Join the fun near Vanderbilt. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Vanderbilt campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Vanderbilt, PA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
Known as the “Gateway to the Laurel Highlands,” Pennsylvania’s Ohiopyle State Park consists of approximately 20,500 acres of the state’s finest and most rugged natural beauty. A quick drive from Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV, this park can get you back to nature conveniently. The million annual visitors the park gets act as proof of just how convenient this state park is. Camping at Ohiopyle State Park offers campers 200 campsites at the Kentuck campground, with flush toilets, warm showers, picnic tables, fire rings, and some electric hook-ups. Yurts and cottages are available as well for those looking for a more comfortable stay in the great Allegheny passage. When visiting this state park, campers and adventurers will both notice the mighty Youghiogheny [yawki-gay-nee] River flowing through the center of the park. Capitalizing on this, the park offers whitewater boating opportunities for all experience levels. For those looking to stay on dry land, however, hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting and rock climbing are all available in the summer months. In the colder months, cross-country skiing and snowmobile riding are available across the park.
Of the 262 campsites, 149 have electric hook-ups. Some sites have full-service hook up, which includes sewer, water, and electricity. The campground has:
Flush toilets Warm showers Sanitary dumping stations Drinking water Pets are permitted in designated sites. Please follow all pet camping rules.
The campground is open from mid-April and closes the third Sunday in October.
Site occupancy is limited to one family unit (persons living under one household) or one non-family unit limited to five persons, including one responsible individual 18 years of age or older.
The maximum camping period is 14 consecutive nights.
$29 / night
Less than 15 miles from Morgantown, West Virginia, you will find a stunning 12,747-acre protected forest. Coopers Rock State Forest is home to a vibrant stretch of trails and forest that share a border with the canyons of the Cheat River, which is notorious with white water rafters. Besides being a scenic area to pitch a tent, Coopers Rock actually offers a multitude of options for recreation. This includes picnicking, fishing, hiking, hunting, camping, and rock climbing. Visitors who want to use the park for hunting or fishing are asked to obtain the proper licensing prior to arriving. The extra step is worth it though, as the park features a glistening six-acre pond that’s brimming with fresh trout that’s located on the northern side of the forest. Coopers Rock State Forest has been, and continues to be a hugely popular destination with rock climbing enthusiasts. It’s considered one of the best areas for bouldering in the eastern U.S., and there are at least 5 popular climbing sites that are easy to find within the park. Those destinations are Roof Rocks, Upper Rock City, Sunset Wall, Roadside Rocks, and Tilted Tree. If you enjoy winter sports, you’ll be pleased to find that Coopers Rock is also known for its ski terrain in the winter. Be careful, however, as the trails here are known to be best suited for intermediate to experienced skiiers. For those considering trying them out, frequent visitors suggest waiting until the snow is densely packed on, at least half a foot, to avoid injury on the many rocks, branches and roots on the trails below the snow. Breathtaking views atop sky-high cliffs make camping at the park almost a given for visitors. The park offers two different campgrounds, each offering the options of comforts like water and electricity hook-ups, or more traditional tent camping. All accommodations here are first come first serve. McCollum Campground serves as the main camping area and accommodates a total of 25 campsites, each equipped with electrical and water hook-ups, a bathhouse and even wireless internet. Pets are welcome visitors as long as they remain on a leash or crate at all times.
$25 - $35 / night
Yogi Bear Campground PA is a large family campground near Pittsburgh. The resort has many amenities and facilities. Facilities: -full hookups -restrooms -showers -laundry -camp store -cable tv -wireless internet -dog park -restaurant -pools -waterslides -minigold
$115 - $750 / night
Benner's Meadow Run is a fun, relaxing family campground with spacious RV sites, cozy cabins, unique yurts, and private tent sites! Enjoy our fantastic amenities, including fishing ponds, a swimming pool, mini-golf, a brand-new bathhouse, exciting arcade games, volleyball, a dog park, fire pits, and more! Plus, don't miss our themed weekends and year-round kid-friendly activities! Located near Ohiopyle State Park, Fallingwater, and Kentuck Knob, it's your gateway to whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, and fishing. Book your next family adventure today!
The 1,200-acre Keystone State Park is great for day-trips and family vacations year round. Camping, modern cabins, many trails, and a lake are all within walking distance, providing an ideal setting for wildlife watching or outdoor adventures.
The park is within easy driving distance from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, the Laurel Highlands, and their many attractions.
About 100 tent and trailer sites are available from the first Friday in April to the third Sunday of October.
