Best Cabin Camping near Watsontown, PA

My girlfriends and I just stayed in the yurts for annual glamping trip. We reserved 3 of 4 yurts for first weekend in June...non peak season. Peak season requires minimum 5 day reservation, I believe. Yurts have 2 sets of bunk beds with one set having full size mattress on bottom. Yurts have heat and fans. Full size refrigerator, stove and microwave. No water but directly across from facilities with basin sinks outside for cleaning dishes, etc. Each yurt has a huge deck, 2 picnic tables and fire pit. Restrooms and showers are a hop, skip and jump from yurts and well maintained. Also each yurt comes with a moor skip to keep kayaks, paddleboards or canoes at lake. Beautiful lake surrounded by trails and includes beach area and playground. Dogs are allowed in the park but not in campgrounds (yurts and cabins). There is no tent camping here but is available at Locust Lake State Park, just a few miles away. Alcohol is prohibited. Must park in overnight lot after unloading.

Knoebels campground is situated next to Knoebels amusement park and offers sites for tent campers and RVs, as well as cabins.

There is electricity at every site but not water. There are fill stations throughout the campgrounds. Most sites are level and shaded. There are nice sturdy wooden platforms for tent campers.

The bath houses are clean and well maintained. There are outside sinks with mirrors, laundry facilities, shower stalls, and toilet stalls. Or if you prefer there are also traditional bathrooms with showers.

Quiet hours are enforced between 10p and 8a.

Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Wood is available by the bucket near the check in building. Sites are inexpensive and are all a short walk, or free shuttle ride, to the park!.

Camping here is a delight.  Its a secluded,  public campground that has been owned and ran by the same family for generations. 

They have almost 400 sites, ranging from tent sites, to pop ups, 5th wheels, rv's and even 5 rental cabins. You can stay a weekend, or a month...   Every site has a fire pit, picnic table and a trash can provided.  Back that up with every site has electric, water, as well as basic cable.  Every site means exactly that, even your tent site will have full amenities.

There is a pool with a smaller children's pool as well as a bath house. Clean, nice hot/cold showers, general store, coin laundry, private pond (occasionally stocked), badminton, horseshoes, golf cart friendly, A large pavilion with a large flatscreen display and community firepit is there for general use or for rental,  There is wifi by store and surrounding area, non denominational services.

Many campers are here"semi-permanently" and have landscaped their sites even including custom decks, some people I met have been coming here faithfully over 30 years. Its a a very friendly, know your neighbor type of camping. There has been structured entertainment,(bingo, shuffleboard, etc) in the past as well as dj's and bands on occasion.

Literally in the middle of nowhere, but 10 minutes from town, 15 from a Walmart and fast food, as well as 2 local hospitals. Local you can find multiple state parks, Historical sites, and other local attractions.

Open from the 2nd week of April until the 3rd week of October, weather permitting. All guests must be signed in,

Nice, clean, friendly/accommodating staff and the prices were reasonable for the accommodations. My Outdoor Adventure Algorithm is:(Drink+Fire+Lean-To)-(Rules+Regulations+Fees)/(Crowd-Privacy)*(Isolation*Acceptability of loud, primal, Forest-Man behavior)=Camping. While you won't mistake yourself for a member of the Donner Party, you'll also be comfortable, watching Dish, cooking on a gas stove or microwave inside(fire-ring out), with cold food/drinks and ice from the'big' mini-fridge. Bunk room had 2 bunk beds, each with a full size mattress AND room to move, plus good natural light. Living/dining area is large with a wall-mounted tv, rustic wood dining set, storage room and hooks/hangers, good natural light, as well as sufficient artificial direct and ambient lighting.Comfortable couch pulls out into a comfortable bed. Large covered front porch with again more lighting and a hanging swing. Parking is driveway-close, and they're pretty mellow about blazing conflagrations(IF it's under control) so you can get a REAL bed of coals to properly cook.They also have used/re-purposed camping/RV/tailgating items for sale( some free). It would even make a good event-specific yard-sale trip. Overall, a damned nice hotel in the woods. Not a survivalist challenge or hXc camping experience; just a clean, safe getaway for a game, Arts Fest, or just a time-out

The first time we decided to visit Knoebels resort, we decided to camp at the nearby Lake Glory Campground/Knoebels Campground. We rented a cabin and a family we were traveling with, also rented a cabin.

The cabins were clean, as was the bathhouse, but the cabins were right on top of each other, with NO division at all. It was more like a neighborhood on a quiet street. In some ways, it was nice that all of the children in the area where able to play together and all of the adults could watch them- but there was just NO privacy or feelings of seperation at all.

The fire rings seemed old, and you could hear every single cough, laugh, etc from your neighbor. It was also a fairly decent walk to the bathhouse- though the bathhouses were large and well kept.

While we didn't stay in the tent or RV sites, it looked like a fairly similar sense of privacy in those sites. It basically looked like tents were just randomly placed in open spaces of grass.

Firewood was for sale at the entrance, and it was "fill a bucket for $5". So basically, whatever you could fit and carry on of their metal pails, cost you $5. If you take your time, you can get a good amount of wood for that.

The insides of the cabins had a large queen size bed and then a loft bunk. There was a nice built in shelf with electric and even a good amount of hooks and cubbies for storage. Of the camping cabins we have stayed in, this was the largest and most functional. That said, there was a ceiling fan for air circulation at the top and it was LOUD. I had to sleep up top, since my sensory-senstive child couldn't handle it- just a head's up, in case you have a similar issue.

