We all love roasting marshmallows over a campfire—and you can often still do that while cabin camping in Swarthmore. Finding a place to cabin camp in Pennsylvania is easier than ever. From secluded to easy-to-reach, these Pennsylvania cabin rentals are perfect for any adventurer.
In Pennsylvania, the once industrious geography of North Coventry and Warwick now serves as home to 7,730 acres of protected wilderness known as French Creek State Park. Right in the heart of the Schuylkill Highlands, the park’s boundaries make up the largest mass of forested space between anywhere in Washington D.C. and New York City. The diverse land consisting of forests, wetlands, marshes, and sleepy bluffs throughout have become a top destination for the people of southeast Pennsylvania to hike, fish, camp, and bike. At a point long ago, before the industrial revolution, the land was once dominated by ancient forests of American chestnut. Sadly, in 1771 foresters started to clear these trees, in order to create charcoal for the furnace at nearby Hopewell Furnace. However, the forests were still allowed to regrow, with routine clearing scheduled every 25 years thereafter. The furnace was in operation for 112 years until 1883, and its impact on the regional environment was undeniable. The once wooded hillsides, towering trees, and babbling brooks that once existed now appeared as a barren wasteland in many areas. The ecological outlook was looking dim, that is until President Roosevelt started the CCC in 1993 as a response to economic turmoil created by the Great Depression. During the same time, Governor Gifford Pinchot invited the CCC to assist in reclaiming this special land, and they subsequently worked to clear the forests and streams of brush. To commemorate the work, they began the restoration of the historic Hopewell Furnace as well as the creation of many of the facilities still in use today at the park. Among these facilities are several tent camping areas, two group camps, picnic shelters, two small dams and lakes, and even the extensive network of roads and trails that snake throughout the park. Today, the second growth has brought with it a rebirth of life and wonder to the region. This massive expansion of protected land is now home to a multitude of rare animals and plants, not commonly found in the region. For example, French Creek State Park is an Important Bird Area as designated by the National Audubon Society, and an Important Mammal Area as designated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pine Swamp is a State Park Natural Area. The park is now known for its diverse fishing, large abundance of wild game for hunt, and it’s plethora of outdoor recreation activities available within. Visitors to the park have a few options for overnight accommodations. The campground itself is well suited for both large and small groups, as well as individuals. In total, 201 modern sites accommodate thousands of visitors annually. The campground also boast a range of amenities, including a centrally located shower and toilet facility. Additionally, there are ten cozy cabins with heat and electricity. Finally, there are two historic group camping CCC Cabins available. The facilities include dining halls, central washhouses, and cabins for campers and staff.
$23 / night
The newly-renovated campground offers sites with three-point hookups (water, electric and sewer), as well as four horse campsites without hookups. If you prefer a bed to a bedroll, stay in one of our yurts! These round stationary structures with canvas walls feature a single and double bed bunked together, a double bed-sized futon, an outdoor seating area, and outdoor deck. Campgrounds at Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond, Lums Pond and Trap Pond State Park are open year-round. The Cottages at Indian River Marina are also open year-round, and the campground at Delaware Seashore State Park is open year-round, although during the winter months, it is open for self-contained units only. The Division of Parks and Recreation has a Central Reservation Service. Although reservations are not required, we strongly recommend that you make one to ensure that accommodations are available. There is no additional expense to make a reservation. Reservations can be placed for campgrounds, cabins, yurts, the Cottages at Indian River Marina, and Fort Delaware tours, and Killen's Pond Waterpark..
$6 - $32 / night
At Philadelphia South/ Clarksboro KOA enjoy the peaceful, country campground experience and the convenience of Camden, NJ and downtown Philly only a short 20 minutes away. If you live in the City of Brotherly Love, sometimes it is nice to have a nearby rustic escape. Or, perhaps you are a visitor who wants to combine your sightseeing with some rest and relaxation. Our camping sites near Philadelphia are the perfect solution. We offer tons of comfortable amenities and exciting on-site activities to ensure a memorable stay for your whole family. Whether you want to teach the kids how to pitch a tent or you need an affordable basecamp for your Philly adventures, we cannot wait to host your stay at our local KOA just mere miles from Philadelphia.
