Best Tent Camping near Penfield, PA

Tent Camping Reviews near Penfield, PA

448 Reviews of 9 Penfield Campgrounds

• S

  Scott I.

  Traveler

  Sep. 3, 2025

  Rothrock Roadside Campsites — Rothrock State Forest

  Nice spot to camp in the mountains

  First I'll just say that the Rothrock campsites should probably each be listed separately, rather than as a group; they are very spread out throughout the State Forest and each is a different experience.  This review will be for site 002 Colerain Road.  

  This site is accessed by driving up a bit of a winding dirt road up the mountain.  It's easy enough during the summer, though the road is narrow and you've got some sharp bends depending on which way you come from.  This road is not safe to access in the winter in my opinion.  

  The parking is just right off the road, and there's a picnic table and large stone fire ring near the parking.  There's a small path further up the hill into the woods where there is a tent pad, another fire ring and another picnic table.  There are also a lot of flat spots nearby for additional tents to be set up.  

  Just behind the upper tent site is the top of the mountain, and the site has their own private overlook to the valley below.  The site is pretty remote, though there were vehicles and the occasional biker coming up the road.  Traffic may have been busier than usual the weekend we went because there was the Mid Atlantic Overland festival nearby at the same time.  At one point a family parked in the campsite's parking to start a walk... (there's a better trailhead up closer to Indian Lookout they should have used).

  No hookups, water, bathrooms, etc; its fully primitive camping here.  Cell coverage was fine on Xfinity Mobile (Verizon). 

  These sites used to be totally free but they're now $10 a night.  You still need to book a while out if you want to be here on a weekend, especially during the fall when Penn State is playing.

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• 

  Jennifer K.

  Ranger

  Jun. 14, 2022

  Hearts Content Recreation Area

  Great quiet little campground

  Very nice quiet small wooded campground. No hookups, about 3-4 fresh water spigots, 1 dump station and dumpster. Water pressure was very low and took a while to fill tank. 26 various sized sites, some large with plenty of space for our 22 foot tow behind and truck + some for extra vehicles. Other smaller sites for tents or vans. Self serve ice $2 wood $10. Vault toilets. Fire rings and picnic table at each site. AT&T spotty 0-1 bars. Host camper. Quiet time 10pm-6am. 1 Xlarge site for groups.

• 

  Bill G.

  Guide

  Jun. 18, 2020

  Hearts Content Recreation Area

  Simple and serene

  Hearts Content is best described as a way station. The sites are nestled within a grove of immense pines. Some are large enough for large RV’s . There are no showers. Bathrooms are vault toilets. Two of the sites include Adirondack type shelters. A picnic table and fire ring are within each site. I used this site as a staging area to explore Allegheny National Forest for a week. Used a camp shower. The closest town is Warren, PA. Firewood is available at the camp host site. Across the road is an hiking area with picnic tables and the like.

• 

  Johanna B.

  Guide

  May. 31, 2021

  Duman Lake County Park

  Nice local park

  Duman lake review notes.

  • Well-maintained small park, stocked lake, popular with local fisherman. Kayaking/small boat fishing. I’ve seen bald eagle and osprey.
  • Six campsites, w/mature trees, level, w/paved drive & gravel area, large enough for mid-sized RVs. They state 40 ft., but all are back in. All have (lighted)30 amp & water. We did not see the tent sites. Not sure if they are developed, ask.
  • Number one is closest to the bathhouse, number five was less shaded. Number six is closest to the road.
  • Newer restroom, w/two stalls each. Push-button, hot showers. Men’s worked best.
  • Campsite number one is closest to restroom, but also behind picnic shelter number 12, so if the shelter is booked for a party could be noisy? Day use people bugged out quickly at dusk.
  • We were in #1 in May & had the entire campground & upper park to ourselves.
  • They have a kids’ train in summer.
  • Nice playground.
  • The only real downside of this campground is that the local road is close by and you do get some traffic noise before dark. It is not a high traffic road however. Dumpsters were overflowing with weekend trash & bathrooms needed a bug sweep-out. Sportsmen were target shooting nearby before dark FYI.