Overall, if you're looking for a dirt cheap way to stay near the local amusement park, this will do. Personally, when we returned this year, we just rented a hotel. We didn't enjoy the "camping" experience here at all.

This park has no tent camping. They offer cabins and yurts, but have no sites for people to set up tents. The main attraction for this park is their lake, which you can swim in, fish, kayak or drop in a boat. There is a playground for kids to play in that is well maintained. There are hiking trails in the back side of the park, from the main entrance. The visitor center is only open during the week. The cabins and yurts have electricity and running water. They are great if you want the outdoor experience while getting the option of a bed. If you want tent camping, check out locust lake state park which isn't far away.

General: It really does feel like you drive to the end of the world to get to this beautiful park/campground. We camped here mid-week at the beginning of November and when we arrived with friends, we were the only two campsites occupied but by the next day, several more campers arrived. There are two campgrounds– one with hookups and one without; both campgrounds are fairly small(in terms of the number of sites). There are also rustic cabins with electricity but no running water. This is another Pennsylvania state park with excellent recycling facilities. Firewood was for sale on the honor system conveniently located near the campsites plus trail maps which was good as we had zero cell service. 

Site Quality: The sites are spaced a decent amount apart and are generous in size. The pet-designated sites are close to the road (154), although there was not a lot of traffic (at least when we were there). Each site has a large picnic table and fire ring and we stayed in the area with electric hookups. Most of the sites are nicely wooded. Bathhouse: This is the third Pennsylvania state park we have stayed at recently and all get an A+ for the bathhouses. Very clean, heated, and the showers appear to be in good condition (did not use so cannot comment on more than the appearance). There was also a dishwashing sink with dish detergent INSIDE the bathhouse (women’s– not sure about men’s!), something I have never seen before but which was appreciated in the colder months. 

Activities: We came for the hiking and there are numerous trails in both the state park and neighboring Loyalsock State Forest, some of which are accessible from the campgrounds. The trails are very well marked and most of them prohibited hunting but when we tried to hike to Cottonwood Falls, hunting was allowed; since we were not wearing blaze orange, we decided to turn back(we did see some “lesser” falls). I recommend the High Rock Trail(accessible from the Visitor Center) but do it in a counterclockwise direction. There is a lot of rock scrambling, but it is a beautiful trail. The visitor center has a nice playground, but it is a mile away from the campground. In season, you can horseback ride, swim, hunt, or cross-country ski or snowmobile. The Park is open year-round. 

Conclusion: This Park turned out to be a hidden gem for us, but I think it was more so because it was so sparsely inhabited; as with many other campgrounds we have stayed at, I’m sure it would have a completely different vibe during the summer months.

We had the pleasure of renting a cabin at World's End State Park for the first time in February 2016 after being convinced by friends to check it out. We were immediately in love with the babbling river that ran right beside our cabin. On cold days and nights we could stay warm under our roof covered front porch fireplace and still enjoy being outside. There is no better place to curl up with a book and some coffee on a cold, winter morning. The cabins stay very warm with a wood burning stove- sometimes even too warm and windows need to stay cracked open. We purchased wood from a local gentleman who delivered. A list of these services are available inside the check-in area, which also serves as a cool local mini-museum of sorts. There are several amazing lookout spots in the area that you can access via car. The cabins generally sleep 6-8 very comfortably with 4 double bunk beds in most. The cabins also have electricity and include a stove and refrigerator. There is no plumbing, so no sink or toilet but there are several very well maintained and equipped bathroom houses throughout the cabins area. The bathrooms are private and have showers and dishwashing stations. If you are looking for comfort, bring your own good camp chair. The cabins are only equipped with wooden chairs and a wooden bench seat. As soon as we left the park and were able to access cell phones again, I booked another cabin for myself and kids for their Spring Break in April 2016. This may become a tradition as we had a fantastic time hiking the area in the Spring. Butternut trail is right in the campground and is a perfect two-hour hike for kids who don't mind a good hike. There are some tricky spots, but it's manageable and well worth it when you reach the lookout at the top. The folks at the welcome center are knowledgeable and can point you in the direction of some great local trails. Forksville General Store is also nearby and there you can get cell service and a nice meal. The owners were regionally from Philadelphia and according to my son, make a fantastic cheesesteak. We are excited to visit World's End again this spring and winter. We have not visited in the summer but hear that it gets more crowded. We have friends that recently stayed there in a tent campsite and had a great visit.

Tent camping in the large loop area. 

Escaping the Maryland summer heat, the cooler temperatures in Ricketts Glen State Park was perfect. This park offers a variety of activities. Hiking along the Falls Trail being a highlight. The Large Loop is closer and banks along the lake, where there are two separate beach areas perfect for swimming. Kayak rentals, fishing are some of the great water things you can enjoy. 

The campsite was perfectly sized for us - tent campers and close but not too close to the clean restrooms. A water spigot was handy across the road. Behind the restroom building is a dishwashing station. While there are showers there, the hot water was actually...cold.

There is a great small camp store if you need last minute items, and the concession stands at the furthest beach sells firewood and ice cream.

There are cabins available to rent, which looked really comfy. All linens, etc need to be brought along though.