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Best Tent Camping near Mansfield, PA

510 Reviews

The Mansfield area provides a range of tent camping opportunities within Pennsylvania's northern tier. Colton Point State Park Campground near Wellsboro offers tent campsites with varying levels of seclusion, particularly its walk-in sites that provide greater privacy. Tiadaghton Campground in Tioga State Forest serves as another option for backcountry tent camping enthusiasts seeking more primitive experiences with minimal amenities.

Most tent sites feature basic amenities including picnic tables and fire rings, though facilities vary significantly between locations. Colton Point provides vault toilets and drinking water access, while more remote sites in Tioga State Forest may lack facilities entirely. Walk-in tent sites typically require campers to carry equipment a short distance from parking areas, making lightweight gear advantageous. During peak summer months, first-come, first-served campgrounds fill quickly, especially on weekends. Campers should verify seasonal availability as many sites operate from April through October with limited winter access.

Tent campers frequently use these campgrounds as basecamp for exploring the region's extensive trail networks. The walk-in sites at Colton Point offer particular advantages for tent camping, with enough distance from other campsites to provide a sense of isolation without complete backcountry remoteness. Areas along Pine Creek Gorge provide scenic tent camping locations with access to water and hiking trails. The primitive nature of many sites appeals to campers seeking authentic outdoor experiences. A recent review noted, "Colton Point on the western rim of the Pine Creek Gorge isn't a tourist hub. The campsites are private and you get to hike in varying amounts of distance." Backcountry tent campers should be prepared for varying terrain and potentially challenging access, particularly after rain when forest roads may become difficult to navigate.

Best Tent Sites Near Mansfield, Pennsylvania (45)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Mansfield, PA

510 Reviews of 45 Mansfield Campgrounds

  • Sophie D.
    Oct. 5, 2016

    Watkins Glen State Park Campground

    Friendly, beautiful, and well organized

    I ended a two-day backpacking trek through the Finger Lakes National Forest at Watkins Glen. After grunting all the way up the long hill to the campground, I checked in with a wonderful and helpful employee. She gave me all the information about the campground and park that I could ever want, and then we laughed a little about the antics of young husky mixes (I had my dog with me on the hike). The campground is dog-friendly, provided that you have a current rabies certificate and keep him/her on leash.

    I stayed at a tent site, which has no electricity. RV sites, which cost a little more, provide electric hookups. My camp site and all the neighboring ones were clean. Water from spigots is easily accessible, as are showers and toilets.

    The campground is situated walking distance from the main attractions of the park; during the summer, a large swimming pool is a popular place to hang out with family. Hiking trails parallel the creek with beautiful falls. I was disappointed to find that dogs are not allowed on the Gorge Trail, which is closest to all of the falls.

    All in all, I loved this campground. It was a very relaxing place to spend the night.

  • Amy R.
    Jul. 16, 2019

    Pine Cradle Lake Family Campground

    RV/tent campground in a beautiful setting

    This is a gated campground that we stayed at 6/30/19-7/04/19. We are NOT an RV. We own a Napier tent that hooks to our truck so that we can sleep up in the bed. However, due to it being a holiday week, the tent sites were completely booked and they only have 4(which also have water& electric). The tent sites are located in the back of the campground behind the sports field within the trees. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see them but they have them pictured on their website. They let us book an RV site and it was rough setting up on a gravel RV site but we understood that we were not within a normal tent element and placed an extra tarp under the tent. The campground is located at the top of some beautiful and scenic driving through farmland in Pennsylvania and you will be 30 minutes from anything like shopping or small town amenities(we drove to Walmart after setting up to get our perishables since we drive up from Virginia). Our site had water and electric, was a drive through spot for a typical RV with a section to the side of the drive through for the fire pit and picnic table. We were located right next to the shower/bathrooms/playground and had some tree coverage and shade. A lot of the RVs in the campground are permanent sites and our neighbors never showed so we had a quiet buffer but it was not a noisy campground. It appeared that they cleaned the bathrooms twice daily and we were impressed with the cleanliness of the bathroom/showers. There were 4 in the building so we never had to wait. The staff were friendly and helpful. They had a store right next to the pool area that offered common items and RV'er might need with a small grocery area as well which included bundles of wood($6 honor system after hours) and Ice($1.78 per bag). We were allowed to run an account which we paid at the end of our stay. Our campsite was required to be paid at check in. The campground is 18 acres with gravel roads, a sports field, fishing, horse shoes, bocce ball, multiple playgrounds, a rec center with some games, claw machines etc. a splash pad and salt water pool. You will be doing a lot of walking or bring your bicycles like we did. They offer scheduled activities for holidays etc and various weekend activities. You can rent non electric boats and they offer catch& release fishing without a PA license in the lake. My son caught 2 sunfish :) They have guidelines for visitors and quiet hours(my cousin came to visit us in the evenings as she lived close by). We enjoyed camping here even if we were on an RV site. We booked site 211 which had the little bit of tree coverage and was located right next to the showers/bathrooms/playground with a quick walk to the lake for fishing. Most of the other available sites in the road ahead of us had no tree coverage but closer to the lake had more trees and shade. OR, just get an actual tent site :) but they are all the way at the back of the campground, furthest from the lake so I actually preferred our site.

