Best Cabin Camping near Steelton, 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).

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!

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.

Knoebels campground is situated next to Knoebels amusement park and offers sites for tent campers and RVs, as well as cabins.

There is electricity at every site but not water. There are fill stations throughout the campgrounds. Most sites are level and shaded. There are nice sturdy wooden platforms for tent campers.

The bath houses are clean and well maintained. There are outside sinks with mirrors, laundry facilities, shower stalls, and toilet stalls. Or if you prefer there are also traditional bathrooms with showers.

Quiet hours are enforced between 10p and 8a.

Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Wood is available by the bucket near the check in building. Sites are inexpensive and are all a short walk, or free shuttle ride, to the park!.

Mostly an RV campground, but does have a few campsites and cabins. Campsites can be on top of each other and can be very rocky or muddy. We actually broke quite a few tent stakes just trying to get our footprint down.

The campsites available are primitive or have water and electric and bathhouses / restrooms are located in a few spots around the park.

Fire rings are at each site, but appear to get moved a lot.

The camp store sells firewood for $5 per cord and has other necessities, including coffee.

Some cabins, like those in my photos, are brand new and have everything you would need to set up house minus linens, towels, toilet paper , paper goods and toiletries.

Would definitely revisit.

The first time we decided to visit Knoebels resort, we decided to camp at the nearby Lake Glory Campground/Knoebels Campground. We rented a cabin and a family we were traveling with, also rented a cabin.

The cabins were clean, as was the bathhouse, but the cabins were right on top of each other, with NO division at all. It was more like a neighborhood on a quiet street. In some ways, it was nice that all of the children in the area where able to play together and all of the adults could watch them- but there was just NO privacy or feelings of seperation at all.

The fire rings seemed old, and you could hear every single cough, laugh, etc from your neighbor. It was also a fairly decent walk to the bathhouse- though the bathhouses were large and well kept.

While we didn't stay in the tent or RV sites, it looked like a fairly similar sense of privacy in those sites. It basically looked like tents were just randomly placed in open spaces of grass.

Firewood was for sale at the entrance, and it was "fill a bucket for $5". So basically, whatever you could fit and carry on of their metal pails, cost you $5. If you take your time, you can get a good amount of wood for that.

The insides of the cabins had a large queen size bed and then a loft bunk. There was a nice built in shelf with electric and even a good amount of hooks and cubbies for storage. Of the camping cabins we have stayed in, this was the largest and most functional. That said, there was a ceiling fan for air circulation at the top and it was LOUD. I had to sleep up top, since my sensory-senstive child couldn't handle it- just a head's up, in case you have a similar issue.

Overall, if you're looking for a dirt cheap way to stay near the local amusement park, this will do. Personally, when we returned this year, we just rented a hotel. We didn't enjoy the "camping" experience here at all.

I don’t know if the Amish camp, but regardless, if you’d like to experience what it’s like to go camping in Amish country then Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country RV Resort has you covered. First of all, whenever I see that word ‘resort’ I always wonder – is it really a resort? And, well, while we're on that particular question, what makes a place a resort in the first place? In my estimation, a resort has to have a pool and likely some of those splash pools, probably gated or requires some sort of secure admittance, full of recreation options, is a restful respite and (very probably) features a Tiki Hut or some version of an outdoor bar that is serving up delicious libations. Apart from that very last amenity, this particular RV campground destination ticks most of the boxes.

So, should you be looking for an authentic Quaker environ to enjoy some of the best of what the great Keystone State has to offer, then you might want to give PA Dutch Country RV Resort some consideration, but before you do, you’ll need to secure a membership with Thousand Trails in order to access this, and indeed the other 250 or so other campgrounds this camping conglomerate has throughout the US. The biggest downside to this particular campground is its very close proximity to the PA Turnpike, which while convenient, might detract a bit from the peace & quiet you might be expecting when here at your new-found camping ‘resort.’ That said, as the PA Dutch Country RV Resort rests at a slightly higher elevation than the turnpike, I have to admit, we really didn’t notice much of any noise coming from the highway and what’s more, this campground is completely surrounded by a fairly dense forest, which likely is what blocks any irritable sound and most certainly blocks any highway or traffic visibility.

