Searching for a tent campsite near Philipsburg? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Philipsburg, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania's most popular destinations.
$20 - $22 / night
This 41-acre park is in an isolated area of the Seven Mountains region known as the Stone Creek Kettle. While this Centre County park is small in size, it is surrounded by an 80,000-acre block of Rothrock State Forest.
Penn-Roosevelt is a good base for those seeking low-density recreation on this vast expanse of public land. Popular activities include: hiking on the Mid-State or other State Forest trails, gravel-riding on over 100 miles of Forestry roads, and mountain biking the nearby Cooper’s Gap area, a destination Pennsylvania mountain biking trail system.
Rustic sites, tents only
The 18 rustic campsites are for tents only and are open year-round. Some sites are walk-in for more privacy. All campsites are first-come, first-serve.
Drinking water and non-flush toilets are available.
Due to the isolated location, Penn-Roosevelt provides an excellent opportunity to get away from noise and electric lights.
Park rangers routinely patrol the park and camping fees are paid through a self-registration/payment system.
Please keep food and coolers in vehicles to protect them from wild animals.
$25 / night
Enjoy camping creek side at the edge of an open field with access to fishing, hiking on adjacent state game land trails, kayaking in nearby Juniata River, biking the Lower Trail just minutes away, or booking a guided hike, onsite horseback riding lessons, or book a trail ride on our beautiful and smooth gaited Tennessee Walking horses or bring and board your own.
Read reviews here: https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/pennsylvania/ride-long-acres-on-clover-creek/long-acres-at-clover-creek
$25 - $65 / night
The Nancy's Boat to Shore Campground, in the central region of Raystown Lake, is the perfect secluded getaway camping spot accessible only by boat. Located near both James Creek and Aitch Boat Launch areas, the campground is situated on the shoreline of Raystown Lake away from public roadways. Nancy's camp map
Fishing is excellent with small and large mouth bass, muskies, striped bass, and brown trout, abundant in the lake. Trough Creek State Park is nearby across the lake; Seven Points and Lake Raystown Resort are both within 8 lake miles. Nearby trails, including Lower Trail (Rails to Trails), Terrace Mountain Trail, Old Loggers Trail and Mid State Trail, attract plenty of traffic.
Raystown Lake is in the ridge and valley province of Pennsylvania. The lakeshore is lined with an old oak-hickory forest giving way to mountain ridges and cliffs. The man-made lake is fed by the Raystown Branch tributary of the Juniata River and is the largest lake completely in the state of Pennsylvania.
Aitch Boat Launch, James Creek Boat Launch, Seven Points Recreation area, Raystown Lake Visitor Center, Lake Raystown Resort & Conference Center and Trough Creek State Park are all nearby.
$15 / night
About Us
Our mission at Star Lee Farm is to provide a small farm experience for guests and share a private glamping experience. We are using agritourism to promote awareness of pollinators through our honeybee experience and educational programs. The Star Lee is an old “family” farm that we are working to grow into a self sufficient working farm.
We encourage our guests to explore nature that encompasses the farm's 104 acres and enjoy the solitude it can provide. We also invite our guests to “look up” into the night sky and behold the majesty and vastness of the universe we share.
Our location is in the heart of the Stone Valley Forest. Tucked away in a beautiful little hollow behind a farm field. This is a boondock location; we do not offer any hookups at this time. We do have a porta potty on site for restroom access. Click the link to be directly connected to our page.
Follow us on Instagram for updates, photos and videos @wilsons_boondock
$35 - $50 / night
This recreation area is part of Raystown Lake
Ranger
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.
Traveler
Rustic campsites, pretty quiet, great lake nearby. We enjoyed it over a three day weekend doing tent camping with our two bulldogs.
Guide
A dingy place. The ground was swampy the only dry places are the gravel pads in the sites. I wouldn't tent camp here.
On the plus side, strong AT&T and T-Mobile cell signals. (I don't have a verizon device)
GuideNice campground, wooded sites and most were okay for tent camping however some required your tent to be set up a small distance from the fire ring. Clean showerhouses and bathrooms. Big Lake and a few miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.
The Iron Ore mines from the past have left the creek water stained red which is why its called the Red Mo with the locals.
GuideMake 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.
