State parks and forests surrounding Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania offer several tent camping options in wooded settings. Ravensburg State Park Campground, located in a valley setting, provides tent-only sites with raised tent pads along a creek. The campground operates from the first Friday in May through the last Sunday in September. Tiadaghton State Forest offers multiple primitive tent camping areas including Bonnell Flats Campground, Sand Spring Road Site, and Walters Road Site, all accessible from Lower Pine Bottom Road.
Most tent campsites feature dirt or gravel pads with picnic tables and fire rings. Ravensburg provides clean bathrooms and drinking water spigots throughout the campground. Sites at Ravensburg are first-come, first-served with self-registration available on arrival. Tiadaghton State Forest sites typically offer more primitive facilities with vault toilets and limited amenities. Campers should verify seasonal availability for forest sites as some access roads may be closed during winter months or after heavy rainfall. Pet-friendly policies apply at most locations, though leash requirements vary by site.
Tent campers frequently mention the privacy between sites at Ravensburg State Park. According to reviews, "bushes and trees between the sites create a private feeling" despite the relatively small campground. Sites along the creek are particularly popular for their ambient water sounds, though some campers note this can be surprisingly loud after rainfall. Weekday visitors often report having few or no neighbors, creating excellent opportunities for solitude. The surrounding forests offer hiking trails directly accessible from most campgrounds. Several tent-only sites in Reeds Gap State Park, though slightly farther from Jersey Shore, provide additional backcountry tent camping options with minimal facilities but maximum seclusion. Campers recommend using GPS coordinates rather than addresses when navigating to these primitive tent camping locations.
"It's our favorite place to tent camp. It's rarely busy and it's first come first serve."
"Nice and shaded! No one there but us in site 6, not even a ranger checked on us. Has modern toilets and shower. Most sites are spacious. They have nice raised tent pads."
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GuideBeautiful primitive campground (tent only). Get a site on the outside towards the water. They are spaced out and peaceful. Has restrooms (no shower), picnic table, and fire pit at each site. Short walk to creek and beautiful pond.
TravelerI throughly enjoyed my time at Bald Eagle State Park. We stayed at a tent site, I believe 58 in the rustic camping section. The rustic section was located around a large loop with each site ranging in a few feet from the car-friendly loop to about the 50 foot walk where our site was located. While this is a primitive site, planning ahead you can place yourself near the vault toilets. If there was running water in the bathrooms– we didn’t find it! There are several water pumps located around the loop and we used that for washing dishes. Our site had space for two tents with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The fire ring was actually one of the best I have experienced– featuring a grill grate with adjustable levels for exposure to heat. The site also had a hook for keeping food or garage elevated from critters. Hammock lovers: we had plenty of trees to easily string our hammock near the picnic table/fire ring. Now the trains. An active railroad sits about 75 feet away from several of the rustic sites. We noticed the 7 p.m. train on Saturday evening. What we didn’t expect was being awoken at 5 a.m. to a freight train blowing through full steam– really gets your heart pumping– did not need coffee that morning. The rustic area also has access to a trail that loops about two miles near the lake and rustic campground. It was a fun place!
ScoutKnoebels campground is situated next to Knoebels amusement park and offers sites for tent campers and RVs, as well as cabins.
There is electricity at every site but not water. There are fill stations throughout the campgrounds. Most sites are level and shaded. There are nice sturdy wooden platforms for tent campers.
The bath houses are clean and well maintained. There are outside sinks with mirrors, laundry facilities, shower stalls, and toilet stalls. Or if you prefer there are also traditional bathrooms with showers.
Quiet hours are enforced between 10p and 8a.
Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Wood is available by the bucket near the check in building. Sites are inexpensive and are all a short walk, or free shuttle ride, to the park!.
GuideThe upper campground has a rustic feel, beautiful views and is a great location for wildlife encounters. While it has some amenities (electric on a few RV sites; scullery area near the pit toilets; showers available at lower campground), these grounds are away from the bustle of the outside world. We are tent campers, and without the need for hookup and never having been there, we reserved site 45--but do not recommend it for its challenging slope. When a loud, disrespectful family set up nearby that first night for a long weekend, we spoke with the camp host (helpful, amenable Jim), who suggested we ask about site 71, the most removed of all the sites. Went to the camp office and obtained it for the rest of our week-long stay--and it was perfect. (While it had a hookup that we didn't need/use, we did pay extra for it--but well worth the seclusion.) Super quiet back there and totally private. Some of the rustic tent sites looked lovely, too (did not note best site numbers; sorry), but we cannot recommend #71 enough. If you're an RV camper, however, the sites with the vista views overlooking the reservoir are amazing, if not somewhat close together.
