Best Tent Camping near Grampian, PA

Recent Tent Reviews near Grampian, Pennsylvania

362 Reviews of 11 Grampian Campgrounds

• D

  Denise P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 26, 2018

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Beautiful,wooded settin on the fringe of the Allegheny National Forest

  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.

• 

  Britt B.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Pennsylvania Favorite!

  A 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!

• J

  Janice C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2016

  Cook Forest State Park Campground

  Excellent experience!

  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!

• C

  Chuck M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  S.B. Elliott State Park Campground

  Old and worn out

  A dingy place. The ground was swampy the only dry places are the gravel pads in the sites. I wouldn't tent camp here.

  On the plus side, strong AT&T and T-Mobile cell signals. (I don't have a verizon device)

• 

  Travis S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 27, 2017

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Red Mo

  Nice campground, wooded sites and most were okay for tent camping however some required your tent to be set up a small distance from the fire ring. Clean showerhouses and bathrooms. Big Lake and a few miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.

  The Iron Ore mines from the past have left the creek water stained red which is why its called the Red Mo with the locals.

• 

  Denise D.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2018

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Super place for the family and everyone.

  Make a reservation way ahead of your date as this campground is very popular and sites book early. It has sites to accommodate any R.V. and lot of tent sites. The lake has lots to offer. Swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife watching and a big sky view for star gazing.

• N

  Nicole F.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Crooked Run Campground — Prince Gallitzin State Park

  Clean sites with nearby water and bathrooms.

  We used the group tent sites for our Girl Scout weekend. It was a fun weekend. We participated in the Outdoors for Everyone event. The site was clean, decently level area for tents, accessible to potable water and bathrooms with showers. Rangers were wonderful to work with in setting up teaching opportunities for the girls. We will definately go back.

• 

  Jenna G.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2018

  Blue Knob State Park Campground

  Great camping experience

  Plenty of trails to hike from easy to difficult. Local history is right around the corner with the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument. Blue Knob houses the second highest peak in PA. The bathrooms were clean. Camp sites are rocky so be sure to bring a mat if tent camping. The park does not offer fire wood for purchase; bring extra.

• 

  Mike

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2020

  Bellefonte-State College KOA

  1st Stay at KOA

  This was my 1st time camping at a KOA as the nearby state park was full. This KOA impressed me. The grounds were well laid out and included RVs, campers, tents and us in Hammocks. We were in an area for tent camping though. The individual bathroom/showers were great & clean. Office facilities & firewood access were also nice. I usually camp in state parks, but I’ll give KOA consideration again after this stay.

• R

  Rae H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Silver Canoe Campground

  Beautiful tent spot

  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!

• 

  Matthew H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 20, 2018

  Parker Dam State Park Campground

  Nice park, Surprisingly Nice Swimming Beach, and the Dam is pretty impressive.

  Stayed at one of the two "Tent Only" sites in the campground. These two sites are shaded, surrounded by trees and pretty much private to the rest of the "Modern" campground. When staying in these sites, you can see from tent site to tent site, noise was not an issue though. You can quickly walk down to the Dam from these sites (like a 5 min easy walk, down a stepped hill).

  Bathrooms are really nice and clean, with showers. Bathrooms have lights, heat, and exhaust fans. Everything was kept really clean on a packed July weekend.

  I ventured around the "Cabin" area, cabins look really nice (comfortably primative with an external bathhouse, with cabin key only access, containing a potty and shower) some cabins were more.private than others.

  Swimming at the beach was surprisingly nice. Water depth is very suitable for young kids. There roped off "Swimming Area" only reached maybe 4-5ft. Row Boats, Kayaks, Peddleboats, Canoes can be rented cheaply to explore the lake. The concession stand at the swimming beach has a very large menu, from fried foods to ice cream.

  Hiking trails are really nice, the one that my family did was a few miles of easy hiking, mostly graveled thru nice lush forrested and marshy areas. My young kids had no issues.

  Will definitely visit this park again.

• 

  Zack B.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 11, 2024

  Moshannon State Forest

  Generic positive title

  Great tent site with lots of room. Have your own little driveway to park your car right next to the site. Comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Need lots of rope for setting up tarps as trees are far apart. Cute little stream in the back with a log crossing. No cell service, near town with free wifi. No toilets or garbage. Good amount of traffic coming down the road but isn't an issue at night time.

• 

  Travis S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2017

  Greenwood Furnace State Park Campground

  Small quiet scenic park with fascinating history

  Beautiful campgrounds with spacious camp sites. Well maintained bathroom and firewood plus ice available at the entrance (this is a great plus for those car/tent camping.

  extremely close to the rothrock forest mountain biking trails. Less than a mile to trails that take you to the IMBA epic coopers gap loop.

