Best RV Parks & Resorts near State College, PA

The camping is great! There are showers, RV hook ups, beautiful views and close to Cougar Bob's which is the best place for pizza!

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.

Very nice quiet campground.   Level spots.   Large lake to boat and kayak.   Beautiful scenery.  Full hook up spot

We loved it here!! First time here. Very spacious site with full hook up. #76 Next to camp host who were terrific. Deer came up to campsite every morning. Came to do some elk viewing. About 30 -40 min drive to Benezette. Already booked for next year!!

We camped here over Columbus Day weekend. We wanted a quiet escape. We had one of the few full hook up sites. Very quiet and peaceful. Lots to do at the lake if you want or quiet enough to just kick back. Bath houses were very clean. Staff was pleasant.

This is one of our favorite campgrounds. Very neat & clean. Full hookup sites & pet friendly. Close to dam where the fish are plentiful. Nice level sites.

We have stayed at Bald Eagle several times and have enjoyed our stay. The park has basic, water & electric as well as a few full hookup up sites. The sites are very spacious with a picnic table and fire rings and are easy to back into even with a rig as big as ours. We stayed recently and the park office was undergoing rennovations and expanding their camp store. We discovered one of the evening talks about the eagles nesting in the park and the ranger set up binoculars for us to try and see the nest. Very peaceful place to stay with lots to explore. The views are spectacular in the fall with beautiful foliage! If you are not the camping type you can stay at the Nature Inn and enjoy the beautiful lodge in an amazing location! Definitely tops on our list of state parks in Pennsylvania!

Real nice park that can get pretty busy on weekends. We arrived on a Thursday and, in advance, reserved one of the few remaining sites. Never used their facilities, but they looked nice. Electric only at our site. Both ATT & Verizon signals weren't bad. Wouldn't try to watch a movie or stream anything though. For the most part the sites were pretty level. Most pretty shaded, and there is also a pet section as well as a full hookup area. The full hookup, as normal are full sun for big rigs.

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.

Campground Review:

This is our second trip to Parker Dam State Park.   It is a beautiful PA state park.   It is quiet and peaceful.   The leaves were beginning to change.  This trip was chilly at night, but gorgeous weather during the day.  Bathroom/shower houses are a bit outdated, but clean.  We had a full hook up site.  They have pet loops as well.  If you want to stay in September, book early.  Limited cell service.   Spent time driving to Benezette - about 30 minute trip - to see the Elk.   Great experience seeing approximately 100 elk.  Several very large bulls.   Would recommend the campground and the trip to Benezette to everyone. 

Product Review: 

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time- today we tested the Banner & Oak Women's Hoodie. https://bannerandoak.com/collections/hoodies/products/freedom-heathered-black I so apologize because we were so busy watching the elk in Benezette, that we completely forgot to take photos of the product.  This hoodie is very soft! The sizing is accurate.  While it is not a thick sweatshirt material, it keeps you very comfortably warm.   I prefer the thinner material versus a thick and heavy sweatshirt.   It has become my "go to" hoodie.   Pros:  Lightweight, but very warm.   Con:  The pouch in front is actually 2 small pockets even though it looks like a pouch.   I'm not sure this is really a "con" because it depends on what style you prefer.  At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I am beginning to like it.  Wish the pockets would be a little bigger though.   Overall, I think this is a great lightweight hoodie and worth a purchase!

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.

My family of 4 tent camped here for the weekend. Everyone at this campground was so friendly and nice. The staff really tried to make our stay comfortable. I noticed there was always a staff member driving around in a golf cart, checking on things. The bathrooms were very clean and maintained the whole weekend. The firewood sold at the camp store was only$5 for a large bundle and burned very well. Some campgrounds seem to sell "wet" wood that is hard to light. My only negative comment would be this is more of an RV park. If you do tent camp you should know you will be out in the open, no trees around your site and NO privacy. I will say the tent sites are huge and you can park 2 cars at each one. We made the best of it. We stayed in site 404

Stayed in Primitive Area with RV which is MUCH QUIETER & MUCH MORE PRIVATE with many trees than the full hookups down in the main park area. The developed Campground is very "exposed" - not private, sites close to each other, no trees. Yuk. But closer to the water. It's a bit of a drive to Primitive Campground on not so good road, but worth it, I think.

Getting to the park had some sharp turns and windy roads.  Small campground but nicely equipped.  2 bath houses were dated but clean.  Nice playground at the campground and also one at the beach.  Small camp concessions with a few camping items as well as ice cream cones.  Great hiking and a beautiful lake for kayaking.  Site 22 is a full hookup.  Utilities worked nicely.  However, our picnic table had seen better days.  The site sat down off the road but once you were backed in the spot it was pretty level.  This site also had a separate tent pad located down a few stone steps.  Verizon and AT&T cell service were basically non existent.  Every once in a while a text would come in or send but very spotty.  Sorry I failed to get a pic of the site in the daylight.  It was spacious and we had plenty of room for our 30' trailer, truck, and easy up over the table.  6+ chairs around the fire pit, cooking ring could have been better.  Grassy area for cornhole or playing.

I found the one star review to be unfair. They didn’t even stay here. We found the host personable and helpful. The park itself is OK for an overnight stay. Not much to offer longer term stays. Sites were well spaced and wooded. Full hookups. Nice play ground for kids. Bathrooms just OK.

Our first time in the Moshannan National Forrest area.  Simply stunning.  Beautiful area.

The campground was adequate.  Bath houses were relatively clean.

My biggest criticism is how close the sites are to each other.  This may only be true of the full hookup sites.  Felt like we were camping with our neighbors.

Very cool camp. Loops for RVs, higher on the hill, waterfront loops on steeper grounds for tents, and some walk-to sites adjacent to parking right at the point which double as boat-in. Some site right on the water, can walk right into the lake. Beautiful scenery, be prepared to be woken by bass boats and subsequent wake at sunrise 🌄. Spots 51, 52, 53 best waterfront with parking.

Love it here! This is a great State Park. The campground has added many full hookup sites and there are also cabins available also. Nice clean sites.The lake has good trout fishing and the beach area offers a nice place for a relaxing summer retreat. Several picnic shelters are for rent if your looking for a place to have your reunion or annual company picnic. There are also boat/kayak rentals, a snack bar/ camp store, and a large modern bath house/changing building down near the beach.Come for the day or stay for the week. Parker Dam State Park offeres something for everyone.