RV Parks In Pennsylvania

It depends on what you are after. For natural beauty, the DCNR state parks are tops: Ricketts Glen with its 21 waterfalls, Ohiopyle in the whitewater-rich Laurel Highlands, Cook Forest’s old-growth pines, and Pymatuning’s big lake. For full hookups and attractions, private resorts shine, including Gettysburg Battlefield KOA for Civil War history, and Hersheypark Camping Resort and Thousand Trails Hershey for the theme parks. If you want free camping, the Allegheny National Forest in the northwest offers dispersed boondocking. Most RVers mix a state park or two with a private resort near the big attractions.

Some do, and more are being added. PA State Parks have traditionally offered electric sites with shared dump stations rather than full sewer, though the Bureau of State Parks has been adding full-hookup sites at select campgrounds like Ohiopyle. For guaranteed full hookups with 50-amp service, the private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg and the Poconos are your best bet, and they are built for it. When you book a state-park site through the reservation system, check the listed amenities, since hookup levels vary by site and many remain electric-only.

Pennsylvania is a good value, helped by the fact that state parks charge no entrance fee. State-park electric sites generally run about 25 to 45 dollars a night, and dispersed camping in the Allegheny National Forest is free if you are self-contained. Private full-hookup resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg cost more, typically 45 to 90 dollars a night in season, with premium and theme-park-adjacent sites at the top. Shoulder-season and midweek rates drop, and membership and weekly options at the larger resorts make longer stays more affordable.

For summer and fall-foliage weekends, book early. Pennsylvania State Parks open reservations up to 11 months in advance at pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com, and the headliners, Ricketts Glen, Ohiopyle and Cook Forest, fill quickly for peak weekends. Private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg also book months ahead in summer. Midweek and shoulder-season stays are far easier and often available a week or two out. If your dates are set, reserve as soon as the window opens and watch for cancellations as the trip nears.

Fall is hard to beat. October lights up the Alleghenies and Cook Forest with color, the air is crisp, the bugs are gone, and crowds ease midweek, though foliage weekends book up fast. Summer is prime for lakes, Hershey and Gettysburg but also the busiest and most humid stretch. Spring is excellent for waterfalls and rafting when the rivers run full, just expect mud and rain. Winter camping is limited to a few year-round private parks, so most RVers treat Pennsylvania as an April-to-October destination with a fall peak.

Yes, with some care about where you book. The private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg and the Poconos are built for big rigs with long, full-hookup, often pull-through sites. Among state parks, newer loops at places like Pymatuning and Ohiopyle handle larger rigs, but older mountain-park campgrounds can be tight and twisty. Pennsylvania’s central ridges also mean real grades and tunnels on the PA Turnpike and I-80, so plan your routes and brakes. Read site-length details before booking a state park if you run a 40-footer.

Yes, more than in many eastern states. The Allegheny National Forest in the northwest allows dispersed camping, which is free if you are fully self-contained, and there are first-come sites and primitive camping in some state forests. The Kinzua reservoir area is a popular base. Developed state-park and private camping is reservation-based, so do not count on walking up to a site near the big attractions on a summer weekend. For boondocking, the northwest forest country is your best bet, and always check current fire and stay-limit rules.

The Gettysburg Battlefield KOA is the natural choice, with full hookups, 50-amp service and a location built for touring the battlefield and town. Several other private campgrounds and a few state and county options sit nearby as well. The National Park Service does not run a campground at the battlefield itself, so RVers rely on these private parks. Book ahead for summer and around the early-July battle anniversary, when the area is busiest. From a base here you can easily do the auto tour, the visitor center and the surrounding Dutch Country attractions.

Two resorts dominate. Hersheypark Camping Resort is the official option, with electric and full-hookup sites and a shuttle to Hersheypark and Chocolate World, ideal if the theme park is your focus. Thousand Trails Hershey is a large nearby resort with spacious full-hookup sites, popular with members and big rigs. Both book months ahead for the summer theme-park season, so reserve early. Hershey’s central location also makes it a convenient base for day trips to Gettysburg, Lancaster’s Amish Country and the state capital at Harrisburg, all within an easy drive.

