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Best Tent Camping near Penn Run, PA

396 Reviews

The forested ridges surrounding Penn Run, Pennsylvania offer several tent camping options within a short drive. Laurel Ridge State Park, about 25 miles south, provides eight distinct tent campgrounds along the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. Long Acres on Clover Creek offers walk-in tent sites with creek access and primitive tent camping experiences. For backcountry tent camping, Dravo's Landing Campground provides free hike-in and walk-in tent sites along the Youghiogheny River, particularly popular with GAP Trail hikers and bikers seeking primitive tent camping.

Most tent campsites in the region feature basic amenities with varying levels of development. Tent pads are typically set on natural surfaces with minimal grading. Campers should bring water treatment supplies, as many primitive tent sites lack potable water. Laurel Ridge State Park's tent-only areas require advance reservations and cost approximately $12 per night. Fire rings are common at established tent campgrounds, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply. Vault toilets are available at most locations, but shower facilities are limited to more developed campgrounds like The GAP Trail Campground, which offers tent-only camping with shower access for hikers and bikers.

Tent campers frequently note the privacy and natural setting of sites throughout the region. According to reviews, Long Acres on Clover Creek provides "secluded areas combined with creek access" and "bright stars at night," making it ideal for primitive tent camping. Visitors to Laurel Ridge State Park mention that "the camping areas have firewood and water, but the wood is often punky, and water needs treatment." October weekends see higher visitation at most tent campgrounds, so backcountry tent camping during weekdays offers more solitude. Wildlife sightings are common, with one camper at Mountain View Camps reporting albino fawn sightings near the tent sites. Raccoons are active at Dravo's Landing, requiring proper food storage for tent campers.

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Best Tent Sites Near Penn Run, Pennsylvania (11)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Penn Run, PA

7 Photos of 11 Penn Run Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Penn Run, PA

396 Reviews of 11 Penn Run Campgrounds

  • S
    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.

  • Britt B.
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Kooser State Park Campground

    Small Shaded Park

    Kooser State Park is a small campground nestled in the Laurel Highlands, close to Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resorts. The park has great amenities just a short walk from all sites. All sites have fire rings, with grills, however note they are double walled so do not expel a lot of heat outward. Great for cooking however. 

    Most sites are not level, but very grassy. Firewood is available at the entrance for$5 bundle supporting a local club. A beautiful walk through the park leads you to the Kooser Lake, great for fishing. It is also close to the Laurel Hill State Park which is great for hiking and water activities. The park is close to the road so you will experience some road noise. 

    The park is 15min from Somerset. No phone reception at this one! They welcome all furry friends!

  • Napunani
    Jun. 25, 2022

    Pioneer Park Campground

    Close to Flight 93 Memorial

    PROS 

    Able to reserve 129 days prior to arriving 

    Melissa at check-in was very friendly and helpful 

    Good overnight stop to visit Flight 93 Memorial 22 miles from campground 

    Site #391 level 

    Gravel site surrounded by grass 

    Moveable wooden picnic table 

    Large concrete fire ring 

    Clean toilet-shower building that are heavily used 

    Mostly quiet except for road noise 

    Firewood for sale in Park

    CONS 

    No discount 

    Site #391 no shade 

    Park cable connection failed 

    Sewer connection“up hill” 

    Never found trash dumpster and wasn’t marked on campground map 

    Very loud radio station blaring in the toilet/shower building that could be heard outside the building 

    2 bars Verizon 

    No WIFI

  • Johanna B.
    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.
  • Britt B.
    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!

  • Dena L.
    Apr. 26, 2022

    Fox Den Acres Campground

    Review for tent campers

    Mostly an RV campground, but several tent sites. Each site was very spacious and well shaded. Fire ring and table at each sight. Restroom were a short walk away. Firewood available for purchase. I would stay again.

  • L
    Jun. 17, 2021

    Laurel Hill State Park Campground

    Forested State Park in the Laurel Highlands

    August 2020 Stay

    We camped for 1 night.  We chose site 102 because it looked decent in the picture and seemed a little apart and more private than other areas.  Unfortunately, it was not great for tent camping as there wasn't really a spot to set up our 4-person tent.  We squeezed it in by the fire pit, but if we had wanted to use the fire pit it would have been a fire hazard.  Elsewhere in the site it was rocky or uneven ground.

