Stargazing

Nature's Getaway RV Park

30 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Nature's Getaway RV Park in Schellsburg, Pennsylvania, offers 30 RV sites and three tent sites seven miles west of Bedford on Route 30, with 20, 30, and 50-amp water-and-electric service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Back-in categories at both amperages join a 30-amp pull-through tier, with an outdoor pool, game room, ball field, and general store. Thirty sites span back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, back-in water-and-electric 50-amp, and pull-thru water-and-electric 30-amp categories, carrying water and electric with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Plan around the hookups — sites carry water and electric but not sewer, so manage tank capacity and use the dump station. Three tent sites and cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, and firewood handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a game room, arcade, ball field, billiards, shuffleboard, volleyball, horseshoes, a playground, and swimming filling the rest. A state park is nearby, and the dark rural sky makes for genuinely good stargazing. Pets are welcome. Bedford County sits where the Allegheny Mountain ridges meet Shawnee State Park's forested plateau, and the old Lincoln Highway corridor has carried travelers past this spot since the road was built. Historic Bedford's preserved downtown, the Flight 93 National Memorial, and Blue Knob's skiing are all within reach, with the Pennsylvania Turnpike close. Summer and fall foliage drive the heaviest demand in the Alleghenies. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends and peak October color.

from $35/night

Smith Mountain Campground

19 RV Sites, 2 Tent Sites

Smith Mountain Campground in Penhook, VA, offers 20 full-hookup RV sites and 2 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 50 feet. Sites come in three categories — back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, back-in 30/50-amp, and pull-thru 30/50-amp — with full-hookup sites carrying water, sewer, and electric plus a fire pit and picnic table. A bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a dump station, a recreation center, and cabins cover the rest. Pets are welcome. A stocked fishing pond, private hiking trails, a pavilion, sport courts, bocce, corn hole, horseshoes, a playground, and creek frontage fill the family-owned grounds, with boating, picnicking, and dark-sky stargazing. Penhook sits on Liberty Road in the Blue Ridge foothills of Franklin County, less than five miles from the nearest public boat launch on Smith Mountain Lake, with the Booker T. Washington Monument, The Homeplace Vineyard, and The Coves Amphitheater all close. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Twenty sites near Smith Mountain Lake fill quickly in summer, so reserve ahead.

from $35/night

Glendale Valley Campground

19 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Glendale Valley Campground in Fallentimber, Pennsylvania, offers 17 full-hookup RV sites and seven tent sites at the edge of the Allegheny Plateau, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 42 feet behind a gated entrance. Pull-through and standard categories join EV charging, a beach, boat ramp, recreation center, and sports courts. Seventeen sites run in pull-through standard and standard categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 42 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Two straightforward categories keep booking simple. Seven tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, and EV charging handle the practical side — charging is still uncommon at campgrounds this size and worth knowing about if you tow with an electric vehicle. A beach and boat ramp open the water for boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming, with a recreation center, sports courts, volleyball, gaga ball, walking trails, hiking, biking, mountain biking, and a playground filling the rest. Live music and planned activities run through the season, and the mountain sky makes for good stargazing. The campground sits two miles from Prince Gallitzin State Park — Pennsylvania's third most visited — which protects 1,635-acre Glendale Lake and 26 miles of forested shoreline. DelGrosso's Amusement Park, Tytoona Cave, the Ghost Town Trail, Rock Run Recreation Park, and Altoona Curve baseball are all close. Summer and fall foliage drive demand in the Alleghenies. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends and peak October color.

from $39/night

Palmerosa Horse & Hike Campground

13 RV Sites, 22 Tent Sites

Palmerosa Horse & Hike Campground in Laurelville, OH, offers RV sites with water and electric hookups, private tent sites, and cabins, with room for rigs up to 60 feet. Contact the campground for site count and amp service, since those specifics aren't published. Several policies are worth knowing before you book: one vehicle per site, with additional vehicles and trailers directed to overflow parking; RV sites hold up to six guests and tent sites up to four. Guests bringing horses must reserve the right number of stalls and bring their own horse-care tools and bedding — and straw bedding is not permitted. A bathhouse with private bathrooms and hot showers, a general store, firewood, a dump station, fire rings, and picnic tables cover the rest. Pets are welcome. Covered horse stalls and walking trails put this campground squarely in the equestrian category, with more than 40 miles of bridle trails reachable from the property. Download the bridle trail map before you arrive — cell service drops out on the trails. Laurelville sits in the heart of Ohio's Hocking Hills, close to Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, and Conkle's Hollow, but deliberately away from the busiest park areas. Rates for sites, tent spots, and cabins are on the booking page. Reserve stalls alongside your site if you're bringing horses.

