Shady Grove Campground

Campground Review

This weekend we camped at Shady Grove Campground which is located at 65 Poplar Drive in Denver, Pennsylvania. This is approximately 20 miles outside of Reading in Lancaster County. The staff was friendly upon check in however we did not receive a list of events for the weekend. The camp store looks brand new and had a very small grocery section along with a few merchandise items. There was also ice cream bars available for purchase. Included in the office was a small game room which consisted of a pool table, foosball table and an arcade game. Located in the rear of the office was a very large pond for fishing and kayak, canoe or paddle boat rentals.

The campground itself was not overly large. There were seven sections for camping. One downfall is that every campsite is gravel. There was no grass at any site. This made it difficult for us to have our infant daughter crawl around all weekend. The campsites were also pretty close together. We were on a corner, site #57, directly across from the pool and playground area so there was a lot of traffic. Plus there was a light pole that was on all night so sitting by the fire you had to turn a certain way or you were staring at the light the whole time. You could purchase firewood here for $5 a bundle. However, the bundle only had five to six pieces of wood in them. This came out to about $1 a piece of wood. Luckily, the gentleman aside of us was leaving and he left us his firewood saving us a ton of money that literally would have just gone up in flames.

Our son did have a good time playing at the playground which was completely fenced in behind the pool. It had four slides, a rock wall, swings, seesaw, rocking horses and other ladders to climb up and over. There was also a nice open grassy area to play frisbee or catch in the playground area as well. Aside of the playground there was also a macadam basketball court. There was a pool also in the same area as the playground and basketball court. There was about a dozen lounge chairs and another dozen regular chairs to sit by the pool. There was also a small pavilion area to get out of the shade. There were no tables or umbrellas to sit by though which would have been nice. The pool was nice and clean however it was only 5 feet deep which is nice for children who would be able to stand. There was no lifeguard on duty and you had to be 16 to be there without supervision.

There was a pavilion near the back of the campground as well. According to the website there was supposed to be a family carnival however we didn’t know where to go since we didn’t receive any information about the event and nothing was posted in the office. I’m not actually sure if they had it or not. In case you don’t want to stay at the campground there are plenty of area attractions within a few minutes to an hour or two away. Stoudt’s Brewery is right down the road along with Maple Grove Raceway nearby, Site & Sound, Outlet Shopping and Antiquing as well. For a further drive you can also visit Hershey Park, Gettysburg and Dorney Park.

We had a full hook up at our campsite which consisted of water, sewer, trash, cable and wifi for $55/night which is a great price! Due to the full hook up we really didn’t use the bathrooms too much. They were pretty far away in the back corner of the campground. There were only four bathrooms that were a combination of a sink, toilet and shower with bench for clothing. My husband used the restroom on Friday night and he said on Sunday morning he could still see his sandal prints on the floor which meant no one had cleaned them all weekend. The campground was full too as there were alot of workers staying there full time due to the pipeline construction nearby. Everyone we met was very friendly and it was nice to meet people from different parts of the country.

This campground was also pet friendly. There was a very nice grassy area for dog walking. They were allowed in most areas except the office, pool, in the pond and the Deluxe Cabin #2 available for rent year round.

There are tent sites available for rent and also a rustic cabin and two deluxe cabins. Tent sites are $35/night and the cabins range from $90/night to $125/night. There is a $25 charge for pets in the rustic cabin and the Deluxe Cabin #1 on top of the rental fee. There are also seasonal sites available as well.

Our son was very excited to find his first painted rock as well at the campground. We posted it on Facebook to RVing Rocks and Sams Rocks as per the instructions on the back. It was a kitty and he just loves cats so he was pretty happy to show us his awesome find!

We had a great time camping with our family as usual however due to the gravel sites I would most likely look for another campground the next time we decide to camp nearby. Some people may like the gravel however due to having pets and young children it was definitely a downfall for us.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At Shady Grove, I tested the Trekz Titanium wireless stereo headphones by Aftershokz (I give the headphone 4.5 stars even though the campground only gets 3)

What I loved about camping with my Trekz:

1. The first thing I noticed when ordering the sizing tool was not completely accurate. The instructions say if the white section of the sizing tool is touching your right ear to choose the Trekz Titanium Mini. If the orange section is touching your ear to choose Trekz Titanium. When I measured my head it was touching the orange section however when I received my Trekz they were definitely too big. I am able to make them work by wearing them more as a headband instead of around the back of the head as they were meant to be worn. So I was a little disappointed that the sizing was wrong. The packaging and shipping was excellent. They came so well packaged and protected there was no worry about any kind of damage during the shipment.
2. They are extremely lightweight and comfortable on your head and ears. These are not like your traditional ear buds or sports headphones as they wrap around your ear for an open ear design. It makes you able to still hear what is going on around you which keeps you out of danger in your surroundings. Not only that but they are also sweat proof as they are designed for athletes.
3. I loved that they offer several colors. I ordered the red/black but they also have grey/black, pink, blue/black, green/black in both the Trekz and Trekz Mini.
4. The battery lasts for a long time. You can get six hours straight music. Not to mention you can also take phone calls as it also has a microphone. It has technology to cancel the background noise and focus on your voice so you come through crystal clear and not the wind or dog barking in the distance. This has been great for me in the car to be able to take phone calls since I don’t have onstar or any other bluetooth devices. The clarity of the music was fantastic as well. I have actually been using these in my car lately because my radio has a mind of its own and only works when it feels like it. These have been great because I can still hear traffic around me and I can make sure myself and everyone driving around me is safe. I can also wear them at work and still be able to communicate with my co-workers without missing a beat! (Pun intended!)

I will be definitely wearing my Trekz for walking my dogs, camping, driving, hiking, at work and traveling as much as I can in the future!