Cherry Springs State Park Campground

Great place for stargazing and astronomy! Use of red lights (flashlight or headlamp) was enforced in order to see the stars clearly. Campground was well maintained.

Easy in, easy out!! Gorgeous drive from Philadelphia if you go the long way!! No highways.. Stars were incredible and we were there when it was cloudy!!

Okay for one night. Pretty open campground. Great place to see the stars of the conditions are right.

After arriving at Cherry Springs we pitched our tent and took in the beautiful scenery, it gets even better at night! The skies opened up and the stars came out. It was truly breathtaking.

We got so lucky to be able to have two nights of clear skies. The people who bring the pro equipment to view the skies are so so nice! We walked around and everyone let us view what they were looking at in their telescopes! Even without equipment, you can just lay out and view some incredible skies. This place is an absolute dream!

I went with 2 of my best friends and the stars were magnificent! Saw multiple shooting stars as well! The campsites are a little too open and close for my liking but the area in general is beautiful! So many hiking trails as well with hills and water!

Come for the star gazing, stay for the community and the lovely little campsites. Fire ring and picnic table were a nice touch. Semi-level parking at site 3 for our camper van. Semi-private and shaded on the tree line. If you want closer access to the star field, you want sites 20-26. Bathrooms were toilet only with no lights. Make sure to bring your red lamps! (Or put a flashlight in a red solo cup.)

This is one of the darkest places that I have ever been. They go to a lot of trouble to make sure that it stays dark. There are no lights in the bathroom at the campground but that’s a sacrifice for the dark sky and they give out red cellophane to put over flashlights that are too bright. The stars were so bright during our visit that I could probably have counted over 1000. I would love to go back with a telescope when the kids are a little older.

Love this place. Quiet, Dark, perfect place to see the milky way!

This a great place to stargaze, which is why we chose it. The sites are mostly open with the usual amenities. The bathrooms are just non flushing toilets-no running water there so that is something to consider. we always bring water with us though- so no bother. The field is right across the way with the observation telescopes. Don't forget your red lights for the night! :)

Cherry Springs had a great campground with decent space between campsites. Each campsite had a fire pit and a picnic table and most had trees behind them. We stayed in a drive up site that was close to the restrooms and had a clear field near us to look up and stargaze.

We mainly came to this camp ground for stargazing and it was awesome! We brought our own telescope and set it up but there were a lot of people with telescopes willing to share with people who didn't have one.

This is a great little camp right beside the star field. The camp is wooded and well maintained. There are a ton to totally level spots which is why I took the one star off, but my family of four enjoyed it. The latrine toilets are kept very clean. We had a group that partied all night and definitely got sick in the latrine but the park staff were there by about 9 am cleaning it out. I do wish they were a bit more strict with some of the campers, as the party group also had a movie screen and projector and it was a bit of a bummer to have that much light near the star field but it was fine. Most campers are good about maintaining low light or red light to help maintain night vision. Tons of birds to see and you can hear cyotes. Go on a new moon so you can see the most stars.

There are no trees here so you can see the stars more easily; but keep in mind that means there isn't an easy way to hang a tarp if it rains so be prepared. Sites are far apart and pretty large. No cell service, vault toilets.

Lyman Run State Park is a better choice.

not the best camping area personally, we ended up staying at Lyman run state park for camping last time we went which is about a 20 min drive to cherry springs which worked out great! (check out my review and photos of there) but cherry springs really was worth it and if absolutely go again. absolutely beautiful! I went in October so I wish I brought more layers! definitely chilly without any tree coverage! definitely a must see!

this amazing park has one of the most amazing views of the stars on the east coast. its a dark sky park so there are not lights to spoil your viewing. its on the top of a mountain with some very beutiful overlooks too. everyone has to at least go there once to see the starts... i wish i had star pictures to show you but they would not do it justice.

