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"We camped out overnight with a group of 14 people, and there was plenty of room for everyone to pitch their tents and spend a relaxing night under the stars."
"This campsite is a nice reward for west-bound riders on the GAP trail (it's the last one before Pittsburgh!)"
$25 / night
"The spacious and lush lawn has lots of space for tents, but the winner is the covered seating, dining, and cooking area. Everything is clean as a whistle…pun intended. "
$100 - $150 / night
"We're happy to welcome your host, Laurel, to our platform. This is a cannabis friendly campground that overlooks the Laurel Highlands Hemp field, and surrounding mountains."
"Round Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run is a free camping area directly on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail around Mile 99 (East of West Newton roughly 15 miles). "
"This is one of the only free hiker-biker campgrounds along the GAP trail (mile 99.6), and it is laid out similarly to the Dravo Campground, with lean-tos, picnic tables, firepits and lots of spaces for"
$10 - $60 / night
"Laurel Ridge State Park is the greenway that protects the legendary Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail from the busy world around it."
"It is a beautiful wooded park offering lots of trees for privacy. I wish I had more time to explore the park before moving on. The bathhouse could use a renovation. It felt old and kind of dirty."
$25 - $35 / night
"There is a bathhouse located closest to site 5 with trails from other sites to get there. The facilities are always clean- no shower available."
"There was a fire place and a picnic table and an area to park your car. It was walking distance to the beautiful overlook and a great price for what you get."
$20 / night
"Set your tent up on the lawn, up on the stage, or under the long lean-to, if you want to get out of the weather. It’s all up for grabs for the night."
LegendRound Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run is a free camping area directly on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail around Mile 99 (East of West Newton roughly 15 miles). For those not familiar with the GAP Trail, it is a Rails-to-Trails initiative that travels from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD…meandering through numerous Trail Towns that were former thriving railroad towns at the end of the 1800's.
Round Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run can only be accessed by the GAP Trail, which means on foot or bicycle…or paddlers on the Youghioheny River. Being positioned directly off the GAP Trail grants easy access to those traveling the trail.
Amenities:
No potable water…there is hand pump but the water was discolored. It is a short walk down a trail to the river's edge, where I filtered water for drinking.
There is plenty of grassy area for scores of tents in this area. So if you are not fortunate enough to secure one of the two Shelters or tent pads, you can still set up a tent in the nicely mowed areas, which are still level.
We were bikepacking the GAP Trail east from Pittsburgh and arrived on a Sunday evening mid-June. We secured the only open Adirondack Shelter and were able to set up our tent inside, along with keeping our bicycles inside and out of the elements. Which made it wonderfully convenient when it started to rain. Sites and shelters are first come, first served.
Usually the vault toilets along this trail are clean, maintained and stocked…but on this visit, piles of trash were inside likely from an overly busy weekend.
The only negative was the train traffic on the opposite side of the River…it is loud when they rumble through. If you don't sleep with ear-plugs, you will wish you had.
Bicycle traffic was fairly light during the week, so not only did you have the GAP Trail mostly to oneself, the camping areas were either sparsely filled or empty. Although, things just did start opening up from the Covid-19 shutdown.
Apart from the train noise during sleeping hours, Round Bottom Camping Area is very peaceful and though you can still visually see the GAP Trail, you are not disturbed by passing cyclists.
RangerKooser State Park is a small campground nestled in the Laurel Highlands, close to Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resorts. The park has great amenities just a short walk from all sites. All sites have fire rings, with grills, however note they are double walled so do not expel a lot of heat outward. Great for cooking however.
Most sites are not level, but very grassy. Firewood is available at the entrance for$5 bundle supporting a local club. A beautiful walk through the park leads you to the Kooser Lake, great for fishing. It is also close to the Laurel Hill State Park which is great for hiking and water activities. The park is close to the road so you will experience some road noise.
The park is 15min from Somerset. No phone reception at this one! They welcome all furry friends!
LegendElectric Site 37 - pad is pretty level, plenty for our small camper and truck, on a slight hill to get to fire ring but lots of space to spread out. You could tent but not really a flat spot. We were near the non-electric cul de sac and a neighbor right across but not on top of each other. Trees are everywhere and wonderful during the fall season. We had a big night of rain and with the wind it dried up pretty quickly.
