We're here to help you find where to go horse camping in Tamaqua. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Pennsylvania horse camping excursion.
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
A beautiful getaway that offers a plethora of activities. At Gulyan Farms you can stay the weekend in the cabin, have your wedding or party in the barn, and watch the animals graze the hills. All a mere hour outside of Manhattan. categories
$125 / night
For permit details, please visit: https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/bof/camping/availability/index.aspx?district=11&campsite=Sassafras%20Hill%20Camping%20Area Site is behind locked gate. Lock combination will be assigned upon reservation. Please keep gate closed and locked at all times. Large site; good for groups. Minimal shade but expansive view of night sky. Can be difficult to access in winter. Continue past log landing to barricade and signed site. SITE CLOSED FROM 11/21/20 to 04/01/21
For details on a permit, visit: https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/bof/camping/availability/index.aspx?district=11&campsite=Carvolth+Camping+Area
Located on Carvolth Road off of Pittston Road.
Campsite with ADA table and grill. No latrines on site. Site is behind locked gate on Carvolth Road off of Pittston Road. Lock combination will be assigned upon reservation. Please keep gate closed and locked at all times. Maximum trailer length of 20 feet. Please keep to main road and continue to signed site. Full shade. SITE CLOSED FROM 11/21/20 to 04/01/21
Guide
First time camper, and I'm glad this is the site I started at. Bathrooms are very clean. They have showers as well, but I didn't get to use one. Very quiet, and you get to see a bit of wildlife scattered around. They do not sell would at the sites, so you'd have to go out of your way to get them. Bring cash cause some locals don't accept cc/dc. Also, if you're tent camping, make sure you pick a place that's not too rocky. My site was A 24 and it was mostly rocks. Otherwise, I will be coming back very room!
GuideWe stayed in loop C that allows pets. Very spacious sites. The paved parking spot was tight but a short walk down to the spacious fire pit picnic table area.
GuideStaying in C loop and here are some tips. If you want starlink, stay toward the entrance of the loop for a good view of the sky. If you want to be away from everyone and don't need a site that has good accessibility, stay in C27. You park at the top of the site and walk your tent and gear down a small slope where you can set up your tent. A little further down is a large-ish area with a fire pit and table. You can't see the roady from there and it looks like a great place to get away from it all!
Other sites around C27 have similar set-ups but not so far off the road.
TravelerBeen here many times over the years. Most recently stayed New Years Eve weekend. Had a homeless couple living in a pop up camper next to use but kept to themselves. Park Rangers drove through constantly at least 10 times a day slowly looking into our site. Sites are extremely close together in some areas. The layout sometimes had it where the sites next to your had their fire ring behind your camper while other sites you could be 50 yards from the next site. In winter only a couple loops open and water is turned off. Most sites around the back of the loops are very rocky terrain and get very muddy when it rains.
Guide
Love this park
Traveler
Here on business but didn’t pull the camper up, (from Texas) Tent camped for a couple of weeks. The place is beautiful, and the sites are very nice. They have put a lot of effort in over many years out here. Each site RV or Tent is well thought out. Bathrooms/showers are always very clean as well as the grounds. Would Absolutely recommend !!
GuideGreat for families or solo
LegendGeneral: Four loops with a total of 200 campsites. Two of the loops allow pets (A, C) and two do not. Loop D offers no hookups while Loops A-C offer a mix of no hookups, water/Electric, and full hookups. We had no problem securing a site on a weekday in October with no reservation. There are also two yurts and three cottages.
Site Quality: We chose a non-electric site in the B Loop, so this review focuses on this loop. There are abundant trees separating the sites. The pads were paved and B12 was very long. A picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Because the loops are on a slight slope, not all of the sites are completely level, something that would be difficult to determine if making reservations ahead of time.
Bathhouse: Pennsylvania state parks get high marks for their modern, clean restrooms and this park (at least the B Loop) was no exception. Hot showers were no additional charge and generous in size.
