If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near North East, look no further. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
This is a newly created campsite that has picturesque view of surrounding farmland and of Peek-n-Peak. Located conveniently off of Rt426 with a slight drive along a field to reach the destination. Private and out of the way. Plenty of wildlife (family of fox and usually mamma deer and her babies, can normally be seen doing what animals do. Close to Peek-n-Peak and Findley Lake and its many amenities.
This is a little campsite on top of a hillside besides, you guessed it, a big oak. This is on a working hay farm, so depending on when you arrive you might be able to see hay being harvested. Again, this a new campsite so improvements will be made based on demand.
To enter the property, you will use a field entrance right off Harrington Hill Road (coming from the west it will be on your left-hand side). We have the way marked for you with posts/markers so hopefully it will take you right there. Please be aware this is located on top of a hill (with a big oak, hence its name :)) and you will be going through an active hay field to reach it.
$20 / night
Located on 50 acres of beautiful forest with lots of trails and wildlife. Only a couple miles from the shores of Lake Erie. This is wine country with wineries to the left and to the right. Many surrounding towns that will take you back in time. Fun day trips in the area: Presque Isle, Niagara Falls, Panama Rocks, Lilydale, casinos, Chautauqua Institute, Waldameer, Lucille Ball museum. Something for everyone!
$25 - $60 / night
This tent site sits in the woods on a hill just above the corner of French Creek (2022 PA River of the Year!) and a small tributary creek. It faces northwest over the valley providing amazing sunset views.
This location is on the high-side of the Union City Dam which is a dry bed, flood control dam. Which means during snow melt, or rainy streaks, the dam will fill up and flood the entire valley. However during dry spells, French Creek will appear as any other creek. At peak flooding, it will make its way all the way up the tributary valley, making a beautiful lake front campsite. Unfortunately, this only occurs a few weeks out of the year (typically early spring and occasionally during wet falls) and is fairly unpredictable (you can compare the high-water vs low-water views from the photos). Most of the summer you can still enjoy the view over both the tributary valley and French Creek valley. (DISCLAIMER: Once or twice a year during the wettest streaks, the water rises high enough to flood the driveway, making it impossible to drive up directly to the campsite. If this happens, you will be notified before so you can choose either to be refunded and not stay or you can park 100 yards up the road and hike into the campsite to enjoy the unique and rare lakefront views. Again, these are natural events that are infrequent and unpredictable, but also provide a truly spectacular setting.)
Located at the end of a dead end dirt road, adjacent to 100's of acres of federal protected land, and within sight of agriculture fields, there is an abundance of wildlife. For over 20 years, an active eagles nest has been located 1 mile north providing amazing opportunities to see either adult or juvenile eagles flying over French Creek hunting for fish. Deer can be seen early morning and late evening in the fields, as well as frequently crossing both valleys. All types of waterfowl flock the lake when it's flooded. I've personally seen up to 1000 geese at one time.
Beyond relaxing and wildlife watching, there are plenty of other activities to explore in the area. Access to many nature walking trails. The Union City Dam, less than 1.5 miles down the road, provides walking, biking, scenic driving, and picnic opportunities. Kayaks/canoes can be used to float the creek when dry or paddle up and down the reservoir lake when flooded. Centrally located between the 2 small towns of Union City and Waterford with gas stations, grocery stores, great local dinning options, and more. About a half an hour drive to Erie and Presque Isle State Park.
Come enjoy this extremely unique stretch of French Creek and Pennsylvania woods!
DISCLAIMER: There is an active gravel pit to the North of the campsite. During weekdays from about 7 AM-5 PM, you will likely hear and possibly see some activity from the gravel pit.
