Best RV Parks & Resorts near State College, PA

Clean and well kept campground located 12 mile below Lewistown, Pa. As clean a campground as you will find. Staff is super friendly. Campground has two distinct levels with open spaces with few trees above and well shaded spots with large trees for shade located down along Juniata River. Great place for fishing, tubing or just getting wet. Campground has many activities for kids. On site is a pool, winery, dog park, office/supplies located in center of campground. WiFi is available to all. Nearly all full hook-ups with back-ins and pull-thrus available. Pets allowed. 42 mile South from State College and 48 mile North of Harrisburg on Rt 322. Highly recommend!

We 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.

This 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.

The campground has approximately 35 sites, most with water and electric, which is rare for many PA state parks. The sites are mostly level, gravel, and good sized for averaged sized RV’s. Larger rigs may have some issues with site length on a few sites, so check ahead of time, but there are a couple pull through sites. Fire rings and picnic tables are at each site, but no wifi in the campground area. We did have cell phone service at our campsite.

The sites along the outer side of the look are more wooded than the inner sites.  The bathhouse is modern, very clean and well maintained. A playground is near bathhouse in the campground, along with several hiking trails. The dump station is easily accessible. Firewood is also available for purchase at the campground.

The campground is located across the road from the actual state park, which is beautiful and well maintained. A large lake is the centerpiece surrounded by multiple hiking trails, picnic areas, and a large swimming pool/aquatics area (in season). The road going to the park and campground is well maintained, with very wide shoulders for easy access, biking, and running. Fishing and boat rental are available on the lake.

We had a wonderful weekend at LBSP and plan to include it on our “Go-To” places to visit and camp.

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.

Stayed for 5 nights with a partial hook up for our brand new 32 foot travel trailer. Other reviewers had mentioned that sites were small, so we specifically asked for a larger site. We ended up getting a corner site right on the edge of a hill looking down on the main office and playground. It was perfect. Playground was huge with multiple playsets suitable for all ages. Bathrooms/showers we're clean and well kept. There was a basketball court, shuffleboard and carpet pool that you could borrow equipment for. Our son and his family rented a wolf den cabin and it was very clean as well. Internet access was spotty, as expected but WiFi at the main office was good. We enjoyed the small, but very clean pool. Would definitely go back. Pet friendly, but there isn't a dog park/off leash area. Staff were friendly and helpful. Right across the street from little pine state park.

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!

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.