Locust Lake State Park Campground

Pretty campground with lots of lake views. We arrived just before dark which was good because the sites were not level front to back. Most sites had a slope but there were some level sites. You can kayak, canoe, paddle board, and fish on the lake. There are 2 boat launches. The store wasn’t much to speak of. Bath houses were clean. We walked around the lake on a paved level path. They advertise no alcohol. This is near the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine tour which we loved. It’s near the Yingling Brewery tour. 

Serenity on the lakes 

Locust Lake is a State Park campground that is tucked away in the mountains of Schuylkill County.  The lake provides many forms of entertainment, from fishing to swimming, as well as two large boat ramps, (No gas engines) and a boat rental.  The southern side of the lake is set aside for mainly tent-only camping, while across the water the northern shore is host to a fairly large amount of sites geared towards RV's and tents both.  Each side of the lake has a season long resident ambassador that has always been friendly and helpful.  
There are many bathroom buildings through-out the campground and they all seem to be located in such a way that regardless of site location, the bathrooms are always just a short trip.  These facilities are maintained very well, I would say a minimum of twice daily.  They are clean, well lit units that all include 3-4 showers with hot and cold running water, benches are available both inside the shower stall as well as along the wall in the "public" portions of the building.  Each unit also has a public drinking fountain and a community events/emergency information board.  These are very well lit and located in a way that while allowing a certain level of privacy from your neighboring campers never leave you feeling like you are in anyway unsafe.
The sites vary in price of course in relation to the amenities you request/require, but I find the prices to be competitive if not a bargain in comparison to similar sites at other campgrounds.  The park is pet-friendly, and offers sites with power and water connections, as well as a decently large sized grated fire ring on every site.  
The camp store, an easy walk from virtually an location within the park, has all the staples and souvenirs one would expect as well as soft serve ice cream, fire wood, and boat rentals,(canoe, kayak, and 12-14 ft aluminum rowboats).  You will be pleased to know there is a public beach that allows swimming, many well blazed nature trails of varying difficulty, amphitheaters with scheduled events and classes, guided educational hikes, multiple very nice playgrounds, and an exercise trail.
They accept both reservations and walk-ins, and have extra parking for vehicle overflow keeping the sites from getting "cluttered". A large mix of Pa's native wildlife resides in the woods surrounding the camp making for some nice photo opportunities.   There are many off-property hiking trails within minutes of your camp, these can lead you to a fire tower from the 1920's, waterfalls, or even an adjoining state park.
Outside the park's main gates you are a very short trip to a local tavern, residential homes and  farms selling wood and produce, private boat rentals, an impressive golf course, and even a RC airport.
I highly suggest packing the family up and spending some time at Locust Lake to enjoy some family oriented, fun, educational, and safe camping.

A Family-Friendly Campground

Me and my 10yo visisted Locust Lake on our road trip for my Northeast speaking tour. We both loved it!

We're both really big water rats and couldn't wait to get the kayaks into the water. While we were there, the entire place was covered in fig, which made it seem even cooler for us.

If you're looking for a spot to stop for minute to stretch your legs by the water, spend a day playing on the water, or even stay for a while to relax, you'll find it all here.

Great spot for boating and hiking!

Great campground for young families/ first time campers. On the smaller side, a nice bike loop, opportunities to fish, swim (a small sand beach) or kayak within a small vicinity. Several playgrounds and the camp store sells local ice cream including the ever divisive "teaberry". Salamanders/eastern newts abound for easy catching by young hands and the lake is stocked with trout seasonally. Creeks line one of the smaller hiking paths (the compass trail) which makes it enjoyable for little guys. A half hour from knoebels as well as the yuenghling factory depending upon your tastes. Make sure you scope out your site as many can lack privacy (though usually proximity to the beach or amenities balanced that out)

Ideal Family Campground

PA is beautiful in the fall. Nice campground with some trails and access to Pottsville - for the best brewery tour ever - Yeungling! Check out the Jim Thorpe fall fest and Hershey Park.

Fall Colors!

Its been 15 years since I've been there, but it was just as I remembered. Sites were a little small and rocky / rooty, but we made it work. Definitely go in the fall to soak up all the colors!

Nice park

Camped here Easter weekend 2019 for three nights in loop 162 -186, on sites 165 &amp; 166. Upon arrival, we were surprised at how small the sites were in person, but luckily, they allow you to move the table and the fire pits to accommodate your equipment if needed. You do have to return it to its original location before departing.

It rained fairly heavily during our first day there and the sites became extremely muddy, so be prepared if rain is in the forecast. Some of the sites were covered in gravel which aided the muddiness.