$40 - $45 / night
In 1992 (Public Law 102-271) added 87 miles of the Allegheny River to the National Wild & Scenic River System classified as Recreational. The goal is to protect the existing outstanding and remarkable values and preserve a free-flowing condition for present and future generations. This designation applies to the following three sections: 7 miles from below Kinzua Dam to Route 6 bridge in Warren 48 miles from Buckaloons Campground to Alcorn Island (by Oil City), and 32 miles from south of Franklin to Emlenton. The corridor boundary runs along the plateau ridge on both sides and has extensive areas of privately owned lands with many homes and seasonal recreational residences along the shoreline. Public access is good generally from both sides and few hazards make this an ideal river for novice and family canoeing. Oak forests predominate along steep side slopes and there is wooded-riverine habitat in some of the floodplains. It contains the seven Allegheny Wilderness Islands often used by boaters for dispersed camping and fishing. The Allegheny Islands Wilderness contains seven islands stretched between Buckaloons and Tionesta along the Allegheny Wild and Scenic River. The islands are popular for dispersed camping, exploration, and viewing scenery and wildlife. They are mostly vegetated with fine riverine forests of sycamore, silver maple, shagbark hickory, and green ash. Dense grasses and other thick vegetation make access limited. There are no developed trails or other facilities on the islands. The Allegheny River is one of the primary tributaries to the Ohio River. It joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" in Pittsburgh, PA. The Allegheny starts in Pennsylvania, near Cobb Hill, meanders into New York into Cattaraugus County, near Salamanca, before heading back into Pennsylvania northeast of Warren. The course of the river forms much of the northwestern boundary of the Allegheny National Forest before reaching Franklin where the river turns southeast. Within the borders of the Allegheny National Forest the river is fed by Kinzua Creek, Conewango Creek, Brokenstraw Creek, Tionesta Creek, Oil Creek and French Creek. The Clarion River joins the Allegheny near Kittanning.
$80 - $100 / night
🏞Allegheny Riverfront camping on a private island!
Private Island 5 minutes away from Tidioute, PA.
🏕Campsites
🌳Treehouse
🏞Cabin and whole island rental
🛶Kayak rentals & shuttle available
$55 - $400 / night
$8 / night
Traveler
I have tent camped here many times over the years. No reservations for tent sites. Off and on the beach camping. Very friendly staff. Impeccable bathrooms and showers. Sandy but well worth the price. Will come back.
Scout
Fantastic camp ground for anyone looking to rough it a bit, they have cabins and rv/tent sites located on Elk Creek great area for fishing and great people.
Ranger
We have been tent camping here since the 90's it was r&k campground back then . We would stay in the honey moon sight. Completely surrounded by trees bath rooms where clean . Cant say anything about the place now hope its the same or better
Traveler
Most beautiful and peaceful place to tent camp! Definitely a long drive for us but it was beautiful before we got the snow and even during (what we could see). One thing I didnt like was we have to drive to the hiking trails.
Scout
We tent camped at site 76. Secluded and beautiful. We had the whole side of the upper loop to ourselves! Bumped up against the nature trail for a quick hike. We fished at the small section opposite the swimming area. We were alone the entire time! This park is well kept and very very clean. Attracts the friendliest people.
Guide
This is a great stop for an overnight on a road trip. There are a few tent sites but the campground mostly caters to RV'ers. One huge benefit, free showers. The campground is a quick dive to a beach on the shore of Lake Erie.
ScoutSites aren't on top of each other. Best sites are along the river and store has lots of fishing supplies. Wifi was too weak at my tent site and Verizon service was mostly unavailable. The site has a tire rim fire pit and picnic table with electric and water. Gravel pad where I parked was nearly level. Bathroom was cleaned the day I used shower and hot water was good. Prices for the site was $31/night and this was early season. I'm in a pickup with rooftop tent.
TravelerPlace was horrible. We were tent camping and the area they offer for that is up a muddy hill in a mud pit. Getting stuck is likely. Even without that, the seasonal campers are nuts. I was driving slowly up the road and this lady ran out in front of my car and stopped (which I was clearly able to do because I was going very slow) and she screamed that I needed to slow down and that I was "driving too fast." I am guessing she was on some kind of substance or something. Don't ever go to this dump.
GuideThe location of this Campground is great! Right by the lake with plenty of beach within walking distance! The scenery is amazing and I'd recommend it! The attached restaurant is also very good! We eat there every year as a tradition when we visit Presque Isle. There is also an awesome water park/amusement park called Waldameer just down the road!
The facilities are good and the campground is very nice and clean. However if you are tent camping, it's not really meant for it.. The sites are small and kinda boring. However the location definitely makes it worth it.
