Quemahoning Family Recreation Area's pet-friendly campsites offer both tent and RV options with picnic tables and fire rings within a peaceful setting. Pets are welcome at numerous campgrounds near Johnstown, including Blue Knob State Park, Shawnee State Park, and Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing. Most facilities maintain standard leash policies requiring dogs to be kept on leashes no longer than six feet. Campgrounds like Yellow Creek State Park and Laurel Hill State Park provide electric hookups and designated pet exercise areas. Tent campers with dogs can find wooded sites at Quemahoning that provide more privacy, while RV owners have access to full-hookup sites at Mirror Lake and Woodland Park. Campers consistently mention the friendly atmosphere at these locations, with pets generally welcome throughout the camping areas. Many campgrounds charge a modest pet fee per night, and limits typically allow two pets per site.
Hiking trails accessible from Blue Knob State Park provide excellent pet exercise opportunities on the second highest peak in Pennsylvania. The trail system allows leashed dogs and connects to adjacent state forest lands for extended adventures. Mirror Lake features a small creek where dogs can cool off during summer months, though swimming policies vary by location. Most campgrounds enforce quiet hours when barking must be controlled, with pet owners responsible for waste cleanup. Campground hosts at Quemahoning are noted for being exceptionally helpful to pet owners, providing information about local veterinary services in Somerset and Johnstown. Campers should be aware that wildlife encounters are possible, particularly at dawn and dusk when walking dogs. Weather in the region varies significantly by elevation, with Blue Knob State Park often experiencing cooler temperatures and short rain showers even during summer months.
$20 - $50 / night
"Quemahoning Family Recreation Area offers great fishing, some nice trails and generally wonderful weather during the summer season. "
"Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean."
"It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek. Close by is Ligonier, Idlewild, and St. Vincent (where the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place.)"
"Not only were the staff super friendly and helpful, but we were lucky enough to get a full-hookup site right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, everything you want on a spring trip."
$20 - $110 / night
"Shawnee State Park is a very large campground (319 campsites with mixed electric and non-electric, some pet friendly, some not) about 10 minutes off highway 76 and 20 minutes from the Flight 93 National"
"The morning drive started early, had several stops and starts, and I was once again glad that my big dog was along for the ride."
$20 - $108 / night
"it’s small, with shaded sites around the perimeter and two walk in sites just left of the entrance."
"The hiking here is really spectacular with lots of scenery, overlooks, and side trails that extend many miles out into state forest lands which are adjacent to the park."
$18 - $70 / night
"The campground was family and pet friendly on the hillside section. For the whole family enjoy."
"I camped in the Hillside Loop (Dog Friendly). Not a bad walk to the lake. Site was reasonable leave and plenty of room for my 32 foot Motor home and car."
$20 - $64 / night
"Stayed 3 nights because I wanted to be centrally located to the he Flight 93 Memorial and Falling Water (about 30 miles to each). The non pet section is heavily wooded and very shady."
"The pet loop was essentially a field with trees around it. The none pet loop was in the trees and so you sometimes had more space and sometimes were right beside you."
$44 - $49 / night
"Right on the water, clean, and private access to the lake. Dog friendly cabins were available. We cannot wait to come back."
"The creek surrounding the island does make it cold at night so make sure to pack warmly."
$22 - $70 / night
"Dog friendly. -$5 firewood bundles at the entrance. -Cleanest bathrooms/showers -Crystal clear stream with beautiful trail to the lake. Both stocked with fish. -Lots of picnic tables at the lake."
"Kooser State Park sits on the border of Forbes State Forest in the Laurel Highlands. It has a mix of camper & tent sites around a central clearing, and offers a few cabins."
GuideOne of the best campgrounds I have stayed at so far the pond is nice and has a 1/2 mile walking path around it with trees and beaches to stop and sit dog park is big and has a place for small or large dogs there is 3 play grounds all different and all well kept
GuideThis campground checks all our boxes. Beautiful scenery, quiet location, spacious campsites, full RV hookups, well-placed fire rings, dog park, nice large bathhouses, polite staff, and Wi-Fi that works.
This is located about an hour away from my home, so we plan on making this our go-to for quick camping getaways throughout the year.
Highly recommended. Definitely worth checking out.
GuidePreface: if your main objective is activities for children, you have come to the right place. This place is loud and full of kids.
