Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Slate Run, PA

One of our favorite places to camp! My daughter loves the pools, gem mining, and slushies. The farm animals are adorable. We go every year with friends who use a tent while we use a travel trailer and we've both loved our sites and the facilities. Dog park is great, too!

Very wooded campground. Gravel pad was narrow so the picnic table was within two feet of the trailer side. We had a pull through site that was uneven front to back so that our tongue jack was all the way down to get level enough. Side to side it was fine. The playground was excellent. The camp store was new looking and well stocked. The staff was friendly.

No breed restrictions for dogs. The dog park was good.

This is a big park. We just reserved one night as as an overnight stop after a 10 hr day of driving. We travel with a dog so our only choice for an electric site was on the Sycamore loop. The Oak loop does not allow pets. Sites we nicely laid out with level gravel and a fire ring. Looks like there lots to do around the park, especially for families.

They need a larger pet area. The camping is great. Love the hiking trails

Kids has a great time at this campground. Two playgrounds, a pool, two jumping pillows, mini train, carousel, and activities. Good for bike riding although hilly. The site we booked online had bad measurements, so when we got there we found our trailer wouldn't fit. The camp map is close but not very accurate, so calling them to book if you have any questions is the way to go. We went back to check in when we discovered our problem and got the site swapped with no issues. They're just transitioning to the campspot system this year, and they're working out the bugs. The staff was really great during this whole visit. The new site was a few down from where we originally booked and it was much better. I'd recommend the outer part of the loop that circles the common areas. Woods and shade but very close to all the happenings. The big playground is new and very nice. The small one is mainly two very big playsets (pirate ship and castle). My kids enjoyed both. Two jumping pillows were awesome. Pool was cold but fun. The campground has new owners this year, and renovations are going on. Everything is very clean, and I'm looking forward to the updates they're making. No breed restrictions for dogs. No dog park. Standard GPS directions for this campground are wrong, (coming from 15N they have you turn right at the end of the ramp, you need to turn left) So plot your route before you go. Otherwise it guides you to a gravel road with a no campers sign. The entry road to the campground itself is a very steep, narrow road with a small curve at the top. It's well-maintained but keep an eye out for campers coming down. There's space for getting by but it's tight. Overall this is a very nice campground that's getting some updates that it deserves. The staff is really nice and helpful. We look forward to going back.

Passing through? Not far off the major highways of I -80 and Rt. 15. Pull thoughts for overnight. Have kids? Activities, play facilities, animals to feet and pet, pond. Wonderful Camp store. Many nice wooded sites. Reasonably priced.

Large KOA with many amenities. We were only there as an overnight stop, but walked around the park and found so many fun family activities! Catch and release fishing, a petting zoo, pool, rec hall and huge grassy area for impromptu baseball or soccer games.

I honestly struggled with what to rate this campground. I loved the area. Very peaceful and quite, but close to State College (a must since we were in town for a Penn State game). I also loved historic Bellefonte (I highly recommend eating at the Governors Pub). It had a cute little dog park, nice play ground, bouncy pillow, gem mining, pool, etc.- what you expect to find at a KOA. Once we were in it, I even loved our site once we were in it. It was very secluded, private, quite and woodsy. That being said- getting into the site was almost impossible. We didn't think we'd be able to do it. And as it was, our slide out was about an inch away from a tree on one side and up against a raised concrete pad on the other. For a smaller camper, it was probably perfect, but I really don't think they had any business putting a camper our size in that site. Width wise, the site was large and had some sort of shrub growing in the middle of the entrance which helped with giving it more privacy. Then there was the water pressure… or lack of water pressure. Saying it trickled out would be generous. Though there was a lot about the campground that I liked, I won't go back again just based on the water pressure alone. I've never been that stressed out trying to rinse my hair… It could very well have just been a problem with our site- we were in the very back on the hill. Or it may be a problem everyone was experiencing. I'm not sure which is why I gave it a 4 rating. I liked everything about it but that.

Only knock is this section of the campground is not for pet owners, but it’s not completely obvious when making a reservation. So, we stayed with our pups and didn’t get in trouble but felt weird for breaking the rules that we didn’t know about before arriving 🤷‍♂️

We are extremely pleased with the campground. We decided to stay here based on it's close proximity to Bucknell University. The staff is friendly, clientele is calm. Lots of well maintained seasonal sites. All the kids flock to the playground. A nice feature is the petting zoo. We will definitely return!

Nice clean and quiet campground. The address online took us to the ranger station. Turn left BEFORE bridge. Couldn’t see sign from the road. The section we were in was “no pets allowed”. My kids loved the beach, swimming was not deep. Beach was big with adjacent playground. Lots of pavilions all over. The area was a little crowded for my liking.

