Philadelphia advice

[prstlk]

We are full time from the north west and currently working our way up the east coast. We try to keep our itinerary flexible and not plan so far out as to limit our time in an area we enjoy.
We will be heading into the Philadelphia area end of may and our not finding any spots close buy.
For those who live near or have been there any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Jw

[htowners]

rvdivers wrote:
Checked the State Park - they have space but none with any type of hookup. The few electric only sites are taken. I've been looking online and really like some of the spots in Lancaster County out in the Strasburg area...i.e. Country Acres, Roamers Retreat and another one in Bird in the Hand I think. Yes, it's a bit of a drive to the city, but then I'd rather drive into the city with our tow vehicle than with a 40' motorhome, plus we're headed north and then east to Providence and DH doesn't like toll roads. Thanks for input!!

Those are all pretty much in my back yard. Country Acres is right along Rt 30 and is quite busy in the summer. White Oak looks ok, not a lot of amenities but is a little further off the tourist track, yet close to Strasburg and in the heart of Amish country. From there you can easily get to Rt 1 bypassing all the Rt 30 traffic to get to Philly. There is a Yogi Bear in Quarryville, my current hometown, but it is expensive, however if you have children there is a nice water park and a lot of activities. I hear the West Chester KOA isn't too bad, but is a KOA so smaller sites and premium price.
Feel free to PM me if you want any other info.

[frankdamp]

I was seconded to Boeing Helicopters for a few months back in the late 70's. I wasn't an RVer then and I rented an apartment.

If you're a railroad buff, Strasburg is a good place to stay. It has a steam railroad and the state railroad museum is close by. Overall, I was glad to get back to the northwest!

[rvdivers]

Checked the State Park - they have space but none with any type of hookup. The few electric only sites are taken. I've been looking online and really like some of the spots in Lancaster County out in the Strasburg area...i.e. Country Acres, Roamers Retreat and another one in Bird in the Hand I think. Yes, it's a bit of a drive to the city, but then I'd rather drive into the city with our tow vehicle than with a 40' motorhome, plus we're headed north and then east to Providence and DH doesn't like toll roads. Thanks for input!!

[htowners]

rvdivers wrote:
Just curious - where did you end up staying? We are heading towards Philly now from the west (Pittsburg area) and hubby wants to visit Philly as well...so trying to find a close RV spot NOT in the city!

We lived outside of Philly for years, and are now in Southern Lancaster County. As others have said, there are the Lancaster County campgrounds, but it's a 90 minute drive to Philly. New Jersey has some within about an hour drive.
Also French Creek State Park is an option at about 1 hour to the city. French Creek
We love it there, but there are only a few full hook up sites that are hard to get, the rest have Electric, with water at a few points in the loop.
Check here too, there are other CG's with their distance from the city.
Philly Park Reviews

[rvdivers]

Just curious - where did you end up staying? We are heading towards Philly now from the west (Pittsburg area) and hubby wants to visit Philly as well...so trying to find a close RV spot NOT in the city!

[prstlk]

Thanks to all for the recommendations your input is much appreciated
Jw

[journey15]

rk911 wrote:

prstlk wrote:
We are full time from the north west and currently working our way up the east coast. We try to keep our itinerary flexible and not plan so far out as to limit our time in an area we enjoy.
We will be heading into the Philadelphia area end of may and our not finding any spots close buy.
For those who live near or have been there any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Jw

we stayed a bit west of philly in Lancaster county. it's an ez drive from there into philly. we stayed at the Brandywine Creek Campground in our 35' Class A.

Brandywine Creek is in a great location for access to Philly, however, watch for the curvy road and low hanging trees on the road to this park. Stayed there for several nights last year while in the area. Great shopping nearby in Downingtown and Exton.

[Passin_Thru]

Gosh! An Amish type name like Miller and Stoltzfus are among the most typical Amish last names or was it Troyer (Like Troyer Farms Potato Chips? Can't remember them either!Bwahaha

[Pirate1]

Just left the area, daughter lives down in the bowels of Philly. Drive from KOA was about 1 hour, if there wasn't a jam and if the traffic was flowing. Depending on what you want. If your goal is downtown looking at Philly, I would use Timberlane or Park & Ride. If you want beautiful countryside at the end of the day to sip a glass of wine, go to the KOA. There is another campground up in Hatfield but the drive down to Philly sucks too, and that campground is bla. If you stay at the KOA, PM me and I will provide you with a great route to take into town (well, better than the GPS).

[Dieselgem]

West Chester is your best bet. Lancaster is really nice but the daily drive will be difficult.

[RoyF]

2nd on Timberlane in NJ. It's away from any towns (a plus), not far from rapid transit rail into downtown Philly, and not far from a shopping center. Was there in 2015.

[crasster]

If possible try to find some sites in Lancaster county. This is Amish/Mennonite country. There are several places that have hookups and will provide breakfast. I forget the names of them (because they are Amish type names). You could go on Mennonite forums (yes they exist) and ask.

[blangen]

Just for the sake of being complete, The Campus Park & RideThe Campus Park & Ride is literally 12 minutes from Philly. As they say on their website, they are not a traditional campground... no grass, no trees... nothing but a retired trucking terminal with lots of open, level concrete with good 30 and 50 amp hookups and water. The sewer... well... it was not the plumber's finest hour when the end of the run is a couple of feet off the ground. What I do is park well away from everyone and, every week to ten days, pull up to the dedicated dump station (which is close to ground level) and do my business before returning to my spot out on the other end.

So... this is in an urban/industrial area. Gated access, barbed wire fences all around, staffed 24/7 and more cameras watching the property than you could possibly count. As this is primarily a Park & Ride that caters mostly to UPenn and the hospitals, there are shuttle buses that run on a very frequent schedule (every 5 or 10 minutes) during drive times all the way down to the middle of the night (if you really wanted to) when there is a driver here and ready to go when you want. Bottom line, you have a shuttle service 24/7/365 that goes to the hospitals and bus line from UPenn. That point is also just four blocks from the a subway station and one block from a regional train station.

If you're a train enthusiast, you'll love the 15 (or so) train track switching yard that is just beyond the far end of the property. If you're a light sleeper and an occasional horn toot will drive you nuts... this place is NOT for you. Personally, I kinda like the trains.

By the way... Philly International airport is 10 minutes down the road.

If you're looking for convenient location to Philly City Center, UPenn, the Airport... there is no better location.

Full disclosure: I have no connection to this facility other than I've been here for a few months and decided to take the time to answer those who seem to, often, ask how to best access Philadelphia.

Safe Travels!

[rk911]

prstlk wrote:
We are full time from the north west and currently working our way up the east coast. We try to keep our itinerary flexible and not plan so far out as to limit our time in an area we enjoy.
We will be heading into the Philadelphia area end of may and our not finding any spots close buy.
For those who live near or have been there any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Jw

we stayed a bit west of philly in Lancaster county. it's an ez drive from there into philly. we stayed at the Brandywine Creek Campground in our 35' Class A.