Swimming

Grand Canyon Motel Resort & Campground

10 RV Sites, 5 Tent Sites

Grand Canyon Motel Resort and Campground in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, is a gateway property one mile from the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and Leonard Harrison State Park — a campground and motel resort that gives guests the most immediate access to Pine Creek Gorge's 1,450-foot canyon viewshed of any overnight accommodation in Tioga County. Wellsboro's Tioga County position on US-6 in the northern Pennsylvania plateau gives the resort the specific gateway character of the closest overnight accommodation to the overlook at Colton Point and Leonard Harrison State Parks that frame the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon's eastern and western rim, positioning the resort as the overnight base for the canyon rim sunrise and the Pine Creek Gorge's multi-day hiking and canoe corridor that the 47-mile Pine Creek Trail gives paddlers through the canyon bottom. RV sites, tent camping, and motel accommodations within one mile of Leonard Harrison State Park give Grand Canyon Resort the complete accommodation spectrum for the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon visitor who needs the campground flexibility of the RV site or tent site alongside the motel room option for the guest who travels without camping equipment — the multi-format accommodation at the canyon's doorstep gives the resort its specific gateway property character in the Tioga County tourism corridor that the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon's 1.2-million-annual-visitor draw specifically generates. Pets are welcome. The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon at Pine Creek Gorge, the most dramatic natural landscape in Pennsylvania, cuts 1,450 feet through the Appalachian Plateau's Devonian sandstone and shale in a canyon 47 miles long and up to a mile wide — a geological formation carved by Pine Creek's post-glacial incision through the Allegheny Front's plateau surface, giving the gorge its specific character as a canyon in a flat-topped plateau landscape that the eastern United States otherwise cannot replicate. The Leonard Harrison State Park's Turkey Path trail descends 600 feet to the canyon floor in 1.6 miles, giving hikers the direct creek-level access to the gorge that the rim overlooks preview from above. The Pine Creek Rail Trail, 62 miles long from Ansonia south to Waterville through the Pine Creek Gorge, follows the former Tiadaghton and Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railroad bed through the canyon floor — a rail-trail that gives cyclists the 47-mile canyon corridor passage through the most remote and most geologically impressive section of the trail in the canyon's narrowest and most vertical terrain between Blackwell and the Ramsey Pinnacles. The elk viewing corridor in the Elk State Forest east of Wellsboro and the Tioga County elk herd's fall rut from September through October give the Wellsboro area a wildlife observation dimension that the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon's canyon and forest landscape specifically sustains. Grand Canyon Motel Resort and Campground serves guests through Tioga County's northern Pennsylvania camping season from April through October, with the spring waterfowl and birding migration through the Pine Creek corridor in April and May and the October elk rut and fall foliage representing the two most significant visitor demand peaks in the Wellsboro area's outdoor calendar. Wellsboro's Victorian gas-lit downtown — the Main Street's functioning gas lamp streetlights give the borough the specific period character of one of Pennsylvania's most intact late-19th-century commercial streetscapes — provides the dining and shopping the canyon corridor's visitor market specifically requires within one mile of the resort. Reserve sites and rooms well ahead for the October elk rut and fall foliage season.

from $12/night

Jellystone Park™ PA Wilds

71 RV Sites, 34 Cabins, 3 Tent Sites, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Jellystone Park PA Wilds in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, offers 72 full-hookup back-in RV sites, 31 cabins, and three tent sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 75 feet. Full-hookup categories at 20/30-amp and 20/30/50-amp join a pool, mini-golf, jumping pillow, and golf cart rentals in Pennsylvania's Wilds. Seventy-two back-in sites run in full hookup 20/30-amp and full hookup 20/30/50-amp categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 75 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Pick the tier that matches your rig's service, and note that 75 feet accommodates a long coach with a tow. Thirty-one cabins — including the six-person Cardinal Inn — and three tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, restrooms, and golf cart rentals handle the practical side. Check-in is 3pm and checkout 11am, and day passes run $10 per person. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, a jumping pillow, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, a pond, playground, and live music filling the rest. Boating and fishing run nearby, and a state park is close. Pets are welcome. The PA Wilds is a 12,000-square-mile expanse of north-central wilderness where elk graze open meadows at dusk, the Pine Creek Gorge drops 1,000 feet through what is sometimes called Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon, and the night sky is dark enough to have earned one of the most significant dark sky designations in the eastern United States. Cherry Springs State Park is the destination for that. Summer and fall foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $31/night