Activities: 35 miles of hiking trails. Be aware that the Hopewell Lake Loop is not very well marked (it appears to be a work in progress) although blazes on trees are abundant for most trails. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent during the summer season, and there is a boat dock for your own boat for fishing (either from a fishing pier or on your boat). There is a huge pool available from Memorial Day through Labor Day (there is an additional fee for this). Some of the trails allow horseback riding. Nearby Hopewell Furnace is accessible via hiking trails, or you can drive there. Other activities include orienteering and disc golf. Make sure you wear blaze orange during the fall hunting season as you will hear hunters!
In general, it is obvious Pennsylvania invests in its state park campgrounds and the price is reasonable ($27 for a non-electric site during the week with a $4.50 senior discount). My only complaint is that the dumpsters are a hike from the loops, but this is a minor complaint.
Traveler
Starlite offers a wide variety of amenities such as a community pool, general store, snack bar, playground area, toilets, indoor shower stalls, daily activities, pets permitted, water/electric utilities and laundry units. Staff was very friendly! Loved the cleanliness and atmosphere as well!
GuideQuiet campground in a beautiful area of NJ. Sites were spacious. Electric and water hookups were a little far apart at site 27 so it was good we had long cables/hoses. Bathrooms were small but super clean. Camp wood that was sold was dry and did not smoke (which is rare to find)! Price was very reasonable. Would come back again.
RangerThis place is only for those that wish to relax and have peace which is exactly what we seek. Sites are huge and very private. You didn’t even know that there were people around you. Bathhouse was very very clean. First time here, but we will be back.
LegendPROS
Reserved 328 days prior to arriving
$13.50 senior discount
Immediately greeted by Loop C camp host who was extremely friendly and helpful
Site C3 parking pad level asphalt
Metal frame wooden picnic table that was moveable
One hook lantern pole
Metal fire pit which was cleaned out upon our arrival
Some vegetation between sites provided a bit of privacy from neighbors sites
Park is 21 miles from Valley Forge National Historical Park. Catch National Park Service 90 minute trolley tour at the Visitor Center.
Shady Maple Smorgasbord...authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cooking…largest buffet in the USA…16 miles from French Creek SP
CONS
$6.50 reservation fee for making my own on-line reservation
Horrible signage along PA-345. Never saw very small sign when we where intensely searching
Such a large overall park, but camping loop sites are jammed together
Pitiful low water pressure in Loop C
Site sewer connection is high; needs to be knocked down to ground level
Short length of site caused creative tow vehicle parking
Loop C women’s toilet/shower building a big nasty mess Saturday
Trash dumpsters are on the main road near the campground check-in station (not walkable)
Noisy campground; 9pm quiet hour not enforced
Lots of barking dogs
No wood sales in park
No WiFi
1 bar Verizon
TravelerA group of us stayed here over Memorial Day weekend. The sites were super spacious and private. There was enough room for a full overlanding setup, three vehicles, a hammock, two dogs and a two person tent with plenty of room to spare. Good hiking trails were just a short walk away from our campsite. Would definitely go back again.
ScoutStayed at one of the primitive sites. Very clean and quite. Bath stalls and showers are basic but clean. Great spot for stargazing. Owners are very nice.
ScoutThis campground has friendly helpful staff and quiet spacious sites. We took our mini camper on its first outing here. The staff took us out to the site with our bundles of firewood and helped us back the camper into the perfect place. Our site was wooded and secluded with a fire pit and picnic table. Couldn’t see it here other campers from our site (#95). The cleanest port-a-potty and bath house I have ever used! My only criticism is that there are 2 bath houses for a very large campground so it is a trek from the sites at the far edge. Cute sheep and goats as you come in, playground for children, open fields for kids to run. We’ll be back!
