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Lancaster County's countryside surrounding Lampeter, Pennsylvania features numerous established campgrounds catering to a variety of camping preferences. Within a 15-mile radius, family-oriented destinations like Pequea Creek Campground offer spacious, shaded sites along waterways, while Thousand Trails Circle M provides full-service RV accommodations from April through November. Old Mill Stream Campground operates year-round with options ranging from tent sites to cabins and glamping facilities. The area's camping landscape reflects the region's agricultural heritage, with many campgrounds situated among rolling farmland and near Amish communities, creating a distinctive Pennsylvania Dutch countryside experience.
Most campgrounds in the Lampeter area require advance reservations, particularly during the peak season from May through October. Weather conditions remain relatively mild, with summer temperatures typically ranging from 70-85°F and moderate humidity. Campers frequently mention highway noise as a consideration when selecting sites, as noted by one visitor: "The biggest downside is proximity to interstate 76 - you're not going to get away from all of that highway traffic noise." Many campgrounds feature level sites with gravel pads suitable for RVs, though tent campers may find limited options at some locations. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the region, with most campgrounds offering Wi-Fi, though often at an additional cost.
Visitors consistently highlight the area's proximity to attractions as a major advantage. The countryside setting provides easy access to Lancaster's Amish communities, covered bridges, and roadside markets. According to one camper at Pequea Creek: "Beautiful picturesque campground with large spots and a lot of trees. Very quiet and close enough to Lancaster for shopping." Water recreation opportunities exist at several campgrounds, with creek access for fishing and tubing. Family amenities are abundant, with many locations featuring swimming pools, playgrounds, and organized activities. While some campgrounds maintain spacious sites with privacy, others arrange units more densely, particularly in RV sections where sites may be quite close together.
"Close to Lancaster for necessities and great proximity to Baltimore and Philadelphia for day trips."
"I used to stay here all the time with my grandparents when they were around. It was always some of the best times for me."
"Tent sites are lined up along the water which is great for fishing (especially when you need to stay close to the littles sleeping in the tent). Lots of benches lined up along the water."
"Not to noisy being next to a theme park. The bath house was just remodeled so it's excellent! Good price!"
"Great, convenient location. Cost friendly considering the location. Clean grounds & maintained sites. Mix of open & shaded sites, all appear to be pretty level, our site was next to stream."
"The site was right next to the creek. Shade is perfect for our dogs. Office personnel were so very helpful. Office does close at 4 but that is due to staff shortages."
"We stayed here in November with beautiful weather which meant the large farm behind the campground was spraying manure over their fields. We could smell it."
"The site was covered and it was cool around 4:30pm when the sun went behind the trees. It didn’t look like all sites had that much cover so be careful."
"This is a great spot for visiting Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County and about a one-hour drive to Hersheypark. Our site(# 837) was a good size for our motor home+ toad."
"We stayed at one of the primitive tent sites with no hookups adjacent to the farm field. Watching a horse drawn equipment cutting grass while we cooked dinner was a joy."
"Covered bridges and road side shopping are close by. Enjoyed river tubing which is close by to this campground. Music bingo on Saturday night was so much fun. Owners are very nice and helpful."
"The wife & I stayed in site 22 for three nights and bicycled 14 miles, some along the Susquehanna, on nearby Enola Low Grade Trail . "
"Located w/in walking distance of small town of Intercourse, PA, with plenty of shopping and Amish crafts. Very friendly people. Inexpensive stay."
"Within walking distance are Amish shops, and guided tours into the Amish countryside. Restaurants are nearby. Clean and quiet area."
from $57 - $70 / night
Check Availability"Highly recommend staying here with lots of close hiking trails within driving distance."
"There was a lot of space so walking our dogs was great. The smaller bathroom stalls are pretty small but got the job done. Playground and pool were both nice and clean. Wonderful place for a family."
"Site next to us had a pipe break, they had a maintenance crew come out immediately and fix it. Amish stores/attractions close by for some entertainment also."
"Fishing pond is a joke and near by Gun Range can be annoying and tough on pets. But, over all, this place is pretty nice."
"Just down the road about a mile or so was the Indian Steps Museum which is owned by York Conservation Society."
"Its close proximity to the Susquehanna River, Otter Creek, and the Mason Dixon Trail is absolutely ideal! Sites are spacious and nice! Restrooms clean!"
LegendPros- Pool is sparkling clear and new. Mini golf is awesome. Nice people, nice store.