$77 - $89 / night
$30 - $60 / night
Elk Neck State Park is located in Cecil County on a peninsula, formed by the Chesapeake Bay on the west and the Elk River on the east. It makes for great camping near Washington. The park has 2,370 acres of land and includes 250 campsites, 4 youth group sites and 15 cabins. Varied landscapes include marshlands, heavily wooded areas, white clay cliffs, and sandy shorelines. Elk Neck State Park is divided into four areas. Turkey Point Lighthouse is located at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula. North East Beach Area and Picnic Shelters is a popular day-use area located in the western portion of the park and features a swimming area, canoe/kayak launch, picnic shelters, picnic tables, and grills. Rogues Harbor Boat Launch Facility offers public boating access to the Elk River, and fishing piers. The Elk River Camping Area is located on the eastern portion of the peninsula and offers over 250 campsites, 15 cabins (9 mini/camper cabins and 6 rustic cabins), a youth group camping area, park store, playground, and a nature center.
$21 - $55 / night
$31 - $50 / night
$50 - $150 / night
Located in rural southwestern NJ, this New Jersey campgrounds amenities and accommodations are 1st rate! This park features cabin rentals, tent sites and RV camping. Activities around the park include visiting Avalon Beach, Morey’s Piers or whale watching at Cape May.
Traveler
Bathrooms were clean but most of the faucets on the sinks were broken. The water has a very high iron content. I couldn't even use it for tooth brushing. Most of the showers were out of order. The toilets were clean but had the orange staining from the iron in the water. I stayed at Site#8 in a travel trailer. Site was level and easy in and out. Large site off the main road to other sites. Nice hiking trails. Staff very nice. The dump station is sometimes secured has a combination lock. Ask for the combination during check-in. Note: Some sites are right next to hiking trails. If you want privacy, don't choose them.
Verizon cell service was between 1 and 2 bars.
Traveler
Staying in the overnight section was just OK. Only 4 50 amp spots, luckily we secured one. No sewer hookup, but there is a dump station in the seasonal/ permanent section. The campground is gated and that is nice, because the surrounding area is not great. *Highlight- super fun restaurant very nearby, great food, live music, on the Elk river. Restaurant is Unwind on the Water.
Scout
Granted it’s a Yogi Bear campground, so the kids were expected. However, adults carrying on well beyond the 11pm quiet time, outrageously loud hay rides well past 9pm on Friday, combined with a ton of golf carts and under age drivers it’s unanimous, we won’t be back.
Traveler
Beautiful and very clean campground. Nice bath houses. Well maintained with friendly staff. Reasonably priced and great location.
Guide
I arrived on a Tuesday a few days after they closed the pool, and by Wednesday I had the whole row of tent sites to myself. Maybe that's why it was so peaceful, but every night after my cacophonous conference in Philadelphia, I couldn't wait to turn down Timberlane Road and see that little KOA sign glowing in the darkness. In addition to the peaceful vibe, the people are friendly, the little office store has everything you forgot to pack, and if you look around the campground edges or follow the walking trail into the woods, you will find wonderful native plants like blueberry, viburnum, clethra, and meadow beauty.
Ranger
The campground is very close to home, and a lot of people around our area (central jersey) go there yearly or have seasonal sites there, but for us, it was our first time at the campground. The campground was full of plenty of amenities like basketball, volleyball, cornhole, playground, pool, crafts, bands, a lake, and fishing. The place was clean, and there was no garbage around.
