Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Olanta. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. With our help, you'll find the best Pennsylvania equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Black Moshannon State Park covers 3,394 acres of forests and wetlands and conserves unique, natural environments. More than 43,000 acres of the Moshannon State Forest surround the park and help create a remote and wild setting that provides recreational opportunities in all seasons for camping near State College.
The 73 campsites each have a picnic table and a fire ring. Most sites can accommodate either a tent or a trailer. Many sites have electrical hookups. Some sites have full service hook up, which includes sewer, water, and electricity.Pets are permitted on designated sites.
The campground features:
-Washhouses with flush toilets
-Showers
-Coin-operated laundry machines
-Sanitary dump station
There are numerous designated primitive campsites without developed facilities within Moshannon State Forest that can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Campers are required to obtain a camping permit at no charge.
For information about campsite availability in Moshannon State Forest and to request a permit, please contact the district office at 814-765-0821.
Primitive backpack camping also is allowed throughout the entire forest. Backpack campers do not need a permit if they stay no more than one night at any campsite.
Primitive backpack campers should register at any trailhead near a state park office.
Roadside campsites are singular, remote sites located along dirt and gravel state forest roads. They may be pull offs or have a short driveway. These sites allow for overnight camping in or very near a vehicle. Depending on layout, the sites may accommodate different types of equipment such as tents, small RVs, or trailers. Some sites are also appropriate for equestrian use. Nineteen designated motorized, roadside campsites are available in Moshannon State Forest:
$10 / night
$20 - $30 / night
Kelly Pines Campground is an equestrian campground located in the hub of the Spring Creek Horse Trail system.
The recreation area is the hub of the Spring Creek Horse Trail system, with 38 miles of designated, marked trails. Day users are welcome to park in the center of the loop and stage their ride from there. View the Spring Creek Horse Trail map . The campground is also popular when trout season opens in April, and anglers are welcome in the first two non-horse sites.
The recreation area is the hub of the Spring Creek Horse Trail system, with 38 miles of designated, marked trails. Day users are welcome to park in the center of the loop and stage their ride from there. View the Spring Creek Horse Trail map . The campground is also popular when trout season opens in April, and anglers are welcome in the first two non-horse sites.
The location is an opening along Wolf Run, a native trout stream, surrounded by native forest including 300+ year old white pine trees.
Enjoy the thrill of forest riding. Horse riding is permitted in many areas of the Allegheny National Forest, but in the Spring Creek area, riders must stay on designated trails. During wet conditions, riders can ride Forest roads, but no cross-country riding is allowed. The Spring Creek Horse Trail is a major nearby attraction with over 38 miles of trail, some of which is also on State Game Lands.
For facility specific information, please call (814) 363-9090.
Cancellations and changes must be made through Recreation.gov
$15 - $25 / night
Great tent site with lots of room. Have your own little driveway to park your car right next to the site. Comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Need lots of rope for setting up tarps as trees are far apart. Cute little stream in the back with a log crossing. No cell service, near town with free wifi. No toilets or garbage. Good amount of traffic coming down the road but isn't an issue at night time.
Getting to the park had some sharp turns and windy roads. Small campground but nicely equipped. 2 bath houses were dated but clean. Nice playground at the campground and also one at the beach. Small camp concessions with a few camping items as well as ice cream cones. Great hiking and a beautiful lake for kayaking. Site 22 is a full hookup. Utilities worked nicely. However, our picnic table had seen better days. The site sat down off the road but once you were backed in the spot it was pretty level. This site also had a separate tent pad located down a few stone steps. Verizon and AT&T cell service were basically non existent. Every once in a while a text would come in or send but very spotty. Sorry I failed to get a pic of the site in the daylight. It was spacious and we had plenty of room for our 30' trailer, truck, and easy up over the table. 6+ chairs around the fire pit, cooking ring could have been better. Grassy area for cornhole or playing.
General: 73-site campground; most have electric hookups, and some are FHU. Pets are only permitted at selected sites. There are also 20 (13 rustic and 6 modern) cabins. Cell service is extremely limited to non-existent (Verizon).
Site Quality: Pads are gravel and most appeared to be level. Site 70 was at the end of the loop which is why we picked it. A picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook complete each site.
Bathhouse: As has been our experience in all PA state parks, the bathhouse was pristine, and the shower (for no additional cost) was clean with plentiful hot water and was very much appreciated.
