We chose this park because it was the closest one we could find that was still open with electric this time of year to downtown Pittsburgh. Also, because it had great cell/internet service on our hotspots and had a lot of trails. Unfortunately, it had been raining a lot so we weren’t able to explore the trails. The campground is nice– the toilets are just pit toilets and they do have a sun shower. They are on a well so there is limited water and they don’t allow you to fill up your on board tank. Make sure you fill up before you go! Also, there is a road in the park (Echo Dell Road) that RV’s/Trailers can’t go on so make sure you approach this campground from Leslie Road!
Phenomenally awesome state park site,included amenities such as cleaning stations, restrooms, playgrounds, public beaches,& relaxing vistas to just kick back on a bench to have a picnic or just simply take in the views around the vast area the lake itself covers. The entire area especially during early summer to fallmonths is brimming with excited visitors. Locals all coming to one central location to relax& get their outdoor on whatever that may be for the visitor. The lake includes exceptional fishing, boasting a few of PA's record holding catches, withholds deep& serene beauty,& is very easy to create memorable experiences alike. Plan a day trip or few day stay to see why so many people choosePymatuning State Park as they not to far get away destination today, you won't be disappointed that you did.
My family and I love Raccoon Creek State Park! It's beautiful and has everything you need for a great trip! Well maintained park with tons of stuff to do. They make sure the lake is readily stocked with fish. If your up for it I recommend the trails also. The wild flower reservation also has great trails.They have affordable boat rentals and the beach area is a nice spot to spend a day to relax. Camping is also great here. I've camped with my family several times with no complaints. The park rangers are also extremely helpful and very clear with the rules they want you to follow. Great fun for anyone!Lovely picnic areas. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest but I've seen worse! There were a lot of loud campers late at night(way after 11, even beyond as late as 12:30 am). Other than that, great!
Nice quiet campground. Lots of room, fishing lake and pool. Not a ton of activities but would recommend.
Beautiful facilities. Clean bathrooms. Lots of activities. Great play area for the kids!
I love this campground. Nice people and very clean! Lots of nice sites.
Clean and accommodating state park on beautiful Shenango lake. Great to boat and fish.
Austin lake offers plenty of fun with the lake. Kayaking, inflatables, beach, but almost anything you want to do will cost you am additional charge. Need to use the bathhouse? Better take quarters….bc the showers are coin opperated.
It can be a fun time, just be warned it'll cost ya. $$$$
Bear Run offers pull through sites for larger RV's. The pool is smaller but still enjoyable. Tons of activities always planned on the weekend. Family Friendly Friendly!
Campground is clean, offers many kid friendly activities, and staff is accommodating. Great time.
Great Place for adults and children to enjoy themselves! Plenty of activities. Welcoming Staff!
Halloween weekends are a great time to visit!
When we discovered that Shenango Corps of Engineers park had closed early in September, we needed to find a home right away. This met our needs very well. Despite the fact that it’s not our normal kind of camping, in the woods, it was very comfortable. It does not feel crowded, sites were grassy and all utilities worked well. Owners are very nice people and are working to continually improve this property they just acquired a couple years ago. The park is largely seasonal but has several spots for drop-in RVS and tents. Big rig accessible. We reserved for 2 nights, stayed 3 and would return. Bathrooms were clean if a bit unique with a rope and pulley system of water delivery to the shower head. I appreciate that the owners have a desire to keep prices steady but wonder if consideration might be given to some kind of a discount such as a rate for more than two days, passport America, AARP, a weekday discount, a weekly rate ….. $35 is about five dollars more per night more than we typically pay.
Went to Raccoon Creek State Park to camp for Labor Day weekend. We booked campsite F1 since we had 2 dogs and the F loop allowed dogs. This site was great! We could fit two tents and it was nice and secluded from the other sites. I recommend booking a site that is on the outside of the “loops” if you want some seclusion. The inner loop sites are right on top of each other, good for Rvs, not so much for tent camping. The bathrooms were a little bit of a hike, the next loop over, but they where clean and had flush toilets and running water along with a shower and sinks to wash dishes. There was a place to get water across from this site which was very convenient . The dog walking trails weren’t bad, but they where very up and down hill, at points steep and rocky. The spring was a really cool hike (right off the park office parking lot.) Down by the beach they had a place to buy wood, only $5 a bundle and the beach place also sells bags of ice. Overall a really good family campground!