It is the scenic heart of Pennsylvania RVing. Ohiopyle State Park anchors the Laurel Highlands in the southwest, with electric and some full-hookup sites and world-class whitewater on the Youghiogheny River, plus Fallingwater nearby. To the northeast, Ricketts Glen’s Falls Trail and Cook Forest’s ancient pines draw RVers for hiking and fall color. Expect mountain weather, real grades on the access roads, and electric-rather-than-full hookups at most sites. Spring brings big water for rafting and full waterfalls, while October delivers the best color in the state.

No. Like Ohio, Pennsylvania does not charge a separate entrance or day-use fee at its state parks, so the only cost is your camping reservation. That makes the DCNR system an excellent value for RVers, since you are not paying to get in on top of your nightly site fee. You still pay standard camping fees through the reservation system, and a few specific facilities or programs may have charges, but day-use access and parking at Pennsylvania state parks are free, which encourages exploring multiple parks on a single trip.

Only in limited places. Pennsylvania winters bring cold and mountain snow, and most state-park electric loops close from late fall into spring. A handful of private parks stay open year-round, mainly in the lower-elevation and eastern parts of the state, for cold-weather and shoulder-season camping. If you plan a winter trip, book a year-round private park ahead, prepare for freezing temperatures and tank management, and do not count on the state-park system being open. Most RVers plan Pennsylvania trips for the April-through-October window instead.

Easier in the east, more demanding through the middle. The eastern interstates like I-81 and I-83 are straightforward, but the central part of the state is mountainous: the PA Turnpike (I-76) is tolled by vehicle class and runs through long tunnels and over ridges, and I-80 climbs real grades across the Alleghenies. Watch your engine temps and brakes on the descents and plan fuel stops, since services thin out in the mountains. Once you are off the ridges, the lake country and Dutch Country roads are gentle and easy for any size rig.

It depends on what you are after. For natural beauty, the DCNR state parks are tops: Ricketts Glen with its 21 waterfalls, Ohiopyle in the whitewater-rich Laurel Highlands, Cook Forest’s old-growth pines, and Pymatuning’s big lake. For full hookups and attractions, private resorts shine, including Gettysburg Battlefield KOA for Civil War history, and Hersheypark Camping Resort and Thousand Trails Hershey for the theme parks. If you want free camping, the Allegheny National Forest in the northwest offers dispersed boondocking. Most RVers mix a state park or two with a private resort near the big attractions.

Some do, and more are being added. PA State Parks have traditionally offered electric sites with shared dump stations rather than full sewer, though the Bureau of State Parks has been adding full-hookup sites at select campgrounds like Ohiopyle. For guaranteed full hookups with 50-amp service, the private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg and the Poconos are your best bet, and they are built for it. When you book a state-park site through the reservation system, check the listed amenities, since hookup levels vary by site and many remain electric-only.

Pennsylvania is a good value, helped by the fact that state parks charge no entrance fee. State-park electric sites generally run about 25 to 45 dollars a night, and dispersed camping in the Allegheny National Forest is free if you are self-contained. Private full-hookup resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg cost more, typically 45 to 90 dollars a night in season, with premium and theme-park-adjacent sites at the top. Shoulder-season and midweek rates drop, and membership and weekly options at the larger resorts make longer stays more affordable.

For summer and fall-foliage weekends, book early. Pennsylvania State Parks open reservations up to 11 months in advance at pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com, and the headliners, Ricketts Glen, Ohiopyle and Cook Forest, fill quickly for peak weekends. Private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg also book months ahead in summer. Midweek and shoulder-season stays are far easier and often available a week or two out. If your dates are set, reserve as soon as the window opens and watch for cancellations as the trip nears.