We stayed at site 8 which is creekside. It was a large, beautiful site and the sound of the burbling water lulled us to sleep every night. The bathrooms and showers are very clean and modern (tiled, not concrete block for a change). The only downside to the area is the quantity of timber rattle snakes that we encountered, one at our site and one in the woods nearby. Something to keep in mind if you have pets or small children.

We had an abnormal wind advisory warning from NWS on April 30th and almost didn’t go. But we courageously went anyway and much to my surprise it was quite peaceful. Some occasional gusts the first night but after that it was very serene. Campsites are great, we had one of the pet sites. Close to the road but very lightly trafficked and you could hear & see a small waterfall across the street! Facilities were clean. This is my second time there and both times have been great!

Taking everything into consideration, it’s hard to find a nicer campground to stay for a night or two weeks.

• clean, well maintained and monitored.

• large sites on macadam pads. Large fields behind most sites for activities.

• full hook ups available

• numerous hiking trails, large lake for boating, fishing and swimming.

• centrally located between Mansfield, Wellsboro and Corning

*pet friendly. Alcohol allowed

the only draw back is that it fills up quickly and you need to reserve many months ahead of time especially for holidays. Not group camping friendly because of the reservation system. No pavilions for group activities within the Campground

We have stayed here with family before and had our first RV stay on our own this fall. Beautiful campground, most sites are wooded. We had a sewer site so I'm not sure how the bathrooms are. Lots to do if you want or it's just as great sitting around the fire relaxing or getting ice cream at the store. Our site was along the main road and we expected a lot of traffic, but it was actually pretty quiet. There is a petting zoo, jump pillow, and regularly scheduled activities. Can't wait to go back next year!

The campground at Cherry Springs State Park has 30 sites and vault toilet restrooms. Pets are not permitted.

But don’t go for the camping. Cherry Springs State Park is an International Dark Sky Park and measures a 2 on the Bortle dark-sky scale. Go for the night skies - to see the stars and the Milky Way.

There are nearby state parks with daytime activities (try Lyman Run State Park for the swimming beach, hiking, and ATV trails).

Helpful Tips:

• Astronomy field is only for serious amateur astronomers and must be reserved (observe from the public viewing area behind the campground)
• Use red light even in the campground (free red cellophane available near the amphitheater)
• Site 26 is the best for unobscured night sky viewing
• Dress warmly (evenings are very cold, even in the summer)
• Do not expect cell service (even within an hour driving radius)
• Be prepared (nearest city of Williamsport is an hour away; firewood may be available at Lyman Run State Park concession stand)

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.

I've been coming here every year for a while now. Overall, it has everything you'd want in a campground. They have one of the cleanest bathrooms I've seen yet while camping. The campsites are a good size. Certain sites have more privacy than others, I'd recommend the higher loop if you can. However, some of the sites on the lower loop are close to the road but the road noise isn't too bad. They have designated sites for pets. There are also primitive free sites that are first come first serve. In the colder months, they even have cabins you can rent out. Plenty of hiking and swimming nearby. We always hit up the Forksville General Store for breakfast before we leave. The food is sooo good. I recommend getting the sausage links. Also, the stars are incredible here! I usually come in the fall in October/early November. It's my favorite time to come because it's not extremely packed with campers and the leaves are beautiful. If you come in the fall, make sure you bring a cold weather sleeping bag or heater because the temp does drop. Seriously, a great campground you wont be disappointed!

Adults and Children alike will love the park office / Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park. Learn about this buildings green construction (LEED)geo thermal heat, rain water harvesting system, recycled materials and more! Step inside to view elk bear birds and other wildlife! Learn about the building of the dam and the early days of the CCC camps. If you can get the children out of the office or bring yourself to leave ... make a souvenir penny on your way out before walking across the parking lot and around the corner to visit the arch tree. This park is a long narrow park with a road running through it that is perfect for a bike ride or stroll. On one end is a wildlife viewing area, the other end offers great fishing and a boat launch. Between is a picnic day use area and a 35 site campground with a dump station, a modern restroom with flush toilets and showers. The restrooms and some campsites are ADA accessible. Electric hookups are available and each pet friendly camp site has its own picnic table, lantern hold and fire ring. Elk, eagles deer and many other varieties of wild life can be seen here on a regular basis! There is much to explore here during any season and even on a rainy day the kids will have the opportunity to learn about the world around them! 5 stars Sinnemahoning! What a treasure in the PA Wilds!

