Jamestown Campground — Pymatuning State Park

We stayed in site 218.  this spot is in the smaller ( less crowded) part of Jamestown campground in Pymatuning SP.  it is right on the water and has an easy access area for shore fishing and entering a kayak or canoe or some other water device.  the site sits on a little bay and the otherside (more crowded) of the campground is across the water. the water is a little murky/ grassy but still good entry area.  the campsite was spacious for a pa state park.  the site is between the lake and the road.  sites 212-222 look to be on the water with boat access,  but 218 has the easiest entry.  220’s picnic Bench and fire pit sit next to the water with great views, but there is little shade.  218 had a great shady spot were you can hang 3 hammocks. there is no electricity at these sites and pretty much tent only.  lots of tent space.  the fire ring was decent but we moved it as it was right underneath a burnt tree. 218 was ADA accessible with a nice picnic table. restrooms were fairly close.  clean... outdated, but clean.



great spot for direct kayak/canoe put in.



This place was absolutely perfect place to take my family! There are lovely beaches that were relatively clean, perfect for swimming and fishing. The camp sites were so wide open! Down side to the openness however was that you don't have as much privacy, however it opens up opportunities to make friends from all over the nation!
The strong historical back ground and the way that they have maintained many historical building and sites makes it such a great place to reminisce on your American history, and enjoy the views the way that the early settlers probably saw it. 

Beautiful and full of history!!

Started the stay off a little rocky with two big thunderstorms the first two days. Our site had a wash run right through it. After those days it was very nice and we got to enjoy Jamestown beach and playground. The bathrooms could use some updating but they were adequate.

Nice camp

Nice shower and bathrooms for a state park.

I didn't like that pets are not allowed in the non-pet area as that was where the playground and swimming beach was. Made it difficult to swim and play as a family since you can't leave dogs alone at the campsite. I wouldn't bring my dog next time to this campground. There are other more dog friendly places.

Very nice areas for walking, kayaking, swimming, and playground.

Great state park

We really enjoyed camping at Lake Pymatuning. We had site J522, which is tucked back in a quiet loop. We camped for the first time in our (new to us) pop-up camper. The site was not level, but we were able to get the tent trailer level without too much effort. Bringing our bikes was a blast as we were able to bike down to the beach for swimming and we took our bikes to Meadville to do the Ernst bike trail (recommended - a paved, flat, easy 6.3 mile cycling trail through the woods and along the river). 

  

Flush toilets and hot showers are available in the bath houses. The showers do not have a changing area within the shower unit or an area to store your towel/clothes within the shower unit. There is a central dressing room with towel hooks and 4-5 showers connected to the central dressing room. This was not a problem when I took a shower, as I was the only one using the area, but could be problematic if it was full and there was no place to set items you want to keep dry. 

  

Fantastic campground for biking, swimming, boating, and having a peaceful getaway.

Peaceful Camping on the Lake

Always gorgeous. We went on a holiday weekend and so the campground was PACKED and a little too close for my liking, but for a holiday understandable. We stayed on the pet end and got a spot near the lake. But also this meant people were walking through our site to go walk to the water. 

Tight quarters but nice.

My family has visited Pymatuning park many times now and try have used a variety of spots at Jamestown campground. It is large, offering multiple options for campsite types. It’s a standard PA state park campground offering bathrooms (bathrooms are older, but are being renovated July-August 2021) showers, fire ring, picnic table, etc. Campsites J-106 thru J-116 are well shaded, but are alongside route 322 which maintains consistent traffic at all hours. If the noise is not an issue, this run of tent sites are well spaced, and offer easy access to the facilities. To be away from the road (and nearer to the lake) sites J-120 thru J-128 are closer together but can be quieter (depending on your neighbors…)

The beach area is clean, and raked often. It has a playground and volleyball court. On Friday’s they have a family movie night at the amphitheater. Most Saturdays in the summer they offer crafts and activities for kids at the beach.

The surrounding area also has plenty of activities to offer: Local restaurants, ice cream, hiking, kayaking/boating, fishing, etc.

Another trip to Jamestown Campground

We booked a waterfront site and were disappointed to learn that was not actually the case. There was a little bit of a swampy area behind us but the lake was further away. We could walk to it through the woods from our site on a trail that went behind some other sides.  They need to label them truthfully. The actual site wasn't bad. Bathrooms were nice and clean.

Nice Campground - Not all "waterfront sites" truly are

Campground was clean and well maintained. Only issue we ran into was that the fire pit was not cleaned out after the last folks. It wasn’t a huge deal but there we had quite a bit of debris and wet ash to deal with. The wash houses scattered throughout are new and very clean. The one across from our site had 4 private bathrooms with a toilet and shower. Very well patrolled and tons of stuff to do within biking/running/driving distance. 