Best Glamping near Lake Ariel, PA
Are you in need of a campground near Lake Ariel, PA? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Lake Ariel. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
Are you in need of a campground near Lake Ariel, PA? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Lake Ariel. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"The security is great and patrol to make sure quiet hours are quiet to be courtiers to other campers that want quiet time. The bath houses are constantly being cleaned and restocked."
"That said we had plenty of space, it was just very close to the next site. We were on the far side of the lake which is not really within walking distance of the beach, pool and store."
$20 - $43 / night
"This place only gets 4 stars because I thought we were going to have water and electric hook ups. They only have 2 kinds of sites, modern electric (only electric) and primitive."
"Mix of electric and non-electric sites. No water hook ups but a water station is on site.
Camp sites are generously size, good spacing between sites and heavily treed. Huge lake to enjoy. "
$20 - $79 / night
"Our only complaint was the lack of active enforcement of quiet hours — otherwise there would be no complaints."
"Some are a little close to each other, but others offer plenty of space, including our site (52) on this trip. One of the biggest spots we have ever had. "
"The site itself isn't bad, a lot of woods to tuck into if you camp rite."
"Such wonderful rustic sites that are absolutely secluded!! Love it and just wish it was open all year round!"
"Lake Mocatek Campground is well kept, on beautiful lake Mocatek and an absolute gem."
$20 - $72 / night
"Come with fire pit, parking spot, picnic table, flush toilet, running water. Competitive pricing."
"We took the short drive to Hawk Falls Trail and also completed the Orchard Trail Loop."
"The bathrooms and showers, every time we went in , were spotless. The staff was incredible. So friendly And helpful. The sites are great."
"Enjoyed walking the trails and wooded area but sprained my right ankle. So I was laid up for a few hours before I left."
$54 / night
"Pocono Campground in the Poconos, Pennsylvania is a very active and fun vacation vacation destination! There are lots of amenities for every family member and the staff is friendly and welcoming."
"This is a great site, it has running water, it’s clean, it has entertainment, and you can get close with your loved ones."
"Great spots to setup your own tent as well as cabins and trailers."
"Very clean sites and bathrooms. Quiet and peaceful at night and the other campers were very friendly. There is not one negative thing I can say. Would definitely visit again."
Easy access from Rt 80 and located close to the Lakota Wolf Preserve. With tours leaving them campground twice a day on both Saturday and Sundays for the wolf preserve, I was glad there was camping so close. The camping selection of sites is excellent with Cabins, Glamping tents, primitive tent sites and of course RV sites. I choose to stay in one of the glamping tents and was pleasantly surprised at the space inside the tent even with a double bed and two other fold out couches to beds. Water is available at the site. A small lake for swimming and boating. And lots of trails linking you to the Delaware river water gap area.
Me and two friends do a yearly kayak trip down the Delaware river and have progressively moved north each year. This year, MDW of 2023, we were traveling between Narrowsburg, NY and Port Jervis, NY. Traveling 10-15 miles a day, we ended our second day of paddling at Slumberland on the Rivers Edge. The host put out a orange cone that made finding our campsite easy and a nice beach made unloading and loading kayaks pretty easy. The accommodations were top notch, with lights already on, and a table set, along with a grill, fire pit, and covered porch and canvas tent that housed two queen sized beds along with an electric stove and a woodstove. We were able to relax on the adirondack chairs on the deck as the sun went down and our fire (wood provided by host) and the porch lights remained glowing. It was nice change from camping in our tents and sleeping pads as we are used to along the river, as the beds were very comfortable, and the heater and canvas tent kept us warm during 40 degree temperatures at night. It was quiet and peaceful and you had your own space far from the other sites at slumberland (unlike many other campgrounds along the river). We all enjoyed our stay and had a great time and I would highly recommend to any kayak campers along the river looking for more than just a patch of grass to set up a tent on.
Having been here on a few occasions I will say it is def a beautiful spot in many regards. However, there are some downsides.
Positives: sites are decent sized with fire pits and picnic tables. easy access to hiking, convenient to a beautiful vineyard, peaceful region, and the most amazing wolf preserve is right next to you.
Negative: limited access to firewood. sites are picked clean, quiet hours are strongly enforced- which can be a good thing depending upon who you are, the lake is anything but refreshing.
The biggest draw to this state park (which no one in Pennsylvania I spoke with seemed to know about) is the 22 waterfalls! We saw 18 of them on a four-mile moderate hike, but if you want to see the additional four, you could make it a seven-mile hike. The trails are very well marked.
We stayed in the large loop, which is a peninsula on Lake Jean. Many of the sites have lake views. The bathhouse was clean but not adequate for 73 sites. The campground was about ¾ full and there was often a wait in the bathroom. Showers looked reasonable but I did not use them.