Lakeside Campground is adjacent to the lake. Hillside Campground is in a more remote area of the park and accommodates those camping with pets.
Both campgrounds have a modern bathhouse. A sanitary dump station is available. Shower facilities may not be available after October 1.
The 11 modern cabins are available year round. They are located near the breast of the dam between the two campgrounds.
Three cottages, located in Lakeside Campground, sleep five people in bunk beds.
Two yurts are located in Lakeside Campground.
These round, canvas, and wood-walled tents have a wooden deck and sleep five people in bunk beds.
$15 - $166 / night
The Outflow Camping Area is located on Youghiogheny River Lake in the heart of the Laurel Highlands. The lake spans the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Clean waters, forested mountains and steep-sided valleys provide an unsurpassed setting for recreational opportunities.
Camping, fishing, boating, water skiing, hiking, biking, picnicking and sightseeing are the area's most popular activities. Boaters consider Youghiogheny River Lake, with its 16-mile length and channels up to one-half mile wide, the best powerboating and water skiing lake in southwestern Pennsylvania. Youghiogheny Lake's outflow area is renowned for its excellent trout fishing and is stocked from April to September each year. A fishing pier is located in the campground.
The country surrounding the lake is made up of narrow valleys and high rounded hills with steep slopes. Much of the land is covered with northern hardwoods including Beech, Sugar Maple, White Ash, Yellow Poplar and Basswood. A variety of wildlife makes its home around Youghiogheny River Lake, including deer, bear, turkey, grouse, rabbit and squirrel.
Some of Pennsylvania and Maryland's finest state parks surround Youghiogheny Lake. Ohiopyle State Park is known for some of the best whitewater in the East and is often the location of national kayaking competitions. Cyclists enjoy the many miles of bike trails in the area. For the history buff, the area boasts many historical sites and parks. For sheer natural beauty, Youghiogheny Lake can't be beat.
$155 / night
Legend
General: Large campground in four loops with a variety of sites ranging from tent-only, 30-amp electric, 50-amp electric, and 30/50-amp electric, along with eight camper cabins.
Site Quality: All sites are gravel; most appeared level, but some did not. All sites are wooded but some have more separation than others. Our site backed up to the creek but surprisingly, there was not a lot of water flowing in the spring,
Bath/Shower house: Basic and dated, but reasonably clean. Did not use the shower.
Activities/Amenities: Many include fishing, swimming, boating, bicycling, hiking, geocaching, and hunting. The lake is separate from the campground, but it is less than a mile away and a reasonable distance walk. There is also a playground, volleyball, shuffleboard, and a large picnic area at the end of one of the loops. Bike and boat rentals are available in the summer season; the season was set to open the day after we left so aside from hiking, we could not avail ourselves of any of the activities (and my husband had a foot injury so even hiking was out for us). There are also laundry facilities, but I did not check these out.
We were surprised that just a few days before Memorial Day, only a handful of sites were occupied. We’ve been very impressed by the pristine conditions of many Pennsylvania state parks, but this one had a more rustic feel and had not been modernized. Fleeting cell at best on Verizon.
Traveler
This park has many trails but mostly there more rapids to enjoy. The trails however are of a higher class of terrain though they aren’t necessarily difficult. There is much to see. The most unique part about this place is the small town in the middle of it. The shops are all mom and pop made from scratch food and hand made jewelry and clothing. There is a small pub right up the street and the entire town has an amazing view of the river just across the parking lot, which you can swim in up to a point. Ohiopyle is an amazing place, I have visited it many times and I plan to visit many times in the future.
Guide
A nice campground in a beautiful area. Currently, McCollum has 25 campsites, but a new section is under construction. The sites are relatively level for such a hilly area, but we did need to do a little extra positioning of our camper. Site 22 is a pull through site and feels extra large compared to others. No water at this site but is does have 30 and 15 amp service.
There is a small camp store with the basics and a larger outpost just down the road where many of the trail heads are located. There is a bit of a Wi-Fi signal but is only accessible when you're at the camp store.
Fantastic hiking in the area! Lots of interesting scenery and rock formations to explore.
Bath house was clean and the water was hot.
Definitely recommend staying here.
Ranger
Nice little park& campground. Very Clean, cozy and quiet, except for the road noise. Right off Route 31, minutes from I-76 makes it a very convenient place to stop along your travels. Bathrooms are clean, grounds very well kept. The park area is lovely, but the lake is currently very low. Trout stocked but I wouldn’t count on fishing here right now. Short walking trail along a creek. Very lovely cabins and cabin areas and tent sites. RV sites are small but adequate and most are pull though. Honestly some of the best attention and details we’ve seen at a state park. We would stay again. We stayed at site 12E and site 1E. Be aware that site 1E is not very level on pull through gravel surface.