Hickory Hill Camping Resort

130 RV Sites, 9 Cabins, 4 Tent Sites, 6 Cottages, 5 Lodges

Hickory Hill Camping Resort in Bath, New York, offers 130 RV sites, 20 cabin, cottage, and lodge units, and four tent sites in the Finger Lakes Southern Tier, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 60 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. A dedicated Big Rig back-in category joins premium sites, alongside a splash pad, mini-golf, and fitness center. One hundred thirty sites span 30/50-amp back-in, 50-amp back-in, premium back-in, and Big Rig back-in categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The dedicated Big Rig category removes the guesswork for large coaches. Twenty cabins, cottages, and lodges and four tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and a concierge handle the practical side. Reach the resort at [email protected] or 607-776-4345. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with mini-golf, a disc golf course, fitness center, recreation center, craft room, sports courts, basketball, bocce ball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and a jumping pillow filling the grounds. A lake, pond, and creek support fishing, with walking trails, hiking, golf cart rentals, a pavilion, and community fire pit besides. Live music and planned activities run through the season, and the resort operates as a wedding venue. Watkins Glen, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the Finger Lakes wine trails are all close. Summer and fall foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $55 $48/night

Tamarack Campgrounds

14 RV Sites, 8 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites

Tamarack Campgrounds in Springwater, New York, offers 14 RV sites, eight cabins, and 10 tent sites in a wooded setting 30 miles south of Rochester, with 30 and 50-amp water-and-electric service and rigs accepted to 40 feet. A gated entrance, outdoor pool, mini-golf, and golf cart rentals serve a family-owned campground in the southern Finger Lakes. Fourteen back-in sites carry water and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables — note there are no sewer hookups at the sites, though a dump station is available. Eight newly remodeled cabins and 10 tent sites round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, a business center, and WiFi handle the practical side, with a gated entrance controlling access. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, horseshoes, and a playground on the grounds and golf cart rentals to cross the property. The wooded setting and family ownership give the campground its character — guests deal with the owners rather than a service desk. Pets are welcome. Springwater sits in Livingston County in the rolling hills and forest of the southern Finger Lakes region, 30 miles south of Rochester. That puts Letchworth State Park, the quiet Hemlock and Canadice Lakes, and the Finger Lakes wine and hospitality corridor all within efficient reach — a genuine natural escape at short-drive distance from the Rochester metro. Summer families and fall foliage drive demand. Reserve ahead for October weekends.

from $25/night

Bear Creek Lake

8 RV Sites

Bear Creek Lake Resort occupies 750 acres of forested hills and meadows in Franklinville, New York, in the Cattaraugus County highlands that define the southern tier of New York's Enchanted Mountains region. The resort centers on a private 15-acre lake—the bear creek lake itself—and delivers a recreation package that combines water sports, motorized trail access, equestrian activities, and court sports within a single property that feels more like a private wilderness retreat than a campground. The resort's amenities are built around physical adventure: the lake supports canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing for bass, trout, perch, and sunnies, while a heated Olympic-sized swimming pool provides a more structured water option. Miles of private ATV trails run through the wooded terrain surrounding the lake, and horseback riding adds an equestrian dimension that distinguishes Bear Creek from most family camping resorts in the Northeast. Basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts cover court sports, and full hookup RV sites, comfortable cabins, and scenic tent sites accommodate all accommodation preferences. The resort recently completed a $5 million renovation that has brought the facilities up to a level commensurate with the spectacular natural setting. Franklinville sits in the Cattaraugus County highlands, a landscape of deep hardwood-forested valleys, clear creeks, and the dramatic hill country that the last glacier left behind in southern New York. The terrain here is genuinely wild by eastern standards—thick second-growth forests on steep ridges, beaver ponds in valley bottoms, and the sense of being embedded in a large, relatively unpopulated landscape that grows increasingly rare this close to the population centers of the Northeast. The proximity to Ellicottville, one of western New York's premier resort towns, adds an extra dimension for guests who want options beyond the resort itself. Ellicottville, about fifteen minutes from the resort, anchors the region's tourist economy with Holiday Valley and HoliMont ski areas—two of the better ski destinations in the eastern United States—alongside a walkable village with distinctive restaurants and a summer and fall activity calendar. Allegany State Park, one of New York's largest and most diverse state parks at 65,000 acres, is within easy driving distance and provides camping, hiking, cycling, and swimming in an Appalachian Plateau setting. Letchworth State Park—sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East for its dramatic 600-foot gorge carved by the Genesee River—is about an hour's drive and represents one of the Northeast's most spectacular natural landmarks. Bear Creek Lake Resort operates through the New York outdoor recreation season, with the full range of water, trail, and equestrian activities available through summer and fall. The ATV trail network draws motorsport enthusiasts, the lake attracts anglers and paddlers, and the combination makes it a rare multi-activity resort capable of satisfying a family with genuinely different outdoor interests. Book cabin accommodations early for summer holiday weekends in this part of western New York, where quality lodging options are limited and the Enchanted Mountains' growing reputation has steadily increased demand.