The positives were there were plenty of things to do and they also have this great river that goes through the place so you can walk and throw your tube in and float to the other side of the park 30 mins later get out and do it again. They campground will also bring you up the river further and drop you off on a canoe trip. There is an added cost for rental. I like that they allow you to bring your own golf cart and/ or electric scooters or bikes. They had an old school playground which was better then any new one out there. The store was fully stocked with anything you could possibly want or need. They had a band which played Saturday night and people lined up golfcarts from all over and just lived for this concert.
The negatives are for me campgrounds spots were right on top of one another but they were big spots they dont have tons of trees or shade which. They did have many seasonal sites, which sometimes turns me off and can make the place look a little trashy. The other negative was that the pool was freezing because they would pump water out every night. Someone told us there was an issue with the chemicals, and the pool looked greener every day. The bathrooms by the pool were older and always dirty.
Traveler
We stayed on a mon/tues at the end of August and the campground was fairly empty and quiet except for a few generators running & air planes/ helicopters going over. There is an air force base in the area.
Site 33 is the back corner so we did get a bit more traffic going past to get on the sand trails. There is also background noise from the road, but not too loud. There are not many RV sites in the 3 loops - just a handful which is a shame because many of the sites marked as tent only look like they could easily accommodate most RVs, especially smaller rigs.
The dump station is locked so get the combo from the office if you want to use it. The ranger station is a bit of a drive from the camping area so if you don’t have cell service make sure you get it at check in.
Go down to the pond and check out the carnivorous plants- one of the most unique things in this area!
Several choices for hiking, but it’s the pine barrens so it is flat and sandy and ticks can be overwhelming at some times of the year.
Overall this is one of the nicer & quieter options for pine barrens camping
Guide
A beautiful spot with plenty of space, a fire pit with grill and a table. We came in late on a Saturday after it was dark and couldn’t figure out where it was, the location on the map is slightly wrong. To get directions google maps to Deer Woods Campground. We paid the ranger in the morning, he said they upped the price to $50 if you are from out of county so that was a bummer.
Traveler
We did 2 weekday nights with our dog and 19’ RV in Aug ‘24.
The dog friendly sites are limited & not the sites with lake access. It will also cost an extra $5/night.
Check in was confusing as it is across the street & closes promptly at 4pm. (Not at the recreation area where we pulled in first)
Site 34 was close to the road with regular traffic noise & car headlights even shined in the camper at night. There is also a fair amount of plane traffic from a small local airport…and several other campers were running generators so it was not exactly quite camping.
Bathrooms are the typical old nj state park set up- it does the job but it’s seen better days. Dump station works well with trash & recycling drop off next to it. The roads are soft sand and can get rough after a rain storm.
If you are looking to kayak or canoe on the lake it has a ramp to drop in. That is the main attraction here & there is a beach on the other side of the lake.
Overall- nothing too special It’s not a site I would return to unless we could get water front, but dogs are not allowed there - so we won’t be rushing back because of that & the proximity to the road .
Scout
I'd have stayed at a different site on different conditions, but they have a spot for just about anything, from what I could tell. Staff and grounds are awesome!
Guide
This resort is a lot bigger than you would anticipate from the road/entryway. Tons of amenities for families including mini golf, an arcade, pools, fishing ponds, etc. Not to mention live music on the weekends! Some of the facilities are a bit worn down, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time.
Traveler
Stayed 2 nights. Located w/in walking distance of small town of Intercourse, PA, with plenty of shopping and Amish crafts. Very friendly people. Inexpensive stay.
Scout
Stayed for over a month .very nice and roomy camp site .very close to poconos (golfers)and Lehigh Valley Bethlehem pa.
ScoutCamped overnight
Legend
We stayed in Site 122, a Red Carpet Pull-Thru RV site, at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resort South Jersey for Father’s Day weekend. This was our third stay at this campground, but the first since new owners took over and converted it to a Jellystone.
