Best Tent Camping in Pennsylvania
Tent camping options throughout Pennsylvania range from established park campgrounds to secluded dispersed sites. Forestry Road and Loleta Road dispersed campsites offer primitive tent camping experiences with minimal infrastructure in northern Pennsylvania. Colton Point State Park Campground near Wellsboro provides tent sites with more facilities, including drinking water, toilets, and showers from April through October.
Tent sites at dispersed camping areas require self-sufficiency as they lack amenities like drinking water, toilets, showers, or trash collection. Sites typically consist of cleared dirt or forest floor with minimal development. Most dispersed camping areas permit fires and allow alcohol consumption, but campers must pack all waste out. Walk-in tent sites are common at both established and dispersed locations, often requiring short hikes from parking areas to reach campsites. During spring months, many forest roads accessing tent sites may become muddy and difficult to navigate.
In early spring and fall, secluded tent campsites at places like Loleta Road offer quieter experiences with fewer crowds. Proximity to creeks provides both water views and ambient sounds that enhance the camping experience. Tent campers at Hibernia County Park have noted the lack of privacy between sites and significant foot traffic along the trail that runs through the campground. Areas farther from major roads typically provide greater solitude and wildlife viewing opportunities. One visitor to Loleta Road commented that it was "great little roadside campsite to get away," though noting it could be "super muddy" during wet seasons and not entirely private due to road visibility when trees lack full foliage.