from $75/night

Jellystone Park™ Milton

119 RV Sites, 24 Cabins, 12 Tent Sites, 2 Wagons

Jellystone Park Milton in Milton, Pennsylvania, offers 119 RV sites, 17 cabins, and 12 tent sites on the Susquehanna River, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 57 feet. Creekside back-in and pull-through categories join deluxe options behind a gated entrance, with a splash pad, laser tag, and covered wagon accommodations. One hundred nineteen sites span back-in, deluxe back-in, creekside back-in, pull-through, deluxe pull-through, and creekside pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV, sized to 57 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Seventeen cabins, covered wagon accommodations, and 12 tent sites round out the range. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The after-hours emergency line is (570) 412-5794. Recreation is the product. An outdoor pool and splash pad anchor the summer, with a jumping pillow, laser tag, gem mining, gaga ball, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes across the grounds. Walking trails, a pond and creek for fishing, golf cart rentals, a playground, pavilion, and community fire pit fill the rest, with food trucks and planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. Milton sits on the Susquehanna in Northumberland County, a convenient base for the river valley, the State College corridor, and Knoebels Amusement Resort. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $30/night

Woodstream Campsite

Woodstream Campsite in Gainesville, New York, offers full-hookup RV sites, tent camping, and cabins alongside a fishing creek in Wyoming County's Western New York farmland. An outdoor pool, mini-golf, and a game room serve a classic, no-fuss family campground south of Letchworth State Park. Full-hookup RV sites serve guests with rigs, with tent camping and cabins covering the rest. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. One important planning note: the campground closes for the season over winter and reopens each spring, so confirm dates before booking a shoulder-season stay. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, a game room, sports courts, basketball, volleyball, and horseshoes across the grounds, plus a playground and pavilion. A creek, pond, and lake on the property support fishing, and biking and swimming run from camp. Food trucks visit and planned activities run through the season. Pets are welcome. Gainesville sits in Wyoming County's agricultural hill country in the Genesee River valley, and the wooded campsite privacy and rural character are the appeal. Letchworth State Park is the headline attraction close by — one of the most spectacular gorge landscapes in the eastern United States, and remarkable natural scenery at short-drive distance from a quiet farmland campground. The season runs spring through fall. Summer families and October foliage at Letchworth drive the heaviest demand — reserve ahead for fall color weekends, when the gorge draws visitors from across the Northeast.

