Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Indiana, PA has a lot to offer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Indiana. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$20 - $70 / night
"Great place to stay close to hiking trails and fishing spots. Hit the mountain bike track, explore the ruins on the game lands, and might even see an albino fawn."
"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."
"This campsite is a nice reward for west-bound riders on the GAP trail (it's the last one before Pittsburgh!)"
$25 / night
"The spacious and lush lawn has lots of space for tents, but the winner is the covered seating, dining, and cooking area. Everything is clean as a whistle…pun intended. "
"Laurel Ridge State Park is the greenway that protects the legendary Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail from the busy world around it."
"It is a beautiful wooded park offering lots of trees for privacy. I wish I had more time to explore the park before moving on. The bathhouse could use a renovation. It felt old and kind of dirty."
"Being positioned directly off the GAP Trail grants easy access to those traveling the trail. "
"This is one of the only free hiker-biker campgrounds along the GAP trail (mile 99.6), and it is laid out similarly to the Dravo Campground, with lean-tos, picnic tables, firepits and lots of spaces for"
$10 - $60 / night
RangerKooser State Park is a small campground nestled in the Laurel Highlands, close to Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resorts. The park has great amenities just a short walk from all sites. All sites have fire rings, with grills, however note they are double walled so do not expel a lot of heat outward. Great for cooking however.
Most sites are not level, but very grassy. Firewood is available at the entrance for$5 bundle supporting a local club. A beautiful walk through the park leads you to the Kooser Lake, great for fishing. It is also close to the Laurel Hill State Park which is great for hiking and water activities. The park is close to the road so you will experience some road noise.
The park is 15min from Somerset. No phone reception at this one! They welcome all furry friends!
LegendPROS
Able to reserve 129 days prior to arriving
Melissa at check-in was very friendly and helpful
Good overnight stop to visit Flight 93 Memorial 22 miles from campground
Site #391 level
Gravel site surrounded by grass
Moveable wooden picnic table
Large concrete fire ring
Clean toilet-shower building that are heavily used
Mostly quiet except for road noise
Firewood for sale in Park
CONS
No discount
Site #391 no shade
Park cable connection failed
Sewer connection“up hill”
Never found trash dumpster and wasn’t marked on campground map
Very loud radio station blaring in the toilet/shower building that could be heard outside the building
2 bars Verizon
No WIFI
GuideDuman lake review notes.
RangerA 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!
LegendRound Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run is a free camping area directly on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail around Mile 99 (East of West Newton roughly 15 miles). For those not familiar with the GAP Trail, it is a Rails-to-Trails initiative that travels from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD…meandering through numerous Trail Towns that were former thriving railroad towns at the end of the 1800's.
Round Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run can only be accessed by the GAP Trail, which means on foot or bicycle…or paddlers on the Youghioheny River. Being positioned directly off the GAP Trail grants easy access to those traveling the trail.
Amenities:
No potable water…there is hand pump but the water was discolored. It is a short walk down a trail to the river's edge, where I filtered water for drinking.
There is plenty of grassy area for scores of tents in this area. So if you are not fortunate enough to secure one of the two Shelters or tent pads, you can still set up a tent in the nicely mowed areas, which are still level.
We were bikepacking the GAP Trail east from Pittsburgh and arrived on a Sunday evening mid-June. We secured the only open Adirondack Shelter and were able to set up our tent inside, along with keeping our bicycles inside and out of the elements. Which made it wonderfully convenient when it started to rain. Sites and shelters are first come, first served.
Usually the vault toilets along this trail are clean, maintained and stocked…but on this visit, piles of trash were inside likely from an overly busy weekend.
The only negative was the train traffic on the opposite side of the River…it is loud when they rumble through. If you don't sleep with ear-plugs, you will wish you had.
Bicycle traffic was fairly light during the week, so not only did you have the GAP Trail mostly to oneself, the camping areas were either sparsely filled or empty. Although, things just did start opening up from the Covid-19 shutdown.
