Swimming

Nature's Getaway RV Park

30 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Seven miles west of Historic Bedford on Route 30 in Schellsburg, Pennsylvania—in Bedford County where the Allegheny Mountain ridges and the Shawnee State Park's forested plateau create the outdoor recreation landscape that the old Lincoln Highway corridor's travelers have appreciated since the road was first paved—Nature's Getaway RV Park and Campground offers 75 water and electric RV sites, 5 primitive tent sites, 3 water and electric tent sites, a dry cabin, a heated swimming pool, a game room, a playground, volleyball, cornhole, badminton, shuffleboard, a large field for open-air games, two shower houses (with private unisex rooms for added privacy), a camp store stocked with essentials and Ritchey's ice cream, laundry, WiFi, and a dump station, all on a clean, family-operated property immediately adjacent to Shawnee State Park and within easy day-trip range of the Flight 93 National Memorial and the historic Bedford Springs. Next to Shawnee. Close to everything. The 75 water and electric RV sites, combined with the tent and cabin options, create the accommodation variety that the Bedford County family camping market demands across the summer season. The heated swimming pool and the broad recreational offering—volleyball, cornhole, badminton, shuffleboard, the game room, and the large open field—create the all-day activity infrastructure that keeps families on property between the Shawnee State Park hikes and the Bedford attractions day trips. Two shower houses with private unisex rooms provide the bathing comfort that the modern campground guest expects, and the camp store's Ritchey's ice cream, snacks, and essentials handle the daily supply needs without requiring a drive to town. Laundry, WiFi, and the dump station complete the practical infrastructure that a 75-site Allegheny Mountain campground requires. Schellsburg sits in Bedford County on the Allegheny Front's western slope, in the ridge-and-valley landscape where the Allegheny Mountains' parallel ridges and the agricultural valleys between them create the Pennsylvania scenery that the Lincoln Highway (US-30) corridor historically carried the motoring tourist through on the way to Pittsburgh and beyond. Shawnee State Park, immediately adjacent to Nature's Getaway, protects 3,983 acres of the Allegheny highland with hiking trails, Shawnee Lake's swimming beach and boating, and the fishing access that makes the park one of Bedford County's most visited outdoor recreation destinations. The Flight 93 National Memorial, 25 miles north near Shanksville, preserves the Somerset County field where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001—the memorial's Wall of Names and the Tower of Voices wind chime memorial create the most sobering and most significant historical site in southwestern Pennsylvania, visited by over 600,000 people annually. Historic Bedford, 7 miles east on US-30, provides the Bedford County seat's Main Street commercial district, the Fort Bedford Museum's French and Indian War and Revolutionary War artifacts, and the Bedford Springs Resort and Spa's historic hotel complex whose natural springs drew Washington, Buchanan, and seven other US presidents to the Pennsylvania mountains. Nature's Getaway operates seasonally in Bedford County's temperate Allegheny Mountain climate, with the Memorial Day through Labor Day window covering the summer peak and the late spring and early fall shoulder seasons providing the most comfortable temperatures for hiking in Shawnee State Park's high-terrain trails. The fall foliage in October transforms the Bedford County ridge and valley landscape into the display that the Pennsylvania Wilds and the broader Allegheny Mountain fall season produce each year. Reserve your site, tent position, or cabin at Nature's Getaway and let Shawnee State Park, the Flight 93 Memorial, and the historic Bedford Springs deliver the Allegheny Mountain Bedford County experience from the Lincoln Highway's most welcoming campground address.