    Looking around the rest of the campground, the loop up near the cabins was a typical RV area with sites lined up with little privacy in between.  I would look at the other loops for our next tent-camping visit.

    We were hoping to do some hiking in the morning but got rained out.  However the trails looked nice and we hope to be back soon.

  • Gregory L.
    Jun. 19, 2022

    Roaring Run Resort

    Decent Campground, no 50 amp service

    This campground is a nice, quiet campground about 30 minutes from Pittsburgh. It is a membership-based campground, we stayed there using coast to coast. The campground is decent, but not sure it really qualifies as a “resort”. It is an older park that could use some updates, namely electric service, fresh gravel for the sites, and sewer, but overall the park was clean and reasonably well kept.

    The park is gated, you have to stop at the security booth to check in, enter, or leave the park, so you might have to wait a few minutes, but that is a nice level of added security. It is pretty easy to navigate the park even with a larger rig, and there is an nice sized overflow parking area to unhook your toad when you first get there. I would recommend getting there before dark. They did have signs directing you to the different site number groups which was helpful.

    The road my GPS brought me in was a little tight, but manageable. There was a better route but it did have a very short bridge with a 10 ton weight limit, so be sure to really check your route. Another bonus is that it is only a few minutes from the PA turnpike.

    The sites are average, but there are no sewer hookups and no 50 amp service, the whole park is 30 amp. The sites are reasonable level, but the one we had was a little tricky to get into because of it being on a hill, but it was manageable. The picnic table benches were completely rotted out.

    There are two dump stations, one located on the way out, and the other located in one of the upper loops.

    The campground did have nice amenities, the pool was large and clean, it had a nice playground, a camp store, sports courts, horseshoes, volleyball, and a mini golf course. The staff were all very nice, and they patrolled the park throughout the day and night for security, which is always nice.

    The closest town is about 20 minutes away, and there are a bunch of restaurants, a Lowes, and auto parts stores should you need supplies or make a repair.

    The campground is about 40 minutes from the Flight 93 National Memorial, about 20 minutes from Fallingwater, and there were a couple of wineries in the area as well.

    All in all, our visit was good. I gave three stars because of the lack of 50 amp hookups and the size and quality of the sites.

  • Kassie F.
    May. 25, 2019

    Bush Recreation Area

    Not too shabby

    My husband & I recently purchased our first 20ft. pull-behind camper. Having made reservations for a tent site for Memorial Day weekend back in February, there were slim pickings when it was time to find a site w/an electric hookup mere weeks before the 3 day weekend. I stumbled upon Bush Recreation Area on recreation.gov (FYI- the website has been redesigned & is still working out kinks) and it was the only campground w/availability. It’s located east of Pittsburgh and is tucked alongside a large boat dock/launch on the Loyalhanna Creek. Motorized boating is allowed and there’s access for fishing from the shore. Some of the sites are more open & exposed (see picture) but others are back in a more wooded area further away from the water. There wasn’t a map for the facility on the website; we stayed at site 18 & noticed the higher the site number (starting at about #25), the further back in the wooded area it was, where there’s more privacy. It’s definitely a great choice for families, especially those w/young children- there’s a nice playground and green space. Reservations are required (recreation.gov) and as of 5/25/19 the dump station is closed & undergoing construction. My husband and I prefer places w/easier access to hiking & biking trails and more privacy, but for our first weekend in our new camper, it worked out well!

Guide to Penn Run

Tent camping near Penn Run, Pennsylvania offers a variety of scenic spots and amenities for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.

Local Activities for Tent Campers

Amenities for a Comfortable Stay

  • L and M Campgrounds provides thirty amp hookups, making it a convenient choice for those who need a bit of extra power while camping.
  • At Dravo's Landing Campground, you can find drinking water and picnic tables, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable camping experience.
  • Nancy's Boat To Shore Campground offers a unique boat-in camping experience, perfect for those looking to escape the crowds and enjoy a more secluded setting.

Tips for Tent Camping Near Penn Run

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Penn Run, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Penn Run, PA is Nanty Glo Municipal Park with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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