Established Camping
Raccoon Creek State Park Campground
About
State Park
Raccoon Creek State Park is one of Pennsylvania’s largest and most visited state parks. It began as a Recreational Demonstration Area operated by the National Park Service in the 1930s during the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) era.
The park encompasses 7,572 acres and features the beautiful 101-acre Raccoon Lake. Facilities are a mix of modern and rustic with group camps from the CCC era.
The 172 modern tent and trailer campsites have access to flush facilities, warm showers, and the option of electricity. Each site also has a picnic table and fire ring. Pets are permitted in C and F campsite loops.
The wooded campground offers:
Selection of secluded or adjoining sites Playground Five central washhouses Sanitary dump station Camping seasons:
E and F loops open early April and close in mid-October. A, B, C, and D loops open late May and close mid-September
Location
Raccoon Creek State Park Campground is located in Pennsylvania
Directions
Raccoon Creek State Park is in southern Beaver County. Access the park from the east and west on US 30, or from the north and south on PA 18, which passes directly through the park.
Address
3000 State Route 18
Hookstown, PA 15050
Coordinates
40.49678968826257 N
80.41781282374689 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonGood
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileGood
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- WiFi
- Showers
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Large, Mostly Rustic
My family stayed here over the Labor Day weekend a few years back. It was a relaxing time in a campground that is mostly shaded which I prefer. However, there weren't that many electric sites overall and they were very unlevel. The campground overall is very hilly and the swimming area is almost too far to walk to with young kids. Not going to lie, but this is one of the few campgrounds that we aren't in a big hurry to return to. But if you're looking for a place close to Pittsburgh that can be quiet depending on when you go, this might be right for you.
- (5) View All
Nice park
Very quiet park this time of year. Only one loop that allows pets. The spots are very sloped so bring your Lego blocks. Bathrooms were ok but nice hot showers. We we the only campers in our loop so private. I grew up near here and visited the park often. First time camping here.
Great weekend getaway!
The campground is nice and the facilities are clean! You have to be careful when picking a site if you have never been here. The electric sites are very close together. We were in F4 and it was huge. Most of the sites are large and pretty spread out. There are really great hikes around the area and the lake is lovely! The only downside is that the airport is pretty close so at times you can hear planes taking off.
- (6) View All
Great family time
This place was secluded enough to have privacy with your family but had plenty to do within the campground. We rented a motor boat and paddle board swam in the beach got snacks at t as wellhe snack hut in the beach camp fires had a beautiful large area to set up two tents and an eating are! Pets are welcome very clean place
- (20) View All
Wow
This place is great. Campsites are large. Fire rings and bbq pits.
- (4) View All
Love it
I love this campground it’s my favorite place to go camping!
Nice for a Long Weekend
This campground is an easy drive from Pittsburgh. Nice hiking trails. Other activities available like boat rental and swimming at the beach. Closeby is Janoski's farm market - huge with everything from chocolates to a floor with gifts. Also worth visiting for the short hiking trails is the Wildflower Reserve. Downside is bathhouse compared to other state parks not as clean. But overall very nice time.
Good for a relaxing weekend
Went tent camping with my fiancée. Had a great time other than the loud neighbors. Bathrooms were also a bit dirty.
Pet friendly campsite, with electric
While most of the campgrounds in the park are no pets- there are 2 loops that allow your furry companions! Loop F includes electric spots! Loved seeing the 'neighbors' dogs get excited and curious when I walked my 4-legged best friend around the site. Clean area , close to a modern bathroom (a few stalls & even 2 showers!) Looking forward to going back at the end of the month.
Campervan with kids
Many many unlevel spots in nonelectric sites. Only one playground in full hookup RV area, hard to get to. Beach access hike is at least 1.7 miles walk from loop C. You have to drive to many of the hikes and beach especially if you have children. Positives are it's very quiet. You don't see many people on hikes. Mineral springs are cool. We rented a boat for fam of 4 with motor, was $20 an hour, best part of trip.
Lovely, wooded campground and park
We enjoyed our three-day stay at Raccoon Street State Park in Pennsylvania. We used it as a jumping off point to explore Pittsburgh.
The campground is large and wooded, with good-sized sites. There are five different loops, so campsites are well-spread out throughout the area. One tip: each loop does not have its own entrance from a main road. To get to C you drive through or past A and B. Same with E and F. Each loop has its own set of flush toilets and showers.
Raccoon Lake is not far from the campground. It has a lovely medium-sized beach with hills in the background. You can rent canoes and kayaks from a stand nearby. We didn’t try them but it looked like peaceful paddling. My only minus is that the bathrooms at the beach had no electricity, so they were dark even in the daytime. Floor was wet and littered. It did not seem to have been cleaned that recently!
