Best Campgrounds near Lehigh Valley, PA

Otter Lake Campground was one of the best campgrounds we went to.... pros and cons Pros- -Beautiful Lake with fishing & boating -Pools indoor and outdoor -Great playgrounds -Great biking even a trail around the like -lots of activities planned -awesome store stocked well -the area had alot of hiking close -food truck at certain times in the lot CONS -security was so annoying about riding bikes after a certain time ... we were actually told we couldn't play bingo because we wouldn't be done before it started to get dark so bring our bikes back then try to come back... huh -secuirty would stalk the playground and tell the kids to leave it was getting dark... never went to a campground where you couldn't ride a bike at night. Spots : wooded areas which we love, spacious, bathhouse all around that were clean, spots around Lake.
We liked this campground even if the security was a little crazy. We would go back if we did revisit campgrounds.

First off, I would love to give this place 5 stars but the lots are just too small and too tight. Pet friendly. No children. No frills. Great place to explore Amish country from. Also close enough to Hershey to take in the attractions Hershey transportation museum, Hershey candy store, and definitely take the Hershey trolly tour. And if so inclined, Hershey park, with over a dozen roller coasters. Many Amish store outlets in area. Close to Lancaster. If you’re a foodie, this area has many buffet style venues. Shady Maple Smorgasbord was excellent. Amish farms and fields everywhere. Careful driving Amish buggies are numerous. On one occasion, in the field right behind our sight, two horses hooked to a trailer took of across the field headed for the village with a dog and 6 or 8 young Amish men and boys chasing them. A few moments of angst and excitement.

This is a trailer park for RVs. Virtually all of the sites are occupied with permanently parked RVs. Most sites have years of accumulated junk around the sites. It is not inherently bad, but it’s not a great choice for traveling RVers.

I was here for 3 days while hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I was assigned a site that is in the ‘front yard’ of a permanent trailer, under their deck. My site was just un-level enough that I didn’t quite have enough blocks to get my trailer level. It was conveniently located beside the dumpsters that were overflowing when I arrived and weren’t emptied while I was here.

The bath house is outdated, wasn’t filthy but wasn’t cleaned while I was here, and smells like a Porta-potty after a county fair. Because there are really only permanent residents staying here, I suspect there isn’t much need to keep up with the bath house.

It’s a noisy park, but not in an obnoxious way. It’s noisy in the way that a neighborhood with kids is noisy. A significant number of the residents are working class Spanish families with a fair number of kids. That part was cool….gave the place a nice vibe. Waking up to residents mowing their own lawns in an RV park was a new one for me. Not bad, just unexpected.

The staff was courteous during my visit, and I believe they may be trying to improve this location. As a permanent rental option for people trying to have an affordable place to live, I’m sure it fills a need. The park was at well above 80% occupancy with permanent units. But if you are look(no for a more traditional RV park, I recommend looking elsewhere.

We spent the Memorial Day weekend at Philadelphia/ West Chester KOA Holiday in Coatesville, PA and had a good time. 

We paid$135/night for Back-in Patio Site#25. A bit pricey considering the lack of elbow room, but it’s a great site and everything is well-kept. There was just barely enough room for the motorhome and Jeep Wrangler. 

I did have major trouble backing in because the road is too narrow for a 45’ motorhome to back in on a nearly 90-degree angle. So difficult, that I cracked the bottom of my front cap catching the grass and gravel beside the grave road. I think this would’ve otherwise been a 5-star review.Don’t stay in this site in a big motorhome. The trailers/5th wheels seem better because they ‘bend’ at the hitch. 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Great site(once you’re in it!) including patio furniture on a paver patio and seating around an upgraded fire pit. The landscaping made up for the tight squeeze. 

• Clean and level gravel site with well-maintained utility hook-ups. 

• Close to Longwood Gardens; Wilmington, Delaware; and a handful of local museums and gardens. Not too far from Philadelphia. 

• Super friendly staff. Every interaction with employees was extremely nice. Other campgrounds and even hotels can learn a lot from these folks. 

• The whole park is quiet and well-maintained. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH: 

• Heads up, big rig owners! Tight squeeze into Site 25. 

• Get cozy, the sites are quite small and tightly packed together. 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

• Absolutely, this is a nice campground staffed by super nice people with plenty to see and do in the area.