At Go Camping PA there’s a great camping adventure awaiting you! The campgrounds in Pennsylvania are very diverse. When visiting privately owned campgrounds, some are more rustic, while others are more like resort vacations, and of course, there’s everything in between those two extremes.

What is a private campground? It’s a campground not owned by a city, county, the state, or the national parks system. Some are franchises like KOA (aka Kampgrounds of America), or Yogi Bear Campgrounds, among others, and some are privately owned, non-franchised campgrounds. Sure they might cost a little more than a county, state or national campground, but remember that they aren’t subsidized by tax dollars, and in general, they have more amenities like swimming pools, mini golf, jumping pillows, paddle boats, paint ball or laser tag, evening movies, and more!

Here at Go Camping PA, you can choose your next camping adventure based on what geographical region you would like to visit, which campground you’d like to stay at, or find a campground near an attraction you’d like to visit. If you select the region first, as an example, you can then select the campground that best meets your family’s needs, and what attractions you’d like visit in that area. Or, you can select what attraction you’d like to visit anywhere within the state, and then find a campground near it. Our user-friendly website, allows you to choose the region, the campground, or the attraction first.

Pennsylvania Campgrounds are as beautiful and varied as the state in which they reside! At privately owned campgrounds, you can tent camp on primitive sites (no hookups), or sites with electric or electric and water. They also have sewer services for recreational vehicles of all kinds. Recreational Vehicles (RVs) include tent trailers (aka popups), small travel trailers (aka bumper pulls), large travel trailers, fifth wheel RVs, and motorhomes. In addition to all of these great utilities, many private campgrounds provide wifi, and cable TV.

Many PA campgrounds offer hiking trails, catch and release fishing, volleyball, gaga ball, basketball, horseshoes, and more! Some even offer planned activities that might include things like train rides, tractor drawn wagon rides, fire truck rides, BINGO, crafts, ceramics, meals, and more!

Almost all campgrounds have a base number of people included in their site charge. Generally that is 2 adults or a family of 2 adults and 2 minor children (i.e. children under 18). Extra people are an extra fee. People who might visit you while you are camping are also subject to register at the campground office and pay any visitor fees the campground charges. Please remember that if people are entering a campground without paying the visitors or extra people fee, that is considered a theft of  services in the state of Pennsylvania. Please be sure to not place yourself or your guests in that position. Also, it’s also a great idea to read through a campground’s policies to make sure that your camping style is within their expectations. Some parks have gates that require after-hours entry codes or gate keys. Be sure to ask about getting into campgrounds after hours if your arrival will be well after normal office hours.

Tent camping in PA can vary from primitive (no hookups) to more deluxe campsites with water, electric, tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings with cooking grates. Some campgrounds charge extra for showers. So that’s a great question to ask before booking. In general, discharging gray water (sink water or dish pan water) onto the ground in Pennsylvania is unlawful. Please dispose of waste water at the campgrounds dump station. This is true of tent camping or popups, or other travel trailers.

You do not have to rough it in a tent if you don’t own an RV! Pennsylvania Campgrounds also offer a host of fun and great cabins and specialty outdoor lodging. Cabins can range from rustic camping cabins (no utilities, just beds and a table) to deluxe cabins which are full service! These are sometimes called “Glamping”, which is a combination of the words glamorous and camping. They can include cabins, yurts, safari tents, cabooses, house boats, park model trailers, vintage air streams, tree houses, and more!

It’s also a great idea to remember, that even when camping in PA near urban areas doesn’t mean that wild animals don’t go into campgrounds. Never feed wild animals like raccoons, and never leave garbage at your campsite at night. Take your garbage to the dumpster each evening before retiring, and never take food into a tent or popup with you. As a public service announcement, please remember to extinguish your campfire each night before retiring. And remember, like Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

Camping fosters a sense of community as you meet other RV campers along the way. Taking an RV allows more time to explore all of what Pennsylvania offers. Combine flexibility and comfort to visit more attractions and go camping near many of the state’s finest parks and landmarks. You can go practically anywhere you want in an RV comfortably and find RV campgrounds with amenities and hookups to enhance your camping experience. Camping in an RV shields you from annoying insects and bugs, not to mention the colder weather in the fall and winter months. To make your PA camping vacation the very best it can be, you can get prepared with our blog tips. Go Camping PA will help you find the best campgrounds in PA to make your experience everything you want it to be!