Also near the campground is a lovely wildflower reserve with trails and an interpretive center. The center never seemed to be open, but we were there in late August after the summer season. Perhaps it was open more in the summer. Trails at the Wildflower Reserve were varied and well-marked.
The park was not ideal for frequent travel to Pittsburgh because it’s a 40-50 minute drive, depending on traffic near the tunnel just outside the city. There didn’t seem to be a campground that was closer. We didn’t really mind the drive though, as it took us through pleasant hills and small towns. And it was great to relax at the campground when we returned from the city!
We love the diversity
I take my wife and dogs here all the time. I love the trails and it has great camping spots. The trails are easy and maintained and my dogs love them too.
Nice Stay with Lots of Animals!
We stayed here overnight on a trip to Pittsburgh. Tent sites were nicely spaced apart, but were often on inclines, like ours. We saw deer and turkeys, so be on the lookout for lots of animals! Bathrooms were fairly clean! Fun hiking to mineral springs!
Raccoon Creek Camping
This is a large state park offering electric only sites
The sites are set amounts the forest and there are several loops to choose from. Loop F is pet friendly. All sites are within walking distance to amenities
Amenities are quite run down but functional
Wildlife is beautiful and its a short ~10min drive to the beach area of Raccoon Creek lake.
Two (2) dump station spots and fresh water taps location throughout the park
NOTE: Many sites are not level, you will require blocks/timber to level out campers. Tent campers should choose their site using the photos on the state park site.
All sites have a paved car space.
- (8) View All
Best camping in Pittsburgh area
Great campground near Pittsburgh. Lots of tent , camper, and cabin sites. Good bathrooms
Beautiful weekend
Very nice, quiet campground, rangers seemed to drive by enough. Fire pits were all clean as were the restrooms… showers however could use some mold removal.
Attendant at the gate got on to us for not stopping each time we traveled through the entrance…. Hiking and kayaking were superb
- (13) View All
Nice park and camp areas
All and All great place to camp, good things; 1) lots of deer, turkeys, racoons, owls etc. 2) close to a farmer's market Jankowski's great place to get fresh food, 3) once you have level camp, all good, 4) has showers and bathrooms located conveniently and 5) dumpster near exit instaef of near camping area, hug plus for smells etc.
The bad; 1) some sites not level enough for rv or trailer, does not say on website, one site we had to raise 5ft high, we moved and they provided refund, which was good 2) bathrooms have too strong of flood lights, if campsite site is near bathroom feels like middle of day even when dark and 3) bathrooms are not very clean, need improvements there.
Sioux primitive sites at Raccoon SP
The Sioux sites at Raccoon are open year round. No electricity but there is a water pump and the pit toilets are clean and well (solar) lit 24 hrs. Four sites, each offers some privacy though we had the place to ourselves in early March.
The nearby hiking is great. Try the Wetlands trail for a glimpse of beavers.
From the park office head away from the main lake and campground for about a mile then follow the sign to Sioux up the hill.
Site 5 is a pull-through but closest to the 2 group tent areas and toilets. site 4 a bit damp, 2 and 3 nice.
Great Snow Hike
Got out for a couple hours hiking in the snow. It was great. Just what we needed to stretch the legs and enjoy some family time. We did the Palomino Loop. It also was quite interesting getting to the trail. Some nice snow covered back roads.
Nice and quiet
This rating is just a personal preference. We needed a spot to stay for the night, and the drive up was not worth it. You drive up a long, steep, windy road to the campgrounds, not to mention the drive to get to the town was very out of the way. If you’re on Sprint or T-mobile - there is no service. We thought it was a little pricey, about $30 for one night. We were also charged 10 extra dollars for having a cat(that never leaves the van) for one night.
Nice campground
Older type bathhouses but very clean, stainless steel fixtures. The campground is in two areas but split into about 5 loops. A lot are paved with electric sites, a couple loops are I paved roads and mostly tent sites but very nice! Pretty peaceful place, well patrolled by park rangers!water access in all loops. Outside of camping area are picnic areas and a lovely swimming beach, nice electric only fishing lake!
Very comfy and private
This is our first trip out this year and the park is lovely. Mainly shaded spots with electric at most. Perfect place to get started with minimal water and dump capacity. Our daughter did use our portable dump cart for her grey water and they had to refill the water by hand but with a 60 gal water tank, we have managed well for 5 days.
Loads of trails to hike and lots to visit. I recommend the Mineral Springs and old cemetery for sure.
