Best Tent Camping near Hookstown, PA

Tent campgrounds in the Hookstown area of western Pennsylvania include both established and primitive camping options, with several notable sites like Pioneer Trails Tree Farm Campground in nearby Ohio and Quiet and Secluded in Pennsylvania. Dravo's Landing Campground offers free tent camping with water access along the Youghiogheny River, popular with hikers and cyclists traveling the Allegheny Gap trail. Most tent sites in the region are situated within a 30-40 mile radius of Hookstown, providing access to western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio landscapes.

The tent camping experience varies significantly between locations, with sites typically set on natural ground with minimal site preparation. Picnic tables and fire rings are common at most established campgrounds, though amenities differ widely. Pioneer Trails offers clean bathroom facilities but limited site amenities, while Dravo's Landing provides lean-to shelters, picnic tables, and fire pits with free firewood maintained by local volunteers. Water access is available at several sites, though not universally. A review mentioned, "We camped out overnight with a group of 14 people, and there was plenty of room for everyone to pitch their tents and spend a relaxing night under the stars."

Several tent campgrounds in the region cater specifically to particular user groups. The GAP Trail Campground is designated for cyclists only, offering a specialized experience for bikers traveling the trail corridor. This campground provides shower facilities and toilets, making it a comfortable stopover for long-distance riders. Tent sites across the region vary in crowd levels depending on season and proximity to trail networks. Campers have noted that sites along the Allegheny Gap trail serve as convenient overnight stops, with one reviewer describing Dravo's Landing as "a nice reward for west-bound riders on the GAP trail, and a nice easy introduction to bikepacking camping for the east-bound." Wildlife encounters are common at more remote tent sites, with raccoons noted as frequent nighttime visitors at riverside campgrounds.

Best Tent Sites Near Hookstown, Pennsylvania (8)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Hookstown, PA

393 Reviews of 8 Hookstown Campgrounds


  • Kathleen B.
    May. 25, 2021

    Breakneck Campground

    Nice little campground

    Our first visit to this campground and we actually found from using this website! We wanted a secluded site and close to Pittsburgh. 

    We arrived around 7pm and there was no check in, we drove around for a while trying to find a spot with a fire ring per some helpful campers. There are two really nice spots by the water which were taken, and we only saw one other in the woods (the other 2 were hidden by a large group of people).

    We ended up finding a flat spot with some tree cover what was far enough from our neighbors but about as close as a bigger campground. Would be good for larger groups. Ton of flat land for tents but saw some people with smaller campers. Firewood is $5 a bucket and clean and dry. Bring a table cloth for the tables. 

    Portapot close by but full bath rooms and showers by main lodge. Lots of tent platforms that overlooked into the woods which would be fun, for a smaller 4 person tent though. 

    As another reviewer stated, there was a super loud group Friday night but Saturday was very peaceful and quiet and we met the owner who checked us in and apologized for the loud group and said he was still getting the campground ready for the season. The price is the same for either spots. 

    Short walk down cheeseman road to trail entrances to McConnells Mills State Park. Short drive to hells hallow or the covered bridge. 

    Overall we had a great time and will be back!

  • Shannon G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 16, 2022

    Tomlinson Run State Park Campground

    Camping in the trees

    Electric Site 37 - pad is pretty level, plenty for our small camper and truck, on a slight hill to get to fire ring but lots of space to spread out. You could tent but not really a flat spot. We were near the non-electric cul de sac and a neighbor right across but not on top of each other. Trees are everywhere and wonderful during the fall season. We had a big night of rain and with the wind it dried up pretty quickly.

    Camp store - small, not a lot in it but may be end of the season items only. Mostly shirts and mugs and very little snack food. The camp store staff were all very friendly and helpful and the store has limited WiFi if you stood in the right spot. There is a laundry room available there as well.

    Dump station- 2 way and potable water on the other side of it. The only place to drop your trash too.

    Trails - lots of trails to choose from. Some were pretty easy some were a little hilly. My favorite was the fern trail - lots of ferns and a very pretty stream. Hiking poles are recommended especially if it rains.

    Playground - is available for kids and a huge shelter house too.

    Firewood is $6 a bundle and burns well, no slab cut.

    Water - have to go up to entrance as the water spouts are still shut off.

    Showers - in womens the shower on the left never got warm, other two were fine. There are 4 flush toilets.

  • Britt B.
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Breakneck Campground

    Perfect Spot to Explore McConnell's Mill

    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!

  • Jennifer K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 18, 2022

    Mill Creek Camping — Berlin Lake Wildlife Area

    Beautiful but no peace and quiet

    Camp hosts were amazing and our spot was large and pretty. Our neighbors however were absolutely obnoxious. Just screaming obscenities nearly the whole time and were definitely drinking even though no alcohol is allowed in the park. Rangers drive by very frequently yet do absolutely nothing even after quiet hours start. Maybe it's not always like this but I may never return because of it. I want a nice quiet and relaxing time not put up with screaming drunks and kids. Also there was so much traffic constantly!

  • Danielle S.
    Apr. 16, 2021

    Hidden Hollow Campground — Fernwood State Forest

    Can't beat free, but caveats abound.

