Best Tent Camping near Meyersdale, PA
Tent camping near Meyersdale, Pennsylvania centers around the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail, with several tent-only sites and primitive campgrounds available within a 30-mile radius. Maple Festival Park offers a unique tent camping experience just 8 miles from the Eastern Continental Divide, with grassy areas for tent setup and clean facilities with warm showers. Laurel Ridge State Park Campground, located about 20 miles northwest of Meyersdale, provides backcountry tent camping along the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail with eight different camping areas. Big Run State Park Campground in nearby Maryland features primitive tent campsites with spacious sites adjacent to streams and a reservoir.
Most tent campgrounds in the Meyersdale area require advance reservations, though some hiker-biker sites along the GAP Trail operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Tent campsites typically include basic amenities such as fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets or portable facilities. Water availability varies significantly between locations, with some sites offering hand pumps while others require campers to bring their own water or filter from nearby streams. Train noise is common at many of the sites along the GAP Trail, so earplugs are recommended for light sleepers. Weather conditions are most favorable from May through October, with potential for cold nights in spring and fall.
The tent camping experience around Meyersdale is characterized by its connection to long-distance trails and waterways. According to reviews, the hiker-biker campgrounds along the GAP Trail provide a communal atmosphere where "the camaraderie of riders along the trail is a nice side benefit." At Maple Festival Park, campers can "set up tents on the lawn, up on the stage, or under the long lean-to" for protection from weather. Laurel Ridge State Park offers more secluded backcountry tent camping with "several dramatic overlooks out over valleys to the east." Many tent sites in the region provide direct access to rivers and streams, with one camper noting that Big Run State Park has "tons of space between sites" and a stream that is "incredible and lively with trout and crayfish."