TravelerWe stayed at a tent site, T35 and it was wonderfully secluded. The site itself was fairly uneven and rocky so we had to always use caution when walking around the site but it added to the rugged experience. There are 3 sets of vault toilets around the one way loop and they seemed clean but definitely smelled like vault toilets do. There are usually a lot of spigots around the campsite to get water but right before we left for our trip I got a notification that there was a waterline issue and there would be centrally located water. It ended up being a big portable water truck near the first set of vault toilets on the loop. The primitive campsite is a mix of RV and tent sites and has a good mix of both. The tent sites are definitely more secluded and situated back in the woods, you do have to walk a small path to get to your site and the parking is on the road. We really enjoyed our long weekend kayaking, swimming in the lake (there is a really nice beach on the other side of the lake) and just generally relaxing at our campsite. The rest of the park is situated about a 10 minute drive across the lake. Firewood is very accessible and some right at the beginning of the loop (cash only). Overall we really enjoyed the campsite as well at the State Park, it has a lot to offer.
Guide
This was my 1st time camping at a KOA as the nearby state park was full. This KOA impressed me. The grounds were well laid out and included RVs, campers, tents and us in Hammocks. We were in an area for tent camping though. The individual bathroom/showers were great & clean. Office facilities & firewood access were also nice. I usually camp in state parks, but I’ll give KOA consideration again after this stay.
Traveler
Plenty of trails to hike from easy to difficult. Local history is right around the corner with the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument. Blue Knob houses the second highest peak in PA. The bathrooms were clean. Camp sites are rocky so be sure to bring a mat if tent camping. The park does not offer fire wood for purchase; bring extra.
Scout
We used the group tent sites for our Girl Scout weekend. It was a fun weekend. We participated in the Outdoors for Everyone event. The site was clean, decently level area for tents, accessible to potable water and bathrooms with showers. Rangers were wonderful to work with in setting up teaching opportunities for the girls. We will definately go back.
Guide
Beautiful campgrounds with spacious camp sites. Well maintained bathroom and firewood plus ice available at the entrance (this is a great plus for those car/tent camping.
extremely close to the rothrock forest mountain biking trails. Less than a mile to trails that take you to the IMBA epic coopers gap loop.
Campgrounds and surround park area were well maintained with a few picnic shelters, a beach and sand volleyball courts. Camp was full and all day use areas were occupied during our stay.
Scout
Stayed at one of the two "Tent Only" sites in the campground. These two sites are shaded, surrounded by trees and pretty much private to the rest of the "Modern" campground. When staying in these sites, you can see from tent site to tent site, noise was not an issue though. You can quickly walk down to the Dam from these sites (like a 5 min easy walk, down a stepped hill).
Bathrooms are really nice and clean, with showers. Bathrooms have lights, heat, and exhaust fans. Everything was kept really clean on a packed July weekend.
I ventured around the "Cabin" area, cabins look really nice (comfortably primative with an external bathhouse, with cabin key only access, containing a potty and shower) some cabins were more.private than others.
Swimming at the beach was surprisingly nice. Water depth is very suitable for young kids. There roped off "Swimming Area" only reached maybe 4-5ft. Row Boats, Kayaks, Peddleboats, Canoes can be rented cheaply to explore the lake. The concession stand at the swimming beach has a very large menu, from fried foods to ice cream.
Hiking trails are really nice, the one that my family did was a few miles of easy hiking, mostly graveled thru nice lush forrested and marshy areas. My young kids had no issues.
Will definitely visit this park again.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
We had a terrible experience here. We were at tent site #29 but for only an hour...the "water hookup" was BROWN. The bathroom has no lights or sink... Our 16x16 tent didn't fit the "17x17" tent pad. We had bug spray on and had two ThermaCELLs running and we're literally eaten alive by mosquitoes. And just to top it off there's absolutely 0 cell service. We have Verizon. We ended up packing up and going to a different campground. Holiday KOA about 10min away was incredible. Bathrooms are the nicest I've seen at a campground.
Ranger
Great place to stay, lots to do in the area including other state parks and forests. Hiking, swimming, taking in the views. Small streams mean tons of bugs, but not much worse than the rest of PA. We stayed in the cabin in winter but we've also done a day visit in the summer. Really pretty tall pine trees in a lot of the campgrounds. Didn't stay in tent sites but they seemed rather spread out for a state park campground. Everything clean and well cared for.
Ranger2 night stay in a tent site. Sites were small, but doable. Very clean and spacious showerhouses/bathrooms in each section. Some sections do not allow pets, even for walking. Lake was large with 26 miles of shoreline. The lake was virtually empty, especially for a holiday weekend. There is a swimming area, also empty. The only boats we saw were pontoons and kayaks. Check their website, maybe that is all that are allowed. We don't have a boat, so didn't ask. Some hiking trails around the park. Surprisingly, we saw NO wildlife, and had no campsite "visitors". The park offered many family friendly programs.