Should you decide to leave ‘the reservation’ for any reason, you’ll be engulfed by the incredibly rich, verdant countryside populated by incredibly rural residents who’s ancestors settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago. Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside (of which my Irish ancestors intermingled with a long time ago) is a combination of rolling hills in a plush countryside punctuated by massive rolled bays of hay in the surrounding fields, covered wooden bridges and the occasional quaint New England well-preserved charming towns that you will be sure to encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, discovering a spot like PA Dutch Country RV Resort places you in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes anywhere in the Keystone State.

Should you need directions to this campground, it’s just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78. Here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort you’ll encounter a destination offering up 267 back-in and pull-through slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding with about 6 tent sites offering 15 amp electric and running water. You will discover that no matter where you look on this property, you will have to contend with sloping land as this campground appears to be situated right on the side of a heavily wooded hill. That said, we didn’t have any problems laying out our campsite that came with the standard-issued picnic table and in-ground fold-up fire ring. Don’t have an RV, 5th Wheeler or Tent? Not a problem, as the good folks here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort will rent you one of their 3 cottages for the night.

As previously mentioned, with the term ‘resort’ there should be a ton of amenities that one conjures up and PA Dutch Country RV Resort does not disappoint with plenty of amenities, inclusive of: 3 fairly massive restroom & shower facilities, Wi-Fi service (at a cost), trading post / camp store, swimming pool, walking paths, clubhouse/ office, playing card room, church service, crafts & arts, family bingo, community library, mini golf course, basketball court, horseshoe pits, kids playgrounds, fire pit, designated picnic & BBQ areas, ranger station, recreation hall, cornhole, basketball court, designated dump stations, water stations, ice for sale, propane refueling station, RV storage, Laundry-O-Mat and pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are an RVer or 5th Wheeler, the best sites IMHO are those that back up to the periphery and are northernmost up the slight embankment as you’ll have greater privacy and less noise being furthest away from all of the action in the center of this campground resort – these sites include: #C1– C5, #D9– D17 and #E44– E49; (2) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, while there’s not a ton of restaurants around these parts, there are a few and they are pretty amazing, including favorites Brick Tavern Inn and The West End, McCoole’s @ The Historic Red Lion Inn and Sage Alley Brewery; (3) In the event that you need to replenish any of your supplies, rest assured as in nearby Quakertown, there’s a Giant & Aldi’s grocery store as well as a local Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, Kohl’s and Link Beverages to stock up on the 21+ liquid refreshment; (4) Should you be towing your canoe or kayak with you and are eager to get the beak of your waterbird wet, then head on over due east of Quakertown Campground to Nockamixon SP where there’s a sizeable, yet skinny lake just begging for you to navigate it and get some good, hard oaring in; and (5) As a tent camper, while there are only 6 or so spots to choose from, you’ll be happy to know that these are also located on the periphery, with #L1& L2 being southernmost, which I would avoid altogether as this places you too close to the highway) and #T9– T12, which are located northernmost and are the best tent campsites to book.

Happy Camping!

Overview: nice quiet campground with a variety of campsites and a pretty good camp store.

Site: this review is of the campsite and cabin we stayed in. Most of the campsite options are fairly level, but are very rocky, so this is something to keep in mind if you are tent camping. We have heavy duty solid steel pegs and still had trouble pegging everything down. Some of the cabins were recently added and are super clean inside. The one we stayed in had a set of bunk beds, a queen bed, and a fold out couch. It also had a bathroom with shower /tub and everything you would need except linens.

Bathroom: the bathhouse had individual bathrooms and showers. Each was pretty clean and spacious.

Amenities: Campsite with $5 firewood, coffee and ice cream. Mini golf Fishing pond Pool

PROS: Quiet campground Pool open seasonally Nice staff

CONS: No walking trails

Have stayed here before and will stay here again.