Best Tent Camping near Noxen, PA

Tent campsites near Noxen, Pennsylvania include several options within state forests and recreation areas suitable for primitive camping. Manny Gordon Recreation Area in Pinchot State Forest provides established tent sites with picnic tables and toilet facilities. Oh! Pear Orchards offers walk-in tent sites situated alongside a creek with fire pits, while Scrub Mountain Retreat features primitive tent camping with 2 sites that include picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water access.

Most tent campgrounds in the region have basic amenities with varying levels of access. Sites at Oh! Pear Orchards require a short walk to reach, with a cart provided to transport gear, making them suitable for walk-in tent camping. According to reviews, these sites have "the best fire pits" and are set in a "magical setting" next to a stream. Campers should note that while some locations like Mauch Chunk Lake Park offer drinking water and shower facilities, more primitive options like Scrub Mountain Retreat and Half Baked Homestead have limited services. Fire restrictions vary by location, with most sites permitting campfires in established rings.

The Loyalsock State Forest area, approximately 30 miles northwest of Noxen, features several tent campgrounds with varying levels of development. Rock Run Road Campsites and Dry Run Road Campsites offer primitive tent camping opportunities in a forested setting. Tent sites throughout the region often provide natural shade and creek access, creating cooler camping conditions during summer months. Proximity to multiple state parks and forests allows tent campers to establish base camps for day hiking and outdoor recreation. As one visitor described the experience at Oh! Pear Orchards: "Campsites next to a beautiful stream, the best fire pits, quiet and peaceful, just enough shade to stay cool."

Best Tent Sites Near Noxen, Pennsylvania (22)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Noxen, PA

626 Reviews of 22 Noxen Campgrounds


  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 29, 2024

    Salt Springs State Park Campground

    Unique park with unique natural features

    This park is technically a “state park” because the land for it was donated to the state for public use. However, once the state became the official stewards, there werent funds in the state budget to maintain it as a park. A lical group, the Friends of Salt Springs, stepped up and offered to maintain the park with funds raised by their group. The result is a small but unique property open to the public for day use (picnicking and hiking and fishing) along with 2 small rustic campgrounds. One campground has a large open mowed grassy meadow with level sites for car camping or small campers, no hookups are available but each site has a fire ring and picnic table. On the other side of the parks trout stream are seven secluded primitive hike-in tent sites along with three basic camper cabins. The Friends of Salt Springs makes a good effort to maintain these two rustic campgrounds, however it seems there isnt a ranger on site at night so a camper said the meadow campground can get a little noisy some nights. The hike in sites are relatively quiet and secluded though, and are positioned nicely along the stream, one site actually adjacent to a good swimming hole.

    The camper cabins are basic with bunks, bring all your own gear. They are fairly new and have electricity but no water or heat.

    On the grounds in the day use area are picnic spits, a pavilion, and an activity barn. When I was there, the barn was featuring a local quilt show.

    The special aspect of this park are the hiking trails through old growth hemlock forest, said to be the largest hemlocks in Pennsylvania. The trout stream also cascades through some some waterfalls, and there are gorges with unique geology.

    There is a village nearby with limited supplies, you may want to stock up on groceries before heading out to this somewhat remote park. There is, however, a local brewery, plus an odd coffee shop featuring both donuts and ammo, an unusual combination…..

  • Laure D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 19, 2020

    Locust Lake State Park Campground

    Serenity on the lakes

    Pretty campground with lots of lake views. We arrived just before dark which was good because the sites were not level front to back. Most sites had a slope but there were some level sites. You can kayak, canoe, paddle board, and fish on the lake. There are 2 boat launches. The store wasn’t much to speak of. Bath houses were clean. We walked around the lake on a paved level path. They advertise no alcohol. This is near the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine tour which we loved. It’s near the Yingling Brewery tour.

  • D
    Jul. 5, 2020

    Tobyhanna State Park Campground

    Good campground for families.

    My dog and I stayed for 2 nights in the rustic tenting area. We were the only campers Wednesday & Thursday. The family camp area features spaces (small areas for either RV campers or tents and cars) with a picnic table and fire ring and water (some have electricity). They also have shared facilities such as bathrooms and showers. However, they seemed a little too cramped fir me and I wasn’t looking for opportunities to socialize, so the remote tent site was my choice. The tent sites do not have water or electric, but do have picnic tables, a fire ring and share one large outhouse with clean pit toilets. There are 5 sites and they can accommodate (shared) multiple tent set ups. Also you need to park your vehicle in a designated lot which is very close to the sites. There are multiple easy hiking and biking trails that are well marked. A lake for fishing and a small sandy beach with a picnic area for families (unfortunately no dogs are allowed on the beach). There are 2 boat launch areas (one for the campers, and another for gen. public) which also has a boat rental business (dogs are allowed). There are black bears in the park so do not leave food out and dispose of all trash in the appropriate dumpsters.