Activities/Amenities: Coin-operated laundry. A playground is in the campground and there is an additional one at the swimming beach. The swimming beach is open from mid-May to mid-September, from 8 am– sunset. Electric motorboats are permitted on Moshannon Lake. Boat rentals are available in season. Permits are required. 24 miles of hiking trails, including two trails directly from the campground to the lake. In the summer, there is a camper store/concession stand. Hunting is allowed in season. There are 4.3 miles of mountain biking trails.
I used to think Oregon State Parks were the best, but Pennsylvania State Parks have them beat by a mile. We have yet to be disappointed by the amenities(especially the clean bathrooms) offered at the half-dozen state parks we have visited so far.
This entire park is beautiful! There are plenty of well-maintained, well-marked trails for all experience levels. The lake is lovely with a very nice swimming beach (although I imagine that the water is cold even in the summer). The campground is wonderful! The sites are large and relatively private. The showers in the bath house are clean and nice. There wasn't much in the camp store when we were there, but it was the end of the season. Note: there is NO Internet or cell service there, but the locations where you can get cell service are posted. There is also no firewood available in the camp, but nearby locations where you can buy it are posted.
My 3 year old cat and I had a wonderful time staying here. It was incredibly quiet, no cell service (we use total wireless which uses Verizon towers), and I couldn’t hear any of the neighboring campsites (I stayed at #7) even though they were all full. Highly recommend this spot.
It rained almost every day but only for a half hour or so and went back to being sunny. Bring bug spray and tick collars for your pets.
I would recommend bringing firewood with you, as there wasn’t much to collect that was already dead and dry enough for burning. Several of the local gas stations sell some if you want to bring some on the way.
I was lucky enough to stay when all the leaves were changing and the views were amazing. Love camping here, nice HOT showers! Also had some critters visit my tent at night.
This equestrian campground also has 2 non-equestrian sites, one which is reservable. There is no potable water but there is a river and a non-potable pump. There is a permanent toilet usually stocked with TP. Carry out all garbage. No electrical hookups.
Traditional camp sites have space for multiple tents and 2 cars. Each has a picnic table and a fire pit with moveable cooking surface. We’ve never had an issue with bears or other wildlife where food and trash are concerned but we store in the cars at night to be safe. The area is usually damp so don’t count in being able to find much dry wood - we stop before driving in for wood.
Trails galore! Mushrooms everywhere! Quiet and no cellular to distract.
Let’s just start this review with our grading of the park it’s self. Five stars! Well maintained facilities, clean bath houses and gorgeous views at both the lake and multiple forest trails. Free Park map was very helpful in getting to trailheads and park office.
The park loses stars quickly for us, starting with the lack of cell or WiFi service. Though we did see a couple payphones at both the Ranger office and one of the bath house by the beach. We know that for many, camping means off the grid, but we like to be in touch with family or our business, at least for a phone call. The camp store and boat rentals were closed for the season and no firewood to be bought anywhere. Finally, our biggest complaint is the use of a commercial gas powered leaf blower, both hand held and an enormous one on the back of a large tractor, blowing leaves in the campground for the entire day, from early morning until 4pm. It was loud, constant and took away any chance of enjoying the serene environment of the park.
Had there been no blowers going, I think the beauty and serenity of this park would outweigh the lack of phone or WiFi. We’ll definitely come back but I think we’ll ask about the blower schedule and where to buy firewood before entering the park.
This was a stop on my partner and I’s National Park road trip. It was very quiet and relaxing. There is a hiking trail that follows the river around the campsite. There are free showers and potable water stations.
So Beautiful, so nice. Bathrooms were great. I’ll be back!
Primitive sites with picnic tables and fire pits for a group. You need to contact the forestry district for availability and reservations but they are free. You will want to reserve them together or else you are going to get to know your neighbors really well. Room for multiple cars and lots of tents. Creek is right there and it’s only 5-10 minutes away from Benzenette which has a store, bars, restaurants, public restrooms and lots of places to view the PA elk herd. Bring some trash bags with you. Unfortunately the group before left a lot of trash to be picked up.
This is a free site with no amenities but in a beautiful area. You need to contact the forestry district for availability and to reserve. Nice sit with fire pit, picnic table, and short walk to a beautiful creek so no need to bring water if you can filter it. Only 5-10 minutes away from Benezette and the PA elk herd. Town itself has a store and restaurants. Definitely will go again!
Have shower, flush toilets, coin laundry and wash area for dishes. Sites are well kept, shaded.
Nice clean and quiet campground. The address online took us to the ranger station. Turn left BEFORE bridge. Couldn’t see sign from the road. The section we were in was “no pets allowed”. My kids loved the beach, swimming was not deep. Beach was big with adjacent playground. Lots of pavilions all over. The area was a little crowded for my liking.