Scout
Sites are very large. Water pressure was good. Bath house was clean. The grounds were very clean and well kept. Staff was friendly. Quiet and peaceful. Pet friendly. Dump station on grounds and easy access.
Legend
Tried this KOA on the spur of the moment. We won't be back.
It's easy on/easy off from the interstate. The hills were terrible getting there, then another hill to get to the KOA. The ANOTHER hill to get to our site.
Asked for a site by the bathroom. It was closer than all the other sites on the hill. Yes, all the sites are cut into the hill. There's stairs to get down to the bathroom/shower(!?!?). Some people living in a trailer by the stairs have a big dog that will lunge & bark.
It seems like cosmetic things have been done. Planters spaced on posts leading up to the KOA main building. The bathroom had some newer looking siding & some flowers, but the floor in the women's bathroom had holes in it. It smelled funny in there too. This place needs a major remodel!
There were cigarette butts EVERYWHERE!
We were thinking about using the pool, but decided against it. Sites were full sun.
Can't believe this is a KOA...
Ranger
Very nice campground with multiple pools,playsets,cabins and river sites. So quiet cept for the occasional train pass by across the river. Food ice cream and biking access and sites.
Guide
I have stayed at this campground MANY times and it has been TERRIBLE every time with kids screaming and music blasting at 1 in the morning the staff don't care they just care about the bottom line by selling 13 dollar milkshakes and serving you 20 dollar salads! This Campground Is Poorly Maintained And It is evident that they just want to take your money this campground is frequently at capacity and is oversold frequently! The Pools Are Dirty And Were Closed On 2 Of The 3 Days staff would not tell us what happened and would not give us our money back. While you were swimming you were touching hair every other time you moved and their were many leaves in the pools that staff did not care and were super rude
Scout
If your looking for cleanliness find another campground. The bathrooms and Showers in the campground and the beach house are Gross all the time. The swim area leaves a brown residual stain in your swimwear and on your person. A simple shower won't get the stuff off your skin you will have to scrub multiple times to get clean. Forget getting a peaceful night's sleep because you won't due to dogs barking and the amount of traffic traveling through the area or by the campground. The Lack of rangers presence and lack of cleanliness has made this place go from a nice place to spend time to a absolute last resort when it comes to camping for my family.
Traveler
Close to Cheat Lake and restaurants in Morgantown.
Scout
This is our second time staying here - once in Electric site on Lakeside and this time non electric site on Hillside. Love this side of Hillside - quiet and shaded. Very clean park and shower house does not have the timed showers of Lakeside. Both times very much appreciated the presense of DCNR - on foot this time. Very nice park to hike, swim, walk, bike, and kayak. The little store has drinks and snacks. Because the beach was closed we had considered going to Deery Community Pool 7 miles away - another option in the area.
ScoutA dozen or so of the sites are not level, not only that but they are narrow and where you sit is a slope making it very uncomfortable. This is overpriced for that simple issue, I guess ok for an overnight stay but I wouldn’t plan a long stay
Guide
We love this park! We have camped and stayed in a camper cabin. We love camping in the trees that provide some privacy. At night time, the owls hoot away. The bathhouses are pretty good, not the best but are always clean. I like that the campground is dog friendly, but didn’t realize the park is not. The waterfall trails are beautiful and a sight to explore. Definitely recommend this park!
ScoutThis is a former KOA campground, but still has the same management. The good: pretty campground, clean and nice amenities. Bad: the management is rude and unfriendly. Also, the seasonal campers are also salty. We were driving a golf cart, going less than the speed limit and the seasonal guests shook their fingers at us to slow down… Unfortunately we won’t come back bc of the people. The site itself is great.
Traveler
Lots to do. Very convenient. Huge pool (indoor/outdoor).
ScoutIt was my first time camping at a State Park Campground and it wasn’t as bad as anticipated! Very clean shower houses they were a bit dated as expected but overall in working clean condition.They have paddle boats, kayak and canoe rentals. We rented canoes and spent few hours out on the water. Our site 135 was fairly easy to access with our 36ft fifth wheel but could be an issue with anything larger or without an experienced driver. All in all a great stay I would recommend to everyone!
RangerVery nice and newer campground. Some river sites were small and very un level but was doable.