Back-Achers Campsites

12 RV Sites, 13 Tent Sites

On the secluded western shore of Seneca Lake in Himrod, New York—on the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes, 36 miles long and 618 feet deep in the glacially carved trough that creates the most dramatic lake scenery in the region—Back-Achers Campsites & Cottage Rentals holds the distinction of being the only private campground on Seneca Lake with direct lake frontage, offering cottage rentals, RV and tent camping, and boat hoist rentals in a location on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail that puts the Finger Lakes' most celebrated wine-producing landscape immediately accessible from the campground's lakeside property. For wine country travelers who want to sleep beside the lake they're tasting around, Back-Achers provides the singular access that no other private campground in the region can offer. RV and tent sites alongside cottage rentals create the accommodation range for the diverse guests that Seneca Lake's western shore attracts—the wine trail enthusiasts who work through the 35-plus wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, the boaters who want private dock and boat hoist access on one of New York's finest sailing and fishing lakes, and the families and couples who want the Finger Lakes experience at the intimate scale of a smaller, personal campground rather than a resort. Three cottages feature their own private docks for personal watercraft use, and boat hoist rentals accommodate guests who bring their own boats and need dry storage and launch infrastructure. Snack bar, pavilion, playground, firewood, laundry access, propane fills, and clean bathhouses provide the essential amenity infrastructure for multi-day stays. Himrod occupies Yates County on Seneca Lake's western shore in the Finger Lakes wine country, in the appellation that the Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area encompasses—one of the most distinctively positioned wine regions in the world, where the lakes' thermal mass moderates the temperature extremes of upstate New York's continental climate and creates the growing season length that supports riesling, gewürztraminer, and the cold-climate grape varieties that have made Finger Lakes wine internationally recognized. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail, with 35-plus member wineries concentrated on both shores of the lake, represents the densest wine trail concentration in the northeastern United States. Watkins Glen State Park, at Seneca Lake's southern tip 25 miles south, protects the gorge that is considered by many visitors to be the most spectacular natural feature in New York State—a 1.5-mile gorge with 19 waterfalls, ancient stone bridges, and the spray-cooled caverns carved by Glen Creek in the shale bedrock that makes the gorge geology a textbook example of post-glacial stream incision. Watkins Glen International Raceway, adjacent to the state park, hosts major NASCAR and IMSA sports car races that make Watkins Glen one of the most important racing circuits in the United States. Seneca Falls, the site of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention and the Women's Rights National Historical Park, lies at the northern end of the lake corridor. Back-Achers operates seasonally in the Finger Lakes camping window from spring through fall, with the wine trail season and the lake boating in peak condition from June through October. The grape harvest in September and October brings the winemaking activity and the harvest events to the wineries that surround the campground, creating the most festive and most authentically wine-country period of the year on the Seneca Lake shore. Reserve your site, cottage, or boat hoist at Back-Achers and let the only private lakefront campground on Seneca Lake deliver the Finger Lakes wine country experience from the best position on the lake.

from $45/night

Hartman Center Campground

6 RV Sites

Hartman Center Campground and Retreat spreads across 150 scenic acres in Milroy, Pennsylvania — tucked into the rolling limestone valleys of Mifflin County in the ridge-and-valley landscape of central Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes from Penn State University and the Nittany Valley. With full hookup RV sites, nine two-bedroom family cabins, eleven tiny homes with private hot tubs, a full event venue with chapel and lodge, and comprehensive outdoor recreation, Hartman Center operates comfortably across multiple identities: family campground, couples retreat, group lodging facility, and wedding destination. The campground's outdoor recreation covers the full family activity range — a swimming pool, fishing pond, nearly two miles of hiking trails, a creek for wading, sand volleyball, basketball, pickleball and tetherball courts, playsets, and complimentary WiFi throughout the 150-acre property. The Lodge accommodates groups of up to 48 with a full kitchen, dining hall, and game area — ideal for family reunions, corporate retreats, and organized group visits to Penn State. Eleven tiny homes with private hot tubs bring a couples-retreat dimension to the property that conventional campgrounds rarely offer, and the hartman center campground and retreat prices reflect the range of accommodation types across the property. Pets are welcome. The Mifflin County landscape surrounding Hartman Center is defined by the folded ridge-and-valley terrain of the Pennsylvania Appalachians — the parallel ridgelines and agricultural limestone valleys that give central Pennsylvania its distinctive character, with Rothrock State Forest rising to the south and the Juniata River valley extending east through some of the most quietly beautiful countryside in the state. Rothrock State Forest, accessible within a short drive, provides over 100,000 acres of public land with hiking, mountain biking, hunting, and trail riding through the Appalachian ridge terrain. Bald Eagle State Park offers swimming, boating, and fishing on a reservoir in the adjacent valley system. Penn State University in State College, 30 minutes east, brings Beaver Stadium, the Creamery, and the cultural life of a major research university to easy day-trip range — with Nittany Lions football weekends making the area one of the most celebratory environments in college sports during the fall season. Hartman Center Campground is open through the Pennsylvania camping season, with summer representing peak family camping demand and fall Penn State football weekends creating the most intense nearby event pressure. Tiny home hot tub accommodations book especially quickly for wedding weekends and couples getaways — reserve those units several months ahead for any weekend stay. The hartman center campground milroy PA combination of natural setting, varied accommodations, and Penn State proximity makes it one of the more versatile and genuinely appealing camping properties in central Pennsylvania.