Ranger Review: Morsel Spork at West Branch State Park
Campground Review:
This state park was very welcome after our first two unlucky Ohio state park experiences. We had no trouble pulling in at 3 pm on a Sunday after Labor Day with no reservations and snagging a very nice spot (Site 50 backs up to Kirwan Reservoir). There are two loops that are on Jay Lake where there is a beach; it was understandable that there weren’t any water view spots that had not been reserved here. A very quiet park that is well-maintained with lots of amenities. Even the rumbling of the nearby trains was on the quiet side! Nice playground with toy stocked sandpit, volleyball net, cheap laundry ($3 per load, wash and dry), dishwashing sinks, showers, and clean bathrooms. There was even a step stool for kids to be able to reach the sinks. A staffed store(9am-7pm on Sunday, 11am-7pm Monday– Thursday and 9 am– 8:30 pm on Saturday) with basic supplies and, of course, t-shirts and sweatshirts. Some of the sites have a slight grade so be cautious when selecting. Many trees that provide separation between sites. Several short hiking trails. A side note: I only saw one non-Ohio license plate besides ours in the entire park, almost like it is an Ohio secret (not anymore!)
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Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test products. At this campground, I tested the large Morsel Spork from Outdoor Element. I have to admit that when I unpacked my box from Outdoor Elements, I was surprised at how LONG our morsel sporks were(we have other sporks that are much shorter so I was expecting these to be a similar size) but then I saw a photo of someone using it with their freeze-dried meal and it was an aha moment! No need to dirty another dish because this mighty spork can reach to the bottom of the pouch with no problem! These sporks are also sturdier than others we have used. The rubber scraper edge is a nice touch – would be great for getting the last delicious bits of meals from the freeze-dried meal pouches and I’m thinking also in glass or plastic containers. A very nice addition to our camping tools.
My girlfriend and I stayed at tent site 40 Friday August 9th and Saturday August 10th. Most of the sites were pretty private and ours was probably the most private and had a lot of space since we were on the very end of the road / cul-de-sac. I would definitely recommend this site if you like privacy but it is a longer walk to the bath house but we didn't mind that at all. The only thing I didn't like about the campground is that there is no wash tub / sink to wash your dishes which made clean up a little more of a chore. Other than that the staff were very friendly and it is overall a great campground.
Nice campground but too hilly for kids to ride bikes. Very close to Lake Arthur for fishing and kayaking.
We love camping at Jellystone at Kozy Rest! Staff is super friendly and campground is always very clean. Tons of activities to keep the kids busy all day!!
This is the place to unwind and relax. If you want to build giant bonfires and drink and party loudly until all hours of the night, this is not for you.
Camp owners live here and are extremely helpful and friendly.
Gated entrance for security; very safe area in the middle of Amish country:closest businesses are an Amish-run nursery and a fruit/vegetable stand. Shopping is about 15 minutes away and Shenango Reservoir is about 20 minutes away.
Large sites
Mostly seasonal, and about 20 others, including pull-through a.
Well maintained campground with a handful of sites. Pit toilets. Nice fishing pond. Gun range nearby.
Pools a big hit for kids and they have a small puttputt golf course and basketballs to play with for free along with a small playground. That being said, most of the sites are taken up by full timers. The ones that aren’t are close together or the spot is very un-level. For Spot 19 you would literally have to move the fire ring and picnic table from spot 18 out of your way. (No they didn’t take up 2 spots, they just overlap it’s so close) The bathrooms are also filthy and on the weekends kids run in and out of them to play. I have no idea why. They run in screaming chat with each other and then run back out. It’s very uncomfortable when you’re in the shower. I also tried their second set of bathrooms, but it was filled with wasps. I reported both bathrooms. But they didn’t seem very concerned and the next day only the trash had been changed. I did not go check if the wasps were gone. They also have an abundance of golf carts here. Which is fine until you’re trying to take a walk and you have to walk into someone else’s camp to get out of their way. You will do this multiple times with each small loop because people here drive them just to drive. Don’t try to leave for food in the evenings on the weekend. EVERYONE gets on their golf carts and will drive around the campground like a giant snake game. You will not escape.
