165 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping near Lemont, Pennsylvania ranges from developed state park campgrounds to private campgrounds with full hookups and cabin rentals, all within a short drive. Black Moshannon State Park and Penn Roosevelt State Park provide developed camping facilities, while Bellefonte-State College KOA offers private camping with more amenities. The region accommodates tent camping, RV sites with hookups, and cabin rentals, with most campgrounds situated within wooded areas of central Pennsylvania's mountain terrain.
The camping season generally runs from April through October, with limited year-round options available at select locations like Penn Roosevelt State Park. Most state park campgrounds open the second Friday in April and close in October or December. "Make sure you bring everything you need as there isn't a store nearby," noted one visitor to Penn Roosevelt State Park, highlighting the remote nature of some camping areas. Water access varies significantly between campgrounds, with some offering primitive sites with pit toilets and others providing full bathroom facilities with showers. Cell phone reception is limited or non-existent at many of the more secluded camping areas, particularly at Penn Roosevelt and Greenwood Furnace State Parks.
Campers frequently mention the peaceful setting and natural surroundings as highlights of the area's campgrounds. The Rothrock State Forest surrounds several camping areas, offering extensive hiking trails and outdoor recreation opportunities. Some campgrounds feature lakes for swimming and fishing, particularly at Black Moshannon and Greenwood Furnace State Parks. According to reviews, Penn Roosevelt State Park provides an especially secluded experience where visitors report "hearing nothing but nature for over an hour." Sites vary in privacy levels, with some state park campgrounds offering well-spaced, wooded sites while others, particularly private campgrounds, may have closer spacing. Proximity to State College and Penn State University makes these campgrounds popular during football weekends and university events, with many requiring advance reservations during peak times.
"Electric motorboats are permitted on Moshannon Lake. Boat rentals are available in season."
"Great hiking and a beautiful lake for kayaking. Site 22 is a full hookup. Utilities worked nicely. However, our picnic table had seen better days. "
from $24 - $159 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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."
from $24 - $33 / night
Check Availability"The site itself was fairly uneven and rocky so we had to always use caution when walking around the site but it added to the rugged experience."
"The rustic section was located around a large loop with each site ranging in a few feet from the car-friendly loop to about the 50 foot walk where our site was located."
from $20 - $22 / night
Check Availability"Very peaceful and quite, but close to State College (a must since we were in town for a Penn State game). I also loved historic Bellefonte (I highly recommend eating at the Governors Pub)."
"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."
"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."
"If you are not the camping type you can stay at the Nature Inn and enjoy the beautiful lodge in an amazing location! Definitely tops on our list of state parks in Pennsylvania!"
from $26 - $113 / night
Check Availability"Get a site on the outside towards the water. They are spaced out and peaceful. Has restrooms (no shower), picnic table, and fire pit at each site. Short walk to creek and beautiful pond."
"went there for a picnic with the young ones and it was quite a fun evening. there were not many people around so the kids could frolic and be slightly loud without bothering any other people."
from $25 / night
Check Availability"We got a nice one tucked back in the trees, but a few of them are pretty close to the road - not like it's terribly busy."
"There is a trail head near the entrance of the park for hikers and a geocache showed up close to the trail on a road on my geocache tracker if you are into that."
from $26 / night
Check Availability"Far enough away from cities that it's nice and quiet"
"We did take the hunter's path, off the beach parking lot, to the mid state trail but it was straight up the mountain and quite difficult. The beach was nice, not crowded, soft sand, and warm water."
from $24 - $108 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $40 - $50 / night
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GuideIts was great, we stayed in new area, sites had ample room, not many trees at our spot so summer there wouldnt be much shade but we were next to a retention pond/drainage. We brought our dig whole loved running through there.
Not much to say besides it was clean, not crowded (in November) and decent spacing between sites
GuideIt was overall good, Nice amenities, pool was clean (3ft-5ft) Splash pad, air pillow, playground, pond, etc
It has nice wooded areas but very compact, if you have a large camper id be concerned with trying to make some turns on the upper area
ScoutMicheal met us with a welcome packet, delivered campwood at a very reasonable price (and loaned us a hatchet), clean facilities and hot shower were a bonus!
Very responsive to messages and an overall delightful experience. Great bird watching and a huge herd of deer came to visit too.
ScoutWhere do I start?
We came to this campground to connect with family who was hiking the AT. We left after one miserable night. Here are some reasons:
A giant confederate flag near the entrance
Highway noise and not one but two train tracks
One Filthy “bathroom”
No shade at our campsite- despite other available sites with some shade
A trail of poison ivy on the narrow path to the river
Cigarette butts everywhere
And a creepy man on a bike who declared he was a local and wouldn’t leave our site while I was alone and insisted on talking to me about the strip club down the street, where to buy condoms and how my tent’s mesh shelf is perfect for drying out my wet panties.
ScoutWe called ahead of time to reserve two sites for two nights for a bunch of people from out of state and some hikers from the AT. They said it was $35 per site per night. When we arrived we were told that we had to pay for three nights because it was a holiday weekend AND that the price was per tent. The porta potties were gross and hadn’t been serviced in a while. It was difficult to use them. During a heat wave we were given a site with little shade when several sites further along with plenty of trees were empty. The plumbed bathroom was dirty and had no soap. The shop did not in fact sell love bait, which cramped our fishing style. There is a loud rail road with constant trains on one side and a very busy highway with loud trucks on the other. The river front was lovely, but with detritus from previous campers on the rocks. We left after one night.
