Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country

It's hard to get here with no reservations

I don’t know if the Amish camp, but regardless, if you’d like to experience what it’s like to go camping in Amish country then Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country RV Resort has you covered. First of all, whenever I see that word ‘resort’ I always wonder – is it really a resort? And, well, while we're on that particular question, what makes a place a resort in the first place? In my estimation, a resort has to have a pool and likely some of those splash pools, probably gated or requires some sort of secure admittance, full of recreation options, is a restful respite and (very probably) features a Tiki Hut or some version of an outdoor bar that is serving up delicious libations. Apart from that very last amenity, this particular RV campground destination ticks most of the boxes.

So, should you be looking for an authentic Quaker environ to enjoy some of the best of what the great Keystone State has to offer, then you might want to give PA Dutch Country RV Resort some consideration, but before you do, you’ll need to secure a membership with Thousand Trails in order to access this, and indeed the other 250 or so other campgrounds this camping conglomerate has throughout the US. The biggest downside to this particular campground is its very close proximity to the PA Turnpike, which while convenient, might detract a bit from the peace & quiet you might be expecting when here at your new-found camping ‘resort.’ That said, as the PA Dutch Country RV Resort rests at a slightly higher elevation than the turnpike, I have to admit, we really didn’t notice much of any noise coming from the highway and what’s more, this campground is completely surrounded by a fairly dense forest, which likely is what blocks any irritable sound and most certainly blocks any highway or traffic visibility.

Should you decide to leave ‘the reservation’ for any reason, you’ll be engulfed by the incredibly rich, verdant countryside populated by incredibly rural residents who’s ancestors settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago. Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside (of which my Irish ancestors intermingled with a long time ago) is a combination of rolling hills in a plush countryside punctuated by massive rolled bays of hay in the surrounding fields, covered wooden bridges and the occasional quaint New England well-preserved charming towns that you will be sure to encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, discovering a spot like PA Dutch Country RV Resort places you in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes anywhere in the Keystone State.

Should you need directions to this campground, it’s just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78. Here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort you’ll encounter a destination offering up 267 back-in and pull-through slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding with about 6 tent sites offering 15 amp electric and running water. You will discover that no matter where you look on this property, you will have to contend with sloping land as this campground appears to be situated right on the side of a heavily wooded hill. That said, we didn’t have any problems laying out our campsite that came with the standard-issued picnic table and in-ground fold-up fire ring. Don’t have an RV, 5th Wheeler or Tent? Not a problem, as the good folks here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort will rent you one of their 3 cottages for the night.

As previously mentioned, with the term ‘resort’ there should be a ton of amenities that one conjures up and PA Dutch Country RV Resort does not disappoint with plenty of amenities, inclusive of: 3 fairly massive restroom & shower facilities, Wi-Fi service (at a cost), trading post / camp store, swimming pool, walking paths, clubhouse/ office, playing card room, church service, crafts & arts, family bingo, community library, mini golf course, basketball court, horseshoe pits, kids playgrounds, fire pit, designated picnic & BBQ areas, ranger station, recreation hall, cornhole, basketball court, designated dump stations, water stations, ice for sale, propane refueling station, RV storage, Laundry-O-Mat and pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are an RVer or 5th Wheeler, the best sites IMHO are those that back up to the periphery and are northernmost up the slight embankment as you’ll have greater privacy and less noise being furthest away from all of the action in the center of this campground resort – these sites include: #C1– C5, #D9– D17 and #E44– E49; (2) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, while there’s not a ton of restaurants around these parts, there are a few and they are pretty amazing, including favorites Brick Tavern Inn and The West End, McCoole’s @ The Historic Red Lion Inn and Sage Alley Brewery; (3) In the event that you need to replenish any of your supplies, rest assured as in nearby Quakertown, there’s a Giant & Aldi’s grocery store as well as a local Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, Kohl’s and Link Beverages to stock up on the 21+ liquid refreshment; (4) Should you be towing your canoe or kayak with you and are eager to get the beak of your waterbird wet, then head on over due east of Quakertown Campground to Nockamixon SP where there’s a sizeable, yet skinny lake just begging for you to navigate it and get some good, hard oaring in; and (5) As a tent camper, while there are only 6 or so spots to choose from, you’ll be happy to know that these are also located on the periphery, with #L1& L2 being southernmost, which I would avoid altogether as this places you too close to the highway) and #T9– T12, which are located northernmost and are the best tent campsites to book.

Happy Camping!

We stayed for a week for $300 with our discount very friendly and helpful and responsive staff very clean Park no issues

The park is very pretty, but the little store to buy firewood and ice is only open on the weekends now. This park is not far from gas stations and restaurants, so it's easy enough to get anything you need!

Nice place, we stayed opening weekend so many amenities were closed. Ordered firewood that didn't show up for 24hrs, but they gave me a free bundle so... Our site was nice and would be private once the trees fill in later in the season. Water pressure was good. Overall, I would recommend as a place to try once.

We were in two different sites: the first was a two point site (water and electric) the road was dirt it seemed separate from the main drag of the campground, sites were wide but not very deep.

We then switched over to a full hookup site in the wooded area. Depending on your rig size you’re only available certain sites. They won’t give you a 50 amp site unless your 50 amp or 40’, they save them for larger campers.

The bathrooms were heated, and okay. I didn’t care for the shower curtain system it seems less private.

Laundry is quaint and coin operated.

Playground was open and great for the kids, so was mini golf.

We only went once, and not much was open. Nice cute country store on site. Ground was not level where we were. I hear now they assign sites. When we went it was first come first serve. Nice people and the campground was quiet and pretty scenery

My son got poison sumac behind our site, and the nearby shooting range is incredibly loud.

It is a nice campground with fun amenities, but we won't visit again.

Sites are very close together. Fire rings are very close to campers. Water was rusty in our row came out brown at first then was tan after running through our filter for the entire stay. The site on either side was the same rusty. Unlevel is an understatement we were in E row and every camper there had front end 4 foot off the ground. Many other sites were the same. The walk to pool and all other amenities was not pleasant due to hills. There are alot of full time campers that had a problem with how close we were to their property. Made it a point to call out where there space started and ended. Trying to find a staff member to rent mini golf was almost impossible. There is a number to call that has you select numbers that take you in a loop to endless recordings.

This is my 3rd stay with a Thousand Trails campground and haven't been too impressed and wasn't expecting too much when we drove in. I was pleasantly surprised when we did. The campground is huge but you're not stacked on top of your neighbor like the others. They have 4 different sections to stay in, we were in D. We were also able to pick which site we wanted. We chose a pull thru for its ease and the extra space it had being on the end. Campground loses a start because the sites are pretty uneven. Not just the one we're on but others as well. The campground is pretty hilly and they don't seem to want to level out the sites. We had to go out and get more blocks and we're still not very level front to back. We also had to come in on an angle to make the slope less drastic. 

The Campground itself has tons of amenities from a pool, kids and adult lounges, basketball court, mini golf, ice cream in the store, a store and hiking trails. 

Another plus is its only about a half hour from Hershey Park, Harrisburg and other areas in PA. Friendly staff, pet-friendly and there is an RV sales place just outside the campground if you need anything or want to upgrade/downgrade your camper.

This campground will put your mind at ease and let you uncover the lost culture of this unique community. I remember going to the market and learning about culture that I was not necessarily familiar with before. This campground has clean facilities and gives people the chance to camp, relax and enjoy their surroundings.

Not much for amenities, but I loved the surrounding dutch/Amish towns! It was pretty cool to seemingly step back in time.