
Small quiet and clean. Helpful owner
Scout
Would like to stay at this campground, but these folks do not respond to reservation requests or vmail requests per their website instruction. Have lost all interest - horrible
Scout
The site and facilities were very well kept and clean. The night we arrived there was several other campers but cleared out for the weekend so we basically got the whole lower camp ground to ourselves which was great. Sites are well spaced so you don’t feel like it’s crowded. Would definitely visit again!
Traveler
Great place for stargazing and astronomy! Use of red lights (flashlight or headlamp) was enforced in order to see the stars clearly. Campground was well maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Gaines, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gaines, PA is Colton Point State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Gaines, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Gaines, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
