Best Cabin Camping near Karthaus, PA

Beautiful facility- typical Pa mountains, abundant green trees, water...nice Campground AND cabin rentals are really nicely situated. Water was thick with weeds & lilies but ok nonetheless. Great day trip spot.

UPDATED reviews for rustic and modern cabins.

March 2020, Modern Cabins: Before COVID-19 hit PA we stayed in one of the modern cabins. Wow...everything was seemingly quite new and it was extremely comfortable. Nice bathrooms, nice kitchen, etc. One of the best things about Black Mo is how isolated it feels and it's never crowded in the off-months. The Moss Hanne is still a thrilling trail even in the winter months and there's been a lot of beaver activity since we last visited including a very impressive dam. 

October 2019, Rustic Cabins: We stayed in one of the rustic cabins on a cold October weekend. Very charming small cabins with robust woodstoves. Although we probably could have been more careful, there were unfortunately some very bothersome mice who kept us awake each night...and were seemingly not very afraid of us! The construction of the rustic cabins is such that there probably isn't much you can do about mice getting in. If this doesn't bother you, these cabins are really cute and cozy.

July 2019, Tent Camping: As far as camping goes, the loop area is a bit cramped for my taste, but if that doesn't bother you it's fine. Clean bathhouse and convenient outdoor sink for washing up after dinner. Overall one of the best PA parks and well maintained.

I really have to address some of these other reviews, though:

"Water was thick with weeds& lilies but ok nonetheless." Wow! Pitcher plants, sundews and water lilies are not "weeds." They are unique to bog environments and don't grow in other places. The vegetation in the lake is what makes Black Mo black, so picturesque and unlike other PA parks!

"The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either." Like many state parks in this part of the world there is no cell service, so you need to bring a real map (Purple Lizard) and look a few things up on the internet ahead of time. Black Mo is literally ten minutes from Philipsburg where there is surely an ice cream stand, 25 minutes from State College, which has tons of touristy offerings…I could go on but really this is laughable.

General: 73-site campground; most have electric hookups, and some are FHU. Pets are only permitted at selected sites. There are also 20 (13 rustic and 6 modern) cabins. Cell service is extremely limited to non-existent (Verizon). 

Site Quality: Pads are gravel and most appeared to be level. Site 70 was at the end of the loop which is why we picked it. A picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook complete each site. 

Bathhouse: As has been our experience in all PA state parks, the bathhouse was pristine, and the shower (for no additional cost) was clean with plentiful hot water and was very much appreciated. 

Activities/Amenities: Coin-operated laundry. A playground is in the campground and there is an additional one at the swimming beach. The swimming beach is open from mid-May to mid-September, from 8 am– sunset. Electric motorboats are permitted on Moshannon Lake. Boat rentals are available in season. Permits are required. 24 miles of hiking trails, including two trails directly from the campground to the lake. In the summer, there is a camper store/concession stand. Hunting is allowed in season. There are 4.3 miles of mountain biking trails. 

I used to think Oregon State Parks were the best, but Pennsylvania State Parks have them beat by a mile. We have yet to be disappointed by the amenities(especially the clean bathrooms) offered at the half-dozen state parks we have visited so far.

This park is a little different and has some fairly interesting history. There are some old ruins as well as an old quarry site. The grounds are open to hunting and we were surprised by a bird hunter and his dog who was running around off leash, creating a little havoc for us while walking our two dogs on the trail. If you visit in the fall, be sure to bring some hunter orange if you plan on exploring the trails.

Now onto the cabins- these are quite nice! They have nice bathrooms with hot showers, a common area with a lot of furniture, a kitchen with large table and full sized appliances. The cabin we stayed in was pet friendly and had two rooms, one with a full size bed and a second one with 2 sets of bunk beds. The heat was quite efficient and kept us warm on some cold nights. 

These cabins are not equipped with any type of consumables, cookware or linens. You really need to bring everything if you're planning on actually using the bathroom or kitchen. There is toilet paper though :) We chose to stay here due to its proximity to several National Park sites in the area and it was perfect for us! We will be visiting another state park with similar cabins next year, too!

