Pennsylvania Campgrounds Suggestions -- Eastern Half

[nomad297]

I know how to use all of the various online sites to locate campgrounds, and that is what I have been doing for the last two years. I have had some good luck finding suitable places, but I've had some bad luck, too. I thought I would post this question here and get some real-life suggestions. We have a 33' travel trailer. We prefer full hookups. We love the mountains and woods, but that's not critical. We don't need for there to be much to do in the area. We just like to get away and relax at the campgrounds. We bring our 13 year-old son and two English Setters with us, wherever we go. Our son is easily entertained and our dogs love the outdoors.

Thank you,

Bruce

[ependydad]

Pine Grove Furnace in Gardeners, PA is my most favorite campground ever.

My write-up on Pine Grove Furnace

On edit- reading is fundamental, "We prefer full hookups." - Pine Grove Furnace doesn't have full hookups. No water at any site and electric hookups at some. None with sewer.

Ok, never mind me. 😞

[kknowlton]

x2 (at least) on Driftstone on the Delaware. Some of the sites (back-in, water & electric) are enormous!! Our 34' TT was dwarfed by our site, which backed up to the river. Plenty of shade but the trees were way out of the way of the camper, awning & slideout. Our site was #8, in case this interests you.

We have also been to the Allentown KOA and it's likely the best (by far) in the area. Lots of shade in many sites (especially the electric-water ones), it's in a pleasant little valley, has a pool, etc. Far enough off the main roads to have little road noise. Deep enough in the valley that cellphone service can be tricky.

Another we liked in eastern PA was the Gettysburg KOA. Again, shady (can you tell we were traveling in the summer?). Clean grounds, covered with river rock (about 2-3" diameter) so the footing is a little interesting. Off a country road, rather than a main road, which has its definite advantages as well.

[mikhen]

Lots of great suggestions here, but I did not see Starlite mentioned. Twin Grove is one of our favorites. Eastern Pa has tons of great choices. Happy Camping.

[nomad297]

I am now at Oak Creek. This is a great place with huge sites and lots of trees. The place is really busy with so many people, like us, out for their first trip of the season.

The staff is great and I will certainly come back here when I want to be in the Lancaster area.

Thanks for all of the tips.

Bruce

[nomad297]

Well, we have our five day reservation for the end of July at Keen Lake. I can't wait to check this place out.

Thank you so much, everybody, for your suggestions so far -- I have really found some nice places, thanks to you. I am still open to more suggestions, so please keep them coming.

Bruce

[ljr]

Raymon wrote:

ljr wrote:

RGar974417 wrote:

ljr wrote:
In east central PA almost to NY, Ives Run and Cowanesque. Both COE.

While they are both nice campgrounds,I don't remember them having full hookups.The OP seems to want full hookups.I would much prefer great parks like you mentioned over full hookups but that's me.

Yes, they do. Cowanesque only has a few but Ives Run now has 2 loops of FHU.

I am sorry. If Cowanesque has full hookups, we never saw any. Most, if not all, the sites have a 4 inch PVC pipe extending from the ground near the water hookup, but there are signs stating the pipe is not a sewer hookup.

No problem. Its easy to be misled by ReserveAmerica. They don't show the sewer hookup on the campsite list. You have to look at the individual campsites unless you've actually been in one.

[Raymon]

ljr wrote:

RGar974417 wrote:

ljr wrote:
In east central PA almost to NY, Ives Run and Cowanesque. Both COE.

While they are both nice campgrounds,I don't remember them having full hookups.The OP seems to want full hookups.I would much prefer great parks like you mentioned over full hookups but that's me.

Yes, they do. Cowanesque only has a few but Ives Run now has 2 loops of FHU.

I am sorry. If Cowanesque has full hookups, we never saw any. Most, if not all, the sites have a 4 inch PVC pipe extending from the ground near the water hookup, but there are signs stating the pipe is not a sewer hookup.

[Drbolasky]

Our picks:

Allentown KOA

Pine Grove/Twin Grove (no longer a KOA)

Eagles Peak (haven't been there since it changed hands)

Gettysburg CG

Warwick Woods

There are many PA folks on this Forum that like Rosemont (near Tamaqua). Interior roads & sites seemed cramped to us. We checked out (but never stayed at) Blue Rocks CG near Lenhartsville. Robin Hill and Drummer Boy were removed from our list when the corporate zombies took over. JMHO on that last statement.

A colleague I work with loves it at Promised Land State Park.

[nomad297]

Wow! Keen Lake looks amazing! Thanks for that one, spadoctor.

Bruce

[spadoctor]

Keen Lake in NE PA. Beautiful place. All full hookup and even lakefront sites. Been there many times over the years and keeps getting better.

[nomad297]

I am happy to see a couple of thumbs-up for Oak Creek. We haven't been there before, and it is where we are spending our first trip in the spring.

Bruce

[dblr]

I would 2nd Oak Creek in Bowmansville Pa and Lake In Woods was bought out by a corporation so not sure what it's like there now.

[soren]

nomad297 wrote:
Pinch Pond looks great. That's exactly the type of place we like.

We have been to Lake In Wood and Otter Lake. Lake In Wood is a little too sterile for us, but Otter Lake is a little more up our alley. Otter Lake is more wooded and natural than Lake In Wood, where there seems to be a surveillance camera everywhere you look (and don't look), like inside of some of the gnomes to keep tabs on who puts what into the dumpsters -- a little creepy if you ask me.

Please keep the suggestions coming.

Bruce

I can see why that seems a little weird, but there is the other side of the story. I build homes in eastern PA. I have constant problems with people who believe that any dumpster is a free place to dump anything they need to get rid of, since "nobody really minds" and somehow there is no real cost involved. Often they are so confident that this practice is totally acceptable that they even toss out their personal info. like mail. When I contact them and ask if how they want to handle it. With a choice of removing their illegal dumping, or me handing their contact info. to the state trooper while he files the report, many are amazed that I would be such a jerk over a little garbage. What they don't understand is that their small pick-up load of stuff they gathered from the shed, is going to cost me $80-100 to get rid of.

In the case of this place, and other campgrounds, that have no option but to have strict policies on only allowing limited amounts of household trash generated while staying at the facility. Unfortunately it's necessary because of a limited number of idiots who don't care. I'm sure there is more than one campground owner who had issues with seasonal renters who decided that "garbage day" at their home is Friday night, when they load up the week's trash and fill the dumpster at the campground on their way in. After all, they can cancel that $20-30 month curbside garbage pick-up since it's "free" at the campground. Believe me, the same quality individual who stuff your dumpster with a yard of stuff from home, is the guy who will absolutely deny doing it, until he sees himself on a security camera.

I also know several rural Pa. campground owners that have a difficult time even finding anybody to provide trash service, as there is little profit for a hauler running a garbage truck twenty miles from civilization, to empty a few small dumpsters, seasonally.

[ljr]

Raymon wrote:

RGar974417 wrote:

ljr wrote:
In east central PA almost to NY, Ives Run and Cowanesque. Both COE.

While they are both nice campgrounds,I don't remember them having full hookups.The OP seems to want full hookups.I would much prefer great parks like you mentioned over full hookups but that's me.

We were at Cowanesque this past summer. The sites have only water and electric, no sewer hookup.

Ray

Sites 37, 38 & 53 are FHU.