TravelerSites are tight but nice because of the gravel. Keeps everything clean. Across the street from the Lake Erie beach. At the entrance of Presque Isle park. There is a a couple restaurants connected to the park and a little store for any needs you may have.
The office is across the street. There is tent camping on the shores of Lake Erie, first come, first served. Staff is remarkable
Bring your bikes if you like to bike.
If you have kids this is a great place. Water park right next door
Only downfall, some of the seasonal sites look pretty bad.
RangerThis was my second time staying here, I felt the need to write an updated review. I stayed in cabin 4 and was very impressed very clean and spacious probably could sleep 8 people. If you are looking for a place to stay while fishing for trout and steelhead this is your spot. They are directly on elk creek for the finest fishing imaginable. Campsite offers tent camping but it’s mostly in a open field. If your going to stay there don’t mess around just stick with the cabins. Uncle Johns is run by husband and wife, doesn’t seem to be any other staff so you need to have some patience.
ScoutGreat, great campground it was very clean and fairly quiet. It seemed like a lot of RV campsites which is great but we wanted a more tent like experience. It was my wife’s first time tent camping and the cleanliness of the campground really helped her want to camp again. We did a walk to campsite as we wanted a little more privacy, which was nice, we were fairly spread out while only being 150 feet from the showers. Showers were clean and we have Verizon cell service.
Almost all the RV spots were full, but most of the walk to spots were empty which you can see the availability on the PA Parks website. Likewise you had to walk over a small bridge to get to the walk to site.
TravelerThe camp grounds were great. Staff was very helpful and nice. Camp sites were decently spaced out. Fire wood was priced fairly well but they don’t usually deliver($).and they sell worms at the gate along with ice.
The RVs had their own loop and tents and cabins were on the water down a wooded trail.
The reason this was 4/5 is because you have to unload the car then walk everything to the camp. There is no drive up access for tent camping. A wagon is highly encouraged
Additionally, vault toilets on the tent side and plumbing and showers on the RV side. Bathrooms were very clean and didn’t smell, the showers were hot.
I saw some boats anchored at sites which I thought was nice. I also got to peek into a cabin and it was pretty cozy.
Traveler
Unfortunately, my site did not.
However, my site wasn't crowded and the electricity was reliable. This campground has three loops. One has 30 amp power, one has 50 amp power (with a 30 amp outlet on the same pedestal) and the third loop is for tent camping. There are several places to get water in the camp, so be sure to fill up your tanks before you park. There is a dump station. None of the sites are full hook up.
Each site has a picnic table and a grill.
There are two bath houses. The newer one - between loops one and three - also has laundry facilities.
Your payment for your campsite entitles you to admission to the beach, which is a hike or a drive away.
Guide
Small and limited, Hearts Content offers serene quiet evenings.i was lucky enough to get a site that provided an additional shelter that provided cover from the extensive rain we received one night. The canopy is dense here. The tent sites are moderately sized and there would be no problem bringing the largest of tents. Though I stayed here alone with just me and the two dogs, there is enough room at some for entire families. Water is available. Showers are not. Bathrooms are if the privy type but are well kept by the host. Firewood and ice is also available from the host. The great thing about this site is it lends availability to the rest of the National Forest. I spent a week here and barely scratched the surface on what was available for hiking and discovering. Go to nearby town of Warren or Tidouette for supplies. (Stop at the store just outside of Tidouette just across from DG- they have the best deli sandwiches around)
Ranger
Wolfkiel is one of two hike-in areas along the Gerard Hiking Trail, in the Oil Creek State Park. Wolfkiel is made up of six(6) Ariondack Shelters and a tent camping area. The Adirondack shelters are perfectly positioned to be private from one another, each looks out over the forest. They are a raised timber platform with a slanted roof and stone chimney with fireplace. There are two shelves and several hooks on the wall. Each shelter has a picnic table. The platform is large enough to sleep 4 people in sleeping bags or set up a two person tent.
The tent section is cleared and grassy with communal firepit and picnic table. Lots of trees to enable hammock set up. There is a supply of firewood in a covered shed for a small donation and two(2) drop toilets. Water is available in the summer months. The shelters are approx. 15min walk to the creek& Miller Farm Bridge, which joins the Oil Creek State Park trail. It’s a stunning walk with lots of small swimming spots along the way.
