Best Campgrounds near Jim Thorpe, PA

In the event that you find yourself in the heart of PA Dutch Country in this town named for the long lost settlers of this particular corner of New England and in search of a place to lay up for the night (and trust me, not anything more than that here), should you call ahead or, like me, simply drop by Melody Lakes Country Estate, you might … just maybe, score a slice of pavement to park your RV or 5th Wheel for the night. And for mi tent pitchin’ bredren, unfortunately you are out of luck as this place only caters to those looking to rent or build a semi-permanent structure or lease you a sliver of pavement next to the community pool for the night.

Located just due north of Quakertown on Highway 309 - you’ll know you’ve gone too far if you’ve passed by Kathy’s Country Kitchen, which I must admit, is definitely worth turning in for the loaded potato skins, Reuben burger and various versions of Mac-N-Cheese as well as their signature, which is anything from the breakfast menu - you'll find this spot completely hidden from site. So from this restaurant, if you missed Melody Lakes altogether – which is incredibly easy to do as there’s only a single sign that is about 3 feet tall and hidden from site besides a bush – just double-back and head down the little lane that meanders due south of the golf driving range. At the end of a 2-3 block blissful sojourn, complete with quaint ponds and accompanying ducks and geese, you’ll reach the main office, which you will then learn if one of the very few (and I mean like 2-3) slots is either available for the night or not. In our particular case, it was (perhaps fortunate for us) not.

As for Melody Lakes Country Estate, this is really just a retirement home for folks that don’t want to live in a closed community, so throughout the entire property, the majority of what you will discover is makeshift semi-permanent structures that have taken root to the land that they’ve been planted on. There are a decent amount of amenities here, in addition to Kathy’s Country Kitchen and the golf driving range, including: community swimming pool, adjacent reservoir, fishing ponds, 100 wooded acres, club house, shuffleboard court, designated trash dumpsters and recyclable bins as well as a kid’s playground. As there was ‘no room@ the inn’ when we stopped by, I couldn’t tell you if there were adequate hook-ups like electric, water and sewage, because we never got that far in our conversation.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Avoid the mistake that we made and call this place WELL in advance to see if they have space in the first place for your RV or 5th Wheeler; (2) Should you find availability and want to find some locations nearby for exploring nature, you’ll want to check out Upper Bucks Rail Trial, which has several miles of some pretty amazing thick wilderness to explore; (3) Once you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is inside of your mini on-board fridge or roto-molded Cordova cooler, there’s a handful of decent restaurant offerings in and around Quakertown, of which, I recommend: The Brick Tavern Inn for its pan-roasted duck breast, The West End for their cheesesteak egg rolls, brisket loaded fries and fish-n-chips, but be sure to tie one on at Casey’s Place with a stiff Ketel One martini; and (4) Should you need to load up on anything when out in these parts, nearby there’s a Walmart, Aldi, Target, T.J.Maxx, Homegoods and Giant grocery store.

Happy Camping!

Camped here a few times, for a few days. Each time is always a blast. So beautiful, and clean. Not much fish to catch but overall the experience is always worth it.

I’m a family of 5 and my friends family of three all stayed in one site. We went in October at the peak of the leaves changing colors. It’s was beautiful. A 6 point buck walked right through our site literally. The kids enjoyed it a lot. Amenities were very clean. Even the portapot we used was very clean. Will visit again. No service/no electronics. A good way to just unplug and enjoy Gods creation

The campground is on a peninsula surrounded by a lake. The larger loop (non electric) sites are more spacious, level and shady. The smaller loop with RV hook ups are more barren. Sites are neat, tidy, and well stocked. Flush toilets. The showers are free but pressure was way too high and water not warm enough. Many families and young campers but CG was quiet at night. There is access to major trails including Ricketts Glen Falls. I did not have cell service with T Mobile.

I visited Ricketts Glen State Park last year, and it was an incredible experience! The natural beauty of the park is breathtaking, especially with the waterfalls along the Falls Trail– a must-do hike for anyone visiting. The trail is challenging but so worth it; the views are unmatched. I stayed in one of the campsites, which offered a nice level of privacy and had clean facilities, including showers and well-maintained restrooms. Lake Jean was also a highlight, with opportunities for kayaking and swimming, perfect for cooling off after a day of hiking. I'd recommend visiting during the week to avoid the crowds. Truly a perfect spot for anyone looking to escape into nature!

Retro Bowl Pro

First time camper, and I'm glad this is the site I started at. Bathrooms are very clean. They have showers as well, but I didn't get to use one. Very quiet, and you get to see a bit of wildlife scattered around. They do not sell would at the sites, so you'd have to go out of your way to get them. Bring cash cause some locals don't accept cc/dc. Also, if you're tent camping, make sure you pick a place that's not too rocky. My site was A 24 and it was mostly rocks. Otherwise, I will be coming back very room!

Good Campground to visit the amusement park. Electrical hookup was a bit far from the camper, so bring an extension cord. Good atmosphere will be back, the kids had a blast.