Lots of activities, tons of nearby attractions, fishing, hunting, and hiking. Great store and owners, a nice place to visit.
The volunteers that maintain this loop trail do an excellent job. Views are gorgeous, you never fear for water and there are plenty of established camp sites with fire rings. My first "thru hike" and I will definitely go back for seconds.
Great camping area stop a mountain...nice unique lake that is incredibly dark in color. Lilly pads abound with great flowers
UPDATED reviews for rustic and modern cabins.
March 2020, Modern Cabins: Before COVID-19 hit PA we stayed in one of the modern cabins. Wow...everything was seemingly quite new and it was extremely comfortable. Nice bathrooms, nice kitchen, etc. One of the best things about Black Mo is how isolated it feels and it's never crowded in the off-months. The Moss Hanne is still a thrilling trail even in the winter months and there's been a lot of beaver activity since we last visited including a very impressive dam.
October 2019, Rustic Cabins: We stayed in one of the rustic cabins on a cold October weekend. Very charming small cabins with robust woodstoves. Although we probably could have been more careful, there were unfortunately some very bothersome mice who kept us awake each night...and were seemingly not very afraid of us! The construction of the rustic cabins is such that there probably isn't much you can do about mice getting in. If this doesn't bother you, these cabins are really cute and cozy.
July 2019, Tent Camping: As far as camping goes, the loop area is a bit cramped for my taste, but if that doesn't bother you it's fine. Clean bathhouse and convenient outdoor sink for washing up after dinner. Overall one of the best PA parks and well maintained.
I really have to address some of these other reviews, though:
"Water was thick with weeds& lilies but ok nonetheless." Wow! Pitcher plants, sundews and water lilies are not "weeds." They are unique to bog environments and don't grow in other places. The vegetation in the lake is what makes Black Mo black, so picturesque and unlike other PA parks!
"The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either." Like many state parks in this part of the world there is no cell service, so you need to bring a real map (Purple Lizard) and look a few things up on the internet ahead of time. Black Mo is literally ten minutes from Philipsburg where there is surely an ice cream stand, 25 minutes from State College, which has tons of touristy offerings…I could go on but really this is laughable.
This is a nice cg, don’t get me wrong. Sites are spacious, bathrooms clean and air fresh. Decent beach on the lake and plenty to do within the park for the nature lovers.
The bad? The water in the lake is way frigid - even midsummer and only the very bravest kids were swimming. The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either.
Don’t think we’ll be back. Might be a nice place for kayaking or possibly fishing (but I didn’t see a lot of fishermen).
Great little campground nestled in Penns woods! Camp store for the forgetful, beach, kayaking rentals, hiking trails and between 12 & 15 miles of mountain biking trails all right from the campground. Sites are spacious with enough privacy. Two modern bathhouses trimmed out in tile.
Wonderful state park. Spacious sites! Beautiful scenery. Nice hikes for various hiking levels. Quiet and relaxing. Clean shower houses.
My family and I stayed here one night during a motorcycle trip. We rented 1 of the cabins they have on the property and it was great all of us fit comfortably we were able to have a campfire out front and sit at a picnic table. They have a nice little store there's trails you can hike to beautiful area and a great place to camp.
Make a reservation way ahead of your date as this campground is very popular and sites book early. It has sites to accommodate any R.V. and lot of tent sites. The lake has lots to offer. Swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife watching and a big sky view for star gazing.
Pulled in on friday of Labor Day weekend without a reservation but there were a couple open sites. Stayed one night before moving on in our travels. Lovely campground and would stay again for longer.
This campground is so beautiful with plenty to do for everyone,tons of hiking along the whole park.
Spaces are clean and spacious,bath house is very well kept.
Very peaceful and well maintained,plan to go back again for sure!!
The park also runs a ton of classes for different things like fly fishing,hiking,etc
Very pretty campground with a nice clean wash house.. The sites are situated nicely, your neighbors are not “right there”. Our only trouble was our GPS brought us in the most difficult way. We suggest avoiding heading south from I80 on Casanova road. Overall, a great trip!
Beautiful facility- typical Pa mountains, abundant green trees, water...nice Campground AND cabin rentals are really nicely situated. Water was thick with weeds & lilies but ok nonetheless. Great day trip spot.
Camping near Olanta, Pennsylvania, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Olanta, Pennsylvania, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Olanta, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Olanta, PA is Black Moshannon State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Olanta, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Olanta, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