  Campgrounds and surround park area were well maintained with a few picnic shelters, a beach and sand volleyball courts. Camp was full and all day use areas were occupied during our stay.

• 

  Bill G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  See the rest of Allegheny National Forest...

  I 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.

• 

  Laura C.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 22, 2018

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Some of My Best Memories

  My 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!

• 

  Indy A.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 27, 2022

  Silver Canoe Campground

  Excellent time

  I'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.

• 

  Jay B.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 5, 2017

  Crooked Run Campground — Prince Gallitzin State Park

  Labor Day 2017

  2 night stay in a tent site. Sites were small, but doable. Very clean and spacious showerhouses/bathrooms in each section. Some sections do not allow pets, even for walking. Lake was large with 26 miles of shoreline. The lake was virtually empty, especially for a holiday weekend. There is a swimming area, also empty. The only boats we saw were pontoons and kayaks. Check their website, maybe that is all that are allowed. We don't have a boat, so didn't ask. Some hiking trails around the park. Surprisingly, we saw NO wildlife, and had no campsite "visitors". The park offered many family friendly programs.

• 

  Casey L.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 13, 2022

  DuBois / Treasure Lake KOA

  Large Open Campground

  This campground has a ton of sites and a lot of permanent camper trailers. The tent sites were open and close together so there wouldn't be much privacy during the busy season. We went in the beginning of May so luckily, we mostly had the vicinity to ourselves. There wasn't an established tent pad but it was pretty level. The bathroom was clean. You can get firewood delivered to your site which is nice. I wouldn't stay there during the summer but it was the only place we could find open with availability. It was also fairly expensive in my opinion but that could just be me. I think it would be nice for a family stay but not if you're looking for peace and quiet.

• 

  Travis S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 13, 2019

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Big woods feel

  Long 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.

• 

  Kent L.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 21, 2022

  Seven Points (PA)

  Top 5 Campground in PA

  This campground is located on the east side of Pennsylvania and offers a beautiful view of Lake Raystown. The campground has over 200 sites to choose from, and many of them are right on the water. There are also plenty of activities to keep you busy, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing and my favorite thing to do Mt Biking. Raystown lake is also a really nice boating lake. The lake is a natural beauty with so many coves and inlets for the biggest of boats to enjoy. They do have a camping resort on the other side of the lake which makes it nice for anyone looking for rustic cabins or cabin rentals. 

   There are 50 miles of single track mountain biking at this campground. They are some of the best flow trails on the East coast and are the# 1 trail system in Pennsylvania. This is a family friendly campground and has so much to offer. There are volleyball nets, playgrounds, kayak and paddleboard rentals. The kids took a kayak over to an island and spent the afternoon cliff jumping with a 10 ft and 25 ft cliff to launch off of. The sites here are some of the nicest we have ever seen. They are all big and private with stunning views of Raystown Lake. There are steps down from your camper to a pad with a fire pit and area for a tent. You are literally 10 feet away from the water as you enjoy a sunset while sitting around the fire. The lake is a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or just relax and enjoy the view. We love coming here and spending our weekends on the lake. All tent sites are equipped with picnic tables and most sites are electric. looking for other epic reviews check out the top ten campgrounds in PA https://www.longdaycampingco.com/post/10-best-campsites-in-pennsylvania-gorgeous-sites-to-enjoy-the-outdoors

• R

  Rosie Lon S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 16, 2021

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Great place to camp

  We 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.

• 

  Johanna B.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2021

  Duman Lake County Park

  Nice local park

  Duman lake review notes.

  • Well-maintained small park, stocked lake, popular with local fisherman. Kayaking/small boat fishing. I’ve seen bald eagle and osprey.
  • Six campsites, w/mature trees, level, w/paved drive & gravel area, large enough for mid-sized RVs. They state 40 ft., but all are back in. All have (lighted)30 amp & water. We did not see the tent sites. Not sure if they are developed, ask.
  • Number one is closest to the bathhouse, number five was less shaded. Number six is closest to the road.
  • Newer restroom, w/two stalls each. Push-button, hot showers. Men’s worked best.
  • Campsite number one is closest to restroom, but also behind picnic shelter number 12, so if the shelter is booked for a party could be noisy? Day use people bugged out quickly at dusk.
  • We were in #1 in May & had the entire campground & upper park to ourselves.
  • They have a kids’ train in summer.
  • Nice playground.
  • The only real downside of this campground is that the local road is close by and you do get some traffic noise before dark. It is not a high traffic road however. Dumpsters were overflowing with weekend trash & bathrooms needed a bug sweep-out. Sportsmen were target shooting nearby before dark FYI.
• 

  Diane T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  Greenwood Furnace State Park Campground

  No phone service, no problem!