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• 

  Danielle S.

  Ranger

  Apr. 16, 2019

  Minister Creek Campground

  Small, rustic, gorgeous

  We stayed here July 2018 and found a quiet campsite by the creek. It had been quite rainy and some of the sites were wet and muddy, but for $12, I couldn't complain. While there is an outhouse, it is simply a couple of toilets (bring a lantern or wear a headlamp). Arrive early to get a prime spot, and take advantage of the hiking trails (a bug net for your head will help in the summer as the gnats and deer flies are distracting). Looking forward to staying again.

• 

  Bill G.

  Guide

  Sep. 10, 2018

  Hearts Content Recreation Area

  Minimal offering for maximum relaxing

  This campground is within Allegheny National Forest near the town of Warren and Tidouette. The sites are few but spacious. Good for car camping, though I’m sure a smaller RVcould get by. Each site has a fire ring. Two sites have Adirondack type shelters. The night sky is promising but light pollution from Warren inhibits a truly awesome night sky. There is a vault toilet. No showers. No water either. Bring what you need! The closest town is about 30 minutes away. Lots of critter life. My dogs loved it here. We spent all days exploring the nearby trails and creeks. Price was cheap. No frills but a quiet respite for sure.

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• D

  Debra D.

  Traveler

  Oct. 21, 2021

  Kelly Pines Campground

  Off the grid, lots to explore!

  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.

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• 

  Mary H.

  Guide

  Jun. 13, 2019

  Upper Campground — Kettle Creek State Park

  Upper campground: Rustic, remote, restful

  The upper campground has a rustic feel, beautiful views and is a great location for wildlife encounters. While it has some amenities (electric on a few RV sites; scullery area near the pit toilets; showers available at lower campground), these grounds are away from the bustle of the outside world. We are tent campers, and without the need for hookup and never having been there, we reserved site 45--but do not recommend it for its challenging slope. When a loud, disrespectful family set up nearby that first night for a long weekend, we spoke with the camp host (helpful, amenable Jim), who suggested we ask about site 71, the most removed of all the sites. Went to the camp office and obtained it for the rest of our week-long stay--and it was perfect. (While it had a hookup that we didn't need/use, we did pay extra for it--but well worth the seclusion.) Super quiet back there and totally private. Some of the rustic tent sites looked lovely, too (did not note best site numbers; sorry), but we cannot recommend #71 enough. If you're an RV camper, however, the sites with the vista views overlooking the reservoir are amazing, if not somewhat close together. 

  We wanted to encounter wildlife; went looking for it and found it! Everything seemed to be about an hour or more away on winding roads, but that was okay; love the meandering. We went to:  

  • Hyner View (gorgeous vistas -- and also came across a mama rattlesnake sunning on a back road and took photos from the safety of our car!); 
  • Pine Creek Gorge (Leonard Harrison State Park) more amazing views; 
  • Benezette to find elk (wild herd at dusk on Winslow Hill, complete with mama and baby--then three buck sauntering through town!); and 
  • lovely nearby Kettle Creek Vista. We also saw a few elk and lots of deer as we drove along the river's edge over the Leidy Bridge. 

  Pennsylvania is gorgeous!

  We also enjoyed meeting Julie at the Lock Haven Visitors' Center and had our only meal out at Deb's in Cross Fork. For ice cream treats (a weakness): Ice Shack near Lock Haven; Old Bull Cafe in Benezette; the kiosk at the top of Pine Creek Gorge. 

  A very restful, quiet week in early June was just what we needed, and Kettle Creek State Park Upper Campground was wonderful.

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• 

  Britt B.

  Ranger

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Clear Creek State Park Campground

  Pennsylvania Favorite!

  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!

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