THINGS I LIKED:
1. Everything, including our site, was in great condition, clean, and good working order
2. Our site was directly across from the Pavilion which was great for Saturday night’s live band
3. Our site included a nice concrete pad big enough to park our 45’ motorhome+ toad
4. Our site was roomy with plenty of mature shade trees
5. The pool and surrounding amenities are nice and clean including lake, snack bar, and ice cream
WOULD WE COME BACK?
Absolutely, this is a nice place for a few days of downtime.
ScoutGreat spot
Ranger
My husband stayed here as a kid and wanted to revisit it. It was a great stay! Very easy going place and so well kept up. Some of the cleanest camp bathrooms and showers I have seen. A small amusement park to the side (very local and quiet sound never bothered us) and a small creek to the back of it. Off a busy road but never heard any traffic at all - guess they are far enough away. Was a tranquil little spot right in the thick of it so kind of perfect! Peaceful grounds and friendly people. Pretty perfect and highly recommend. Weather was sublime. Easy to drive to bird in hand too!
Scout
I experienced an encounter with a hostile, aggressive group of campers that has never happened to me before. I was grabbed by two big hands, turned and thrown to the ground, face in the dirt, by a large man for leaning on his car. I was not aggressive or trespassing on their campsite, or loud, or harrassing them. I walked my dog on the edge of his campsite, which he gave me permission to do. He taunted me as i walked the dog. On my way out, (It is a dead end), i rested my elbow on his car, facing him, so i could figure out what was going on and how to talk to him. I did not deserve to be assaulted. I did not fight back, nor say anything nasty or threatening after the incident. I think the owner of the campground should apologize to me.
Guide
Accessible and pet friendly. Great trails and great staff
Traveler
Extremely rude manager who will charge you for anything he can. Artie has zero people skills! If you give a card or deposit, expect to get excess charges. Poor Verizon connection, no wifi in some areas.
Ranger
The campground is very clean, nice spots with gravel and nice views. The store was stocked well with essentials, and the women running the store was very helpful and friendly. The campground is very well lit and can be navigated easily at night. The bathhouse was clean and only 1 bout of cold water why showering but a quick on and off of the water did the trick. The only downfall for us was the limited things to do with a child. They have a swinger but nothing else. It's hard to entertain on rainy days.
GuideWe love Elk Neck State Park! It is pristine… The bathrooms are immaculate…The town of Northeast is a hidden Gem… We will always stop here on our way to and from the Keys during our snow bird journeys…
RangerWonderful Campground!! Grounds loomed well maintained, bathrooms were always really clean. Had a little golf course, kayaks, lake, and playground. Everyone we came in contact with was really friendly and nice. They did some activities for Easter. The favorite was the egg hunt.
GuideElks Neck is a beautiful park located at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay. Very clean like the other MD State Parks
GuideWe love this place. Quiet and it’s just what we need while in the area. Very friendly staff and located in the heart of Lancaster County. We only use the camp site and hook-ups, can’t really tell you about the amenities.
Tour the old mill and learn some of the history while there.
TravelerGreat spot, not the easiest to find with google maps but we managed. Our site was nice and secluded. Site 51 easily fit 3 tents and 2 cars. Definitely beware of chiggers and ticks! Deet is necessary. There are grocery stores close by like Walmart about 20 minutes away. The beach is nice and clean. We rented canoes near the beach. We were told not to go in the water outside of the roped off area where the life guards are because of the algae. Overall would recommend for a weekend. Bathrooms were clean and had hot water for showers in August.
Guide
Stayed here for the weekend. Staff was very friendly and helpful before and during our stay. Would recommend Shady Grove as a place to camp while in the area. Our stay was after the campground was shutting down for the season. Looks like there would be plenty to do on site during the summer season. Hook ups are well placed and sites are easy to access. Had a nice grassy area that we could walk our dogs to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Swarthmore, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Swarthmore, PA is French Creek State Park with a 4.1-star rating from 75 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Swarthmore, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 57 cabin camping locations near Swarthmore, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