Apart from the train noise during sleeping hours, Round Bottom Camping Area is very peaceful and though you can still visually see the GAP Trail, you are not disturbed by passing cyclists.
RangerWe stayed in a Ranger Smith Cabin in the upper campground. I give this 3 stars because I'm a state park camper at heart: I prefer more room between sites, more relaxation and nature when camping. But your kids will love it here: two pools, splashgrounds, fire truck rides, arcades, meeting Yogi and friends, nightly movies...the list goes on. Be prepared for an endless parade of golf carts during your stay. We were underwhelmed by the expensive cabin as it had dorm room furniture and uncomfortable beds. The walk-in tent sites were in a hilly area without pavilions, but reservable tent sites in the lower campground had pavilions and more level ground. This is a great base camp for exploring area attractions in the Laurel Highlands such as Idlewild, Fort Necessity and the beautiful Ohiopyle State Park. If you go to Idlewild, then stop by Gino's pizza in Ligonier; order the sampler pizza (includes pierogi, taco, white and margherita)--you won't be disappointed.
ScoutMostly an RV campground, but several tent sites. Each site was very spacious and well shaded. Fire ring and table at each sight. Restroom were a short walk away. Firewood available for purchase. I would stay again.
TravelerAugust 2020 Stay
We camped for 1 night. We chose site 102 because it looked decent in the picture and seemed a little apart and more private than other areas. Unfortunately, it was not great for tent camping as there wasn't really a spot to set up our 4-person tent. We squeezed it in by the fire pit, but if we had wanted to use the fire pit it would have been a fire hazard. Elsewhere in the site it was rocky or uneven ground.
Looking around the rest of the campground, the loop up near the cabins was a typical RV area with sites lined up with little privacy in between. I would look at the other loops for our next tent-camping visit.
We were hoping to do some hiking in the morning but got rained out. However the trails looked nice and we hope to be back soon.
GuideThis campground is a nice, quiet campground about 30 minutes from Pittsburgh. It is a membership-based campground, we stayed there using coast to coast. The campground is decent, but not sure it really qualifies as a “resort”. It is an older park that could use some updates, namely electric service, fresh gravel for the sites, and sewer, but overall the park was clean and reasonably well kept.
The park is gated, you have to stop at the security booth to check in, enter, or leave the park, so you might have to wait a few minutes, but that is a nice level of added security. It is pretty easy to navigate the park even with a larger rig, and there is an nice sized overflow parking area to unhook your toad when you first get there. I would recommend getting there before dark. They did have signs directing you to the different site number groups which was helpful.
The road my GPS brought me in was a little tight, but manageable. There was a better route but it did have a very short bridge with a 10 ton weight limit, so be sure to really check your route. Another bonus is that it is only a few minutes from the PA turnpike.
The sites are average, but there are no sewer hookups and no 50 amp service, the whole park is 30 amp. The sites are reasonable level, but the one we had was a little tricky to get into because of it being on a hill, but it was manageable. The picnic table benches were completely rotted out.
There are two dump stations, one located on the way out, and the other located in one of the upper loops.
The campground did have nice amenities, the pool was large and clean, it had a nice playground, a camp store, sports courts, horseshoes, volleyball, and a mini golf course. The staff were all very nice, and they patrolled the park throughout the day and night for security, which is always nice.
The closest town is about 20 minutes away, and there are a bunch of restaurants, a Lowes, and auto parts stores should you need supplies or make a repair.
The campground is about 40 minutes from the Flight 93 National Memorial, about 20 minutes from Fallingwater, and there were a couple of wineries in the area as well.
All in all, our visit was good. I gave three stars because of the lack of 50 amp hookups and the size and quality of the sites.
Tent camping near Indiana, Pennsylvania offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from well-equipped campgrounds to more rustic settings, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Indiana, PA is Mountain View Camps with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Indiana, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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