We stayed at one of the cabins before COVID-19 hit PA and shut down all the parks. The main part of the park has a nice little lake and we saw herons during our visit. At night there was fairly decent stargazing despite its proximity to Altoona's light pollution. 

There's an easy disc golf course, which was a nice little amenity. 

Several interesting hiking trails and the often-photographed limestone kilns are cool to see.

The cabin itself was overall very nice, but the bathroom was surprisingly run down. 

I would imagine this is a very nice park in the summer, greener months.

Actually I am a work camper, have worked here for 11 seasons. Nice Sites, both RV and tent as well as cabins. I know my opinion is biased, but I keep coming back because it is so great

My family and I stayed here one night during a motorcycle trip. We rented 1 of the cabins they have on the property and it was great all of us fit comfortably we were able to have a campfire out front and sit at a picnic table. They have a nice little store there's trails you can hike to beautiful area and a great place to camp.

We come here every year for a family reunion and always rent one of the cabins. We love coming here. The park is huge and there are lots of things to do. You can go to the beach, kayak, hike, or go outside the park to explore some caves or a bat church. We will continue to come here every year!

The campground is run by a family who is super nice. The cabins and the bathhouses were extremely clean. I stayed on a full hookup site that had water/electric/ sewer. The sites have Picnic tables and fire rings that are cleaned out.

The campground was really close to Cherry Springs, where we could go stargazing! It is also close to Lyman Lake where we could go swimming and kayaking and fishing.

I had an amazing time here and I already have other reservations because it was great for big families!

There is also a huge ATV trail right across the road that my neighbors rode at all day!

We stayed in site 6. It was a very small site and had no established spot to put our tent so we actually had to encroach on site 7, luckily no one was there the entire time we were because that would have been awkward - we were literally 3 feet from their fire ring. Everywhere else was unlevel/uneven/rocky/rooty/muddy/etc. They should put in tent pads. The bathrooms were small but clean with flush toilets. No showers. The interstate is somewhat noisy as it's only a few miles away but not too terrible. We really liked the vintage vibe the park had. The park is small with not much in regard to activities/amenitites but nice for just a laidback/relaxed camping trip. We enjoyed just walking around the cabin loop and back roads. There is wood for sale at the maitenance barn for $5 a bundle self serve honor system. Parker Dam is closeby with more to do and a store.

Great place for kids! We love staying at crooked run campground. Has a beach on the lake. Affordable boat rentals. Bmx track for kids.

We stayed at site 78 on the Sycamore loop at the end of April in a tent, which isn't the best equipment for this campground. Our site had a blacktop driveway, a very small amount of gravel, and a ton of mud. There was standing water toward the back of our site, and no really solid place to pitch our tent.

It was very windy the night we stayed and the following morning was as well. Because our tent stakes were anchored in mud, our tent blew over and collapsed. Our neighbor's tent did as well.

With the exception of our neighbors, we were the only tents in the loop (the other sites had RVs, and there are 2 cabins and 2 yurts on the loop as well). Firewood is for sale at the camp host site.  Bathrooms are clean and the showers are delightfully warm.

The sites are flat and open. There is a lack of trees, so no real wind break. Each site has a fire ring and a hook to hang food from small animals.

If the primitive sites weren't all booked out (it was the first day of turkey season) we would've stayed there. I'd give this place another chance, but only if we can snag a site at the primitive campground.

Great little campground nestled in Penns woods! Camp store for the forgetful, beach, kayaking rentals, hiking trails and between 12 & 15 miles of mountain biking trails all right from the campground. Sites are spacious with enough privacy. Two modern bathhouses trimmed out in tile.

I grew up near this park so I’m a little used to it, however, it’s perfect for families. Good trails, kayak rentals, and a private beach for the campgrounds make it a nice vacation spot. I had a good time.

Beautiful area all around. Up the road is cherry springs, known as our only Dark Sky Park in PA. The night sky is amazing. There is a lake to do many activities, and a beach there. ATV trails, hiking, beautiful overlooks. No cell service, so you really get to get away from everything.

We camped here and loved it. It's one of the most peaceful campgrounds we have stayed at. The only sounds at night is the wildlife moving about the woods. We saw our first porcupine in it's natural habitat! Plenty of wildlife to be seen both during the day and night.