  • Angel A.
    Aug. 20, 2018

    Lower Lake Campground Northwoods Area — Promised Land State Park

    Northwoods Campground

    Big sites with 30 amp service available for RVs and trailers. Each site has a large picnic table and a fire ring with an adjustable grate. The pull-through sites don’t offer much in the way of privacy, but that’s the trade off for convenience. There are two potable water spigots in the campground. The bathhouse offers warm showers, 2 dishwashing sinks, and a coin-operated washer and dryer. The facilities are kept very clean. On the weekends it can get pretty crowded, so it tends to be louder at night then, but the camp hosts and the rangers do a good job of enforcing quiet hours. Access points to several trails are very near the campground. As with all PA state parks, alcohol is prohibited. The park doesn’t have a camp store, however, there is a small general store on Route 390 (The Lake Store) just north of the park that would have any essentials you may have forgotten, as well as ice for your cooler.

  • Alaina Z.
    Oct. 13, 2020

    Pickerel Point Campground — Promised Land State Park

    Beautiful facilities, rocky sites

    Pros: -beautiful new bathrooms -private lakeside walk-in sites -beavers! Far away but exciting nonetheless -the Conservation Walk on the island is short, easy, and beautiful. Well-marked.

    Cons: -chunky bluestone gravel on the sites, so bring a sleeping pad! -has a beach but it's not much to look at -sites have nice sizable fire pits, but they are very tall. It's difficult to cook over them, and sitting around the campfire in the evening is a much less visually appealing experience than I'd like

    We stayed in site 157. Accessible via a path from the designated parking space to the site about 2 minute walk. Lakeside, but visibility not great due to vegetation. All sites have little trails down to the water.

    Site 174 by the road and less private, but prettily overhung by evergreens.

    The cabins look very nice inside.

  • V
    Jul. 11, 2018

    Knoebels Campground

    Clean, quiet, inexpensive, fun place to camp!

    Knoebels campground is situated next to Knoebels amusement park and offers sites for tent campers and RVs, as well as cabins.

    There is electricity at every site but not water. There are fill stations throughout the campgrounds. Most sites are level and shaded. There are nice sturdy wooden platforms for tent campers.

    The bath houses are clean and well maintained. There are outside sinks with mirrors, laundry facilities, shower stalls, and toilet stalls. Or if you prefer there are also traditional bathrooms with showers.

    Quiet hours are enforced between 10p and 8a.

    Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Wood is available by the bucket near the check in building. Sites are inexpensive and are all a short walk, or free shuttle ride, to the park!.

  • 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.

  • T
    Aug. 18, 2022

    Ricketts Glen State Park Campground

    Impromptu trip that we don’t regret!

    This trip was a bit impromptu so we assume most of the good sites were picked over. The site we stayed at was the perfect size for two people, not the biggest site in the campground but we had a bit of a buffer between our neighbors so we weren’t on top of other people. We were located at a bit heavily trafficked area because we were near the entrance of the campground and the restrooms. The state park was beautiful and had a lot of things to do. I recommend doing the Falls trail and to get onto Lake Jean. They have a concessions by Lake Jean that doesn’t only sell food and drinks but some ice and bundle of wood. Definitely bring a hammer because it’s near impossible to stake down your tent by hand because the turf is hard. Would definitely come again and do the primitive group camp option if I can. No cell service (Verizon) but if you drive 10 miles north up towards Lopez we were able to get a signal. This was a nice way to end summer!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2019

    Ricketts Glen State Park Campground

    Waterfalls!!

    The biggest draw to this state park (which no one in Pennsylvania I spoke with seemed to know about) is the 22 waterfalls! We saw 18 of them on a four-mile moderate hike, but if you want to see the additional four, you could make it a seven-mile hike. The trails are very well marked. 

    We stayed in the large loop, which is a peninsula on Lake Jean. Many of the sites have lake views. The bathhouse was clean but not adequate for 73 sites. The campground was about ¾ full and there was often a wait in the bathroom. Showers looked reasonable but I did not use them.

    There were many tent campers in this loop, which does not allow pets (the other, smaller loop does allow pets). There are no hookups at all in the park. The water had been tested earlier in the season and unsafe levels of manganese were detected. All water spigots were shut off and covered but we were told it was safe to wash our dishes and brush our teeth. However, the water for the dishwashing sink was turned off as well as the water in the restroom at the trailhead. Since we had a reservation, we received a phone call in advance of our stay letting us know about this.

    There are trails to the beach, but we woke to rain the next morning, so we did not explore this. 

    One trash/recycle area a distance away from the campsites which seems typical for PA state parks. Alcohol is strictly forbidden– we were warned that if a ranger saw any alcohol outside of our vehicle, we would be cited. Quiet hours are 9 pm– 8 am, which is more restrictive than other state parks, however, some did not observe these quiet hours (a guitar-playing singing camper thought he was talented, but I disagree!)