from $35/night

Timber Run Campground

36 RV Sites, 4 Cabins

Five miles from the southern reaches of Raystown Lake—Pennsylvania's largest lake and one of the Appalachian region's most celebrated bass fishing and houseboating destinations—Timber Run Campground in Saxton provides a full-hookup campground and luxury cabin complex that has built its appeal around lake access proximity, a saltwater swimming pool, and the family activity infrastructure that makes it a destination in its own right as well as a base camp for the 27,000-acre Raystown reservoir. The campground's 5G Wi-Fi, on-site café, pirate ship playground with jump pad, gaga ball pit, game room, and K9 off-leash park serve the family camping market that Raystown Lake's extraordinary recreational geography has made one of central Pennsylvania's most consistently booked camping regions. Full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer service accommodate self-contained rigs alongside deluxe cabin rentals and tent sites spread through the campground's wooded grounds. A saltwater swimming pool, 5G Wi-Fi throughout, a general store, on-site café, clean bathhouses with showers, and laundry facilities provide the complete daily support infrastructure for multi-day stays. The pirate ship playground, jump pad, game room, gaga ball pit, and K9 park create the family and pet recreation infrastructure that makes Timber Run one of those campgrounds where children and dogs are as eager to arrive as the adults who planned the trip. Raystown Lake, five miles north, spans 27,000 acres of US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir water in the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River valley—a lake created by the completion of Raystown Dam in 1973 that has developed one of the most complete lake recreation ecosystems in Pennsylvania. The lake's smallmouth bass, striped bass, and walleye fishery attracts tournament anglers from across the Mid-Atlantic, and the houseboat rentals that Raystown's 118-mile shoreline and protected coves enable have made multi-day floating vacations one of the lake's signature recreation products for groups who want a completely lake-based experience. The surrounding central Pennsylvania Appalachian landscape of Bedford County provides the broader historical and recreational context for a Raystown Lake stay—Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks near Huntingdon offer limestone cave exploration in the karst terrain that underlies the ridge-and-valley Appalachians, and the East Broad Top Railroad near Orbisonia preserves a narrow-gauge mining railroad in working order as one of the most authentic vintage rail experiences in the eastern United States. Shawnee State Park, 20 miles southwest, provides additional hiking, lake swimming, and natural areas within Bedford County's state park infrastructure. Central Pennsylvania's four-season climate makes Timber Run functional from spring through fall, with the spring bass spawn on Raystown Lake typically running from April through May in the reservoir's shallow coves and creek arms and drawing the highest concentration of fishing guests. Summer activates the full recreation calendar: the pool, the lake's houseboat and boat rental infrastructure, and the family camping events that fill the campground's planned activities roster from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Fall foliage on the Appalachian ridgelines surrounding Raystown Lake peaks in early to mid-October and provides the most visually spectacular camping conditions of the year, when the lake's still surface reflects the ridge color in a display that makes a Raystown fall weekend among central Pennsylvania's most sought-after seasonal experiences.

James Creek RV Resort

1 RV Site, 5 Cabins

James Creek RV Resort in James Creek, Pennsylvania, is a fishing and outdoor recreation campground in Huntingdon County offering RV sites and cabin accommodations for fishing families, reunion groups, and the outdoor visitors drawn to the Raystown Lake corridor and the Juniata River valley's central Pennsylvania mountain landscape. James Creek's Huntingdon County position on PA-26 in the Raystown Branch valley south of Huntingdon gives the resort its specific central Pennsylvania outdoor recreation character of a campground in the working agricultural and timber country of the Appalachian ridges and valleys that frame the Raystown Lake reservoir and the Juniata River corridor in one of the least-visited and most naturally intact sections of the Appalachian Plateau's ridge and valley topography in Pennsylvania's geographic center. The Raystown Branch's smallmouth bass and panfish give the James Creek resort its primary fishing camp identity. RV sites and cabins with the complete Huntingdon County campground infrastructure give James Creek RV Resort the accommodation range for both the fishing group whose multi-day Raystown Lake or Raystown Branch itinerary requires the cabin's group gathering space and the RV traveler whose central Pennsylvania hook-up service sustains the longer-stay outdoor recreation visit to the Raystown Lake region. The resort's fishing-camp orientation reflects Huntingdon County's specific outdoor recreation identity as a destination for the Pennsylvania bass, walleye, and muskellunge market. Pets are welcome. Raystown Lake, 15 miles south of James Creek in Huntingdon County on Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, is the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania — a 29-mile Army Corps of Engineers impoundment with 118 miles of shoreline whose muskellunge fishery, the nationally recognized mountain bike Allegrippis Trail's 36-mile singletrack system, and the Seven Points Marina's houseboat rental operation give the Huntingdon County reservoir the most comprehensive lake recreation resource in central Pennsylvania. The muskellunge, walleye, and the lake-record specimens consistently produced in Raystown's cold, deep, clear water give the lake its specific cold-water trophy fishery character. Trough Creek State Park, 10 miles southeast of James Creek in Huntingdon County on PA-994, protects the Indian Lookout overlook, the balanced rock formation, the Rainbow Falls cascade, and the Trough Creek gorge's dramatic limestone and shale canyon in one of Pennsylvania's most geologically diverse and most scenically concentrated state parks. The park's 0.6-mile Great Trough Creek gorge trail gives hikers the canyon-level experience of the limestone gorge's vertical walls, the creek's cascades, and the rhododendron's June bloom in a compact trail that gives the James Creek area one of central Pennsylvania's most rewarding short hikes. James Creek RV Resort serves guests through Huntingdon County's Pennsylvania camping season from spring through fall, with the Raystown Lake's spring fishing season from April through June and the fall muskellunge season from September through November representing the two primary angling visitor demand peaks for the central Pennsylvania fishing market. The Standing Stone Trail's 77-mile backpacking route through Huntingdon County from Greenwood Furnace State Park to the Maryland border gives long-distance hikers the specific central Pennsylvania ridgeline trail that the Appalachian Trail's more traveled route to the east supplements in the ridge and valley landscape of the Juniata watershed. Reserve sites and cabins ahead for the spring fishing season and the summer Raystown Lake recreation peak.

