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Best Tent Camping near St. Marys, PA

537 Reviews

Dispersed tent camping options surround the St. Marys, Pennsylvania region with several primitive sites located within the Allegheny National Forest. Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite and Loleta Road Dispersed Campsite offer tent camping opportunities approximately 30-40 miles from St. Marys. These sites provide basic, undeveloped tent camping areas with minimal amenities in heavily wooded settings. Patterson State Park Campground, located near Coudersport, serves as another tent camping alternative with slightly more developed facilities while maintaining a rustic camping experience.

Tent campsites in this region typically feature flat, natural surfaces with varying degrees of vegetation. Most dispersed sites have established fire rings but lack amenities such as drinking water, toilets, or trash service. Campers must pack in all supplies and pack out all waste. The primitive tent setups require self-sufficiency, as one camper noted, "If you don't mind roughing it a bit, it's really quite nice." Access to these tent camping areas varies seasonally, with some sites becoming muddy or overgrown during spring and summer months. Road conditions generally accommodate standard vehicles, though some areas may require higher clearance during wet conditions.

The tent camping experience near St. Marys offers solitude and natural immersion. Forestry Road sites provide access to hiking trails, including the trail to Hector Falls, approximately a mile from the main camping area. Loleta Road Dispersed Campsite features several pull-off spots along forest roads that balance accessibility with privacy. Wildlife sightings are common, with reviews mentioning black bears in the area, particularly at Forestry Road sites. A camper advised, "Be sure to pack up all food and trash at night. The bears are skittish, but they will find you if there's food in your camp." Cell service is spotty throughout most primitive tent areas, with occasional connectivity in higher elevation sites.

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Best Tent Sites Near St. Marys, Pennsylvania (16)

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Tent Camping Reviews near St. Marys, PA

537 Reviews of 16 St. Marys Campgrounds

  • Jennifer K.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • Mary S.
    Sep. 24, 2018

    Quaker Area — Allegany State Park State Park

    This is a great vacation area.....spend a week!

    Did you know this is NY's largest state campground? We stopped here on a rainy night, but what we saw convinced me we need to return. I know this campground is a vacation destination for families in western NY.

    Cain Hollow is in the Quaker Run area which includes Quaker Lake. There is another campground in the Red House Area, and there are also lots of cabins. This is definitely a 4 seasons park - hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing....

    I was able to take photos of a few sites the next morning. You can see that sites are private and you're definitely in the woods. There are food storage boxes at all campsites because you're in bear country.

  • Danielle S.
    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.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • D
    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.

  • Mary H.
    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.

  • 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!

  • Travis S.
    Jun. 30, 2020

    Dewdrop

    Spacious

    Campsite layouts are non traditional with large driveways and often times the tables and fire rings are below the driveway.  With this layout you get more privacy with very few sites having and overlapping with other sites. Pitching a tent was easy on the driveway and fairly level. Some sites had large high sided fire rings which take away from the fireside relaxation of a shorter camp chair. 

    Bathrooms and shower house was below the standards of many of PA State Parks which we regard as the benchmark for campgrounds at reasonable prices. 

    Boating and biking all accessible from the grounds. No need to drive to the trails at Jakes Rocks.

Guide to St. Marys

Dispersed camping around St. Marys, Pennsylvania offers backcountry experiences within the northern Allegheny Plateau region, where elevations range from 1,500 to 2,300 feet. Seasonal weather variations significantly impact tent camping conditions, with mid-summer temperatures averaging 75°F during the day and dropping to 55°F at night. Winter conditions often make many camping areas inaccessible due to snow and mud.

What to do

Hiking to nearby falls: Access the Hector Falls trail approximately one mile from the main camping area at Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite, offering a moderate 2-mile round trip hike. "It's about 3/4 a mile hike into the woods. The falls are really cool to look at, and has some cool rock formations. Be careful the cliffs are about a 20 ft straight drop," notes Bob J. from Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite.

Winter recreation opportunities: Winter camping allows access to seasonal activities though requires proper preparation. "It was freezing, quite literally, with nights in the low teens. The melting and refreezing had made the roads and surrounding trails a little slippery so I would be cautious if traveling alone," warns Ian B. from Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite.

Exploring trail systems: The Susquehannock Trail System connects with several camping areas. "The STS trail system runs right through it. On one side of the road (they must allow horse back riding on that section of the trail as we saw trailers of horses pull in to trail ride)," shares Paula L. from Patterson State Park Campground.

What campers like

Solitude and space: Many sites provide isolation from other campers, particularly during weekdays. "At any given time you may have the whole park to yourself. If you are camping with children this can be a plus! They will have plenty of room to play," explains Paula L. about Patterson State Park Campground.

Established fire rings: Most dispersed sites feature basic fire containment. "Big open spots with established fire rings. Quiet except for the distant rumble of a train passing the town down in the valley," reports Ian H. from Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite.

Wildlife viewing: Animal sightings are common but require proper precautions. "There's black bears that live in the several caves in the area. I was meditating in my car one evening and a bear stood up and pushed against my window," warns Mystic S. from Forestry Road Dispersed.

What you should know

Variable accessibility: Road and site conditions fluctuate dramatically with seasons. "When we went, the grass was growing tall, we only stayed for a night. And it was a lil muddy," notes Excelsior X. about Loleta Road Dispersed Campsite.

Navigation challenges: Finding specific tent camping sites near St. Marys can be difficult without clear directions. "A little hard to find, decided not to stay. On the same road as hector falls," shares Evan from Forestry Road Dispersed.

Limited visibility in spring/summer: Vegetation affects site quality seasonally. "Apple Maps brings you way far away, follow the pin and it will bring you. Way too grown in as of August. Didn't end up staying here. May be a good spot in the fall once the grass dies," advises David B. from Forestry Road Dispersed.

Tips for camping with families

Seek larger clearings: Some areas provide more open space for children. "I pulled off about a half mile past the noted google maps pinpoint. Great time for the dogs and I," recommends derek O. from Loleta Road Dispersed Campsite.

Consider alternatives during peak growth: Tent camping in St. Marys area becomes challenging during summer months when vegetation overtakes sites. "A few dispersed spots on this road a bit overgrown but fine for setting up a tent," reports Caitlin from Forestry Road Dispersed.

Pack for weather fluctuations: Rapid temperature changes occur even in summer. "Great little roadside campsite to get away. We spent the night during a tropical storm and got the pleasure of hearing the rain on the tent out in this peaceful spot!" shares Brittney W. from Loleta Road Dispersed.

Tips from RVers

Length restrictions: Most dispersed sites accommodate only smaller recreational vehicles. "I have a 25 foot travel trailer. I found numerous spots on SF-160. It rains a lot so keep your slip-ons near the door," advises Mark M. from Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite.

Look for pull-offs: Forest roads offer sporadic suitable parking areas. "Living in a van looking for spots to stay this wasn't a bad one at all, good bit off the road, couple trails," notes brent from Loleta Road Dispersed.

Cell service considerations: Connectivity varies across the region. "The campsite next to the hiking trail has WiFi about 70% of the time," reports Eliezera M. from Forestry Road Dispersed about connectivity in some sections of the forest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near St. Marys, PA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near St. Marys, PA is Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite with a 4-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near St. Marys, PA?

TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near St. Marys, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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