Best Cabin Camping near Penfield, PA

We stayed in 3 of the cabins for 4 days at Yellow Creek State Park (not the campground). It was beautiful. Right on the water, clean, and private access to the lake. Dog friendly cabins were available. We cannot wait to come back.

This place will literally scam you out of every dollar they can! Don't use the hot tubs....and you'll still be charged for dirty water. Also, watch for cameras. Pretty bad that the cabin was cleaner when I left then when I showed up. Yet they charged$100 for dirty hot tub water when I made sure the filter was clean and no foam existed when I left. After stating they were getting a bad review for scamming me out of money they threatened to post some bullshit video of a dirty hot tub filter, which I find hilarious considering it could not have been the same filter since I checked it before I departed. I am not the only one complaining about this nonsense...read all reviews from all sources and take pictures to prove everything cause it seems they like to dirty shit themselves just to make a quick dollar. They will be nice to your face, then scam you out of your money, and after they charge your card they become ignorant liars.

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.

Long drive (almost a mile) into the campground from the main road. You follow the creek into the campground where it also meets the Clarion River. Lot of crayfish to catch in frigid cold Clear Creek and great tubing in the Clarion River. Cabins, RV and tent sites available. I’ll be honest, the tent only loop l, sites 43 and higher are not that great. Nothing flat and very difficult to find a good spot on them for a tent. But they are also the most private sites. Clear Creek State Forest is just next door and offers lots of hiking and biking trails. Farmers Inn is just outside of the campground with great food and Cooks Forest is a short drive away with go carts tubing and canoeing and kayaking.

The park is on the scenic Clarion River and offers tent camping, some sites are paddle in only, RV sites, small and larger rustic cabins, and even a couple of yurts. It’s very well maintained, including the restroom/shower houses which were very clean. The upper loop tent sites are a bit more secluded and there is plenty of space for the larger cabins. The smaller cabins are more clustered but we enjoyed staying in them on a couple occasions. Be sure to bring kayaks or inner tubes for lazy hours on the river. There are kayak rentals nearby also. The Clarion River is full of wildlife including bald eagles hunting the river and an occasional black bear nearby.

Be sure to visit Beartown Rocks that is close by. It offers a nice view of the rolling hills of Pennsylvania.

We have tented and RV'd at Clear Creek. A must do when camping in Pennsylvania. The Clarian river is great for kayaking . Multiple trails off of park. Biking and breweries close by. if you have RV/travel trailer do NOT recommend the non-power sites, they are not level enough, you may really have to bring up the trailer. There were wonderful campsites hosts when we there

Pros; excellent location, great friendly people, clean and stocked bathrooms which include showers. Some sites are separated.. great camp hosts

Cons…a few sites are really close, however not a bad thing here as we got to meet a lot of great people, so for us it was kind of a Pro.

This campground is great! I’ve stayed here many times. Normally I use a tent but I’ve stayed in their cabins too. They are much nicer than your average campground cabins.

my mom and I stayed in a cabin for Christmas. friendly staff. only compliant was the animal hair in the cabin and the wood was covered in snow, making it hard to start a fire in the fireplace. we look forward to going back soon!

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.

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.

There is a ton of things to do. Beautiful cabins

Clear creek is a nice quiet relaxing family camp place. Swimming was nice. There is a playground near campsites and cabins if you would like one.

Stayed in camper, tent, yurt, and cabins. Always a clean and up kept park. Lots to do in the area. Don't get caught boozing. There pretty strict.

I live nearby so I'm a bit biased towards the park. Definitely one of my favorite places to day hike. The trails are well maintained, and the scenery changes every few steps. Lush hardwood forest; plenty of shade for summer hikes. Not crowded at all in the off-season.

We stayed in the Indian Cabin #I11.  There are 4 twin sized bunk beds but be forewarned, the springs and mattresses were ancient during our stay.  There is a small table, a refrigerator, electric stove and oven, and there is heat.  The windows do not open very much so bring a fan if you're camping in warm weather.   The bathhouse is clean and the showers are hot. 

The cabins can be difficult to find in the dark, but they are located just behind the campground offices.  If you pull around to the rear of the building and look across the creek that is there, you cannot miss them.

