Best Cabin Camping near South Mountain, PA

Site Details: We stayed in the Dragonfly camping cottage (quick weekend trip without the husband, and I’m not quite up for towing and setting up the popup by myself with 3 kids!). It was a standard rustic-type state park cabin, with one double bed, one single twin bunk, and one regular set of bunk beds, so it sleeps 5-6 comfortably. There was also a sturdy dining room table with chairs and an oscillating fan inside. Electricity/lights and heat, but no AC. Very clean inside. The cabin also had a really nice front porch, picnic table, and fire ring, and was situated with a beautiful lake view. The area we were in contained both rustic cabins and yurts (which looked really neat).

Facilities/Overall Park: Multiple bath houses were scattered among various loops, and each one we visited was very old, dim and drab, but they were also spacious and reasonably clean. Showers all had old rust and water stains. However, it was nice that there were so many of them, because this is a very large state park with multiple camping loops. Most tent and basic RV sites were shaded and private, while the newer FHU sites were more open (but still nicely spaced). Hosts and rangers were nice, but not very helpful or proactive when they needed to correct a reservation mistake they made (but it worked out in the end). There is a beautiful lake with a really nice day area in the center of the park, with a great playground and concession stand. The lake is popular for fishing and swimming, although there is oddly no sand beach; swimmers just entered the water straight from the grass.

Surrounding Area/Attractions: Not much going on in the immediate vicinity, but Harrisburg, Amish country, and Hershey are all doable day trips from the park. We were here just for the Hershey RV show, and it was an easy 40-minute drive.

Overall, this was a very pretty park with site options for every type of camper, but certain elements are in need of updating. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to make this park a destination, but it’s a nice option as a base camp for visiting the RV show or other attractions (with a much cheaper price tag than the private CGs closer to the action).

This is a very nice cabin with three bedrooms, a loft area and 1.5 bathrooms, LR, kitchen and small dining area. There is a large deck with a few chairs and a picnic table. You travel down a non-paved road and into the middle of absolute peacefulness. I sat on the porch for about an hour trying to hear something other than acorns falling, birds chirping and airplanes to no avail. There is a fire pit area however due to the rain we had all of the wood was wet and we were not able to get one started. The sofa in the LR was broken. It almost looked like someone jumped off of the balcony onto it. There was a bachelor party in there just before us so it looks like that had a good time. Also, all of the beds were absolutely not comfortable AT ALL. My back hurt so badly I almost slept on the floor. There is a TV there but no cable however there is internet so they have Hulu, Netflix, ROKU, Amazon Video and a lot of other ways to watch shows if you want. There is a washer and dryer, air conditioning and a wood stove for heat. They also have a crib for infants and a high chair which was very nice as we had a 1 year old at the time. The kitchen was also stocked with appliances, dishes, cups, cooking items, silverware and amenities so we didn't have to drag everything plus the kitchen sink along. Pets are allowed however there is no smoking. You have to be at least 25 years old to rent the cabin. Raystown Lake is very close by and so is Trough Creek State Park. There is a suspension bridge at the park, Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls. We had a fantastic time and look forward to heading back to the area again someday soon. Everything was stocked very well and we definitely enjoyed our stay.

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

Well-appointed, semi-rustic cabins set in Catoctin Mountain. Not far from the Wm. Houck lake area and trailhead to Cunningham Falls.

Our cabin came equipped with A/C and heat, full kitchenette, fireplace, screened in porch, and firepit area (including wood and fire starters!) with seating and picnic table.

Ole Mink Farm is very resort-like with a central pool and clubhouse. They also offer various activities — mainly on weekends — like cornhole tournaments and campfire gatherings.

And I can’t say enough about the customer service!! They take hospitality to whole new levels! We ran into a couple personal snags on our trip, and they were so accommodating. Even when my Mom got sick, they checked in on us and asked about her by name. What a wonderful group of owners!

If you want to “glamp,” I would HIGHLY recommend this place!

What a wonderful place! The resort is spacious, scattered throughout the woods. The RV sites are comfortable with all the amenities. And the customer service is impeccable.

We stayed during a few weekdays in October and we almost had the whole place to ourselves. We stayed in one of the cabins, which had 2 beds and a bunk bed, sink and toilet, refrigerator, microwave, dining table and sofa. There was also a front porch with picnic table and fire pit.

Honestly, the beds were not very comfortable and way too small for a couple to sleep in one. It was a VERY dark walk to get to the bathhouse for showers. And the fire pit had no grill, so we ended up having to use the stoves of some RV camping friends for meals. Otherwise the stay was great.

I would strongly recommend camping there in the summer months or during weekends in the shoulder season if you have social kids like mine. There were tons of things to do there for adults and kids alike. The activities — such as putt-putt, jump zone and the playground ended up being kinda boring for them without others to share it with. Obviously that would change with crowds. And advance reservations are a must — this place books up fast!

I would highly recommend staying at Merry Meadows, especially if you have an RV and a group of friends to join you!

Olive Green cabin, owned/operated by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is a two floor primitive cabin near Frederick, Maryland. It's a log cabin that was built around the mid-1860's. The last private owner, Olive Green lived in it until the 1980's (I think) when she was still living primitively without electricity or water. She grew her own food and had livestock on her property. The cabin itself is stocked with various cookware (including cast iron), bed frames, tables, chairs, books and games. We went in December after a storm and needed to shovel our way to the outhouse. Manual labor is not a bad thing! The opportunity to stay here and live primitively for a weekend was nice. The only downside is that the cabin is not effectively insulated, with numerous holes between the logging that lets a good amount of cold air in at night. There is also a wood burning stove on the first floor that's great for cooking on, but doesn't produce a lot of heat that needs to make its way to the sleeping quarters in the loft.

Large campground with electric RV/camper sites as well as non-electric tent sites. Several bathroom and shower facilities. Lake-side sites are available and each site comes equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and parking spot. Friendly staff, decently maintained. There were several planks missing from our picnic table and the parking spot was a mud hole. Some pet friendly sites are available as well. A snapping turtle stopped by for a visit at our campsite and ended up laying eggs! Quite a sight to see, there is plenty of wildlife around to enjoy during your stay.

This cabin was absolutely amazing. It is off of a stone road in Rothrock State Forest in a gated community. The instructions for gaining access to the community and to the cabin were provided by the owners. We had two families here which were four adults and three children. There was plenty of room for everyone. There were two full bathrooms a small kitchen, dining area, a living room equipped with movies since there was no cable or internet service, a side room off of the kitchen with an electric stove which heated the property. There was also a side and rear deck equipped with a picnic table, chairs and a gas grill. There were also three fire pits around the property to choose from which was great. The back yard was huge and was great for the kids to run around and play football and tag. There was also a horseshoe pit with shoes provided. All kitchen items for eating and cooking were provided. There was a coffee pot as well along with a toaster. Hiking at nearby Trough Creek State Park was amazing and we went to see the Balanced Rock. We also went to Raystown Lake visitor area and checked out the beach area and got some nice photos of the lake. We then headed to the nearby town of Huntingdon and went to Ferguson's Pub for lunch. The food there was great and the owner and waitress were extremely nice. I highly recommend giving them a visit while in town. I recommend the chicken bacon ranch wrap! There is a nearby antique car museum as well and local shopping. There really is something for everyone to do here. Not to mention boating, hiking, camping at the state park and just enjoying nature at it's finest. We had such a relaxing time here I can't wait to come back!