from $56/night

Ridge Rider Campground

28 RV Sites, 44 Tent Sites

Ridge Rider Campground occupies 222 acres in Little Orleans, Maryland, where the Potomac River winds out of the Western Maryland highlands and the ridge-and-valley terrain of the Appalachian Mountains frames a river valley that has changed little since the canal era of the early nineteenth century. The ridge rider campground's position in this unhurried corner of Allegany County gives it a natural seclusion that most East Coast campgrounds cannot offer—surrounded on most sides by protected public lands and bordered by one of the great historic transportation corridors of American history. The campground offers tent camping, RV sites, and cabin accommodations, with the cabins representing a particularly comfortable option—sleeping eight with full kitchens, AC and heat, WiFi, and pet-friendly policies that make them a genuine home base for extended family visits. A swimming pool, stocked fishing pond, basketball courts, playground, and well-stocked camp store cover the day-to-day recreation needs, while a pavilion handles group gatherings and the central recreation room with pool tables, pinball machines, and games provides evening entertainment when the fireflies come out along the Potomac bottom. Little Orleans sits at the western edge of Allegany County, where the landscape begins the geological transition from the valley-and-ridge terrain of central Maryland to the more dramatic river gorge country of the upper Potomac. The town itself is little more than a cluster of buildings around Bill's Place—a bar and general store that has served Potomac River travelers since 1906—but the surroundings are spectacular, and the sense of genuine rural remoteness within two to three hours of Baltimore and Washington D.C. explains why the campground draws repeat visitors who make the drive deliberately rather than discovering it by accident. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park runs immediately adjacent to the campground, offering 185 miles of towpath open to hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders along the route where mule-drawn canal boats carried coal from Cumberland to Georgetown from 1828 to 1924. The towpath here is flat, well-shaded, and follows the Potomac through some of the most beautiful river scenery in the mid-Atlantic—a genuinely rewarding multi-day cycling route with the campground as its western anchor. Green Ridge State Forest, 43,000 acres of managed woodland directly north of the campground, provides mountain biking trails, hunting, and dispersed camping on terrain that gives serious off-road cyclists an eastern destination that rivals the better-known trail systems of West Virginia. Ridge Rider Campground operates through the Maryland camping season with spring, summer, and fall all offering genuinely appealing conditions in the Potomac highlands. Fishing in the river and the stocked pond draws year-round visitors when the weather cooperates, and the canal towpath is at its most beautiful during fall foliage and spring wildflower seasons when the bottomland forest along the Potomac is at its most vivid.

from $22/night

Pioneer Lakes RV Park

104 RV Sites, 7 Cabins, 12 Tent Sites

Pioneer Lakes RV Park in Somerset, Pennsylvania, offers 104 RV sites, seven cabins, and 12 tent sites behind a gated entrance in the Laurel Highlands, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Premium and standard waterfront back-in sites and full-hookup pull-throughs sit alongside a splash pad, spa, mini-golf, and a beach. One hundred four sites run in premium waterfront back-in, standard waterfront, and pull-through configurations, all carrying 20, 30, and 50-amp with water, sewer, and electric, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Seven cabins and 12 tent sites round out the accommodations. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. There is no cable in the park, though you are welcome to bring a streaming device, and seasonal sites are available. The recreation roster is extensive. An outdoor pool and splash pad anchor the summer, with a spa, mini-golf, game room, and on-site dining besides. A lake and pond support fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boats, with a beach for shoreline use. Sports courts, tennis, volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, gaga ball, corn hole, and gem mining spread across the grounds, with golf cart rentals, walking trails, a dog park, and live music through the season. Water features run Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting. Pets are welcome. Somerset County's Laurel Highlands hold Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, the Flight 93 National Memorial, and Ohiopyle State Park's whitewater — a dense concentration within an hour's drive. The park is open all year. Summer is peak; reserve well ahead.