The shelters are approx. 10min drive from Titusville, PA. The walk-in from the carpark is approx. 15min– slight downhill on the way in.
TravelerI knock off a start for the neighbor who apparently stays there annually, who stumbled into our campsite in route to annoy other campers. She was visually drunk and kinda ruined our last night. But on the lighter note the man who is the caretaker and owner is a nice man he was kind enough to get us firewood on a night we came back later and had forgot to stop along the way. The lady who works the front desk is very blunt and a business only kind of gal which I like but others may find rude. The grounds were beautiful and for the most part quite. The restrooms near the entrance are their main with showers and in the ladies room one stall. They are dated but function well regardless, there are port-a-John’s around the tent sites that are closer but they are what they are. The owner told us best time to come back is fall/winter and the cabins are heated. We would come back if the lady is evicted or if we can find a spot further away from permeant tenants.
GuideWillow bay campground is run by the National Forest Service. The reservable lots are wide and numerous for a out of the way sight. The campground services tent sites, RV sites as well as small cabins with electricity. There is a central bathhouse near the oak loop. Closer to the boat ramp sites- most of which are tent ready, there are vault toilets. These sites are less than a mile from the North Country Trail. Other, smaller trails are here as well. The New York State lone is less than five miles away- providing access to Allegheny State Park. The closest town of note is Bradford, which is about 18 miles away. It has all you need to get your necessities. The cabins were small- one twin bed and a set of single bunks. You need to bring your own sheets. There is a small heater imbedded in the wall. It keeps things from getting too cold, as it was when I was there. Fire ring and picnic table provided. Charcoal grill as well. The only problem I had was with the wildlife. A mouse or something kep crawling in the space between the roof and ceiling. There is no cel service here, and you shouldn’t need it either. Places to visit are too numerous to mention, but I will give a shout out to the zippo case museum, absolutely a must.
RangerThis was our second time to the Wolfkiel Shelters in Oil Creek State Park. Wolfkiel is one of two hike-in camping areas which consists of six(6) Ariondack Shelters and a tent camping area. The road in was snow covered but easily navigated. The Shelter carpark is small and was almost full the day we arrived. The track from the carpark to the campground is beautifully graded making it easy to pull a sled in with extra supplies. The walk in is less than a mile(~15min). The drop toilets were open, but probably wise to BYO toilet tissue. The shelters have hooks that allow you to hang a tarpaulin to help keep the heat in your shelter, although not necessary, especially if the nights are still. Snow did blow into our Shelter in the morning but was minimal. There is a self-serve timber stack which was fully stocked. A donation is requested. It’s wise to bring your own kindling, or an axe to cut some from the larger pieces. The shelter fireplaces have hooks for hanging pots and pans over the flames. Even in Winter, the shelters positioned so you do not look at other shelters. They are a raised timber platform with a slanted roof and stone chimney with fireplace. There are two shelves and several hooks on the wall. Each shelter has a picnic table. The platform is large enough to sleep 4 people in sleeping bags or set up a two person tent. These shelters are very peaceful in the winter and would highly recommend them if you are keen for some“winter camping” but not keen to sleep in a tent or be completely exposed. The shelters are approx.15min walk to the creek& Miller Farm Bridge, which joins the Oil Creek State Park trail. The shelters are approx. 10min drive from Titusville, PA
ScoutThey gave us tent site #60, we pull up and someone’s tent is there, we call and she says “go to #62” and we agree, well someone’s belongings were on the picnic table for that site and we thought well it’s probably just the campers stuff that are in site#61 but we let her know about the stuff and she says “oh well a lady lives at #62 in her car so that’s probably her stuff and she’s just gone for the day. I’ll have the park ranger come check it out”our thought was okay….well why offer it if you know a lady lives there?? So the park ranger comes over and says “just go to 63 that’ll be fine” so we do even though we’re a$$ to a$$ with a pop up camper. Shortly after setting up EVERYTHING a med sized camper pulls up and backs in next to #64 and just sits there and then proceeds to come tell us “you guys gotta move we gotta pull up in there cause it’s the only spot with a dumping site I’d call the office if I were you” Which pissed us off as this family just stood