Great 3 night stay! It’s what I expected for a rustic cabin. Comfortable enough and close to everything the area has to offer. Gas log fireplace did give me a huge headache which I overcame by leaving one window open. I do recommend bringing a fan for cooking and air flow.

This has become a very popular campground and reservations fill quickly. We usually try for an entire family outing here once a year in October. Very nice, clean campground on the river. We have stayed in sites and a cabin, but never one of the yurts. Family friendly and not overly crowded.

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.

I’ve been going here since I can remember and every time I see the trip coming up on the calendar I get excited. The cabins are always very clean with comfortable living spaces and great theme. The campground has very spaced out camp sites for privacy and really incorporates the forest around it. Plenty of hikes and activities to do during the day. Cooks forest has always been one of my favorite places.

I was amazed at the shear size of this campground. It is immense. Granted most of the grounds are devoted to cabins, but the tent sites are great too. I got a lone site tucked half way up a hill, hidden under a dark canopy and at least 500 yards away from my nearest neighbors. Water is readily available. Bathrooms are just as large and very clean. Showers available. Bears congregate frequently. Trails nearby, as are quite a few other natural areas.

This park has a separate loop for people camping with dogs. This means dog-less people can have a dog-free camp experience...and we can walk through the dog area and see lots of cute dogs. This was my son’s favorite part of the whole weekend, LOL. We stayed in the cabins which were rustic looking though very clean and nice inside (pack like you’re going camping with a fridge). We did some hikes and enjoyed the classic beauty of this part of PA...and wished we had a canoe!

My family has stayed here so many times throughout my lifetime. We always prefer tent camping, but there are spots for RVs, plus there are cabins and yurts available. It has always been clean, quiet and family-friendly.

There's so much to do here--hiking, swimming, rafting, biking, disc golf, etc. There's also a really nice playground and a great little beach at the entrance of the campground (water is always cold though!) Plus plenty of picnic shelters.

This is also a great place to go year-round for kids interested in learning about nature. There is a nature museum. Seek out Ranger Susanne--she is a really great teacher!

We stayed in site 6. It was a very small site and had no established spot to put our tent so we actually had to encroach on site 7, luckily no one was there the entire time we were because that would have been awkward - we were literally 3 feet from their fire ring. Everywhere else was unlevel/uneven/rocky/rooty/muddy/etc. They should put in tent pads. The bathrooms were small but clean with flush toilets. No showers. The interstate is somewhat noisy as it's only a few miles away but not too terrible. We really liked the vintage vibe the park had. The park is small with not much in regard to activities/amenitites but nice for just a laidback/relaxed camping trip. We enjoyed just walking around the cabin loop and back roads. There is wood for sale at the maitenance barn for $5 a bundle self serve honor system. Parker Dam is closeby with more to do and a store.

A Pennsylvania favorite, Clear Creek State Park is a beautifully maintained, scenic park, right on the Clarion River in the Clear Creek State Park. The Park offers movies on an outdoor screen, regular nature talks and walks and has an onsite museum. The park has tent sites, RV sites and cabins. Clear Creek runs through the campground and is a perfect spot for a BBQ or Picnic. It also has a designated swimming beach with sand. There are multiple hiking trails leaving the campground. There is a general store just 5min from the park, plus multiple private firewood options on the road in. The park also sells firewood bundles. The Clarion is a crystal clear, shallow, rock bottom river perfect for a cool off, fishing or kayaking. There are two kayaking/tubing companies in Cook Forest to hire watercraft to float the river. Both floats don’t go as high as Clear Creek State Park so you won’t float past the campground, with the longest being 9 miles. The facilities are always clean, with large shower areas and always fully stocked with tissue. All sites have fire rings with adjustable grills. The best un-powered RV site is site 40– private and waterfront. The best powered-RV site is 39– private and waterfront. There are also two very private tent sites that are waterfront(classified as Kayak In tent sites) numbered CR-001& CR-002. Both waterfront, shaded with fire rings. Excellent tent sites! Note you can only book them for 1 night at a time. No phone reception at this one! They welcome furry friends at selected sites!

Great place for kids! We love staying at crooked run campground. Has a beach on the lake. Affordable boat rentals. Bmx track for kids.