from $37/night

Glendale Valley Campground

17 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

In Fallentimber, Pennsylvania, at the edge of the Allegheny Plateau in Clearfield County, Glendale Valley Campground sits two miles from Prince Gallitzin State Park—Pennsylvania's third most visited state park and the protected shoreline of 1,635-acre Glendale Lake with its 26 miles of curving, forested waterfront. The campground's position in the heart of the Alleghenies puts it squarely in the middle of Central Pennsylvania's most rewarding outdoor recreation landscape, where the ridges and valleys of the old coal and timber country have given way to the lakes, trails, and wildlife corridors that make this part of the state genuinely beautiful in every season. Full hookup sites accommodate rigs of all sizes across a gated property that features a recently renovated bathhouse, a new camp store restocked with snacks, firewood, and supplies in 2023, and a modern laundry room added in 2024 reflecting the campground's ongoing investment in facilities. EV charging, a boat ramp providing direct Glendale Lake access, a playground, volleyball courts, gaga ball, and a recreation center complete the main amenity offerings. The property is pet-friendly with plenty of open area for walking dogs, WiFi coverage throughout the grounds, and propane fills available at the camp store. Beach access at Glendale Lake gives guests a sandy waterfront option without leaving the state park corridor. Glendale Lake's 26 miles of forested shoreline define the recreational character of the surrounding region—boating, fishing for bass and panfish, swimming, kayaking, and canoeing on a lake that sits entirely within the state park's protected boundaries, creating the kind of clean, uncrowded freshwater experience that Pennsylvania's more accessible lakes can rarely provide. Over 30 miles of hiking trails in Prince Gallitzin State Park extend through the surrounding Allegheny forest from easy waterfront paths to moderate ridge hikes with panoramic views across the Clearfield County landscape. Mountain biking on the park's trail network adds another dimension for cycling guests who want mileage alongside the lake views. The campground's entertainment calendar runs throughout the summer season with weekend activities that create the social energy guests want without demanding participation: live music and bands, DJs, karaoke, bingo, and the beloved Christmas in July celebration that the campground runs each summer with decorated sites, holiday lights, and the festive atmosphere that has become one of the year's most anticipated events. The surrounding Allegheny highlands offer wine and beer tasting at nearby regional producers, and Clearfield County's dark skies—well away from the light pollution of the Pittsburgh and State College corridors—reward any guest willing to step outside after dark for a look at the Milky Way. Glendale Valley operates seasonally with peak demand running from Memorial Day through Labor Day when Prince Gallitzin's lake and trail access draws maximum visitation from across Central Pennsylvania. The shoulder seasons—late May through June and September into early October—offer the park's outdoor recreation at its most pleasant temperatures with noticeably lighter crowds on the lake and hiking trails. Reserve your site at Glendale Valley Campground and let Prince Gallitzin's beautiful Allegheny lake country be the setting for your Central Pennsylvania basecamp.