The remainder of the weekend was lovely and the lake was packed with people fishing throughout the day. I took a walk around our loop on Sunday to see if there were any larger sites for a future trip and the sites in the 180’s (along Locust Creek) were severely flooded due to the downgrade of the loop, which levels off as you get closer to the creek, even after two full days of sunshine and warmer temperatures. Literally inches of water throughout the entire row of sites. I figured I would mention it here since otherwise they would be desirable sites due to the close proximity of a near constantly babbling creek.

Otherwise, the bathroom/shower facilities were adequate, albeit in need of a paint job. There is a roadside stand and then a bait and tackle place that sells wood on the road leading to the park, but downed wood was plentiful at the time of our visit. I would imagine by the summer, it won't be so easy to forage.

Peaceful retreat, depending on your site if rain is in the forecast

Clean campground with nice lake.  Good sized sites with lots of privacy but most are on hill with no pad for level tents.  Great hike around lake and fishing. Bonus is if you love chipmunks! There were a lot and they will steal your food! 

Nice Campground 

It was our first time camping with our puppy. Our loop was really pet friendly. We had the chance to go hiking and fishing. Unfortunately, the dogs were not allowed near the lake so many people left them at their campsite while they visited the beach. Our neighbors left their dog in the tent and it ended up ripping through the tent. Luckily, he walked to our campsite and we were able to detain him, if not he would’ve possibly ran away. We went with friends who were able to watch our dog while we took our son to the beach. The restrooms and beach had the tendency to get pretty crowded. On the bright side, I caught my first fish here! I also liked how remote it was. We all lost cell phone service, which was a plus in our eyes.

Camping with a pup

We had 3 families and sites (2 campers &amp; 1 tent) all sites were decent sizes. We had lake front access to put kayaks in and fish which was awesome. Great walking path around lake for kids to ride bikes to parks or beach. Beach area was nice. Only downside to our trip was poured every night and one whole day. We will definitely go back again though beautiful campground. 

Wonderful trip if didn’t rain

Arrived on Labor Day weekend’
Place was pretty busy,..
Everyone was friendly and kept to there space’..
A tree fell 10-15ft away from our tent’😬😮‍💨!
I will revisit to explore the trails,
Well kept camp grounds’
Loved it!

Awesome camp!

Beautiful camp spot! Huge lake, with hiking trails, and an assortment of wildlife! Loved every second! 

Locust Lake

This campground has a lot to offer.     Ourselves, we preferred to hike and ended up hiking about 20 miles over the weekend, between this park and the neighboring Tuscarora State Park.    We saw lots of cayakers, canoers, people fishing, swimming and lots of biking.      We had a site which was right along the bike trail and the lakefront.    A little tight to get the camper parked, but once in a wonderful site.    Not really big, but still enough room so you aren't right on top of your neighbor.    Campground kind of has a family feel to it and not something we always enjoy, but here it works.     We had a great time people and dog watching from our site and really enjoyed the hikes.   Had a litte of everything for the hikes, from some pretty easy trails to some other areas that were wet, steep and slippery and slow, but very very beautiful running alongside mountain lakes and creeks to higher up being in thick pine forests to thick oak forests.     We don't normally use the bathrooms, having a camper, but in this case we had a little issue with our water and ended up using the showers in the campgrounds and found them to be very usable.   Great water pressure and the buildings seemed fairly clean, pretty dated, but overall not bad.     We had a great stay and someday we plan to go back.

Wonderful Busy Family Campground

Needed to check out pop up camper in preparation for an upcoming longer trip. Only stayed one night during the week while schools were still openwere. Park was empty and clean. Had a site close to the lake. Many sites (including mine) were not level. The sites sizes were a bit small and i would book during peak season. I would definitely return again off season. Nice walking, hiking, biking path around the lake that has a fair amount of locals walking it for exercise. Great loop trail that brings you up to the top of the ridge. 

A quick overnighter

Electric only, no water hookups.  Small but very pretty lake with clean water and a nice paved path encircling it.  The sites are spaced pretty well but are not level at all.  It was an effort to get our travel trailer close to level- a ramp of blocks was needed.  The site was right on the path, which is right on the lake.  Very convenient if you are going paddling.  The beach was clean and overall the place was well kept.  They just need to level the sites a bit.  Nice hills and trails surrounding. You could hear I-81 but not too loud.  We liked this campground and would have stayed longer but were just passing through.

4.3 stars

We lucked out and got one of the waterfront tent sites. The views are pretty! However, the quality of our site was a little lacking. Very un-level so no great place to put a tent and we also felt very squished together with our neighbors. It looked as we were driving through that many sites seemed that way but maybe not all. The bike path/path to the beach runs right behind these sites as well so there’s a constant stream of people going past you and kids zooming by on bikes. The lake was very clean. The camp store was great! They sell most things you’d need for camping, along with hard ice cream and some nice souvenirs. I think all in all, I would recommend, it just depends on the type of camping experience you prefer in regard to the traffic past our campsite. 