  • N
    Jun. 14, 2019

    Blueberry Patch Campground — Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests

    Great site

    What does blueberry patch campground offer? Large camp sites with a picnic table large enough for 6 adults (squeezed together), metal fire pit with grill, large tent footprint and space for 2-3 vehicles to park.

    For you fellow hammock campers reading this don’t worry! Most of the sites are compatible for hammocks, some sites you may have to be more creative to make it work.

    You can stay at this site for up to 14 days at $15pn (bring cash). There are two bathrooms on the site and bear proof dumpsters as well. There are many locals selling fire wood bundles for $5 each so no problems getting a fire going. Lastly for this part BRING WATER. There are no water sources near the site. There is a gas station about 15 minutes away on route 79 so make sure to fill up on water and snacks.

    The site is great. Lots of amenities and individual sites. They aren’t too far away from each other so you don’t feel completely isolated but far enough away to allow some privacy. There are some trails nearby and are worth a hike.

    Neil

  • Gavin T.
    Oct. 23, 2017

    Blueberry Patch Campground — Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests

    Simple

    The only Finger Lakes National Forest designated campground, Blueberry Patch offers a secluded experience in the heart of this sometimes overlooked beautiful geographic region in the State of New York. This campground offers a simple experience, with fire rings and picnic tables at each site and seems to accommodate just tent and small campers. Vault toilets available. On a week day in early summer, 3 of the 9 campsites we’re occupied. Can see it filling up on weekends. Enjoy!

  • David A.
    Aug. 23, 2025

    Tiadaghton Campground — Tioga State Forest

    Tiadaghaton State Forest, PA

    Roadside site 1/4 mile from the nearest site. You can drive right to the site on Hackett Rd. Very secluded and peaceful. Picnic table and fire ring, but no water or latrine.

  • Jennifer F.
    May. 10, 2020

    Worlds End State Park Campground

    Great campground

    I've been coming here every year for a while now. Overall, it has everything you'd want in a campground. They have one of the cleanest bathrooms I've seen yet while camping. The campsites are a good size. Certain sites have more privacy than others, I'd recommend the higher loop if you can. However, some of the sites on the lower loop are close to the road but the road noise isn't too bad. They have designated sites for pets. There are also primitive free sites that are first come first serve. In the colder months, they even have cabins you can rent out. Plenty of hiking and swimming nearby. We always hit up the Forksville General Store for breakfast before we leave. The food is sooo good. I recommend getting the sausage links. Also, the stars are incredible here! I usually come in the fall in October/early November. It's my favorite time to come because it's not extremely packed with campers and the leaves are beautiful. If you come in the fall, make sure you bring a cold weather sleeping bag or heater because the temp does drop. Seriously, a great campground you wont be disappointed!

  • Kari M.
    Sep. 21, 2016

    Smith Memorial Park

    Great hiking trails, and beach nearby!

    Smith Memorial Park has a pretty great set up. You can camp and hike, while enjoying the beach and water activities. It is the best of both worlds. I camped here a few summers ago, and enjoyed my stay. I love hiking, and there were some really good trails nearby with some great views. The campground was great, each campsite has its own picnic table and fire ring. They also have restrooms and showers available for use too- I stayed a few nights so the showers worked out great. Our spot was fairly close, so it was within walking distance. What I really like about his campground is it is sort of secluded, and not very crowded. The campsite I stayed at was called "The Point" and it was quite and a great location. My sisters went one evening to a winery that was really close to our campsite called JR Dill, and we went to a great brewing company for dinner one night. The campground does provide firewood-which they offer for a pretty low cost. We did this, and enjoyed making smores over the campfire both nights we stayed. The beach is nice and is pretty close to the campground, within walking distance. Great for swimming, and I saw some people out on the lake with their boats. Enjoyed my stay, and would definitely come back again at some point!