from $39/night

Wildwood RV Resort

16 RV Sites

Tucked into the wooded hills of Juniata County near East Waterford, Pennsylvania, Wildwood RV Resort offers an immersive natural retreat built around oversized lots, a diverse wildlife community, and the quiet, clean character that draws seasonal regulars and weekend visitors back to this corner of central Pennsylvania's Tuscarora Mountain ridge country. White-tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels, and a consistent chorus of woodland birds define the daily backdrop of a stay here—a natural environment that complements the resort's commitment to providing outdoor-centered relaxation alongside structured recreation options. The resort's oversized lots provide more space per site than typical campgrounds, giving guests room to spread out and set up outdoor living areas that extend the camping experience beyond the rig or cabin. A swimming pool with an adjacent spa serves as the warm-weather centerpiece of on-site recreation, and a dog park accommodates guests traveling with pets. Laundry facilities, a well-stocked camp store, and a clean restroom and shower building handle practical daily needs, while the resort's gazebo positioned beside an on-site pond provides a tranquil outdoor space for relaxed picnic hours or quiet evening reading. Glamping cabins round out the accommodation options for guests who want a mountain cabin experience without the logistical requirements of towing a rig into the hills of Juniata County. Cabin options range from more primitive configurations suited to guests seeking a rustic experience to fully equipped units with kitchen and bathroom facilities for groups wanting indoor comfort. The playground and arcade keep younger guests entertained during downtime between outdoor activities, and basketball, outdoor games, and resort-wide trails support active recreation for all ages. Tuscarora State Forest, accessible from the East Waterford area, encompasses miles of hiking and hunting trails through the forested ridge terrain of the Tuscarora Mountain system—one of the long parallel ridges that characterize the Pennsylvania Valley and Ridge physiographic province. The surrounding Juniata River Valley is known for smallmouth bass fishing, and the broader region's rural character makes it a particularly appealing destination for guests seeking a genuine escape from metropolitan Pennsylvania into undeveloped woodland and river country. Wildwood RV Resort is open seasonally, with summer and early fall representing the busiest periods for both weekend guests and seasonal site holders who return year after year to the same site. The resort's mix of seasonal campers, weekend visitors, and cabin guests creates a multigenerational community character that new arrivals typically note as a distinguishing feature of the experience. Advance reservations are recommended for summer holiday weekends, when the resort's combination of wildlife, wooded setting, and family amenities makes it a popular choice across central Pennsylvania. The Tuscarora Mountain corridor of central Pennsylvania is part of the Ridge and Valley physiographic province—a system of long, parallel wooded ridges and fertile valleys that extends from New York to Alabama and gives this part of the state a landscape character unlike the rolling farmland of the piedmont or the plateau terrain of the northern tier. Seasonal hunting, wildlife observation, and fall color drives through the mountain corridors are popular pursuits for guests who return to the resort year after year.

from $70/night

The Blue Canoe RV Resort

103 RV Sites, 12 Cabins, 18 Tent Sites

The Blue Canoe RV Resort in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, offers 103 RV sites, 12 cabins, and 18 tent sites between the Youghiogheny River and the Great Allegheny Passage, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet. Front premium river, river view, and deluxe patio pull-through categories join a pool, game room, and bike and boat rentals. One hundred three sites span back-in front premium river, back-in premium river, back-in river view, deluxe patio pull-thru, and front river view 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 river-front categories are the reason to book here. Twelve cabins and 18 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with bike rentals and boat rentals putting the trail and the river within immediate reach for canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing, and biking. A game room, arcade, gaga ball, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, a playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, golf cart rentals, and on-site dining fill the rest, with planned activities through the season. The Great Allegheny Passage is the most popular long-distance trail in the mid-Atlantic, and Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, the Flight 93 Memorial, Fort Necessity, and Laurel Caverns are all close. Summer and fall drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $22/night

Jellystone Park™ Williamsport

108 RV Sites, 52 Cabins, 15 Tent Sites, 27 Cottages, 1 Lodge

Jellystone Park Williamsport in Maryland offers 108 full-hookup RV sites, 80 cabin, cottage, and lodge units, and 15 tent sites along the Potomac, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet behind a gated entrance. Preferred Premium back-in and pull-through categories join premium buddy and patio tiers, alongside a 400-foot water slide, lazy river, and splash pad. One hundred eight sites span premium, premium buddy, premium with patio back-in, preferred premium back-in, and preferred premium pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. The buddy sites suit two rigs traveling together. Eighty cabins, cottages, and lodges and 15 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and food trucks handle the practical side. A daily resort fee covers mini-golf, the playground, and the wider amenity program. A 400-foot water slide, lazy river, and splash pad anchor the summer, with an outdoor pool alongside. Laser tag, mini-golf, a jumping pillow, arcade, gem mining, gaga ball, inflatable water toys, sports courts, basketball, volleyball, a craft room, game room, playground, pavilion, on-site dining, and a bar fill the rest, with live music and planned activities. The address is 9550 Jellystone Park Way, where Antietam National Battlefield, the C&O Canal, and the Appalachian Trail converge — the most historically dense setting of any campground in the mid-Atlantic. Summer is the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $43/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.

