Minister Creek Campground

This is a great spot! We went mid October and it was packed, we got one of the last dispersed spots while all the established spots were taken by mid afternoon on Friday. Easy access to hiking trails right from camp. Not a ton of distance between sites but everyone around us was quiet and chill.

Established campground on north side has six sites with picnic tables and fire rings and costs $12/night. You can park and camp for free across the street but I’m not sure you’d want to sleep in your car/camper in the parking lot. There are a number of sites on the side of the road within 2-3 miles in either direction if you want to sleep in your van etc. I parked on the free side and set up a tent about 100 yards in. Lots of beautiful sites on the creek. I walked to the paid side for water and vault toilet. Arrived on a Friday in August and had no trouble grabbing a prime site.

Absolutely no cell signal. Drive about 7-10 miles in either direction to pick up a signal. Or hike to the Outlook for a very faint signal. Warren, PA is a really nice little town about 30 minutes drive and I went there for a meal and a brewery visit

Go every year for a father son backing trip for Memorial Day. There is a water tap and vaulted toilets. The best parts are just behind the main camping area. There is plenty of great dispersed sites passed the main camp ground.

Cute little campground with a handful of drive up sites and many hike-in sites scattered along the beautiful Minister Creek in the Allegheny National Forest. There were so many gorgeous hike-in sites it was hard to choose! The scenic overlook hike is pretty easy and there’s a lot of boulders to explore in the national forest. A lovely little weekend get away. Trails are dog friendly, too!

Whether you're staying at the campground itself or on the trail off the parking lot, you really can't get much better than this. Beautiful trails, accessible water from the river, sites on trail are plenty, and far between, to provide plenty of solitude. On the campground, I believe there are only 6 sites, you don't need to worry about over-crowding. They also provide a vault toilet which is always a welcome feature. Even if you're staying on trail, you can cross the street into the campground to use the vault toilet, as it isn't too far(depending how deep into the trail you are).

The campground itself can fill up quite easily, but if you head onto the trail, I see nearly zero possible situation in which you couldn't find a campsite! There is plenty of room. I can't wait to go back.

We have a camper, but wanted to take the kids tent camping for a change, and this was the perfect place. It’s first come first serve, but we lucked out with a huge spot, shady, right beside the gorgeous creek, and also the closest to the toilet (which did occasionally send a slight scent our way, but not really a big deal). No running water or electricity, but that’s what we were looking for. We had a big tent (10x14) and 2 vehicles, with plenty of room to spare.

I'm not reviewing the campground at the Minister Creek trailhead. I'm reviewing the camping options available to backpackers along the North Loop of the Minister Creek Trail.

Here are my notes from our recent trip:

When we went there in August of 2020 and backpacked the North Loop of the Minister Creek Trail, we camped at the (unbridged) stream crossing just downtrail (if hiking the loop counterclockwise) of the first intersection with the North Country National Scenic Trail, which is sort-of at 2 o'clock on the loop. It was neither our first choice, ideal, nor terrible. There weren't many flat places for a tent. There was no fire ring. It was not a "durable" surface. But it was raining, it was getting late, and it's all we could find. 

There were tons of great pre-made campsites as the trail approached and crossed the stream from the northernmost point (what I would call 12 o'clock on the loop) and headed south until the trail leaves the stream and heads south-west. We also saw a few pre-made campsites as we started our trip (at about 4 o'clock on the loop). You could pretty easily hike in and make camp right away, then do most of the 6 mile hike on the second day.

The smallest of all of the campgrounds in the Allegheny national Forest, this little slice of heaven is just perfect! With only six campsites, it’s definitely “first come, first served.” The sites are well proportioned (not right on top of each other), and perfectly situated at the base of the trailhead.

Several of the sites back up to minister Creek. Home to some of the scrappiest brook trout I have fished for. Such a great place to get away!

Quick Tip: Perfect spot for star-gazing. So set the alarm for 2am and enjoy :)

I love it here.

It’s small, primative, but worth the stop. Did a quick stopover here as we were traveling through. So peaceful and beautiful. Would highly recommend it for sure!

Smallest PA campground. Less than 10 sites. Run-of-the-mill pit bathrooms. Nice creek with some shallow pools. Offers primitive camping and has a trail that runs above the site's. Fun little road trip spur to run the route 666.

Awesome tiny campground! Only 6 spots all first come first serve and very cheap! What a wonderful find! Right along the creek where native brook trout reside. Great fly fishing in the area and the hiking is beautiful! Great loop trail ranging from a few miles to 7 miles depending on the loop, starts right behind the campground! Highly recommend this campground if you can get a spot!

We stayed here July 2018 and found a quiet campsite by the creek. It had been quite rainy and some of the sites were wet and muddy, but for $12, I couldn't complain. While there is an outhouse, it is simply a couple of toilets (bring a lantern or wear a headlamp). Arrive early to get a prime spot, and take advantage of the hiking trails (a bug net for your head will help in the summer as the gnats and deer flies are distracting). Looking forward to staying again.

a slice of heaven.

Great hiking location. Sites are sparse and set up in pull offs all over the area. Maps of sites available at the Rangers lodge. Limited facilities. Great for backpacking.