There were many tent campers in this loop, which does not allow pets (the other, smaller loop does allow pets). There are no hookups at all in the park. The water had been tested earlier in the season and unsafe levels of manganese were detected. All water spigots were shut off and covered but we were told it was safe to wash our dishes and brush our teeth. However, the water for the dishwashing sink was turned off as well as the water in the restroom at the trailhead. Since we had a reservation, we received a phone call in advance of our stay letting us know about this.
There are trails to the beach, but we woke to rain the next morning, so we did not explore this.
One trash/recycle area a distance away from the campsites which seems typical for PA state parks. Alcohol is strictly forbidden– we were warned that if a ranger saw any alcohol outside of our vehicle, we would be cited. Quiet hours are 9 pm– 8 am, which is more restrictive than other state parks, however, some did not observe these quiet hours (a guitar-playing singing camper thought he was talented, but I disagree!)
Campground Review
Stokes State Forest has four campgrounds. The Steam Mill Camping Area is tucked out the of the way and is the most primitive. It is the smallest of the campgrounds with 27 sites only suitable for tents or small trailers/campervans. No pets or alcohol allowed.
The campground has a pit toilet and a well. Each large campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern hook. Some sites also have a tent platform. Many sites are a bit rocky.
We selected site T219. It was a solid choice: private but close to the toilet and water. Some sites located around the opposite side of the ring back up to a babbling brook. The rushing water will soothe you to sleep.
Remember, this is bear country so proper food storage is a must. Bear lockers are not provided. The area also has ticks and rattlesnakes.
Outdoor activities in the area abound. Go fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more. There are 21 marked trails that cover over 63 miles within the boundaries of Stokes State Forest. Twelve miles are part of the Appalachian Trail. Pick up a hiking map at the park office or download the Avenza Maps app.
This visit we hiked the Tillman Ravine trail (tip: make the trail a loop and visit both the ravine and the nearby old cemetery).
You can also drive or hike to Sunset Mountain Scenic Overlook for a view of High Point Monument. High Point Monument is the highest elevation in New Jersey and is located in High Point State Park which borders Stokes State Forest on the north. High Point State Park also offers camping, hiking, sightseeing opportunities. And, on the western border of Stokes State Forest is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. So, there is lots of outdoors to get out and explore!
Product Review
We camped at the Steam Mill Camping Area in Stokes State Forest in our campervan over a chilly autumn weekend. We had the opportunity to cook some soup on our stovetop and chill out by the campfire. And, as Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time so we were psyched to try out some new dinnerware and cutlery. This included the FlexiBowl and GoBites from humangear.
What made these humangear products pretty awesome? Well, the fun colors to start. I mean, seriously, my orange bowl rules. The FlexiBowl also has some neat features: it’s flexible - just like the name suggests - and foldable. The bowl can be squished and stuffed anywhere. And, the top section can be folded down to create a smaller bowl. The FlexiBowl is versatile yet durable. It held my hearty, warm soup just perfectly.
I paired the FlexiBowl with one of the GoBites utensils (the Uno model). The Uno model is my favorite - it has a fork on one side and a spoon on the other side. Very simple and convenient. The other GoBites models include the Duo (separate fork and spoon that can snap together) and the Trio (a fork, spoon, and knife - with bottle opener - in a case).
PRO TIP: I keep the Trio GoBites model in my travel pack at all times. It recently came in handy on a (non-camping) trip to Sardinia. The knife on the Trio allowed me to slice some delicious local cheese to pair with bread, jam, and wine that was purchased from the grocery store. YUM.
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.
Nice, family friendly campground with 3 levels to camp at. Top level has a pool, showers and bathrooms with laundry area and game room. Middle level has open field with bathrooms with sinks and running water. There is water and electric on the sites at the middle level. River level has more primitive bathrooms and some bathrooms with running water. You can camp right next to the river and it has a great view.
Stayed two nights at two different sites. Heavily recommend getting campsites in the mid-60s. They come with a little more room and seclusion. Come with fire pit, parking spot, picnic table, flush toilet, running water. Competitive pricing.
My first trip to this campground was September 2020. We wanted to get out of the house, but stay clear of other campers during the pandemic. This campsite, CS52, was in the woods and we were able to get the illusion of privacy by parking the cars along the road as a makeshift wall and pitching our tents beside them, facing inward. The other 3/4 of the campsite was bound by trees and shrubs which was nice and why we chose the spot. Other sites are more open and only the darkness of night will give you privacy. Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook.
We hung out at the campsite mostly, using the fire pit, playing frisbee, and relaxing in our hammocks. When we did roam a bit, there was a nice lake, with seating every so often and a boat dock ramp thing in the campground. There was also a playground, beach, pavilion, and picnic tables, but we did not use any of that.
Campsite sells fire wood. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, masks required for the pandemic.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Lake Ariel, PA is Keen Lake Resort Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 29 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 54 glamping camping locations near Lake Ariel, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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