Legend
Close to Jim Thorpe and tons of recreational activities. If you’re driving through the area, there’s a Cabela’s nearby that allows boondocking. Also very close to a few Appalachian trail heads.
There’s a cute river that flows through the campground and this one has a doggy park. Love this one!!
ScoutLike i said is a great app to use
ScoutStaff was friendly. Site was as expected. The only negative for us was they don’t provide electronic confirmations of reservations. It’s a small thing but added a bit of stress ensuring we kept all the info needed.
TravelerWe have been camping at Starlite with Dave and family for 15+ years. The campground is in a great location with easy access to Lancaster, Hershey and many other places to explore. The facilities are spotless and the campground is maintained to the highest standards I have seen. There are regular activities for all ages including bingo, crafts and live music. Add all of that to the best view we have seen and it’s a win win. We highly recommend!
ScoutThis is a smallish campground with many seasonal spots and some rental spots. Our spot was #27 and pretty spacious. The showers were free and clean with hot water and decent pressure. The landing for the camper was even with gravel and the rest of the site was mostly even. The power station was well intact with 15/20, 30, and 50amp. Overall it was a nice stay and served our purpose. We don’t need frills like a pool so we enjoyed it and would go again.
GuideFirst time camping at this park and it was perfect. Even though it rained all weekend, we explored the area by car, even tried some fishing off the pier and we got to get some much needed rest and relaxation in. D Loop seemed like the best loop (for tent campers such as us). Pretty spacious between sites. No pets though. B and C loop felt like the spaces were very close to each other. A loop was closed at this point. Bathhouses can use an upgrade but has flush toilets and hot showers which is all you need.
RangerWe stayed there for 5 Days. It's a quit Campground. I don't think that we would stay here for a whole week, since there is really nothing going on. Unless you like to hike a lot, then this would ideal. You will have a hard time to find a parking spot for your truck, since most sites are short. Don't Park on the grass, the Park Ranger will come to visit you.
We had 6 Verizon devices with us and they barely worked. Even with 1 to 3 signal bars. So forget streaming movies when it rains......
We arrived from the south and the roads can be a challenge with larger rigs. The roads are very narrow and there are a lot of turns. Oh did I mention Hills.....
It's not a bad state park for a couple of nights and you need to get away for a while
RangerQuiet, friendly campground. Lots to do and see. Family friendly, some loops dog friendly and very people friendly. Sites don't have too much privacy, but still love it.
TravelerThe price is good and there is electricity and a small shower and the surroundings are very quiet.
Legend
We are avid campers ranging from our early days of remote, rustic tent camping with just the two of us and 20 years later upgraded to our travel trailer that houses our two kids and two dogs. We love going on different adventures and experiencing new ideas so when we came across Tentrr we really wanted to see what it was all about. This location was about an hour and a half away from our home so it was far enough to feel like we were getting away but close enough that we could be home quickly in case of an emergency since we decided to make this an adult trip. It was a beautiful drive to the campsite and we drove by a few times because I didn’t see the small Tentrr sign on the mailbox post. We eventually figured it out and we found the host aside of the dirt lane chopping wood. He greeted us and took up back to the campsite. It was at the far end of his property right up against the property line which was a small wire fence. We were a little disappointed at how close the neighboring structures were however that was behind the tents and didn’t impede the magnificent view looking out to the front of the campsite. He showed us around and made sure we were comfortable with everything. We had pre-ordered firewood and he already had it stacked by the firepit ready to be burned. We got settled in and unpacked our supplies and set up our camp. Already provided was a large canvas tent that housed a queen bed with two night stands along with some books, an air mattress pump, lantern and some bee spray. Behind that was another tent pad with a 4-6 person tent already set up with a queen size air mattress already blown up. It would have been perfect for another couple or kids. I was extremely excited to camp in a tent with a stove in it and once we had unpacked and the host left I noticed the stove was not in the tent. I was so disappointed. We packed assuming that there would be a stove to help keep us warm at night. It went down to 40 degrees that night so we had to make due with extra layers and bundle up but we made it through the night. However, the stove in the tent was the thing I was looking forward to the most and I feel like I didn’t get the whole experience. There were also two Adirondack chairs