Ranger
This campground has a ton of sites and a lot of permanent camper trailers. The tent sites were open and close together so there wouldn't be much privacy during the busy season. We went in the beginning of May so luckily, we mostly had the vicinity to ourselves. There wasn't an established tent pad but it was pretty level. The bathroom was clean. You can get firewood delivered to your site which is nice. I wouldn't stay there during the summer but it was the only place we could find open with availability. It was also fairly expensive in my opinion but that could just be me. I think it would be nice for a family stay but not if you're looking for peace and quiet.
Guide
Camp site was a little awkward when tent camping. We stayed in Birch so not sure about the other sites but it seemed better suited for an RV. Our site had hardly any space for a tent if you didn’t want to sleep on rocks it was nice to be near the lake but glad we had a shaded spot. The showers and restrooms were pretty clean. There was a lot of late night music which we didn’t mind but if you have smaller children it might be tough getting them to sleep. Overall it was a nice spot but seemed overpriced and overrated from what I was told was an amazing campground. We did not try the water park and the “beach” tiny and super slick from all the algae. I did enjoy it but most likely would not camp there again.
RangerThis campground offers tent sites, RV Sites, cabins and hotel accommodation. The campground is relatively flat and on the shore of Lake Raystown. The amenities are great and located centrally in each section of the park. Lots of trees which adds to the privacy of the sites.
Some sites are waterfront, but all are close to the water. All sites have fire rings and picnic tables. WIFI is available. There is a boat hire place located on the grounds that hires pontoon boats and jet skis in season.
The lake is beautiful and sunsets from the campground are stunning. There is a sandy beach which is perfect for swimming. Note there are minimum nightly stays over weekends during peak periods. They welcome furry friends!
Traveler
I’ve stayed here twice for camping trips. It’s a great small campground that has basic amenities. The experience is likely highly site dependent, as there are a few distinct areas to stay depending on your needs and luck. There is NO cell service and park rangers do “rounds” but aren’t stationed at the site. There are a couple of water pumps, several well-maintained pit toilets, and an emergency phone. It’s about 20-30 min to gas. There’s no camp store here but about 3.5 miles away at Poe Valley there’s a store, real bathrooms and showers, kayaking rentals, etc. There’s a guy that sells firewood just past Poe Valley. The Poe Paddy sites I prefer are well-shaded, fairly large, surrounded by trees, and private (but you’ll be able to hear a couple neighbors). Dogs are only allowed in the RV loop, which is intense gravel, so be sure you have a good sleeping pad if you’re tent camping. The campground is in the middle of the dense Bald Eagle State Forest with lots of hiking opportunities. The creek that runs through Poe Paddy is awesome for wading and people also tube it when conditions are right. Get a Purple Lizard map for best enjoyment of the area.
Scout
This campground is located on the east side of Pennsylvania and offers a beautiful view of Lake Raystown. The campground has over 200 sites to choose from, and many of them are right on the water. There are also plenty of activities to keep you busy, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing and my favorite thing to do Mt Biking. Raystown lake is also a really nice boating lake. The lake is a natural beauty with so many coves and inlets for the biggest of boats to enjoy. They do have a camping resort on the other side of the lake which makes it nice for anyone looking for rustic cabins or cabin rentals.
There are 50 miles of single track mountain biking at this campground. They are some of the best flow trails on the East coast and are the# 1 trail system in Pennsylvania. This is a family friendly campground and has so much to offer. There are volleyball nets, playgrounds, kayak and paddleboard rentals. The kids took a kayak over to an island and spent the afternoon cliff jumping with a 10 ft and 25 ft cliff to launch off of. The sites here are some of the nicest we have ever seen. They are all big and private with stunning views of Raystown Lake. There are steps down from your camper to a pad with a fire pit and area for a tent. You are literally 10 feet away from the water as you enjoy a sunset while sitting around the fire. The lake is a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or just relax and enjoy the view. We love coming here and spending our weekends on the lake. All tent sites are equipped with picnic tables and most sites are electric. looking for other epic reviews check out the top ten campgrounds in PA https://www.longdaycampingco.com/post/10-best-campsites-in-pennsylvania-gorgeous-sites-to-enjoy-the-outdoors
Guide
Duman lake review notes.
TravelerI throughly enjoyed my time at Bald Eagle State Park. We stayed at a tent site, I believe 58 in the rustic camping section. The rustic section was located around a large loop with each site ranging in a few feet from the car-friendly loop to about the 50 foot walk where our site was located. While this is a primitive site, planning ahead you can place yourself near the vault toilets. If there was running water in the bathrooms– we didn’t find it! There are several water pumps located around the loop and we used that for washing dishes. Our site had space for two tents with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The fire ring was actually one of the best I have experienced– featuring a grill grate with adjustable levels for exposure to heat. The site also had a hook for keeping food or garage elevated from critters. Hammock lovers: we had plenty of trees to easily string our hammock near the picnic table/fire ring. Now the trains. An active railroad sits about 75 feet away from several of the rustic sites. We noticed the 7 p.m. train on Saturday evening. What we didn’t expect was being awoken at 5 a.m. to a freight train blowing through full steam– really gets your heart pumping– did not need coffee that morning. The rustic area also has access to a trail that loops about two miles near the lake and rustic campground. It was a fun place!