We booked a site but chose not to pay to select which one. All the pictures looked great! We ended up on a grassy hill in the back. The spot was so unlevel there were 19 inches between my bottom step and the ground. This site was the same price as level ones closer to activities.
Also bathrooms were outdated. They had older residential toilets that plugged constantly. The day we left 2 of the 3 in our nearest bathroom were out of order.
Aside from all the above, the Dog Park is awesome. It’s the size of a real, normal dog park. The ice cream on site is also a nice perk.
RangerThis may be the first campground I give a 10 out of 10! All the amenities your could want, it's clean, sites are leveled, it's maintained beautifully, there are cows in the distance, fully stocked store, friendly staff. Laundry, bathrooms, fairly spacious sites, a pool, dog park. Very, very nice.
GuideNew Germany State Park is situated in Garrett County Maryland. The park has a small lake, a few trails, and two camping loops. The Hemlock loop- the only loop that allows pets, is smaller and is mostly made for tent camping, though one site has electricity, but only big enough for a teardrop camper. There is a bathroom with a hot shower. The problems with the Hemlock loop is the proximity to the other campers. Our neighbors were loud, their kids were louder and their dog was ear- splitting loud. The tent pads are varied in size with sites 52, 53 and 57 being just big enough for a large tent and not much else. Every site has a large picnic table ( that is impressively hard to move) and a fire ring. Some sites are not very level, not not as much that your rolling out of bed in your sleep. There is water, but just at the bathroom area. This makes sense since the loop itself is very small. Deer are dense in these parts, and bears frequent the area. Summer temps usually do not get as nice 85max most of the summer. There is also cross country skiing in the winter. Despite the smaller sites, the Hemlock loop is frequently full, as is the non pet loop, which can accommodate larger tents and RV’s., but no pets.
TravelerI was the only tenter at the time of my stay; had the whole place to myself. The sites are spread far apart and wooded. Table and fire rings are at each site. They have a brand new bath house which was spotless and a well kept dog park for the furs. If desired, there is a group campsite and the use of a pavilion too. The camp store if beautiful and has everything in it should you forget something. I’ll definitely be back.
GuideStayed 3 nights because I wanted to be centrally located to the he Flight 93 Memorial and Falling Water (about 30 miles to each). The non pet section is heavily wooded and very shady. The pet section is more of a loop set up with some trees. The no pet section had no, zero, zilch cell service so my stay was super quiet. Site 173 was easy to back into and had a large picnic area with a fire ring next to the brook. There is a lake with a small beach and a boat launch and numerous hiking trails. The park will s very nice pretty and during the week fairly empty. I would recommend
GuideWe chose this campground for its proximity to home with the chance to swim in the lake.
The camping did not disappoint. We always try to book “outside” loop sites so we don’t have “back neighbors” but none near the lake were available, so we took our chances on an “inside” site in E loop. It was great, smallish, but plenty of vegetation to make it feel private. (Some poison ivy around the edges, though.) The pull-in sites in general seem a bit small (space for our two 4-person tents and that’s it), but are well shaded and separated from neighbors by small patches of woods or bushes. The pull-through sites in our loop were more exposed to the road, but had a bit more space.
There was some noise from the interstate. There were surprisingly few mosquitoes. The bathhouse was clean, but showers were not very warm.
The swimming was unfortunately disappointing. The roped-off swimming area was 3 feet deep at the most. Warm water in August, nice for kids to splash around, but not really good for actual swimming. Bonus for dog people: pets allowed on the beach and in the lake.
During COVID-19, the bathrooms/bathhouses at the beach area are closed; porta-johns only.
We rented paddle boards and a canoe one afternoon and paddled around to one of the lake inlets, which was actually deep and had a good swim. But this is technically not allowed.
If you feel okay about rule-breaking and have water-safe family members (and no pets), I would absolutely choose a site in I loop close to the lake. The sites in E loop closest to the lake are actually up a fairly steep hill from the lake path.
Hiking trails were nice. My kids especially liked the rock scramble-ish up and down the stream gorge on Evitt’s Mountain trail.
RangerThere are two main loops in this campground. One that is pet friendly and more of a pitch-your-tent-in-the-yard thing and another that is pet-free and wooded. We didn't realize and stayed in the first one. Dogs were barking at all hours and there's no privacy. We drove through the other one and it looks so much nicer. Campsites more spread out with trees in between and way quieter. Will definitely stay there if we return.