from $22/night

Lake Wapusun RV Resort

37 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 6 Tent Sites, 3 Glamping Sites

Lake Wapusun RV Resort in Shreve, Ohio, offers 37 RV sites, three cabins, six tent sites, and three glamping sites on a lake in Wayne County, with 20 and 30-amp water-and-electric service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. A beach, boat rentals, golf cart rentals, and a jumping pillow anchor a family resort behind a gated entrance in Ohio's Amish Country. Thirty-seven back-in sites carry water and electric on 20 or 30-amp, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables — note there are no sewer hookups at the sites, though a dump station is on site. Three cabins and three glamping sites serve guests without a rig, and six tent sites cover simpler camping. A general store, propane fills and exchange, laundry, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. Well-behaved, vaccinated pets are welcome but must be leashed outside your vehicle or attended in the fenced off-leash area. Recreation is the resort's focus after a full redesign. A lake with a beach supports swimming, boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boats, with boat rentals on site and inflatable water toys in season. A clubhouse, game room, craft room, and pavilion cover indoor hours, with basketball, sports courts, gaga ball, and a jumping pillow outdoors. Golf cart rentals, walking trails, a dog park, and a playground round it out, and food trucks, live music, and planned activities fill the calendar. On-site dining and a wedding venue complete the property. Mohican State Park, Malabar Farm State Park, the Ohio State Reformatory, Amish Country, and area wineries are all close. Summer family demand is the peak — reserve ahead.

from $32/night

Jellystone Park™ Williamsburg

118 RV Sites, 46 Cabins, 17 Tent Sites, 2 Yurts

Jellystone Park Williamsburg in Virginia offers 118 RV sites, 46 cabins, 17 tent sites, and two yurts with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet. Preferred premium patio pull-through, premium, and deluxe categories join a pool, mini-golf, laser tag, and jumping pillow at the center of the Virginia Peninsula. One hundred eighteen sites span deluxe back-in, deluxe pull-thru, premium back-in, premium pull-thru, and preferred premium with patio pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. The patio category adds outdoor living space. Forty-six cabins, 17 tent sites, and two yurts round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, laser tag, a jumping pillow, arcade, game room, craft room, recreation center, fitness center, sports courts, basketball, gaga ball, and gem mining filling the grounds. Golf cart rentals, walking trails, biking, a playground, pavilion, dog park, and on-site dining round it out, with foam parties, wagon rides, arts and crafts, live music, and planned activities through the season. Stargazing is good on clear nights. Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Battlefield, and Busch Gardens sit within a short drive between the James and York Rivers. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $38/night

Hidden Lakes Family Campground

28 RV Sites, 4 Tent Sites

Hidden Lakes Family Campground in Montville, OH, offers 28 RV sites and 4 tent sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service. Sites come in five categories — back-in 30-amp, back-in 50/30-amp, lakeside back-in 50/30-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 50/30-amp — each carrying water and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. There's no sewer at the site, so plan on the on-site dump station. Maximum rig length isn't reliably published, so call with your dimensions before booking. The campground is gated, with a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, and a recreation center. Check-in runs 2pm to 6pm with a noon checkout, and late arrivals can't always be accommodated and may incur an additional fee. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool, a beach, a pavilion, a playground, basketball, horseshoes, and natural lakes fill the grounds, with swimming, fishing, kayaking, boating, stargazing, and themed event weekends through the season. Montville sits in Geauga County between Ohio's Lake Erie wine country and the outer suburbs of Cleveland. Rates for sites and tent spots are on the booking page. Note the check-in window before you plan a long driving day.