Best Glamping near Villanova, PA

We stayed here for 3 nights while visiting family In Philadelphia. It is a 20 minute ride into Philly and Uber was was quick and responsive.

*note- this does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change.

This is a nice KOA with full hook ups, tent sites,cabins, and even glamping cabins. There is a pool that is open Memorial Day- Labor Day. They also have a catch and release pond and we found a pickleball court at a nearby city park.

We did Chinatown and walked part of the Schuylkill River trail which we accessed by parking near Fairmount Park. This is a great area to explore with gorgeous views and easy access to the River trail. (There are rentals for everything here- kayaks/bikes etc)

IF we had a car with us- we would have considered taking the ferry from Camden’s Ferry Terminal next to Wiggins Park to Philly. (This is also near the Adventure Aquarium and the battleship New Jersey) Here is a link to information about the ferry-

https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry

This is a great location for exploring Philadelphia.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

West Chester KOA This is a really nice KOA not too far from downtown Philly. The campground is located in a beautiful part of the Pennsylvania countryside with rolling hills which meant the roads getting there are narrow and windy. A bridge nearby the campground was washed out earlier by a hurricane so we had to take an alternative route going about thirty minutes out of our way. (Make sure you check their website for directions!) There is a lot to do in the surrounding area like visiting the historical sites in downtown Philadelphia, Valley Forge, or exploring Amish country. 

This is a typical KOA with lots of amenities and activities for kids– swimming pool, jump pad, miniature golf, volleyball, butterfly garden, gem mining, playground, store, dog park, nature trail, etc. There is a large pool area with pavilion but it was closed during our stay since we were there early in the season. The campground is right on the Brandywine River which is a slow meandering pretty river that is great to get your feet wet or go for a paddle. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent if you have time and as there is very little current in the river you can paddle out and back without any trouble. There is a nice, short nature trail which was nice to walk our dog and she enjoyed getting wet in the river. 

The campground is hilly which means that a fair number of sites are not level. Our site (#27) was level for our RV but the patio sloped downhill and we could not use our picnic table or find a level spot for our chairs. Some sites are “premiums” with paved patios, Adirondack chairs, fancy firepits, BBQ grill, and tables and chairs with an umbrella. These sites are really nice, but you pay a lot more for them. Some sites are located adjacent to the river with nice waterfront views, but beware some might be muddy. There are lots of camping cabins and a couple of glamping tents. 

Overall, the campground is very clean with no trash lying around and the grass was mowed and trimmed. The 50-amp electric was good as was the water pressure. The sewer connection uphill from our site so it did not drain properly. There is basic cable but since you are so close to Philly there are plenty of over-the-air channels. The Wi-Fi at our site worked well. Garbage is picked up at your site. The surrounding area has plenty of restaurants, shopping, and interesting things to see and do.

General: 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.

My family and I stayed at Lake In Wood for 4 days. The campground is very well maintained , and the staff is very nice. There is a kiddie pool , as well as an indroor/outdor pool.The sites appeared to all be a very good size.  Even though the campground has a Gnome theme, there are plenty of things to do for all ages. The Gnome Cafe on site served great food as well. This cafe also has classic arcade games and pinball. The camp store was well stocked also. There is a spacious dog park as well. AT&T cell service was good, but Verizon cell service was not. The campground wifi was decent depending onthe time of day. This campground also has many interesting theme cabins. We saw a caboose, teepee, and a yurt. I do not know if there are others. Overall I think that this is the best campground that my family and I have ever visitied. We will definitely be back.