Gettysburg Battlefield Resort

Gettysburg Battlefield Resort in Cumberland Township puts guests within the landscape of the most consequential three days in American history — the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863, which turned the tide of the Civil War and ultimately preserved the United States as a unified nation. With over 250 campsites alongside a Civil War reenactment area, an authentic farmhouse lodge, and a full slate of family recreational amenities, Gettysburg Battlefield Resort combines a historically significant address with a campground designed to keep families happily occupied for a multi-night stay. Accommodations include RV sites, tent camping, and modern cabin rentals, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, playgrounds, ball fields, a stocked fishing pond, paddle boating, mini golf, and nature trails providing on-site recreation. A general store with an ice cream parlor, climate-controlled bathhouses, laundry facilities, a community firepit, and an outdoor pavilion complete the amenity lineup. Live Civil War reenactments are staged on the resort's dedicated grounds throughout the summer — one of the most immersive ways for families to connect with the battle's human dimensions anywhere in the region. Pets are welcome at Gettysburg Battlefield Resort. The resort's location in Cumberland Township places guests at the edge of Gettysburg National Military Park — one of the most extensively preserved and interpreted battlefields in the world, where 6,000 acres of ground walked by 160,000 soldiers across three days of fighting in 1863 remain largely intact and accessible by car, bike, licensed battlefield guide, or on foot. The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center houses the restored Cyclorama — the largest oil painting in North America, depicting Pickett's Charge in 360-degree panoramic detail — alongside extensive artifact collections and multimedia presentations that establish context before guests walk the ground. Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge, Devil's Den, and the High Water Mark at the Angle are among the most historically evocative sites in America. The Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in November 1863, remains one of the most moving places in the United States. Gettysburg Battlefield Resort is open through the camping season, with summer delivering both the full on-site recreation program and the most active reenactment calendar. Eisenhower National Historic Site, Hershey Park 45 minutes east, Amish country in Lancaster County, and Washington D.C. roughly 75 miles south all lie within reasonable day-trip range. Book early for the summer months — the resort's unique combination of Civil War history and family camping recreation fills gettysburg battlefield resort reservations faster than its 250-plus sites might suggest.

from $72/night

Momma Tried RV & Campground

38 RV Sites, 2 Tent Sites

In the forested mountains of Pocahontas County in eastern West Virginia, Momma Tried RV & Campground sits among the hardwood hollows and mountain streams of one of the wildest and most unspoiled regions in the eastern United States. Located near the small community of Cabins—itself a name that captures the essential character of the area—the campground operates year-round and provides full hookup sites, walking trails, a dog park, sports courts, and direct access to the rivers and mountains that define the Monongahela National Forest country. For outdoors-focused campers who want genuine Appalachian terrain, this is the right address. Full hookup sites with WiFi deliver modern connectivity in a mountain setting that might otherwise suggest a more spartan experience. Walking trails loop from the campground into the surrounding forested terrain, and the campground's river and stream access opens up swimming holes, fishing spots, and quiet stretches of water that can occupy entire afternoons with nothing more than wading boots and a light rod. A dog park gives canine travelers their own space, basketball and sports courts provide on-site active recreation, and a playground serves families with younger campers. The campground is open year-round, accessible for fall foliage season, winter snowshoeing, and the full spring wildflower bloom that turns the surrounding Allegheny hollows into something extraordinary. The mountains surrounding Cabins are part of the Allegheny Highlands—ancient, rounded ridges covered in mixed hardwood and spruce forest that represent some of the most significant wild country remaining in the eastern United States. Monongahela National Forest, which envelops much of Pocahontas County, provides hundreds of thousands of acres of hiking, mountain biking, trout fishing, and wildlife habitat. The Greenbrier River, one of the cleanest rivers in the Appalachians, flows through the region and offers kayaking, canoeing, and fly fishing in water that is famously clear and cold in every season. The Greenbrier River Trail—a converted rail trail running more than 70 miles through the Greenbrier Valley—is one of the premier rail-to-trail experiences in the eastern United States, with sections accessible from the campground area. Seneca Rocks, the dramatic quartzite formation rising 900 feet above the Seneca Creek valley, is one of the iconic technical climbing destinations in the Appalachian region. Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia, offers day-trip access to long views across the Allegheny ridges. Waterfalls, swimming holes, and the dense quiet of old mountain forest surround the campground in every direction. Momma Tried RV & Campground is open year-round and serves outdoors-focused guests who want a functional base camp in mountain country rather than a resort. The campground suits serious hikers, kayakers, mountain bikers, and anglers especially well, and the absence of heavy resort programming is part of the appeal for guests who come to be in the mountain environment rather than watching it from poolside. Whether you're chasing trout on the Greenbrier, riding the rail trail, climbing at Seneca Rocks, or simply immersing yourself in the remarkable quiet of the West Virginia highlands, Momma Tried delivers the right setting. Book a site and get outside.

from $44/night