GuideExcellent clean park and easy to get to from Pittsburgh. The campsite and bathrooms were clean when we arrived and when we left. The site numbering is a bit wonky on the door loop so make sure you look at your map before you start driving the loops.
The electrical hookups are not played out well like an expensive RV park with the shared power post on the entrance side of the camper. You may want to have an extension for your power cable.
The park ranger drove through multiple times a day. Overall the dog loop was quite and at night we could hear the coyotes in the distance.
The lake provides a great place to fish and the walking trail has some less used fishing spots if you are willing to walk. We enjoyed the easy walking lake trail with the kids because it was wide and flat.
Kayak rental of $15 for an hour was the cheapest we have seen and allowed us to explore more of the lake.
GuideIf you are looking for lots of amenities - swimming pool, organized activities, mini golf etc. and don’t mind being stacked together with other campers, this is the place for you. Camp sites have no privacy, lots of golf carts going by regularly. There is a large quantity (100s) of permanent sites. Bath houses certainly not designed for lots of people in terms of size, but the showers were free, hot, clean and had good water pressure. Here for a gathering of 50 or so campers. Nice pavilion area. Would probably only return for a similar event.
Ranger
This is a small campground in the western mountains of Maryland right outside New Germany State Park. We went for a hike in the park which is a short drive from the campground and it was really nice. I think this campground has a bright future due to its owners trying to make improvements as they can. The bathhouse is at the center of the grounds and is maybe a little older but we'll kept and the showers work well. From what I understand they updated the electric a few years back, and put in 30 am hookups for probably 20 or so RV camp sites that worked fine. There's some work that could stand to be done on leveling a few sites but they have hauled in a lot of gravel. Maybe call ahead to pick a site to fit your rig for right now. My family would stay here again. FYI, there not a dump station at this time, but you can empty a portable tank if you have one outside the restroom.
Guide
The entry is strange as we had to block the gated entrance to get to the office to check in. Once past that, the staff was nice and the buildings and properties are well maintained. They have a new bath house which is personal bathroom style and very nice. The sites are very close together with little privacy. We stayed in site 435. The site was sloped pretty bad side to side and there is a drop off on the one side of the fire ring so we could not sit completely around the fire. We did not take part in the planned events they had set up but did use the pool which was nice. The star gazing platform leaves a lot to be desired and is in need of repair. Roads are all gravel so no bikes or scooters for kids.
Guide
This place is so beautiful so peaceful the fish in the lake a huge. Small fee for fishing. It’s catch and release only. The owners of the property are very caring and helpful and friendly
Scout
We only stayed one night, driving through. About 3 miles from the interstate, narrow roads. Big rigs probably hard to back in.
GuideI want here for a low cost trip for me and my family. We were not gunna get a golf cart because it was $80 dollars a day ,but getting around this campground is a train-wreck without a golf cart between all of the hills and all the kids cutting you off on bikes while driving. I even had a kid flip me off after cutting me off while I was driving my Subaru and he clearly saw me but continued to go anyway! Designed To Get You To Spend Money!
Scout
This place was awesome! We were there for one of the first weekends of the season, and we enjoyed every bit of our trip. Not only were the staff super friendly and helpful, but we were lucky enough to get a full-hookup site right on the lake. Quiet, peaceful, everything you want on a spring trip. We really got to witness the owners' kindness when we left for a hiking trip and a sudden windstorm caught our awning and broke one side of it, sending most of the awning itself up on the roof. The owner and his son got right to work fixing it: One got up on the roof and the other worked from the bottom to set it right and wire the broken arm to the side of the trailer so we could drive home. They also folded up our chairs and put everything we had outside in a neat little pile. I've been camping for nearly 40 years and have never witnessed that kind of pro-activeness. It's exactly what you SHOULD(but don't often) get. We will absolutely be back.
Guide
Mountain Top was off the beaten path and very quiet. The check in process was easy and our site was flat. We had the most amazing views from our site. Water and electricity were easy to access and hook up. Bathhouse was clean. Only disappointment was that the showers were coin operated, so you not only needed cash on hand but then had to turn those into special coins for the shower. They had both ice and firewood available that was self service.
GuideStayed here one weekend and rafted down the Ohio Pyle river. Very convenient to the river and town. The campground was not as well maintained as other state parks we have visited but not bad.
Camping near Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled weekend, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Enjoy the great outdoors and make some lasting memories!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Vanderbilt, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Vanderbilt, PA is Kentuck Campground — Ohiopyle State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 80 reviews.
What parks are near Vanderbilt, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Vanderbilt, PA that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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