Camp store - small, not a lot in it but may be end of the season items only. Mostly shirts and mugs and very little snack food. The camp store staff were all very friendly and helpful and the store has limited WiFi if you stood in the right spot. There is a laundry room available there as well.
Dump station- 2 way and potable water on the other side of it. The only place to drop your trash too.
Trails - lots of trails to choose from. Some were pretty easy some were a little hilly. My favorite was the fern trail - lots of ferns and a very pretty stream. Hiking poles are recommended especially if it rains.
Playground - is available for kids and a huge shelter house too.
Firewood is $6 a bundle and burns well, no slab cut.
Water - have to go up to entrance as the water spouts are still shut off.
Showers - in womens the shower on the left never got warm, other two were fine. There are 4 flush toilets.
LegendPROS
Able to reserve 129 days prior to arriving
Melissa at check-in was very friendly and helpful
Good overnight stop to visit Flight 93 Memorial 22 miles from campground
Site #391 level
Gravel site surrounded by grass
Moveable wooden picnic table
Large concrete fire ring
Clean toilet-shower building that are heavily used
Mostly quiet except for road noise
Firewood for sale in Park
CONS
No discount
Site #391 no shade
Park cable connection failed
Sewer connection“up hill”
Never found trash dumpster and wasn’t marked on campground map
Very loud radio station blaring in the toilet/shower building that could be heard outside the building
2 bars Verizon
No WIFI
RangerWe often do dispersed, leave no trace, primitive camping throughout the state forest. There are wonderful, well maintained trails throughout. If you want to dive into nature within a 30 minute drive from Morgantown, this is your place to go. Take the scenic hike to raven’s rock for views that will not disappoint.
RangerWe stayed here 9/2018 at site #10 and can't wait to return. There is a small campground just by the entrance that has a small store and electric sites with RV hookups. Site 10 was at the campground at the top of the hill, sparsely populated, and had beautiful views beyond the trees. There were toilets and drinking water, but no electricity. The bathrooms do not have lighting so bring a headlamp or flashlight. Each site had a fire ring and a picnic table. Trails were well maintained, but be warned that the overlook is crowded.
RangerWe stayed in a Ranger Smith Cabin in the upper campground. I give this 3 stars because I'm a state park camper at heart: I prefer more room between sites, more relaxation and nature when camping. But your kids will love it here: two pools, splashgrounds, fire truck rides, arcades, meeting Yogi and friends, nightly movies...the list goes on. Be prepared for an endless parade of golf carts during your stay. We were underwhelmed by the expensive cabin as it had dorm room furniture and uncomfortable beds. The walk-in tent sites were in a hilly area without pavilions, but reservable tent sites in the lower campground had pavilions and more level ground. This is a great base camp for exploring area attractions in the Laurel Highlands such as Idlewild, Fort Necessity and the beautiful Ohiopyle State Park. If you go to Idlewild, then stop by Gino's pizza in Ligonier; order the sampler pizza (includes pierogi, taco, white and margherita)--you won't be disappointed.
GuideThe 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.
GuidePros: Reasonably priced, fairly quiet campground with full shower and bath houses. The tent site I was in was also nicely designed, with a tent 'pad', as well as full campfire ring, picnic table, and lantern hanging hook. There are tent, RV, and group sites at this campground.
Cons: The bath/shower houses could've used a much better cleaning (but were not the worst I've encountered). Also, I'm not from the area, and the drive to get to this out-of-the-way campground was awful. It's really far from a main highway (which isn't so bad), but the roads to get to the campground are hilly, winding country roads with 55 mph speed limits that I found way too fast if you're not a local. And the locals are really aggressive drivers.
Explore the beauty of tent camping near West Newton, Pennsylvania, where scenic landscapes and well-maintained sites await outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're biking along the Great Allegheny Passage or seeking a peaceful retreat, there's a perfect spot for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near West Newton, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near West Newton, PA is Dravo's Landing Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near West Newton, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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