The bathrooms are very well kept and the rangers are very friendly. Just be sure to stop in the office to check in for your site. Not all state parks require this. The 2 campground loops are small with nice sites. We stayed on sites 1 & 2 which both faced the woods. Even though we were at the entrance to the campground there wasn't much traffic to be bothersome.

We enjoyed the lake for swimming and kayaking. Be sure to have cash for the boat rental and snack bar. They do except cards but your card is ran through the Fox's pizza in town which I wasn't fond of that idea.

We are looking forward to visiting again!

While I understand that Memorial Day is a very busy camping weekend, I was hoping that due to the coronavirus that this spot would be less crowded given the restrictions in place.  Our loop had approximately 50 sites with roughly 200 people on it, minimum.  The concept of social distancing here is a joke and the only evidence of there being a pandemic was the sign in the bathroom that stated to stay 6 feet apart and masks being a requirement in all park buildings… with no enforcement whatsoever.  That said, sites are on the small side with a fire ring and a picnic table.  All vehicles MUST back into the parking spaces, and all parking spots are blacktop.  There is a camp store and a bundle of decent hardwood will cost $6; they do accept cards with a $10 minimum.  The city of Altoona is about 30 minutes away for more extensive shopping.  There is a marina and boat rental on the lake about a 10 minute drive away.  Bathrooms are very clean and the push button showers have excellent water pressure.  Drinking water is dispersed throughout each loop.  Pets are allowed on certain loops.

Let’s just start this review with our grading of the park it’s self. Five stars! Well maintained facilities, clean bath houses and gorgeous views at both the lake and multiple forest trails. Free Park map was very helpful in getting to trailheads and park office.

The park loses stars quickly for us, starting with the lack of cell or WiFi service. Though we did see a couple payphones at both the Ranger office and one of the bath house by the beach. We know that for many, camping means off the grid, but we like to be in touch with family or our business, at least for a phone call. The camp store and boat rentals were closed for the season and no firewood to be bought anywhere. Finally, our biggest complaint is the use of a commercial gas powered leaf blower, both hand held and an enormous one on the back of a large tractor, blowing leaves in the campground for the entire day, from early morning until 4pm. It was loud, constant and took away any chance of enjoying the serene environment of the park.

Had there been no blowers going, I think the beauty and serenity of this park would outweigh the lack of phone or WiFi. We’ll definitely come back but I think we’ll ask about the blower schedule and where to buy firewood before entering the park.

RB Winter is a great place to get away for the day or camp for a while. Take the family to have a picnic on the beach. Great little food stand if you don’t feel like hauling the cooler along. Plenty of picnic areas and grilling stations. Pavilions available for early birds. There is even free firewood at the backside of the park office. (I’ve always wanted to nab the pavilion with the fireplace to hangout during a storm.) Also at the park office you can sign out fishing gear, snowshoes, mountain bikes, etc. free of charge. Enjoy a short walk on the Nature Trail (easy for small children) or Rapid Run Trail. Or trek up the Overlook Trail to make a day of it. We’ve had our family reunions here for years. We have friends that were married at the amphitheater and even witnessed a wedding on the beach during a recent visit. Half-Way Dam is something we have always looked forward to and are glad they’ve been able to keep the park open. We are lucky to live so close to such a beautiful place that we are able to take full advantage of the various activities our local park offers.

This campground is perfect for people who are looking to get away from busy city life or just want to relax next to a lake. Even though you can't see the lake from every site you can be there within a 10 minute walk. They have pet friendly sites, bike trails, and you can canoe, kayak, and take boats out on the lake. There are specific swimming areas and you can fish just about anywhere. Little to no cell service and there are some local stores/restaurants around the lake within 5-10 miles of the campground but most things close between 8-10pm. There is a camp store with food and supplies available sonif you show up with a text and a sleeping bag they can help out with the rest. Keep in mind being in the woods and by the lake it Ian always 5-15 degrees cooler than the surroundings towns so I feel you are leaving and want to explore the areas outside the campground be prepared for it to be much warmer than expected. I've been going here my whole life (32 years) and it is always clean and the people who work/volunteer there are super friendly and helpful. I've been there during every month they are open and each season is a new and exciting experience. They have a lot I feel family oriented activities and so you don't need to leave to find something to do.