Ricketts Glen State Park Campground provides tent sites for rustic camping experiences beyond the available glamping accommodations. The campground consists of a large loop that forms a peninsula on Lake Jean, offering traditional campers water views similar to those enjoyed by glampers. "A typical PA State Park campground. Nice enough, but awesome location. Make sure you check out the falls!" notes Rachel B. The campground serves as an economical alternative for visitors seeking the natural surroundings without upscale amenities. While sites in the main loop can become crowded during peak season, they maintain standard state park features including fire rings and picnic tables. During certain periods, water access may be restricted due to testing results, requiring campers to bring their own drinking supplies.
What to do
Hike the trail network: Ricketts Glen contains 26 miles of trails ranging from moderate to difficult terrain. "The hike is definitely not for the easily winded people, or anyone with bad knees, the hike down was pretty steep at some points but very well maintained!" reports Anne P. after exploring the Falls Trail. The trails remain accessible year-round with proper equipment.
Explore boulder fields: Hickory Run State Park Campground features a unique geological formation worth the drive from Sweet Valley. "Boulders everywhere! Big ones, small ones, run (carefully) across them all! Beyond the Boulder field is a vast, scary, unknown," shares Mike M. The boulder field represents one of the most distinctive natural features in the region.
Fish in stocked waters: Lake Glory Campground provides fishing opportunities in their stocked lake. "The lake is stocked and the fish are always hungry," notes Vince L. The campground offers an alternative water recreation experience approximately 40 minutes from Sweet Valley with year-round fishing depending on season.
Visit nearby amusement parks: Knoebels Amusement Park provides a family-friendly destination near several campgrounds. "Free admission and parking (you pay for rides with tickets). Was surprisingly inexpensive, too (I'm used to paying an arm and a leg at Six Flags)," shares Jen V. The park operates seasonally from April through October with special events on weekends.
What campers like
Diverse site options: Pioneer Campground offers varied camping environments from open areas to wooded sections. "The sites themselves are well kept and have a big fire pit and picnic table. I would suggest getting there while it is still light out, there is plenty of room on the roads to get your rig around the campground, but there are lots of trees," recommends Gregory L. Sites range from full hookups to primitive tent areas.
Clean facilities: Lackawanna State Park Campground maintains well-kept bathroom and shower facilities. "The bathhouse was clean but not adequate for 73 sites," notes Lee D. about a similar state park. The campground features newer amenities in certain loops including the recently developed Ledges area with full hookups.
Lake activities: Multiple camping options include water recreation. "Lake Jean provides additional recreation with swimming beaches, fishing opportunities, and boat rentals during summer months," explains one camper. At Tobyhanna State Park, another camper notes: "The lake is very nice a little copper kind of like iced tea color but was very nice."
Night sky viewing: Remote campgrounds offer stargazing opportunities away from light pollution. "Night time is especially beautiful, you can see tons of stars on a clear night," shares a Pioneer Campground visitor. The higher elevation campgrounds particularly benefit from clearer atmospheric conditions.
What you should know
Bear awareness: Multiple campgrounds in the region require proper food storage. "We were warned to be cautious about leaving food out as there have been some bear sightings," writes Jennifer D. about Hickory Run. At Tobyhanna State Park, Erik M. reports: "We were warned at check in that there have been a lot of bears in the area but never really thought that we would see one. As soon as we got to our site one came right up as we were setting up our tent."
Limited connectivity: Cell service varies greatly throughout the region with some campgrounds offering no reception. "Also no service (Verizon)" reports T.K. about certain areas. Many campgrounds do not offer WiFi, and those that do often provide limited reliability or coverage.
Seasonal restrictions: Most campgrounds operate from April through mid-October. "Winter brings special opportunities for adventurous glampers," reports one visitor about ice climbing opportunities. For traditional camping, however, options become extremely limited after the third weekend in October.
Reservation requirements: Jim Thorpe Camping Resort and other popular destinations fill quickly during peak seasons. "We arrived here with high hopes and it went downhill from there. Our site was way too small even though we gave the length and width of our rig ahead of time," shares Donna C. Reservations should be made 3-6 months in advance for summer weekends.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Several campgrounds feature dedicated play areas for children. "Great park, a ton to explore and a huge frisbee golf course," says Sarah L. about Hickory Run State Park. Pioneer Campground offers "a pool, soccer/baseball field and many family friendly activities," according to Casey R.
Themed weekends: Red Rock Mountain Campground offers special events throughout the camping season. "The woman running the campground is so sweet and helpful!" shares Lauren C. Similar family programming occurs at Pioneer Campground: "We started with a trip in the summer because of their candy bar hunt... We found out about their Halloween activities and have been back several times. We love decorating the sites and taking the kids trick or treating."
Swimming options: Multiple water recreation opportunities exist near Sweet Valley. "They have a pool, soccer/baseball field and many family friendly activities," notes Casey R. about Pioneer Campground. While many campgrounds offer swimming, Lackawanna State Park features "a huge pool area" according to Michael, providing a chlorinated alternative to lake swimming.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Many campgrounds in the region require leveling equipment. "We stayed in site 20. Easy to back in. Didn't need leveling blocks as our site was nice and level," shares Angela about Jim Thorpe Camping Resort. However, another camper notes: "The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because our site wasn't level and it took hours to get it right."
Electrical capacity: State parks may have limitations on electrical service. "Two electric hookups would trip the 50 amp circuit breaker on any load about 30 amps, which means the hookups are old and unmaintained," notes David about Lackawanna State Park. Private campgrounds typically offer more reliable electrical service.
Dump station access: Limited dump stations at peak checkout times can create delays. "The owner John was going around pumping people out Sunday morning when the line to the dump station was long," shares Gregory L. about Pioneer Campground. RVers should plan accordingly for Sunday departure congestion or schedule earlier departures.