there watching us and waiting for us to move . We’re so flustered and confused and sweaty so I call the office for the 3rd time and the ranger shows up again and says “I told you to go to #64” and we like…..dude there’s a pop up camper there we can’t….he says well it wasn’t there before….IT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME. We then had to break it all back down and shove everything back into our car hurried and go to the other side in the campground to #35. We were very tempted to just pack up and drive 1,000 miles back home. It ended up being a great spot and no ther campers showed up but was all sand which sucked cause the rain but we worked with it. She gave us $30 out of $60 back for our two night stay and apologized. She was nice and sweet but clearly not organized. Our ankles got bit up not sure if it was just mosquitos but possible sand fleas cause they are very small bites like fleas and quite a few just on our feet/ankles and SO ITCHY. We made the best of our stay but will Never go back there…a campfire grate to cook food over fire pit is $17 and the middle of it burnt and bent so not great quality but once again we worked with what we had. To top it off we ended our last night short by having to hide out in our tent due to a skunk rummaging around a little to close to our site we watched out for it for about an hour as it got closer and closer to us, we kind of made a game of chicken out of it! Haha Sounded like a huge accident waiting to happen considering our dog was with us and she somehow ended up coming into contact with skunk spray only on one of her fluffy ears???
LegendWe went to Sara's Campground and walked around the campsite (bayside aka away from the beach and behind the restaurant) from end to end (3 times). I didn't see a camp host sign or office. We never did find the main office until the 3rd time when we were driving out of the neighborhood. They do have a big sign at the entrance but my brain didn't process that they were also across the busy road.
This campsite is actually on BOTH sides of the road. My passenger spotted them as we were leaving the area after we had passed the area multiple times. It almost looks like they are an extension of the water park for those of us that are out of town. The area is very busy visually so be prepared to accidently drive past it.
The main campground (bayside) is located behind the restaurants. The location is awesome as it is right across the road from the beach. You will want to note that Presque Isle State Park does not have any camping within their park boundaries.
Sara's charges $30.00 a night and only two adults per tent. The beach camping is first come/first serve (no reservations). No pets on the beach side which may explain why there were some tents over on the bayside (RVs) side of the campground. If you wanted to escape the wind this might be a good spot to tent camp. Also, if you wanted to be close but not too close to the water due to having young children.
Sara's Diner was closed but seemed to be used for storage for the main business. We were able to get milk shakes at the eatery. You order at the outside window and then move inside to pick up your milk shake or other food items. At the other building (Eatery), I asked two employees if they knew where to connect with the campground office but they didn't know what I was talking about.
We used their cross walk to walk across the main street and we immediately came to the beach. On the left it was labeled private beach and a wall blocked the view. I didn't realize this might be part of Sara's but also looked like some private property/condos to me. Once on the beach to the right was a long beautiful shore line. It would be an easy walk and carry of beach items. I was hoping we could camp at the site and get a post card to reserve a spot for the upcoming year.
We did see folks camping in tents behind the restaurants with the RVs. The ground was slightly sandy and they looked comfortable. We looked on with campsite envy. Some folks may prefer this as it is back a bit from the shore so it isn't windy the whole time and less sandy. Either side had easy access to the bike trail and I would have felt safe riding my bike on their bike trail. It was a smooth paved lane that was mostly away from traffic.
Presque Isle Lighthouse Open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.$7— House Tour and Tower Climb$3— House Tour FREE— Walk the grounds Taken from https://www.presqueislelighthouse.org/
We also did the boat tour https://piboattours.com/lady-kate/ This was $16.00 and well worth it. We were able to learn a lot about the history of the island. It is naturally windy and out on the open water so make sure you take some layers as it can get chilly even in July.
We then hit the road to continue to find another campsite. If you don't mind crowds and noise from the road, RVs, or other campers then this is the site for you. It has a great location that cannot be beat for ease of access to the beaches.
