Seven Points (PA)

This campground is located on the east side of Pennsylvania and offers a beautiful view of Lake Raystown. The campground has over 200 sites to choose from, and many of them are right on the water. There are also plenty of activities to keep you busy, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing and my favorite thing to do Mt Biking. Raystown lake is also a really nice boating lake. The lake is a natural beauty with so many coves and inlets for the biggest of boats to enjoy. They do have a camping resort on the other side of the lake which makes it nice for anyone looking for rustic cabins or cabin rentals. 

 There are 50 miles of single track mountain biking at this campground. They are some of the best flow trails on the East coast and are the# 1 trail system in Pennsylvania. This is a family friendly campground and has so much to offer. There are volleyball nets, playgrounds, kayak and paddleboard rentals. The kids took a kayak over to an island and spent the afternoon cliff jumping with a 10 ft and 25 ft cliff to launch off of. The sites here are some of the nicest we have ever seen. They are all big and private with stunning views of Raystown Lake. There are steps down from your camper to a pad with a fire pit and area for a tent. You are literally 10 feet away from the water as you enjoy a sunset while sitting around the fire. The lake is a great place to kayak, paddleboard, or just relax and enjoy the view. We love coming here and spending our weekends on the lake. All tent sites are equipped with picnic tables and most sites are electric. looking for other epic reviews check out the top ten campgrounds in PA https://www.longdaycampingco.com/post/10-best-campsites-in-pennsylvania-gorgeous-sites-to-enjoy-the-outdoors

We looked at this campground in early August, but I wasn’t too sure about the elevation. I booked our site #6 in Ridge Camp. From the time we arrived and filled up the fresh water tank at the ultra-cool 4 lane dump station, I knew we were in for a great weekend. The signage was very well marked and the fresh water spigot was more like a little tank, super-solid, clean and modern. We pulled into Ridge Camp (RCAM on Recreation.gov) and drove a little bit down a hill to our site. One backup attempt into the site and (according to our LevelMatePRO app) it was perfectly level...that was definitely a first for us. We set our chocks and started our setup. The picnic table had a new seat on one side and was in great shape. Our pad was limestone and very flat and level, so setting out our rugs was easy and comfortable underneath our feet. The campfire ring was in great shape with a fully functioning adjustable grill plate....we even had a lantern pole. Looking at some of our neighbor’s sites, depending on where the camper site was located, some had their picnic table and fire ring either above or below them. Definitely worth looking at the pictures. Our site in Ridge, along with most others from #6-24 were very well shaded. One thing to note is Ridge is on an incline with a loop at the end. Perfect for turning around to head out. With the slope, however be aware of the kids and adults riding around on bicycles and skateboards. With the many bike trails in Seven Points, there were a lot of adult mountain bike riders.

We took a drive around through the other six campgrounds and decided Point was our favorite, but obviously crowded because it is right on the lake. Senoia camp was (our) tied with Ridge, but only the lower portion. Once you go up the hill to sites above #231, it gets very steep and far away from the water. Probably not too safe for kids on bikes, although the only playground appeared to be at the top of the hill..again, probably too steep for kids. We drove through Meadow Camp (MCAM) but it was too open for us with not many trees for shade. Bay camp (BCAM) was a bit nicer than Meadow with ample trees, but it wasn’t close to anything except for one portion that had access to the lake/bay below. Finally, Valley Camp (VCAM) was a single in/out with a loop around the playground, but the sites appeared too small for our 28’ TT.

We liked this campground so much that I tried booking (and cancelling our reservation at Red Bridge in Kane, PA) for our last seasonal weekend in October, but there was nothing in Ridge or Point. Later that day, I received an email from Reservation.gov that our Oct 23 booking at Red Bridge was going to be refunded because Red Bridge was under construction. I quickly opened the reservation.gov website and a site across and up the hill a few sites from where we stayed was suddenly available, so I booked it. Another item worth noting is Ridge has a laundromat at only 25¢/load. Also, the restroom at Ridge has 4 shower stalls which were very clean with hot water at a great water pressure. On our way out, we visited the dump station again and got in one of the 4 lanes with no wait. The dump station, as noted above had wide lanes and made the experience an easy and clean one. We can’t wait to go back to Ridge again next month. I took pictures of our site #6 plus several other sites in Seven Points. Each site is sequentially numbered, depending on which of the seven campgrounds - reference the map for the actual locations.