Let a Local Give You The Scoop!
In the past 5 years, I've made 13 trips to Raccoon Creek State Park and spent 16 nights in a tent there. It is my local state park and I can tell you lots about it.
The D loop is really great tent camping at Raccoon Creek State Park. It's tents only, no RVs. So it gets a really fun, party vibe on Saturday nights during the summer. There's a trail right to the beach near the D loop, so it's a great place for families to go with pets. The sites are big, wooded, and all close to the bathroom.
The C loop, however, doesn't take pets (which stinks). When we have our dogs with us, we gravitate towards the C loop. It's fine, but it's not as fun as the D loop.
When we don't make a reservation and we have our dog, we end up in the F loop. It's not our preference (but--let's be clear--even the worst site in the F loop is better than NO trip!).
Raccoon creek campgrounds
Me and my friends arrived Monday, June 29th, and stayed until Wednesday, July 1st, at campsite E-31, the first night we stayed was a little bit of a challenge, as the neighbors where very noisy, and they didn’t stop until 3am, but by the morning, we’d all had at least some rest, we woke up and made some breakfast, and about an hour later we went to the beach, it was a very nice experience, the water was warm enough, the one weird thing about it was the man-made lakebed was made out of clay instead of sand, that threw us for a loop, but other than that, the beach was very nice, we stayed for around 2 hours and then departed, we went to the boat rentals and rented 4 kayaks, the lady at the rentals was very kind and helpful while we where renting the boats, this was probably the highlight of our trip, as it was a wonderful experience, the lake was beautiful, after kayaking, we bought some firewood and headed back to our little camp, the second night was miles better than the first, as the loud neighbors had left that morning, we did wake up to a raccoon walking around our tents though in the early morning hours, but he ran off pretty quick, once we where all awake, we planned on heading over to the horse trials, but little did we know, you must bring your own horse, so because we couldn’t ride horses, we went to the wildflower reserve, and it was amazing, you do have to walk on trails to see them, but it’s worth it, they’re all beautiful, after walking a trail there, we went back to the campsite and packed up to leave, overall, our trip was pretty nice, I’d definitely recommend going and staying a few nights, it was a fun trip
Loop f is pet friendly
We were in sight 32 f loop. It is sunny so pick your spots. Clean rr's with good showers but a bit old. There is a lake with swimming and kayak rentals
Raccoons raccoons and deer
This is my go to spot for camping when I have to just get away from it all. It's close to home plus it is a great place to take the dog out to swim and chase geese and ducks. A great little beach area to lay out and enjoy the 🌞 sun. The hiking trails are in excellent condition and the park keeps them clear of fallen debris.
- (10) View All
Great access to water and hiking activites
This location is pretty great, especially since it's very close to Pittsburgh. You can go canoeing, hiking, swimming, and camping! There is even a nice snack bar during the summer! I only gave it 4/5 stars because it does not feel as remote as I like for when I go camping to get away from the city!
- (7) View All
Family Fun at this beautiful campground!
My family and I love Raccoon Creek State Park! It's beautiful and has everything you need for a great trip! Well maintained park with tons of stuff to do. They make sure the lake is readily stocked with fish. If your up for it I recommend the trails also. The wild flower reservation also has great trails.They have affordable boat rentals and the beach area is a nice spot to spend a day to relax. Camping is also great here. I've camped with my family several times with no complaints. The park rangers are also extremely helpful and very clear with the rules they want you to follow. Great fun for anyone!Lovely picnic areas. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest but I've seen worse! There were a lot of loud campers late at night(way after 11, even beyond as late as 12:30 am). Other than that, great!
- (9) View All
Have to find the right camp spot
Went to Raccoon Creek State Park to camp for Labor Day weekend. We booked campsite F1 since we had 2 dogs and the F loop allowed dogs. This site was great! We could fit two tents and it was nice and secluded from the other sites. I recommend booking a site that is on the outside of the “loops” if you want some seclusion. The inner loop sites are right on top of each other, good for Rvs, not so much for tent camping. The bathrooms were a little bit of a hike, the next loop over, but they where clean and had flush toilets and running water along with a shower and sinks to wash dishes. There was a place to get water across from this site which was very convenient . The dog walking trails weren’t bad, but they where very up and down hill, at points steep and rocky. The spring was a really cool hike (right off the park office parking lot.) Down by the beach they had a place to buy wood, only $5 a bundle and the beach place also sells bags of ice. Overall a really good family campground!
- (6) View All
Would definitely go back
Backpacking campground is nice. Trails are well maintained. Beautiful place. Frankfort mineral springs is amazing!