on a nice sized front deck of the tent along with tiki torches which definitely helped at night for late night trips to the bathroom. Along side of the tent was the privy and loo. Also provided was a small picnic table with cabinets which stored some additional supplies like baggies for the loo, paper towels, matches and newspaper for the fire. There was also a 5 gallon water container and we were advised of where we could fill up if need be which was just at the bottom of the field near the entrance to the campsite. However we also brought 5 gallons of water so we were good. There was also a small charcoal grill provided however we brought along our campstove because it is like an extension of me that I can’t camp without. Alongside the table were two hammocks. The way they were set up was a little awkward because they bumped into each other since there were only three posts they were hanging on. I tend to get really motion sick so I could only sit on it for a few minutes and had to get off. If you want to have a campfire at this site be prepared to walk for the firepit is a good distance away. Although you did get a nice view of the steer and sheep in the next field while watching the fire I think it would have been much better to put the pit out in front of the tent and hammocks instead of off to the side. When I make my site I like my fire to be in the center of my campsite whenever possible. The way this was set up made it feel like we were just sitting out in the middle of a field. Although, I really did enjoy being able to cook over the fire as there was a swinging fire grate on site. We roasted some jalapenos over the fire and then made jalapeno popper dip. It was awesome! We cooked dinner over the fire as well which was just as delicious. The best part of this trip was definitely the views. You look out over the field and see the mountains in the background with the river running between them and it just takes your breath away. We also happened to be camping when there was a full moon. The stars and moon were absolutely amazing. We got some great night shots and the moon is so bright it actually looks like the sun in the photos. As I mentioned earlier we did a lot of rustic camping and we did that in a state forest where we were the only people around sometimes for miles. We have also done the family campgrounds and state park camping as well. This site was probably a good compromise in between as far as how remote the site was and the noise factor. I think this would be great for a family who are just starting to get interested in camping and would like to experience it first without making a large investment into buying your own equipment. I would do this again for a special occasion however I don’t think I would spend that amount of money each time when I already have all of my own equipment and can go more remote camping for much cheaper. It was definitely fun and we had a very relaxing time just hanging out with our dogs and each other. The whole process was smooth from the booking online to checking out. Our host, Tigran, was very nice and communicated very well before and during our camping experience. This was a great way to social distance so if you need to get away this is a great place to start. Adventure is out there!
ScoutThe campground was very quiet and peaceful. The owners were very friendly. The spot was spacious and comfortable. The bathrooms were clean. Close by to a couple of nice state parks. Cute sheep and goats that wander about during the day! Sweet little spot, we'll definitely be back!
GuideWe had a great family camping weekend at Starlight and will definitely return in the future. Yes, it is quite hilly throughout the campground, but the individual sites are very level to park the camper with almost no blocks needed.
We had two sites this trip with water and electric, but they do have quite a few full hook-up sites. Overall the sites were large, with trees between, providing additional privacy. Except for the Plateau sites, which have the amazing view, the rest of the campground had a great tree cover! Too often private campgrounds attempt to squeeze as many sites as possible and end up with campers on top of their neighbors, but at Starlight, the sites felt very secluded. Water pressure and electric were both great throughout the stay. There is no internet, but we had good cell phone service.
The employees in the camp store are amazing and go out of their way to make you feel welcome! I felt everyone went above and beyond to help me from the reservation process through check-in. The camp store is well stocked and also serves hand-dipped ice cream.
Starlight is a nice campground to relax or explore central Pennsylvania.
Horse camping in Pennsylvania offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian enjoyment, making it a perfect getaway for horse lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Tamaqua, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Tamaqua, PA is French Creek State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 75 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Tamaqua, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Tamaqua, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