  • Dan N.
    Jul. 18, 2016

    Kanakadea Park - Almond Lake

    Lake right off rt 86

    This is a park with a lake. In the green rolling hills of the Finger Lakes. Grassy open fields are nice but not private. Used the basic tent setup. Clean, grounds kept up nice, simple, no water. Lots of state lands and water nearby. Deer by the tent in the morning. Great stopover or base camp, not much to do right on site.

  • Jonathan F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Canyon Country Campground

    Not bad

    This place was pretty decent. My only complaint was that the trees around our site were dead or at least had a lot of deadfall in them. I was laying in my hammock and the wind picked up so I sat up to observe if anything took off from our site and as soon as I sat up a big dead branch fell out of the tree and struck where my head had been. Needless to say I was very lucky! Other then that it was a great spot you could hike from the campground out to the Turkey trail or go check out the fire tower (It’s $5 per person and credit card only). The whole area is beautiful.

Guide to Mansfield

Tent camping opportunities around Mansfield, Pennsylvania extend beyond established campgrounds to numerous dispersed sites in the surrounding state forests. The region sits within the Allegheny Plateau at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 2,000 feet, creating varied terrain and microclimates. Forest campsites typically receive 42-48 inches of annual precipitation, with summer temperatures averaging 65-85°F during peak camping season.

What to do

Hiking elevated trails: Turkey Path Trail in Colton Point State Park offers challenging terrain with significant elevation changes. "Incredible views, nicknamed the Grand Canyons of Pennsylvania," notes Gary O. about Colton Point State Park Campground.

Paddling Pine Creek: Access the water from multiple points along the gorge for kayaking and canoeing. "Amazing driftwood to be had. Good kayaking. Peaceful. Trees," shares Rebecca E. from Lawrence Recreation Area.

Bike the rail trail: The Pine Creek Rail Trail runs 62 miles through the gorge with gradual grades suitable for most cyclists. "You can connect to the West Rim Trail if you'd like," suggests Emily S. about trails near Colton Point.

What campers like

Secluded riverside spots: Sites along Pine Creek offer privacy and water access. Julian S. mentions Tiadaghton Campground has a "nice water front view" though notes it can get busy with cyclists.

Natural surroundings: Unspoiled forest settings provide authentic outdoor experiences. "Roadside site 1/4 mile from the nearest site. You can drive right to the site on Hackett Rd. Very secluded and peaceful," reports David A. about dispersed camping in Tiadaghton State Forest.

Budget-friendly options: Most forest campsites require minimal fees compared to developed campgrounds. Bruce H. describes Riverside Acres Campground as "a modest sized campground in a great spot. The river in front of first row sites is 200 m broad. Eagles fish here. You can too."

What you should know

Primitive facilities: Many forest sites have minimal or no amenities. "Picnic table and fire ring, but no water or latrine," notes David A. about Tiadaghton State Forest campsites.

Seasonal operation: Most campgrounds close during winter, with typical season running April through October. Gardner Hill Campground operates year-round according to their listing data.

Vehicle access considerations: Forest roads can be challenging without appropriate vehicles. Julian recommends "4 wheel drive vehicles to drive to site, steep dirt roads to access it" at Tiadaghton Campground.

Variable drinking water access: Not all sites provide potable water. While Colton Point offers drinking water, many forest campsites require bringing your own supply.

Tips for camping with families

Choose appropriate campsites: Some walk-in sites require carrying gear distances that may challenge younger children. Sadie S. advises about Colton Point: "I love the walk in sites. They take a small hike so don't over pack!"

Pack weather-appropriate gear: The plateau region experiences rapid weather changes, with afternoon thunderstorms common in summer. Temperature drops of 15-20°F overnight are typical even in July.

Plan activities strategically: Morning hours provide cooler hiking temperatures on exposed trails. "It's a rougher climb but you follow a small stream filled with waterfalls down into the canyon," explains Sadie S. about Turkey Trail at Colton Point State Park.

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions apply: Many forest roads have width and clearance limitations. Most primitive sites accommodate smaller RVs under 25 feet only.

Limited hookup availability: Full hookups are scarce in forest campgrounds. Avery R. notes that Gardner Hill Campground is "no frills but very comfy and nice views."

Leveling challenges: Forest campsites often feature uneven terrain. Bring leveling blocks and stabilizers for comfort on primitive sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mansfield, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mansfield, PA is Lawrence Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Mansfield, PA?

TheDyrt.com has all 45 tent camping locations near Mansfield, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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