Splash Magic RV Resort

127 RV Sites, 38 Cabins, 18 Tent Sites

Splash Magic RV Resort in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, offers 127 RV sites, 38 cabins, and 18 tent sites on the North Branch of the Susquehanna, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 40 feet. Premium 30-amp and 50-amp pull-through categories join a water park, splash pad, hot tub, and beach. One hundred twenty-seven sites span 30-amp back-in, 50-amp back-in, premium 30-amp pull-through, and premium 50-amp pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Thirty-eight cabins and 18 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. A water park and splash pad anchor the summer, with an outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and beach alongside. A lake supports boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, with mini-golf, a game room, arcade, jumping pillow, gaga ball, basketball, and volleyball filling the grounds. Bike rentals, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, a clubhouse, playground, pavilion, dog park, and snack bar round it out. Birding along the river is productive, and a state park is nearby. Pets are welcome. The Susquehanna's broad river valley gives the resort a natural backdrop that the water park programming sits within rather than replacing. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $58/night

Fantasy Island Campground

16 RV Sites, 2 Cabins, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Fantasy Island Campground occupies Packer Island in the Susquehanna River between the historic communities of Northumberland and Sunbury in central Pennsylvania — a genuinely distinctive geographic position that places guests on a river island in the middle of the Upper Susquehanna, with the water visible and accessible from camp and the river town character of Sunbury's restored Victorian downtown within easy walking range. For guests seeking riverfront camping without the typical streamside-site-in-a-field experience, Fantasy Island's island position on the Susquehanna River delivers an authentically riparian setting with the full-hookup infrastructure of a modern campground. Every site includes a concrete patio, fire ring, and picnic table, and Wi-Fi and cable service address the connectivity and entertainment expectations of extended-stay guests who aren't looking to fully unplug. The campground pool handles the warm-weather recreation demand, and mini-golf, volleyball courts, and shuffleboard provide the supplemental activity mix that keeps multi-generational groups occupied across different interest levels. Boating and paddling directly from camp are primary activities through the warm-weather season, and Lake Augusta — the Susquehanna impoundment created by an inflatable dam just upstream from Sunbury — expands the flatwater boating options for guests with kayaks or canoes through summer when the dam is fully operational. The Susquehanna River's character through the Sunbury reach is broad and island-braided, with a current and riverbank ecology that rewards quiet morning exploration by paddle — great blue herons, osprey, bald eagles, and wood ducks are consistent presences along the forested river corridor, and the summer evening light on the Susquehanna's wide surface creates the kind of reflective river moment that makes island camping feel genuinely separate from the road-traveled world just across the bridge. Sunbury's Historic Downtown — a walkable late-19th-century commercial district with restored brick storefronts, independent restaurants, and the Northumberland County Historical Society's collections — provides the cultural exploration component for guests interested in central Pennsylvania's rich coal and river history. Shade Mountain Winery, situated on a ridgeline above the Susquehanna Valley with sweeping views of the river corridor, offers estate wine tasting that pairs the regional agricultural character with a genuinely impressive viewshed. The Susquehanna Valley more broadly encompasses the Selinsgrove and Danville areas to the north and south, adding antique shopping, local dining, and state park access along the river to the day-trip options available from a Fantasy Island base. Fantasy Island Campground is open through the Pennsylvania camping season, with summer providing the fullest combination of lake boating, pool swimming, and evening river light that makes the island position most rewarding. Fall along the Susquehanna delivers reliable foliage color along the forested ridgelines framing the valley, and the riverfront setting extends the visual season beyond the summer recreation peak. Reserve sites and plan boating access ahead for summer holiday weekends, when the combination of river recreation and Sunbury's regional accessibility drives strong demand for the campground's distinctive island address.

from $65/night

Jellystone Park™ Western New York

163 RV Sites, 77 Cabins, 25 Tent Sites

Jellystone Park of Western New York in North Java offers 163 RV sites, 77 cabins, and 25 tent sites across over 100 acres of pine forest, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. Economy water-and-electric, premium, and shared buddy pull-through categories join a water park and private lake. One hundred sixty-three sites span economy back-in water-and-electric (tents allowed), economy water-and-electric (no tents), premium back-in, premium pull-through, and shared buddy pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The economy tiers explicitly state whether tents are permitted, which removes a common booking ambiguity. Seventy-seven cabins and 25 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. A water park, splash pad, and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a private lake supporting boating, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and a beach. Mini-golf, laser tag, an arcade, game room, craft room, jumping pillow, gaga ball, gem mining, inflatable water toys, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes fill the grounds, with golf cart rentals, a playground, dog park, clubhouse, snack bar, and live music besides. North Java sits in the rolling hill country of the Allegheny foothills. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $40/night