This is our second time at Seven Points campground at Raystown Lake in Heston, PA. We wanted a waterfront site but even trying to reserve the first day we could for this weekend, they were all taken. So we stayed in Senoia loop in site 236 which was spacious, private, and with a nice breeze! It’s close to bathhouse and playground if you want those. There is parking at every bath house. There is trash receptacles at the entrance to the loop as well as firewood or sale. The whole campground has 6 loops, 2 with waterfront sites. Ridge, Meadow, and Valley seem less shaded. I didn’t drive down Bay. Point and Senoia have lots of shaded spots. Only a few weren’t. There’s a marina, amphitheater where there are concerts most weekends, planned activities like yoga and scavenger hunts, a bicycle skills park, extensive bike trails called Allegrippis trails, visitor center, beach area with snack bar, and lots of swimming areas all around the lake. If you have a boat, bring it. There’s trailer parking. Many walking paths throughout but it’s hilly. Cell service is okay. No WiFi. It’s a short drive to a Walmart and gas station and drive just a bit further to Huntingdon for beer, wine, and liquor and a few restaurants. The dam and overlook were about a 20 min drive and worth it for the views! We plan on keeping this place on our short list of repeat camping areas!

Campground Review:

Located in the Raystown Lake Recreation Area is Seven Points. It has 6 different loops to choose from. Two are waterfront and view. Four are wide open sites with space in between. Highlights are the numerous hiking trails, mountain bike trail which is extensive, swimming beach that wasn't crowded on Labor Day weekend, a marina, a restaurant at the marina, a visitors center, and a bicycle "course" for younger people I think. We stayed in Senoia loop in a water view (somewhat) site. It was small for our 22 foot total camper but we fit. It was carved out of the side of the hill with 3 wood walls. Our table and firepit were up several stairs/steps. This is a hilly area so your site is split and the two areas are on different levels. Only the two loops on the water have this. The other four loops are all level spacious sites.  There was electric but no water or sewer hookups. We drove into Huntingdon and found signs to two outlooks which had spectacular views. One was Ridenour Overlook and the other Hawn's Overlook which were accessed from the same parking lot. Ridenour overlooked the Raystown dam which led us to see that we could drive to the top of the dam and have another great view which we did. We saw signs for Hesston Speedway which we want to visit next time we go. It's across from the campground main road entrance. The RLRA has numerous activities one of which was Chris Collins and Boulder Canyon group who performed John Denver songs. They tour nationally and into Canada so not a small town group. They were great! The amphitheater provided plenty of space for the couple hundred attendees. While we could walk Senoia loop even with its steep hills, the whole area was not walkable. One would have trouble walking the entire RLRA. There was a path through much of it but that path didn't seem to go all the way to our loop. There was obviously boat noise at times but you're at the lake. In fact, several sites allowed for boat tie ups right at your site so you could have both your camper / tent and boat at the same site. There is a launch area at the marina also.  The lake swimming area also had a snack bar and bathhouse. We plan on going again next summer and explore more. I will include pics and videos of campsites. Water sites are in Senoia and The Point. The Valley, Meadow, Bay, and Ridge loops are not near the water but there's plenty of parking in day use areas which were not full that weekend. 

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground I tested the GrubStick. I was excited to try it out as I wanted to cook over an open fire. First off, the kit comes with two handles, 2 baskets, 2 double prong sticks, a hot pat and finger hot pad to use to open the baskets. It is very sturdy and well made. You're getting a well made product! We first tried a Caprese Sandwich. We use the circle basket and handle combo to heat and melt the tomato, mozzarella, and Pesto. Then we put that on a ciabatta roll. I love these sandwiches. It was delicious and quick. I was happy. Later I used the square basket for S'mores. I put the graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate together in the basket and held it over our fire. It burnt the graham cracker, melted the chocolate into a mess but tasted good. I think using the long marshmallow stick for them and then putting the smore together would be less messy. The next morning we made breakfast sandwiches of hash brown patties, sausage, and egg whites with cheese. We had to cut some of it smaller to fit into the GrubStick basket. It heated well and was delicious but we could've done the same in our microwave in the RV or in foil over the fire. My husband said he felt it was a fun tool but if pressed for space or weight on a backpacking trip, he wouldn't take it. I think kids would have fun with it. I recommend it for a meal or snack but probably not for every meal. Though I admit clean up wasn't that bad. If considering it, go for it! You'll have fun with it.