  This campground helped me finally convince my fiance that not all 'campgrounds' are actually waterpark/family fun/RV parking lots, and that there are a lot of secluded, forest, nature-oriented campgrounds!  We came here in mid June so it was a bit chilly  at night and warm during the day - bring layers + raincoats as the PA mountain weather can be iffy! The campground can host tents, as well as RVs/campers, and includes clean bath houses with both toilets and showers. You can also buy firewood at the entrance. Sites have a picnic table + fire ring. There is little to no phone service here and it's not super close to town, so come prepared. It's a short distance to some amazing hikes, as well! The park itself has a playground and lake to swim in (though it was too cold for us to use it), as well as the historical furnace itself to explore.  The campground is also about 30minutes from State College in case you crave a night on the town during your stay.  As typical for campgrounds, some spots are more secluded than others. We stayed in one (forgive me, I can't remember the site #, perhaps 020?) where we were able to plop our tent into a nice tree-surrounded plot. There are also a few tent sites (18A)  right next to a hidden creek in the back corner of the campground which we explored while there - these sites are very secluded and you really feel like you're away from it all. We reserved this site for later this summer and will update with pictures & info afterwards.

• 

  Mary H.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2019

  Upper Campground — Kettle Creek State Park

  Upper campground: Rustic, remote, restful

  The upper campground has a rustic feel, beautiful views and is a great location for wildlife encounters. While it has some amenities (electric on a few RV sites; scullery area near the pit toilets; showers available at lower campground), these grounds are away from the bustle of the outside world. We are tent campers, and without the need for hookup and never having been there, we reserved site 45--but do not recommend it for its challenging slope. When a loud, disrespectful family set up nearby that first night for a long weekend, we spoke with the camp host (helpful, amenable Jim), who suggested we ask about site 71, the most removed of all the sites. Went to the camp office and obtained it for the rest of our week-long stay--and it was perfect. (While it had a hookup that we didn't need/use, we did pay extra for it--but well worth the seclusion.) Super quiet back there and totally private. Some of the rustic tent sites looked lovely, too (did not note best site numbers; sorry), but we cannot recommend #71 enough. If you're an RV camper, however, the sites with the vista views overlooking the reservoir are amazing, if not somewhat close together. 

  We wanted to encounter wildlife; went looking for it and found it! Everything seemed to be about an hour or more away on winding roads, but that was okay; love the meandering. We went to:  

  • Hyner View (gorgeous vistas -- and also came across a mama rattlesnake sunning on a back road and took photos from the safety of our car!); 
  • Pine Creek Gorge (Leonard Harrison State Park) more amazing views; 
  • Benezette to find elk (wild herd at dusk on Winslow Hill, complete with mama and baby--then three buck sauntering through town!); and 
  • lovely nearby Kettle Creek Vista. We also saw a few elk and lots of deer as we drove along the river's edge over the Leidy Bridge. 

  Pennsylvania is gorgeous!

  We also enjoyed meeting Julie at the Lock Haven Visitors' Center and had our only meal out at Deb's in Cross Fork. For ice cream treats (a weakness): Ice Shack near Lock Haven; Old Bull Cafe in Benezette; the kiosk at the top of Pine Creek Gorge. 

  A very restful, quiet week in early June was just what we needed, and Kettle Creek State Park Upper Campground was wonderful.

• 

  Brian S.

  Guide

  

  May. 6, 2018

  Twin Lakes Recreation Area - Allegheny National Forest

  Quiet, Wooded Campground at Backpacking Trailheads

  Twin Lakes is a beautiful spot, tucked away in a stream valley in the Allegheny National Forest. It's mainly locals who come here, since few outsiders know about it. If you come in the spring or fall, you're likely to have the whole recreation area to yourself, though the swimming beach can get crowded in summer. Originally, there were supposed to be two small lakes--more like ponds--on this site. But money for the second pond was redirected elsewhere--to construct the swimming area at the Lolita Campground instead. And so, the little body of water called "Twin Lake" sits solitary and with a misleading name. The campground is quiet and pleasant, with large, sunny sites for trailers in the lower loop and shaded tent sites in the upper loop. Unfortunately, nearby gas drilling has made the drinking water unsafe, and so the National Forest Service first closed the upper loop, and now for the 2018 "camping year" it has closed the entire campground. The ANF website promises that this is temporary, and the campground will reopen. In every way, Twin Lakes is a lovely location, with dark, towering hemlock trees, rustic old CCC architecture, and a serene little lake completely encircled by a walking trail. Black bears have long been habituated to humans at Twin Lakes! Keep your food and toiletries in the car. To my knowledge, no one has ever been attacked by a bear here. The wild and overrun Twin Lakes Trail is a linear backpacking route that starts here and heads westward toward the North Country National Scenic Trail. But unfortunately, the Twin Lakes Trail ends up getting lost in those dismal parts of the forest that have been completely trashed by gas drillers. I hope this campground reopens. I have fond memories of bringing my kids here when they were little, flying kites, picking berries, swimming in the frigid spring water! PS: If you've got a tall trailer, be sure to check the Twin Lakes page on the ANF website; there's a way in, but it's not all that easy to find.