GuideStayed for 2 nights with my pup. Nice, private, walk up tent sites maybe 50 yards or so from the road. Didn’t find too much to do trails wise at the campground but the pond nearby has some lovely views and the park across the bridge has a nice beach for swimming.
GuideFabulous campground, off the beaten path. Stayed here 2 nights and enjoyed walking to the beach and hiking some of the extensive trail system. Campsites are well spaced and private. Although most are on on a slight hill, our parking spot was level and it appeared most others were as well.
ScoutSuper nice owner and its a privately owned farm. Went above and beyond clearing out a spot for us with only 4 hours if advance
ScoutOther campers are nice and welcome. The river is close and just a great location.
Camping options near Lemont, Pennsylvania range from primitive tent sites to modern RV facilities, all set within the mountainous terrain of central Pennsylvania. Most campgrounds sit at elevations between 1,500-2,000 feet, creating cooler nighttime temperatures even during summer months. Water features are common at many camping areas, with several lakes and streams providing recreation opportunities during the typical April to October camping season.
Fishing and boating access: Bald Eagle State Park offers a 1,730-acre lake that's popular for various water activities. "Great camping area stop a mountain...nice unique lake that is incredibly dark in color. Lilly pads abound with great flowers," notes a camper at Black Moshannon State Park Campground.
Educational programs: Several parks provide ranger-led activities, particularly during summer months. At Greenwood Furnace State Park Campground, "The blacksmith shop was very educational! Great trails to hike! You can pick up a compass at the ranger station and complete a compass course! Beginner course available!"
Swimming beaches: Multiple state parks maintain designated swimming areas with sandy beaches. At Poe Valley State Park, "The beach was nice, not crowded, soft sand, and warm water. It's a great lake to kayak or paddle board on."
Historic exploration: Several parks preserve industrial heritage sites. At Greenwood Furnace, visitors appreciate the "Cool history! Very interesting history of the old furnaces. Gorgeous park - very PA-scenic!"
Secluded sites: Many campers value the privacy available at certain parks. At Penn Roosevelt State Park Campground, "It was so secluded, I heard nothing but nature for over an hour before a plane flew over."
Natural water features: The region's lakes and streams receive high marks. At Poe Valley State Park, "Lots of fishing, swimming and you can rent kayaks or paddle boats. Beach had a concession stand and camping was very shaded and secluded!"
Dark skies: Low light pollution makes stargazing possible. At Reeds Gap State Park Campground, visitors appreciate seeing "the Milky Way" due to "little light pollution."
Digital disconnection: The remote nature of many sites limits technology access. At Poe Valley, "There isn't any cell service as you are way back in the mountain but it's so beautiful and relaxing you won't care!!"
Road access challenges: Some campgrounds have difficult approach roads. At Greenwood Furnace, "We suggest avoiding heading south from I80 on Casanova road" as GPS "brought us in the most difficult way."
Limited facilities: Many state parks provide basic amenities only. At Penn Roosevelt, visitors note it's "A quiet, peaceful campground. The area has lots of hikes to offer including the Alan Seeger State Forest, Midstate Trail and several others. It's a bit primitive having only bathrooms and water in several spots in the campground."
Variable site quality: Campsite conditions can differ significantly. At Russell P Letterman Campground, "Definitely look at pictures of your site before reserving. The distance between spots was good. Roads were a little narrow but manageable."
Weather preparedness: Mountain conditions can change quickly. For camping at Greenwood Furnace, one visitor recommends: "bring layers + raincoats as the PA mountain weather can be iffy!"
Kid-friendly activities: Several parks offer programs specifically for children. At Black Moshannon, "The park also runs a ton of classes for different things like fly fishing, hiking, etc."
Playground access: Many campgrounds include play areas. At Reeds Gap, "the playground might be the pearl for a mom or dad."
Biking opportunities: Paved campground roads are popular for kids' cycling. At Greenwood Furnace, "The park is great for kids. Paved roads so they can ride their bikes."
Swimming options: Sandy beaches with gradual entry points work well for families with children. At Bellefonte-State College KOA, visitors enjoy "a nice pool, splash park, and bouncy pillow."
Site leveling: Many campgrounds require equipment for leveling. At Bellefonte-State College KOA, "Make sure you have leveling tools as the sites are not very level side-to-side."
Access challenges: Some sites have difficult approaches. At Bellefonte-State College KOA, "Some pull-thru sites have a very steep short hill to go up which made for some RV's scraping bottom."
Hookup variations: Water and electrical connections differ between parks and sites. At Russell P Letterman Campground, "I'm not sure about other sites, but we did not have a water hookup, just a spigot we could fill from. The dump station worked fine and was clean. Power pole was in rough shape but worked."
Size limitations: Many state park campgrounds accommodate only smaller RVs. For those with larger rigs, the Bellefonte-State College KOA offers sites "ranging from full hookup deluxe, full hookup 50A, full hookup 30A, and water/30A only."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Lemont, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lemont, PA is Black Moshannon State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 25 reviews.
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