Guide to Noxen

Tent campsites near Noxen, Pennsylvania are situated in the northeastern portion of the state where the landscape transitions from valleys to mountains with elevations ranging from 700 to 1,800 feet. The region experiences four distinct seasons with summer temperatures typically ranging 70-85°F during camping months, while spring and fall offer cooler temperatures with occasional rainfall. Campgrounds in this region are primarily concentrated in state forests with primitive sites that provide a remote wilderness experience compared to more developed facilities elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

What to do

Paddle the Lehigh River: Whitewater Challengers Adventure Center offers tent camping with convenient access to rafting adventures. "Rafting on the Lehigh with whitewater challengers was amazing. The campground is definitely great for Girl Scout or school groups," notes Katie S., who recommends planning for active days on the water followed by social evenings at camp.

Explore Jim Thorpe: Mauch Chunk Lake Park serves as an excellent base camp for exploring nearby attractions. As Danny M. explains, "The campgrounds were nice and there was a lot to do. Volleyball courts, secret picnic areas, kayak and other boating rentals. Also a lot to do in the nearby town."

Fish the Susquehanna River: From Riverside Acres Campground, campers can access prime fishing spots. "The river in front of first row sites is 200 m broad. Eagles fish here. You can too. Good beginning or end for a canoe trip," reports Bruce H., highlighting the natural resources available within walking distance of your tent.

What campers like

Streamside camping: At Oh! Pear Orchards, guests appreciate the proximity to moving water. Heather T. describes her experience: "Campsites next to a beautiful stream, the best fire pits, quiet and peaceful, just enough shade to stay cool, magical setting, firewood easily accessible."

Lake access for water sports: Mauch Chunk Lake Park receives consistent praise for its water recreation opportunities. "You can get sites right on the water that are nice size. If you go during the week, it's quite calm... I can launch my paddle board from my sight and the water is so clean and clear," explains Lisa S.

Natural separation between sites: Many tent campsites in the Loyalsock State Forest area offer privacy despite being established areas. The Rock Run Road and Dry Run Road Campsites maintain a primitive feel while providing basic amenities, allowing campers to experience a more secluded outdoor experience compared to commercial campgrounds.

What you should know

Wood availability varies: Several campgrounds, including Scrub Mountain Retreat, provide firewood on-site, but availability isn't guaranteed everywhere. At Manny Gordon Recreation Area, Gavin S. reports: "Very open, plenty of space. Most campgrounds have previously stocked wood from other people, makes setting up very convenient."

Walk-in requirements: Some of the most scenic sites require carrying gear from parking areas. Oh! Pear Orchards requires a short walk to reach sites, but Heather T. notes this isn't a major obstacle: "It is a short walk in to the sites, but there is a cart provided which made it pretty easy. The hosts also offer valet service to your site."

Weekend vs. weekday experiences: Campgrounds near Noxen experience significant differences in crowding and noise levels depending on timing. Regarding Mauch Chunk Lake Park, Danielle F. advises: "We visited in the summer on a weekend when it was full. The campsites are too close to each other and we were surrounded by very loud campers... It was the LOUDEST campground I have ever been to."

Tips for camping with families

Select sites for water activities: Mauch Chunk Lake Park offers family-friendly water recreation. Mackenzie B. suggests: "I believe it is a great spot to go with people who haven't camped much before. It has flat tent spaces, generally clean bathrooms, and access to tons of things to do on the campground and nearby."

Prepare for insects: Tick protection is essential during warmer months. Gavin S. warns about conditions at Manny Gordon Recreation Area: "Lots of ticks tho so get your spray," recommending families bring appropriate repellent and conduct regular tick checks, especially for children playing in grassy areas.

Consider tent site surfaces: When camping with children, site terrain matters. Amber M. cautions about Mauch Chunk Lake Park: "Many sites have exposed tree roots and rocks, recommend extra padding for tenters," suggesting families bring additional sleeping pads or cushioning when tent camping with children.

Tips from RVers

Access limitations: Most primitive tent sites near Noxen can't accommodate larger vehicles. Riverside Acres Campground is one of the few areas that offers "big-rig friendly" sites while maintaining a natural setting. Bruce H. describes the layout: "Good tentable spaces on river. Second row has water/electric, shade trees and lawn frontage... Inland row has sewer hook ups and the bath house."

Facility differences: RV campers should note the significant variation in services between campgrounds. While Riverside Acres provides water, electric, and sanitary dump services, most forest campsites like Rock Run Road and Dry Run Road in Loyalsock State Forest have minimal to no services for recreational vehicles.

Evening activities: For RVers who prefer social camping, certain campgrounds offer organized events. At Whitewater Challengers, Emma T. describes: "Stayed here for Riverfest and it was great. Bands throughout the night with beer and food. Nice showers," making it suitable for RVers seeking campgrounds with evening entertainment rather than quiet isolation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Noxen, PA is Half Baked Homestead with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Noxen, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.