• 

  Ann P.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 25, 2019

  Black Moshannon State Park Campground

  Black Mo is a unique treasure

  UPDATED reviews for rustic and modern cabins.

  March 2020, Modern Cabins: Before COVID-19 hit PA we stayed in one of the modern cabins. Wow...everything was seemingly quite new and it was extremely comfortable. Nice bathrooms, nice kitchen, etc. One of the best things about Black Mo is how isolated it feels and it's never crowded in the off-months. The Moss Hanne is still a thrilling trail even in the winter months and there's been a lot of beaver activity since we last visited including a very impressive dam. 

  October 2019, Rustic Cabins: We stayed in one of the rustic cabins on a cold October weekend. Very charming small cabins with robust woodstoves. Although we probably could have been more careful, there were unfortunately some very bothersome mice who kept us awake each night...and were seemingly not very afraid of us! The construction of the rustic cabins is such that there probably isn't much you can do about mice getting in. If this doesn't bother you, these cabins are really cute and cozy.

  July 2019, Tent Camping: As far as camping goes, the loop area is a bit cramped for my taste, but if that doesn't bother you it's fine. Clean bathhouse and convenient outdoor sink for washing up after dinner. Overall one of the best PA parks and well maintained.

  I really have to address some of these other reviews, though:

  "Water was thick with weeds& lilies but ok nonetheless." Wow! Pitcher plants, sundews and water lilies are not "weeds." They are unique to bog environments and don't grow in other places. The vegetation in the lake is what makes Black Mo black, so picturesque and unlike other PA parks!

  "The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either." Like many state parks in this part of the world there is no cell service, so you need to bring a real map (Purple Lizard) and look a few things up on the internet ahead of time. Black Mo is literally ten minutes from Philipsburg where there is surely an ice cream stand, 25 minutes from State College, which has tons of touristy offerings…I could go on but really this is laughable.

• 

  Nancy W.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 14, 2022

  Bellefonte-State College KOA

  Very Nice KOA

  We stayed here over a weekend and the campground was packed because there was a Penn State football game. Once the weekend was over, the park cleared out and it felt like there was more space and it was much quieter. Our site was the only one available for that weekend and it was a premium with a large paved patio with a nice outdoor patio set with table and chairs, a swing, and a sunken fire pit. We loved this deluxe site but they are a lot pricier than the standard ones. 

  The park is fairly small but has some really nice sites. There are 91 RV sites to choose from as well as tent sites, cabins, and “lodges.” Some are pull-thru and back-in sites ranging from full hookup deluxe, full hookup 50A, full hookup 30A, and water/30A only. The campground is built on a hill and sites are terraced. Some pull-thru sites have a very steep short hill to go up which made for some RV’s scraping bottom. The section in the front of the park is open with spotty trees; whereas, sites in the back of the park are tucked in the woods and are a lot more private. Roads in the back section are narrow and the sites are not very long and suitable for small campers. Some sites are not level at all and others are sloped such that you have to pull all the way forward into your site to get level. 

  Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There are about 45 cable channels. Satellite reception at some sites would be difficult as trees would interfere. There is free Wi-Fi at each site which worked well at our site (#32). Amenities include a covered pavilion, off-leash dog park, camp store, swimming pool, playground, basketball/volleyball courts, and fishing pond. We were there during the off-season but apparently there is lots going on in the summer with hayrides, treasure hunts, Sunday morning pancakes, and a splash pad. 

  This KOA is close to historic sites, Amish markets, Penn State and a couple of state parks. For outdoor adventure, visit and hike Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Parks. Black Moshannon has great trails and a wonderful lake to kayak. The creamery on Penn States campus is delicious. Visit Mt Nittany or other wineries which have pretty good wine. Overall, it was a good place to stop and generally we liked the park. The price listed above was for a deluxe full hookup site (which included a paved patio, sunken fire pit, patio furniture, and a swing) and not a standard site.