My wife, 2 dogs, and I came with no reservation. They gave us a temporary tag to drive around and see what site we wanted. We ended up going to site 190 which had a decent amount of space to tent camp. The amenities were great. Clean shower and toilets in a well lit building. There is also a dog park with a pond 2 minutes up the road which was great to wear the dogs out at. The only complaint I have is the site was a little close to our neighbor for our liking but we would go back!
I have been camping at Moraine State Park since I was 5 years old (so about 14 years). While I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts we used the 5 Points Group Camping Area a lot. It is right next to the bike trail and has access to the lake. I have enjoyed my time at Moraine and will enjoy it every time I visit.
Showed up and wasn’t sure to expect but wow! We had a water view site and it’s perfect! We were at site 58. It was long and skinny so our camper near the road and the fire was 20 yards away. It was a perfect site for us. Some trees provides privacy between sites but also some sites were perfect for groups. Facilities were ideal and very well kept! The lake is busy and very peaceful at the same time. Beach was full so just know you won’t have it to yourself. Great campground!
Pros: It was very easy and fast to check in. We stayed at site #14 and had such a nice view of the lake. There were many sites there that had lovely views. The shower houses were kept pretty clean. They had many shower houses and dumpsters around the campground. Our campsite was also clean upon arrival. There wasn't any trash left behind from previous campers.
Cons: We stayed for 2 nights. Our first night was loud. People were up yelling and listening to loud music until 11:30pm. Quiet time starts at 10:00pm and I dont believe that is strictly enforced. The second night was much better.
Make reservations! (6 months in advance). Waterside sites fill up quickly! Check in is very easy as you pass the camp store on your way in. All campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. West Branch has private, spacious, shady sites. We can launch our kayaks right from our campsite. The shower house and bathrooms are large and clean. There is even a book exchange shelf at the shower house in case of rainy days. The park office loans games and sports equipment to campers. Washers and dryers are also at the shower house. There is an outside sink to wash up dishes. Bring your boat or kayak. There are many inlets to explore or fish. There is a small beach at the campground but a larger one on the other side of the lake. There is a boat launch at the campground. There are playgrounds for the children. An ice cream social is held on Saturday evenings that my children always love to attend. There is a newer dog park near the intersection of Rock Spring and Esworthy roads. There are many scenic hiking trails at West Branch. Bridal trails are located on Esworthy Rd. West Branch is our favorite campground and we make sure to visit every year.
We stayed in site 169 for just one night. We’ve been before and have enjoyed the two other sites we had. This site was chosen for convenience more than what site it was. The campground was packed with tents and campers. Our site was near a small beach so there was a lot of foot and bicycle traffic. You could tell there had been a lot rain as they threw down mulch to cover mud at our site. The drainage ditch stunk a bit and the mosquitoes were alive and hungry. On a happier note, there are great bathrooms with flush toilets, shower rooms, washer and dryers and outside sinks to wash your dishes. We walked around to check out other sites and the ones by the lake were very nice. We marked a few to remember for another time. You really need to know your sites or you may be very close to your neighbors.
Backpacking campground is nice. Trails are well maintained. Beautiful place. Frankfort mineral springs is amazing!
I want to give this place a 4 but having trouble committing to it. This place looks and sounds great on paper/web. All the amenities are still here. It's not completely rundown but may get there in a few years of that makes sense. The office is amazing. Very well kept. The roads are a bit rough, there are some potholes but nothing drastic. The pond looks gorgeous but had some algae growing in it. You can see the grounds crew going around doing their thing. There are 2 pools, one being a full kiddie pool, a gaga court, a game room, gym, snack bar, playground and more. All those buildings are showing their age pretty well. It's a nice campground, staff is nice, just needs some touchups. Update: even the power went out due to a strong storm, they called to let us know because we had dogs and wanted to make sure they were okay!