Cons- further from Hershey Park than ideal, lots of seasonal campers leaving for work before dawn in loud trucks, not much privacy, some road noise.
GuideBASE ACCESS REQUIRED!
Electric/Water/Sewer hookup sites for $56 a night! (2 night minimum) Which is a great full hookup price, even though it's gone up $6 since last year. Weekly and monthly pricing available as well.
The sites are neat, well maintained, level, and sunny with concrete pads and paved campground roads. Centrally located laundry facilities and airconditioned bath house. Playground, boat launch, beach volleyball court, disk golf, basketball court, and outdoor pool all within walking distance. Other base amenities include: commissary, gas station, bowling, BBQ, Dunkin', and Greek restaurants, and golf. (I'm sure I'm forgetting something.)
Note: in July it is very buggy - the biting flies are the worst. So bring bug spray or a screened in tent to eat in.
The downside: the reservation system is a major PITA. You have to download a PDF packet, fill it out, and EMAIL it in. When you get your confirmation, it doesn't include a specific site number. You get assigned one when they call you the week of your scheduled check-in for payment completion.
Don't miss out on: the water! My advice would be to reserve one of their boats at the same time you reserve your campsite. The water in this area is great - no jellyfish, low waves. You can SUP, kayak, pontoon boat. Whatever your preference. There are large flats of grasses - which you'd want to avoid with a motor but are so much fun to paddle over. Also check out the Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge island. You can't go inland, but you can anchor off shore, jump in and wade around the shallows.
Also very driveable to an off-base movie theater, Baltimore, and Havre de Grace.
ScoutWe stayed only one night in primitive tent site which was massive with a turnaround. It was great. There are fire pits and picnic tables and level ground. Very serene. We walked down to the river, breathtaking. Not sure of other amenities as we didn’t use them.
ScoutIts such a beautiful campground and very quite and clean showers and bathrooms
ScoutGreat campsite, plenty of space. It rained a lot and our campsite was a little muddy (not bad) but nearby campsites had large puddles
LegendWe spent a weekend at French Creek State Park as our home base for the Chester County Balloon Festival. We stayed for 2 nights at a full-hookup paved site, which ran us $55.25 per night.
WHAT I LIKED:
Peace& Quiet: The state park itself was lovely, serene, and felt nice and spacious.
Prime Location: At just 30 minutes away from the balloon festival, this is the closest campground.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH:
The"Leveling" Challenge: We were at site#C-241, which had a pretty significant slope. It took a few boards under the rear wheels and fully extended jacks just to get us anywhere near level.
Tight Fit for Big Rigs: Even though there was plenty of open space behind our site, the actual driveway pad was too short to comfortably fit our motorhome and Jeep together. Compared to other state parks we’ve visited, the interior roads and layouts felt a bit on the tight side.
WOULD WE COME BACK?
ScoutChoose another campground unless you are certain you can arrive before 4pm. Otherwise, you'll not be allowed in. Owner is belligerent on this point, and from other comments, belligerent on other issues also.
We strongly recommend the nearby French Creek State Park campground.
GuideWe've stayed here annually for 7 years and it's one of our favorite campgrounds. There are enough trees and green spaces that it feels like a park despite the number of RVs it accommodates.
The sites are level, large, and well maintained. If you need to contend with a tree blocking your satellite dish the sites are large enough that you can usually just move up or back a bit so that you are not blocked.
The pool is nice and clean. Has water fountains, etc. for kids to play in in addition to a kiddie pool. I do wish it was open a bit later into the evening. The camp store is a bit small but is well stocked with camping items in addition to souvenirs and impulse purchase items.
Since the pandemic what they offer has varied. Sometimes hot food like taco Tuesday, ice cream sundaes, burgers and dogs in their activity center at certain times and days. Sometimes ceramic, arts and crafts, etc.. Sometimes their activity center remains closed during our entire stay.
ScoutEnjoy an amazing experience staying at Hershey Park camp site 😄😄
Lampeter, Pennsylvania camping locations reflect the region's rural character, surrounded by rolling farmland at approximately 400 feet elevation. The area experiences moderate rainfall year-round with summer night temperatures often dropping into the 60s, creating comfortable sleeping conditions in tents. Most campsites near Lampeter, Pennsylvania have gravel or grass pads and are located within a 20-minute drive of town.
Explore creek activities: At Pequea Creek Campground, visitors can wade, tube, or fish in the gentle waters. "Enjoyed river tubing which is close by to this campground. Music bingo on Saturday night was so much fun," notes one camper at Pequea Creek.