Pros: Great for viewing the night sky Quiet Inexpensive Remote, not even a park office on site

Cons: Not all people observed the red light rules which ruins the dark sky effect The park ranger didn't come to drop off reservation slips until more than an hour past check in time All sites are very close together

The campground at Cherry Springs State Park has 30 sites and vault toilet restrooms. Pets are not permitted.

But don’t go for the camping. Cherry Springs State Park is an International Dark Sky Park and measures a 2 on the Bortle dark-sky scale. Go for the night skies - to see the stars and the Milky Way.

There are nearby state parks with daytime activities (try Lyman Run State Park for the swimming beach, hiking, and ATV trails).

Helpful Tips:

• Astronomy field is only for serious amateur astronomers and must be reserved (observe from the public viewing area behind the campground)
• Use red light even in the campground (free red cellophane available near the amphitheater)
• Site 26 is the best for unobscured night sky viewing
• Dress warmly (evenings are very cold, even in the summer)
• Do not expect cell service (even within an hour driving radius)
• Be prepared (nearest city of Williamsport is an hour away; firewood may be available at Lyman Run State Park concession stand)

Stayed for a star event, it was so quit and dark.

Arrived on a rainy afternoon noon that cleared up shortly afterward. That night it was overcast and muggy so there was nothing to see. The following two nights however were crystal clear and the temperature dropped drastically.

I camped here for a night over Fourth of July weekend while they had a star gazing event! We had a chance to lay out in the public viewing field and star gaze. Also, there were telescopes set up and knowledeable folks to tell you what you were viewing! Surprisingly, it was all free and even the fireworks created barely any light pollution for star gazing! The campsites themselves were of ideal size and mostly everyone respected the use of red lights instead of their night vision killing white lights! I was impressed with this as I feel most people camp there with the star gazing beauty in mind! A little off the beaten path, but definitely a good find away from that light pollution and with other like minded souls!

I write this with the caveat that we did not actually spend the night in Cherry Springs State Park. I favor campsites with privacy in the woods, even if they lack the amenities of public campsites. That being said, we did spend the evening on the public viewing field falling asleep under the stars. Sleeping on the field all night isn't actually allowed, so we camped at Little Lyman Vista, which we found on a map of the area. The whole area is very gorgeous and I HIGHLY recommend going for stargazing. If you have flexibility with your dates, try to go on a new moon or a meteor shower!

It's an awesome experience, if you go purely for the star gazing. If you are looking for a campground with more privacy I wouldn't suggest it. The nice thing is that it's truly the middle point of other state parks. From cherry springs you can easily access Sinnemahoning, Lyman Run, Ole Bull, Patterson, and Kettle Creek. There are also minimal spots at the campground itself, so you better get your spot early!

This is a mountain among many different state park and forest areas, making it exceptional for stargazing. The park and local astronomy clubs run events throughout the year so check their website if you’re thinking about visiting. The campground even has its own astronomy field and special all-night astronomy shelters, something I’ve never seen anywhere else. The astronomers are always friendly so don’t worry if you don’t have your own telescopes. If you’re not into stargazing this is still a lovely wooded central/northern PA campground with a lot of hiking along the Susquehannock Trail.

Nice campsites that are pretty secluded. Like that there are lots of first come first serve sites. Seemed a little pricy for just a water pump (still filtered it myself) and pit toilets.

Although that's easily made up by the seclusion which makes the night sky awesome (would love to be there during some Northern Lights) and great access to lots of fantastic hiking trails.

I booked this trip back in January hopeful everything would just work out but it poured all weekend. We saw a few stars for about 40 minutes last night and went back inside because of the rain. However, the actual park is pretty nice. There's not much to the park but it offers incredible views of the night sky. There are two camping options: the airstrip campground that you reserve online and can have a fire and other white light things, or you can camp first come first serve at the observation field where you can only have red lighting and basically a tent or pop up. We stayed at actual campground across from the observation field. They have no flush bathrooms and a water pump in the center of the campground. Unfortunately we missed out on the stars but the park itself was nice and we are determined to make it back on a clear night.