    This tiny gem of a campground is actually quite decent. Each site is furnished with a small fire ring and picnic table. The fire rings do not have a grill grate. The pit toilets in the restroom are "fragrant" when you enter the women's side of the building but not so terribly that they can't be used. My friend did gag upon entering the men's room. There are designated wastewater areas to dump grey water, but you'll have to bring your own water for drinking, washing, etc. There are no electric hookups.

    As others have mentioned, there is a gun range nearby and you can hear occasional firing. Helicopter traffic at night was a slight distraction from the otherwise quiet night I spent here.

    There is an easy orange-blazed trail behind site 10 but as of this writing, a there are several downed trees blocking the trail a good distance in.

    I'd definitely stay again.

    5/3/2021 Edited to add:. Well, our second stay here is decidedly less positive. We are at site 9 this time. No fire ring here. The women's bathroom is filthy and it made me gag (there is feces all over one toilet seat and the other smells so bad that I just peed in the woods). It's turkey season so lots of noise in the woods.

  • Aloma O.
    Sep. 5, 2022

    Tappan Lake Park Campground

    Needs accurate website for bookings

    Booked 2 sites online using website. Upon getting to our sites the numbers listed on the site posts did not match the numbers on the site map used for booking. Section 4. Seasonal campers verified the campground constantly changes site numbers around.. It is very misleading. Should not offer booking online or should make sure all online booking locations have the site numbers and pictures accurate. The site we had was NOT the one pictured on the map online. Very small, muddy, and could not even have a fire on it. Got lucky no one was across from us. We used that site to build a fire. Make sure you don't forget anything or need gas, not much around.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 24, 2022

    Shenango Campground

    Huge COE

    After getting off I80, our RV GPS wanted to take us on a wonky route, so we followed Waze and the campground’s(CG) web instructions that took us across the causeway on N. Hermitage Rd, then a right turn off on Birchwood Rd, which led us to take a left turn back across N. Hermitage Rd to get back to the Shenango Rec Area turn. Once we got to the CG, check in was quick and very easy. Just happened, our next door neighbor/camp host checked us in and told us we could get water off their site so we proceeded straight to site 199 that’s a back in with electric(50/30 AMP) only plus one of the better spaced sites in the CG. We had to maneuver a couple of times to get into the 90 degree site but the road was wide with no obstacles to prevent swinging into the site. We quickly found out that our 50 AMP connection had issues and after reporting it, a maintenance crew came within 20 minutes and fixed a bad breaker. We got 3 bars on Verizon and a handful of OTA channels. Due to the amount of mature trees, satellite would be iffy depending on your site. There are no FHU sites(camp host sites have electric& water). Electric sites are centrally grouped within the loops and spaced closer together than most COEs. The majority of the sites within this CG are dry camping and they too are fairly close together. The sites right on the lake were all dry camping. With all the dry camping sites in this CG, its nice that they allow generator use during non quiet hours. Quiet hours here are 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. There are water spigots periodically located within the loops and the CG map identifies where they are. There’s also a two-lane dump station located near the entrance but there is no potable water. There are signs stating no alcohol in the park, but people were openly drinking. We also noted that the contractors who clean the restroom/shower facilities start early in the morning and close the facility while cleaning, which was inconvenient for the dry campers just waking up. If we were to stay at this CG again, we’d come during the week and get a dry camping site on the water.

  • Emily S.
    Jun. 1, 2017

    Hidden Hollow Campground — Fernwood State Forest

    Free!

    Spent the first camping trip of the summer here on Memorial Day weekend and it was a beautiful spot. There are a number of sites set up in a circle, the initial sites are better suited for RVs while the sites along the back of the loop are flatter and can accommodate a tent. This was our first car camping in an actual campground experience in a while - our last few trips were all backcountry sites - and it felt very luxurious. The campground is situated near shooting ranges so the gunfire lasts late into the evening and begins early in the morning disrupting the serenity a bit.

    The best part - it's free! Just register at the box. There are vault toilets and each site has a fire ring, picnic table, garbage cans, and there are spots to dump waste water. It's very well-organized and well maintained.

  • K
    Jun. 25, 2021

    Jefferson Lake State Park Campground

    Quiet and Beautiful

    This smaller campground has a mix of equestrian sites and tent/RV sites. There are no showers, but the vault toilets were cleaned thoroughly ever morning. You need to be careful when booking, especially if you are trying to pitch a tent, as some sites are quite sloped. Our site was huge and right next to the water spigot.


Guide to Hookstown

Tent camping near Hookstown, Pennsylvania offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the great outdoors.

Local Activities for Tent Campers

Tips for Tent Camping Near Hookstown

Local Attractions for Campers

  • Visit the nearby Twin Hills Campground for easy access to local markets and amenities, making it a convenient base for your adventures.
  • Explore the natural beauty surrounding Springhill County Park, where you can hike and enjoy the tranquility of nature.
  • Don't miss the chance to camp at Mahaney Rec Area Day Use, which offers electric hookups and is perfect for a day of relaxation and fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hookstown, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hookstown, PA is Pioneer Trails Tree Farm Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Hookstown, PA?

TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Hookstown, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.