Many consider Patterson State Park an over flow Park for when the famous “Dark Skies” Cherry Springs State Park or the large Lyman Run State Park with its lake for swimming, boating and fishing gets full. Indeed, many who couldn’t get a reservation at either of these larger state parks have ended up at this first come, first serve rustic campground. This is how I discovered the often overlooked beauty of this little park. First the location of this park makes it easy to take advantage of the amenities of the two nearby parks and it’s only a hop skip and a jump from mini golf and a newly installed zip line in Sweden Valley, Pa. If Hiking is your thing, 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). There are two pavilions, one with a fire place . There is one rustic toilet. This is rustic camping, no electric, a pump for water but it is also pet friendly and has cell service. One of the best features and why we will definitely be back is that 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, and it is a poke-stop. It has a take it with you waste management plan that really helped us all think differently about packaging and some of the choices we make. I give this little park 5 yes 5 gold stars. But don’t tell anybody... let’s keep this little gem a secret between us!

General: It really does feel like you drive to the end of the world to get to this beautiful park/campground. We camped here mid-week at the beginning of November and when we arrived with friends, we were the only two campsites occupied but by the next day, several more campers arrived. There are two campgrounds– one with hookups and one without; both campgrounds are fairly small(in terms of the number of sites). There are also rustic cabins with electricity but no running water. This is another Pennsylvania state park with excellent recycling facilities. Firewood was for sale on the honor system conveniently located near the campsites plus trail maps which was good as we had zero cell service. 

Site Quality: The sites are spaced a decent amount apart and are generous in size. The pet-designated sites are close to the road (154), although there was not a lot of traffic (at least when we were there). Each site has a large picnic table and fire ring and we stayed in the area with electric hookups. Most of the sites are nicely wooded. Bathhouse: This is the third Pennsylvania state park we have stayed at recently and all get an A+ for the bathhouses. Very clean, heated, and the showers appear to be in good condition (did not use so cannot comment on more than the appearance). There was also a dishwashing sink with dish detergent INSIDE the bathhouse (women’s– not sure about men’s!), something I have never seen before but which was appreciated in the colder months. 

Activities: We came for the hiking and there are numerous trails in both the state park and neighboring Loyalsock State Forest, some of which are accessible from the campgrounds. The trails are very well marked and most of them prohibited hunting but when we tried to hike to Cottonwood Falls, hunting was allowed; since we were not wearing blaze orange, we decided to turn back(we did see some “lesser” falls). I recommend the High Rock Trail(accessible from the Visitor Center) but do it in a counterclockwise direction. There is a lot of rock scrambling, but it is a beautiful trail. The visitor center has a nice playground, but it is a mile away from the campground. In season, you can horseback ride, swim, hunt, or cross-country ski or snowmobile. The Park is open year-round. 

Conclusion: This Park turned out to be a hidden gem for us, but I think it was more so because it was so sparsely inhabited; as with many other campgrounds we have stayed at, I’m sure it would have a completely different vibe during the summer months.

General: This is a small 28-site campground located on the east rim of the canyon; seven of the sites are electric and six of them are pet-friendly. We reserved site 17 after looking at the site map because it looked like there was a generous amount of separation between this site and the surrounding ones, however, upon arrival, this was not the case. Although some of the sites are generous in size, there is no physical separation between them. Site 1 would, in my opinion, be the best of the non-electric sites for privacy. Sites 6 and 8, while close to the bathhouse, would likely have people walking through your site to get to the bathhouse. Campers have worn a path between these sites to access it. Props to this park for having recycling bins for plastic, glass, and aluminum. While this park is open year-round, the campground is only open from the second Friday in April through the third weekend in October. 

Site Quality: The parking pad is delineated by rocks but not very clearly defined. There is a generously sized picnic table and fire ring to complete the grassy site. 

Bathhouse: Very clean (we have found most Pennsylvania state parks excel in their bathhouse cleanliness). Hot water (definitely appreciated on this cold weekend!) and one handicap accessible shower (but it was too cold while we were there to want to take a shower although it did look inviting). 

Activities: Two hiking trails on the east rim where the campground is located. The Turkey Path was closed about ¾ mile down (by the waterfall) due to storm damage. Although the trail was clearly marked closed at this point, many chose to ignore it and continue on☹. This trail is challenging as it has steep switchbacks down and back up again and it is narrow and slippery but definitely worth doing. The Overlook Trail, while not long (less than a mile), is also challenging with down and uphills. If you don’t want to (or can’t) access these trails, there is an observation platform where you can enjoy great views of the canyon. All of these trails are accessible from the campground. There is also a long multi-use trail for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. There is a nice playground accessible from the campground. 

Conclusion: We were here the last weekend the campground was open and while the fall foliage was not experiencing the best year, it was still very beautiful at this park, and we enjoyed the hikes.