Legend
Campground Review
I can honestly say that Oil Creek Family Campground is the best private campground that we have ever camped at. Especially if you’re camping with kids, it offers everything that you would want for a ‘great American summer’ style camping experience, without being a cookie-cutter big-name private campground chain. They have a large pool; a few llamas that the kids can feed and pet; a 27-hole disc golf course (recently expanded from 18 hole) primarily in the woods near and around the campground property; a small pond for sunfish / bass fishing; a dog ‘playground’ (enclosed area with some obstacles); a well-maintained hedge maze; a pavilion with ping pong, a pool table, and foosball; a DVD rental program at the main office with about 300 movies; and a small camp store with a small selection of books that you can borrow. They also provide weekly entertainment for the kids, e.g. rock painting or special guests. This weekend, for instance was ‘Jungle Terry and his amazing exotic animal family.’ We don’t typically spend a ton of time actually AT the campgrounds when we’re camping, but we did this weekend - and we had a blast on the disc golf course, fishing in the pond, and playing ping pong. The kids had an awesome time in the pool for hours and running around with the other kids in the maze. And everyone agreed that it was a perfect way to wrap up the summer before the school year starts.
We have a pop-up and my parents (whom we were camping with for the weekend) use a tent, so we had two water+electric sites in the tent camping area away from the RVs: sites A7 and A8. The sites in this area are well-maintained and LARGE, with plenty of room for a pop-up or multiple tents plus one or two vehicles, plus lots of room around the fire ring. There are smaller bathrooms placed around the campground as well as a center bathhouse located adjacent to the pavilion with 2 shower stalls and an additional toilet per gender.
We chose this campground due to its proximity to Oil Creek State Park. The state park itself does not have a campground, and OCFC is right next door - in fact, the campground hiking trail loop has a very short connecting piece to the 36-mile Gerard hiking trail that runs through the park. The park is beautiful with a lot of history (it is the site of the world’s first commercial oil well, and where the oil industry began in the United States around 1860) and Oil Creek - which is really a river - runs right down the middle of the park. It is a stocked creek and it’s great for both trout and bass fishing. Some parts of the creek also have a lot of northern water snakes (we saw 4 near the Blood Farm day use area) which was cool to see.
Overall: fantastic campground in a beautiful part of Pennsylvania - and we will absolutely be back.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get occasionally receive products to test or gift cards for new companies to check out. Over the past weekend, we tried out one of the Mountain House favorites, freeze-dried Lasagna with Meat Sauce in the #10 can. Lasagna is not exactly a typical camping food, so the fact that we could easily make enough lasagna to feed a group of six people (4 adults and 2 kids) just by heating up some water was wonderful! We made the entire can (boil 8 cups of water, pour it into the can itself, stir a lot to mix up all of the freeze-dried ingredients, and let it sit for ten minutes - EASY) along with some crescent-roll wrapped hot dogs over the fire and it was like a gourmet camping meal. Everyone loved the lasagna - even the two picky kids!
Guide
Lots of RVs, not many tents. Small section in the back of the campground for tents. Also the worst part is being so close to the gas station/truck stop. Very bright lights on all night. Also close to the highway so there is constant noise! Most likely won't return.
Travelersuper cute, very quiet camp grounds. rustic tent, camper hook ups. 2 level camp geound with walk to tent sights. well lit, heated shower house andnbathrooms. garbage dumpster. recycling bins. wood sold in sight (suport a disabled vet program). paved walk ways. fishing, swiming, and hiking await.
ScoutTent Camper, overnight... It is a no frills, beautiful location on the river. Nice and quiet. Would stop here again!
Scout
This was our pit stop between Niagara Falls and Pennsylvania. The campground is small but has a lot to offer. We are new to the RV, and the staff was incredibly helpful with tips and tricks. We had already hooked up our RV when we got hungry. There aren’t any restaurants around that deliver, so the KOA has a kitchen that delivers! We had delicious pizza and mozzarella sticks for dinner. GORGEOUS and incredibly clean bathrooms. A 1.5 mile walk down to a beautiful beach on Lake Erie.
Guide
Our trailer spot was tucked in the woods amongst tents. Nice and wooded. There was a nice playground with a bounce mat that our kids loved. Got busier on the weekends but has plenty to do.
Tent camping near North East, Pennsylvania offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. From well-equipped sites to more rustic experiences, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near North East, PA is Big Oak Hill with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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