Campers seeking pet-friendly accommodations near Johnstown, Pennsylvania can choose from diverse campgrounds nestled in the Laurel Highlands region. This area sits at elevations between 1,200 and 3,000 feet, creating distinct microclimates that affect camping conditions throughout the year. Several state parks and private campgrounds welcome pets with specific designated loops or areas for campers traveling with dogs.
Swimming and beach access: Quemahoning Family Recreation Area offers lake access with a clean beach area. "Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean," notes Paul B. The park maintains a designated swimming zone during summer months.
Boating options: Kayaks and electric-powered boats are permitted at most area lakes. "Great place for fishing kayaking. Very family oriented," writes Kyle K. about Quemahoning. Rental options exist at several parks for those without their own watercraft.
Trail exploration: Blue Knob State Park features extensive trail networks on Pennsylvania's second-highest peak. "The hiking here is really spectacular with lots of scenery, overlooks, and side trails that extend many miles out into state forest lands which are adjacent to the park," according to Brian S. These trails connect to additional routes in surrounding state forests.
Wooded privacy: Tent campers appreciate secluded sites at certain campgrounds. "Good private tent sites in the woods. Rv sites too," mentions Timothy M. about Quemahoning Family Recreation Area. Site selection varies significantly between campgrounds and even within different loops.
Creek access: Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing features sites alongside a small creek. "Alot of their sites are along a small creek which the kids play in and can float down. Site 26 is our favorite. It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek," shares Mathew H.
Helpful staff: Campground operators receive consistent praise for assistance. "Ken and his staff do a wonderful job with the park and great customer service also. Whenever we had any requests or any complaints Ken and his crew always took care of it," notes Diana M. at Quemahoning. This level of service helps first-time visitors navigate unfamiliar areas.
Weather variability: Higher elevation campgrounds experience different conditions than surrounding areas. "Clouds blowing east from the Midwest tend to break on the mountains here at Blue Knob, so short little bursts of rainfall are frequent, and they don't always show up on weather apps," writes Brian S. Campers should pack rain gear even during summer months.
Limited amenities: Most state park campgrounds offer basic facilities. "There is no trash service; campers are expected to carry out their trash," explains Thomas G. about Quemahoning Family Recreation Area. Several parks lack on-site stores, so bringing sufficient supplies is important.
Site leveling challenges: Shawnee State Park Campground contains various site configurations. "Many of the non-electric sites were decidedly not level but many of the FHU and electric sites were fairly level," reports Lee D. Bringing leveling blocks for RVs and carefully selecting tent sites helps avoid setup problems.
Playground access: Several campgrounds maintain play areas for children. "We had 8 kids and 8 adults who all had a blast playing on the playground, floating down the creek, swimming in the pool, riding bicycles etc," shares Austin B. about Mirror Lake. These features provide entertainment options beyond hiking or swimming.
Cabin alternatives: Laurel Hill State Park Campground offers cabin rentals for families wanting more comfort. "The campsite and bathrooms were clean when we arrived and when we left. The site numbering is a bit wonky on the door loop so make sure you look at your map before you start driving the loops," advises Erik E.
Rental equipment: Several parks provide kayak and boat rentals at reasonable rates. "Kayak rental of $15 for an hour was the cheapest we have seen and allowed us to explore more of the lake," notes Erik E. about Laurel Hill State Park. This eliminates the need to transport large equipment.
Site selection research: Yellow Creek Campground and other parks have varying site configurations. "We stayed in one of the yurts, and it was perfect for the group of 6 I went with. It dumped rain the first night we were there and the yurt kept us perfectly comfortable and dry," shares Alyssa H. Reviewing site photos and descriptions before booking helps find appropriate spots.
Hookup access: Electric outlets at some parks require planning. "The electrical hookups are not played out well like an expensive RV park with the shared power post on the entrance side of the camper. You may want to have an extension for your power cable," advises Erik E. about Laurel Hill State Park. Bringing extension cords prevents hookup issues.
Cell service limitations: Some campgrounds have limited connectivity. "No phone reception at this one!" reports Britt B. about Kooser State Park. This can affect GPS navigation and communication, so downloading offline maps is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Johnstown, PA is Quemahoning Family Recreation Area with a 4.7-star rating from 7 reviews.
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