Located within the Laurel Highlands region, cabin camping near Mineral Point, Pennsylvania offers access to state forests and recreation areas situated between 1,500-2,900 feet elevation. The region experiences four distinct seasons with summer highs around 80°F and winter lows typically below freezing from December through February. Several campgrounds in the area maintain cabin rentals that remain open during winter months when tent camping isn't practical.
What to do
Hiking through mountain terrain: Blue Knob State Park Campground sits on the second highest mountain in Pennsylvania with extensive trail networks. "Blue Knob State Park might be my favorite place to camp in Western PA. It sits on the flanks of the second highest peak in the state. The hiking here is really spectacular with lots of scenery, overlooks, and side trails that extend many miles out into state forest lands which are adjacent to the park," notes one visitor.
Fishing in local waters: Quemahoning Family Recreation Area offers fishing opportunities without requiring a license. A camper mentions, "Easy walk to beach area and boat launch. Very clean." Another visitor adds: "We have camped at the que family rec for several years. We always loved and enjoyed our stay there... It's very peaceful and Serene. Beautiful scenery."
Mountain biking on varied terrain: Yellow Creek State Park provides trail access for cyclists of different skill levels. "Very nice state park in PA. Huge lake for water sports, scenic trails, small dirt bike oval track," writes one camper about the recreational options available.
What campers like
Private island camping: At Yellow Creek, the island camping area provides a unique experience. "The private island is a beautiful campsite and has enough room for several tents. There's plenty of trees on the island so there are plenty of sticks to find for fires, and even if you want logs you can buy some at the office and they'll dump a truckload of wood that can last you the whole weekend."
Wide, secluded sites: Laurel Hill State Park Campground offers more spacious camping areas. "Been coming for years. There are some great, quiet and wide sites! Bathrooms could use some updating but still very usable! Beautiful area to explore," a regular visitor reports.
Creek-side camping options: Many appreciate sites positioned along running water. At Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing, "Site 26 is our favorite. It has a huge back yard and easy access to the creek. Close by is Ligonier, Idlewild, and St. Vincent (where the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place)," notes one camper.
What you should know
Varying terrain for tent placement: Not all sites are equally level. At Shawnee State Park Campground, "There are a fair amount of awkwardly-placed sites that sit on a hill and are difficult to place a tent, equipment or gear. Our site was essentially a grassy plain, no tree cover which was a bit disappointing."
Limited cell service: Many campgrounds have poor connectivity. At Blue Knob, visitors are advised to "Make sure you bring firewood and be prepared for extremely limited cell service (Verizon)."
Winter access conditions: Some cabins remain open year-round but with limited services. At Shawnee State Park, winter visitors should note that while camping is available throughout the year, water services may be restricted during freezing months, requiring campers to bring their own supply.
Firewood considerations: Purchasing firewood on-site can sometimes disappoint. One camper at Laurel Hill noted: "Why 4 star? State campgrounds are notorious for supplying wood bundles for too much money and the wood is not dry."
Tips for camping with families
Recreational options for children: Mirror Lake RV Camping & Fishing offers family-friendly amenities. "My family stayed in one of the cabins while friends were in their campers. The cabin was great, very clean and cozy. The campgrounds are very nice they have a pool as well as a community building and camp store. We had 8 kids and 8 adults who all had a blast playing on the playground, floating down the creek, swimming in the pool, riding bicycles etc."
Park program participation: At Prince Gallitzin State Park, scheduled activities engage younger campers. "We used the group tent sites for our Girl Scout weekend. It was a fun weekend. We participated in the Outdoors for Everyone event. The site was clean, decently level area for tents, accessible to potable water and bathrooms with showers. Rangers were wonderful to work with in setting up teaching opportunities for the girls."
Swimming facilities: Many parks offer swimming options during summer. At Keystone State Park Campground, "small lake where you can fish, paddle boat, and swim. Quiet hours and parking are strictly enforced."
Tips from RVers
Site selection for larger rigs: At Friendship Village Campground, "For big rig campers, you need to stay at the upper portion of the campground at sites 200-500."
Power hookup access: At Laurel Hill State Park, consider power cable length. "The electrical hookups are not played out well like an expensive RV park with the shared power post on the entrance side of the camper. You may want to have an extension for your power cable."
Approach angle considerations: At some parks, site access can be challenging. One RVer at Laurel Hill noted: "As we drove through the rest of the RV park area we noted that many of the sites had very awkward back-in approaches that did not provide sufficient area to maneuver a large rig into them."