Visit Amish countryside: Beacon Hill Camping provides direct access to Amish culture with walking paths to nearby communities. "Within walking distance of small town of Intercourse, PA, with plenty of shopping and Amish crafts," says a visitor who appreciated the location.
Water recreation: Thousand Trails Circle M offers river-based activities during summer months. "The campground sits in the center of a horseshoe curve of the river, bring tubes and kayaks! We didn't know but went and bought a tube and spent the day on the river!" reports one guest.
Disc golf course: Muddy Run Rec Park features a well-designed course as part of its recreation options. "A very well laid out and up kept disc golf course" is available according to a regular visitor who appreciates this less common camping amenity.
Clean facilities: Country Acres Campground maintains exceptionally clean bathrooms and shower facilities. A camper noted, "This campground is probably the most well maintained campground we have ever stayed at. The grounds are beautiful, facilities above and beyond the expected."
Themed events: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Quarryville organizes special activities throughout the season. "The park throughout the year has activities and events that are fun for the whole family, my favorites being the Halloween fest in October and a Native American Pow wow," shares a frequent visitor.
Creek-side camping: Pequea Creek Campground offers sites with direct water access. "We had site 22 for three nights and bicycled 14 miles, some along the Susquehanna, on nearby Enola Low Grade Trail. We enjoyed the birds singing in the mornings and welcomed grandkids' visit for splashing and floating in Pequea Creek," writes a recent guest.
Quiet atmosphere: Mill Bridge Village & Camp Resort provides a peaceful setting along a small stream. "We had a nice site that backed up to a creek. Very scenic and laid back campground," comments a visitor who appreciated the tranquility.
Site selection matters: At Muddy Run Rec Park, water hookups require planning. "Make sure you have a long hose for water hookup. Water pumps were spaced pretty far and we needed at least a 100 ft hose to reach," advises a camper who learned this through experience.
Seasonal pricing: Most campgrounds in the area charge premium rates from May through September. Old Mill Stream Campground charges "$45/night (high season) for a tent site with no hookups" according to one visitor who found this somewhat steep.
Agricultural scents: Farm odors can impact camping experiences in this agricultural region. "The overwhelming impression of this campground was the smell of cow manure from the nearby dairy farm feedlot. The smell was not present the first day or so we were there and we enjoyed sitting outside in the afternoon, but when the wind shifted the horrid smell drove us inside."
Reservation requirements: Country Acres Campground fills quickly during peak season. "We tent camp and the site was booked over the phone and we got there and the site was wooded and not enough room for our big tent, but they left us change sites and were very nice," notes a camper who recommends calling ahead.
Water parks: Jellystone Park features extensive water recreation facilities for children. "The water park is super fun for adults and kids. The entire campground is clean and very well maintained," reports a family that visited during summer.
Playground access: Tucquan Park Family Campground maintains play areas for various age groups. "This campground features an amazing playground, a pond, a beautiful pool, a rec room, a wonderful hiking trail, and a basketball court," describes a visitor with young children.
Age-appropriate campgrounds: Some locations specifically cater to family demographics. "This is a nice, family oriented campground. They had a lot of events that people participated in like candy bar and regular bingo, corn hole and horse shoe tournaments and a dj," notes a Tucquan Park guest with four children.
Budget-friendly activities: Old Mill Stream Campground provides access to affordable entertainment. "Nice campground with a creek that runs along the backside of the campground! Even though the amusement park wasn't open yet, kids still had a good time! The grounds are clean and there's also a small playground and basketball court!"
Concrete pads: Thousand Trails Circle M offers premium parking surfaces at select sites. "We got pretty lucky and were assigned one of the concrete pads that was pretty level. It is absolutely beautiful out. The grounds are well-kept," writes an RV owner who stayed recently.
Site leveling: Spring Gulch Resort Campground requires preparation for uneven terrain. "Lots were a bit uneven, but pull through which was nice," notes a camper who appreciated the convenience despite the challenge.
Site spacing concerns: Old Mill Stream Campground has varying site dimensions. "Each site has a firepit and picnic table. The site was plenty long for our 45' RV and tow car," explains an RVer who found adequate room for their large vehicle.
Cell service reliability: Beacon Hill Camping provides consistent connectivity. "AT&T service is good. Wifi at our site was a bit weak," reports a recent visitor, noting that even with weaker WiFi, cellular service remained strong for those needing to stay connected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Lampeter, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lampeter, PA is Thousand Trails Circle M with a 3.9-star rating from 19 reviews.
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