If you find yourself careening around the picturesque country roads here in Bucks County you will discover Quakerwoods Campground (named of course after the previous tri-cornered hat-donning Quaker residents who settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago) nestled in the verdant, rolling hills of a plush countryside punctuated by massive rolled bays of hay in the surrounding fields, covered wooden bridges and the occasional quaint New England well-preserved charming towns that you will encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, finding a place like Quakerwoods Campground is quite the find, as it will place you squarely in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes here in the Keystone State.

As for the campground, which is just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78, you’ll encounter a destination offering up 170 mostly back-in slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs ranging between $55-$49 in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding, although less so on the interior of the campground and moreso on its perimeter. There’s about 18 tent sites ranging between $40-$45 that  feature 15 amp electric and running water. All RV and tent sites are relatively flat and include a standard-issued picnic table and in-ground fold-up fire ring. Don’t have an RV, 5th Wheeler or Tent? Not a problem, as the good folks here at Quakerwoods will rent you one of their 4-6 person campers for $120/ night.

The amenities here at Quakerwoods Campground are plenty, inclusive of: 4 Pristine restroom& shower facilities, Wi-Fi service, Free wagon rides(every Saturday), Camp store, Fishing pond, Adult& kid swimming pools, Walking paths, Fishing pond, Game room, Family bingo, Mini golf, Baseball field, Horseshoe pits, Kids Playgrounds, RC track, Front& Back pavilions, Sand Volleyball court, Cornhole, Basketball court, Designated dump stations, water stations, Bonfires, 2 Shuffleboard courts, Ice for sale, Propane refueling station, Laundry-O-Mat, Themed weekends and Pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) As a tent camper, I was impressed by how Quakerwoods segregates mi tent pitchin’ bredren from the rest of the folks who bring their homes with them on wheels, placing tent sites across the other side of a small creek on the southwestern periphery near the fishing pond; (2) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, while there’s not a ton of restaurants around these parts, there are a few and they are pretty amazing, including favorites Brick Tavern Inn and The West End, McCoole’s @ The Historic Red Lion Inn and Sage Alley Brewery; (3) In the event that you need to replenish any of your supplies, rest assured as in nearby Quakertown, there’s a Giant & Aldi’s grocery store as well as a local Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, Kohl’s and Link Beverages to stock up on the 21+ liquid refreshment; and (4) Should you be towing your canoe or kayak with you and are eager to get the beak of your waterbird wet, then head on over due east of Quakertown Campground to Nockamixon SP where there’s a sizeable, yet skinny lake just begging for you to navigate it and get some good, hard oaring in.

Happy Camping!

The lake is gorgeous and there are nice hiking trails, but sites are very small and close together. Let’s are allowed in less than half of the campground, which means all the dogs are in a smaller area and barking at each other more than other places. The no-pet area was practically empty when we were there midweek but the pets-allowed area was much more crowded than we would have liked.

Also rules and signage are wildly confusing, lots of things contradict each other. Cell service exists but not great for remote work.

This park is great for families, they had events scheduled throughout the summer, and a separate toddler pool. It’s very close to the Rail Gap Pocono Creek Nature Reserve, with some nice trails along Pocono Creek. We stayed here for a week and everyone we met was super friendly, and we would visit again.

We stayed in loop C that allows pets. Very spacious sites. The paved parking spot was tight but a short walk down to the spacious fire pit picnic table area.

Facilities are disgusting and you’re right on top of neighbors. The lake is great so I would just do a day trip. If you want quiet and relaxation don’t come here to camp.

The park is lovely, but the camping facilities are subpar, primitive and lack any kind of privacy. I bike toured there. The only potable water was from a near-broken water fountain at the public rest rooms and no electrical connection to recharge electronics. There was also a fair amount of road noise at night. Bathhouse OK, but just basic. Tent spots are just lined up against one another facing a service road.

If you’re looking for a place to be a recluse, this is not the campsite to go. Being it’s along the Delaware water gap it attracts a lot of people, especially in summer. During the day you can hear music, smell fires, see people tubing on the water, or pass by people doing day picnics near the forest office. I went in the middle of the week and all the campsite in my area were filled up. I’m normally used to having campgrounds to myself when I go since I do during off times so this was a bit of a surprise. WiFi is very spotty— I was essentially out of range the entirety of my stay. Trails are nice and well marked, and there is no fee to enter if you drive all the way down to the day area parking at the end of Old Mine Rd. Bathrooms were decently clean and had flush toilets. Showers had hot water and nice ventilation. Overall it was a nice campsite, but too busy for my liking.

We recently went camping with a tent there. Not tent friendly first night we slept on rocks second night we got moved to a spot which actually had some grass. Everything has weird hours. The cafe is only open on weekends and the store is only open from like 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. and that's it. The pool hours are good they're from 11:00 to 7:00. The bath houses are fine. It's just that there's nothing to do in the morning time nothing at all the lake that you want to call it or river it was all green like there's better campsites out there but this one isn't that bad If you're just staying for a night or two but just do not use a tent.

This might be my 3rd or 4th trip there. They advertise WiFi but the WiFi never works. No cable hookups. And cell service is at a minimum. Every time we go there, it’s a new excuse about the WiFi. Funny thing is, they take the time to show you your password lol.