TravelerThis campground helped me finally convince my fiance that not all 'campgrounds' are actually waterpark/family fun/RV parking lots, and that there are a lot of secluded, forest, nature-oriented campgrounds! We came here in mid June so it was a bit chilly at night and warm during the day - bring layers + raincoats as the PA mountain weather can be iffy! The campground can host tents, as well as RVs/campers, and includes clean bath houses with both toilets and showers. You can also buy firewood at the entrance. Sites have a picnic table + fire ring. There is little to no phone service here and it's not super close to town, so come prepared. It's a short distance to some amazing hikes, as well! The park itself has a playground and lake to swim in (though it was too cold for us to use it), as well as the historical furnace itself to explore. The campground is also about 30minutes from State College in case you crave a night on the town during your stay. As typical for campgrounds, some spots are more secluded than others. We stayed in one (forgive me, I can't remember the site #, perhaps 020?) where we were able to plop our tent into a nice tree-surrounded plot. There are also a few tent sites (18A) right next to a hidden creek in the back corner of the campground which we explored while there - these sites are very secluded and you really feel like you're away from it all. We reserved this site for later this summer and will update with pictures & info afterwards.
Guide
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:
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.
LegendWe stayed here over a weekend and the campground was packed because there was a Penn State football game. Once the weekend was over, the park cleared out and it felt like there was more space and it was much quieter. Our site was the only one available for that weekend and it was a premium with a large paved patio with a nice outdoor patio set with table and chairs, a swing, and a sunken fire pit. We loved this deluxe site but they are a lot pricier than the standard ones.
The park is fairly small but has some really nice sites. There are 91 RV sites to choose from as well as tent sites, cabins, and “lodges.” Some are pull-thru and back-in sites ranging from full hookup deluxe, full hookup 50A, full hookup 30A, and water/30A only. The campground is built on a hill and sites are terraced. Some pull-thru sites have a very steep short hill to go up which made for some RV’s scraping bottom. The section in the front of the park is open with spotty trees; whereas, sites in the back of the park are tucked in the woods and are a lot more private. Roads in the back section are narrow and the sites are not very long and suitable for small campers. Some sites are not level at all and others are sloped such that you have to pull all the way forward into your site to get level.
Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. There are about 45 cable channels. Satellite reception at some sites would be difficult as trees would interfere. There is free Wi-Fi at each site which worked well at our site (#32). Amenities include a covered pavilion, off-leash dog park, camp store, swimming pool, playground, basketball/volleyball courts, and fishing pond. We were there during the off-season but apparently there is lots going on in the summer with hayrides, treasure hunts, Sunday morning pancakes, and a splash pad.
This KOA is close to historic sites, Amish markets, Penn State and a couple of state parks. For outdoor adventure, visit and hike Bald Eagle and Black Moshannon State Parks. Black Moshannon has great trails and a wonderful lake to kayak. The creamery on Penn States campus is delicious. Visit Mt Nittany or other wineries which have pretty good wine. Overall, it was a good place to stop and generally we liked the park. The price listed above was for a deluxe full hookup site (which included a paved patio, sunken fire pit, patio furniture, and a swing) and not a standard site.
Ranger
We stayed at site 78 on the Sycamore loop at the end of April in a tent, which isn't the best equipment for this campground. Our site had a blacktop driveway, a very small amount of gravel, and a ton of mud. There was standing water toward the back of our site, and no really solid place to pitch our tent.
It was very windy the night we stayed and the following morning was as well. Because our tent stakes were anchored in mud, our tent blew over and collapsed. Our neighbor's tent did as well.
With the exception of our neighbors, we were the only tents in the loop (the other sites had RVs, and there are 2 cabins and 2 yurts on the loop as well). Firewood is for sale at the camp host site. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are delightfully warm.
The sites are flat and open. There is a lack of trees, so no real wind break. Each site has a fire ring and a hook to hang food from small animals.
If the primitive sites weren't all booked out (it was the first day of turkey season) we would've stayed there. I'd give this place another chance, but only if we can snag a site at the primitive campground.
TravelerI 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.
Nestled in the scenic landscapes of Pennsylvania, Philipsburg offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Philipsburg, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Philipsburg, PA is Parker Dam State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 18 reviews.
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