Fall is hard to beat. October lights up the Alleghenies and Cook Forest with color, the air is crisp, the bugs are gone, and crowds ease midweek, though foliage weekends book up fast. Summer is prime for lakes, Hershey and Gettysburg but also the busiest and most humid stretch. Spring is excellent for waterfalls and rafting when the rivers run full, just expect mud and rain. Winter camping is limited to a few year-round private parks, so most RVers treat Pennsylvania as an April-to-October destination with a fall peak.

Yes, with some care about where you book. The private resorts near Hershey and Gettysburg and the Poconos are built for big rigs with long, full-hookup, often pull-through sites. Among state parks, newer loops at places like Pymatuning and Ohiopyle handle larger rigs, but older mountain-park campgrounds can be tight and twisty. Pennsylvania’s central ridges also mean real grades and tunnels on the PA Turnpike and I-80, so plan your routes and brakes. Read site-length details before booking a state park if you run a 40-footer.

Yes, more than in many eastern states. The Allegheny National Forest in the northwest allows dispersed camping, which is free if you are fully self-contained, and there are first-come sites and primitive camping in some state forests. The Kinzua reservoir area is a popular base. Developed state-park and private camping is reservation-based, so do not count on walking up to a site near the big attractions on a summer weekend. For boondocking, the northwest forest country is your best bet, and always check current fire and stay-limit rules.

The Gettysburg Battlefield KOA is the natural choice, with full hookups, 50-amp service and a location built for touring the battlefield and town. Several other private campgrounds and a few state and county options sit nearby as well. The National Park Service does not run a campground at the battlefield itself, so RVers rely on these private parks. Book ahead for summer and around the early-July battle anniversary, when the area is busiest. From a base here you can easily do the auto tour, the visitor center and the surrounding Dutch Country attractions.

Two resorts dominate. Hersheypark Camping Resort is the official option, with electric and full-hookup sites and a shuttle to Hersheypark and Chocolate World, ideal if the theme park is your focus. Thousand Trails Hershey is a large nearby resort with spacious full-hookup sites, popular with members and big rigs. Both book months ahead for the summer theme-park season, so reserve early. Hershey’s central location also makes it a convenient base for day trips to Gettysburg, Lancaster’s Amish Country and the state capital at Harrisburg, all within an easy drive.

It is the scenic heart of Pennsylvania RVing. Ohiopyle State Park anchors the Laurel Highlands in the southwest, with electric and some full-hookup sites and world-class whitewater on the Youghiogheny River, plus Fallingwater nearby. To the northeast, Ricketts Glen’s Falls Trail and Cook Forest’s ancient pines draw RVers for hiking and fall color. Expect mountain weather, real grades on the access roads, and electric-rather-than-full hookups at most sites. Spring brings big water for rafting and full waterfalls, while October delivers the best color in the state.

No. Like Ohio, Pennsylvania does not charge a separate entrance or day-use fee at its state parks, so the only cost is your camping reservation. That makes the DCNR system an excellent value for RVers, since you are not paying to get in on top of your nightly site fee. You still pay standard camping fees through the reservation system, and a few specific facilities or programs may have charges, but day-use access and parking at Pennsylvania state parks are free, which encourages exploring multiple parks on a single trip.

Only in limited places. Pennsylvania winters bring cold and mountain snow, and most state-park electric loops close from late fall into spring. A handful of private parks stay open year-round, mainly in the lower-elevation and eastern parts of the state, for cold-weather and shoulder-season camping. If you plan a winter trip, book a year-round private park ahead, prepare for freezing temperatures and tank management, and do not count on the state-park system being open. Most RVers plan Pennsylvania trips for the April-through-October window instead.

Easier in the east, more demanding through the middle. The eastern interstates like I-81 and I-83 are straightforward, but the central part of the state is mountainous: the PA Turnpike (I-76) is tolled by vehicle class and runs through long tunnels and over ridges, and I-80 climbs real grades across the Alleghenies. Watch your engine temps and brakes on the descents and plan fuel stops, since services thin out in the mountains. Once you are off the ridges, the lake country and Dutch Country roads are gentle and easy for any size rig.

The highest-rated is Caledonia State Park with a rating of 4.7/5 stars.