We wanted to encounter wildlife; went looking for it and found it! Everything seemed to be about an hour or more away on winding roads, but that was okay; love the meandering. We went to:
Pennsylvania is gorgeous!
We also enjoyed meeting Julie at the Lock Haven Visitors' Center and had our only meal out at Deb's in Cross Fork. For ice cream treats (a weakness): Ice Shack near Lock Haven; Old Bull Cafe in Benezette; the kiosk at the top of Pine Creek Gorge.
A very restful, quiet week in early June was just what we needed, and Kettle Creek State Park Upper Campground was wonderful.
LegendPROS
Senior discount $18
Able to reserve 334 days prior to arriving
Campground quiet but can hear PA 150 road noise
Great night sky viewing
Nice privacy from side neighbor's campsite
Asphalt parking pad
Large gravel around pad to include firepit and utility hook up
Grass around gravel, but was mid-calf high
Metal fire pit which was cleaned out upon arrival
Lantern pole
8 miles off of Interstate 80
Firewood for sale at the campground; $6 bundle
Park is good proximity to Penn State University and Central Pennsylvania
Country Pride Restaurant Milesburg (TA truck stop off of Interstate 80) has some terrific food!
4 bars Verizon
CONS
$6.50 reservation fee for self made online reservation
One day while away from our campsite, park personnel mowed mid-cafe high grass at and around our site and the mowers threw grass all over our table with a table cloth, chairs, trailer, driveway...you name it...it was covered with grass. Why the mowers didn’t direct the mowed grass AWAY from our items is beyond me. What a mess!!!
Check-in clerk at park office was disturbed we checked in with her. Told us just to go to site. Could not tell us if site was vacated. We had to ask for a park map and directions to campground/campsite since this was first time visiting
Site MO45 unlevel from side to side
Site MO45 NO shade as was the case with most of the FHU campsites
Metal frame wood top table in bad condition
Need pathway from upper campsite to toilet/shower building…have to wade thru mid-calf high grass if you don’t walk on the roadway
Toilet/shower facility lit up like a Christmas tree
Toilet/shower facility cleaned on Wednesdays only, according to sign on door
No WiFi
TravelerI’ve stayed here twice for camping trips. It’s a great small campground that has basic amenities. The experience is likely highly site dependent, as there are a few distinct areas to stay depending on your needs and luck. There is NO cell service and park rangers do “rounds” but aren’t stationed at the site. There are a couple of water pumps, several well-maintained pit toilets, and an emergency phone. It’s about 20-30 min to gas. There’s no camp store here but about 3.5 miles away at Poe Valley there’s a store, real bathrooms and showers, kayaking rentals, etc. There’s a guy that sells firewood just past Poe Valley. The Poe Paddy sites I prefer are well-shaded, fairly large, surrounded by trees, and private (but you’ll be able to hear a couple neighbors). Dogs are only allowed in the RV loop, which is intense gravel, so be sure you have a good sleeping pad if you’re tent camping. The campground is in the middle of the dense Bald Eagle State Forest with lots of hiking opportunities. The creek that runs through Poe Paddy is awesome for wading and people also tube it when conditions are right. Get a Purple Lizard map for best enjoyment of the area.
GuideHusband and I set off for a weekend of boon docking at Bald Eagle State Forest in our little pop up camper. We stayed at site #13, which is a dispersed site- not in the campground.
Picture a lovely large, round grassy meadow surrounded by trees at the end of a long gravel road. Picnic table, fire ring, one pretty tree in the center, and a babbling brook down below the site. It looks so perfect! Now picture large boulders preventing any wheeled vehicle (including a light little pop up) from rolling into said field. Add in that the I-80 interstate is so close that you can see trucks through the trees in some places- not to mention hear them all.night.long. Would we camp here again? Nope. We would not. Would this be right for some? Probably yes- especially tent campers, loud groups, and those who feel safer with road noise in the background.
This site was not listed as"tent only", and I suppose being able to set up on the gravel road did work. But I was majorly bummed we couldn't set up at the back of the actual site itself. The road set up was not nearly as nice. You can see in my photos the size of the site, and the boulders, and where we ended up setting up.
I will also mention that the road getting here involved a hairpin turn (from Long Run Rd. onto Ransaires Rd.) that large set ups would not be able to make. We made it work and we had a great trip.
Not what we expected, but we still had a good time. We will try again at Bald Eagle State Forest, but would not choose this site again.
ScoutRoadside site 1/4 mile from the nearest site. You can drive right to the site on Hackett Rd. Very secluded and peaceful. Picnic table and fire ring, but no water or latrine.
GuideNice campground, wooded sites and most were okay for tent camping however some required your tent to be set up a small distance from the fire ring. Clean showerhouses and bathrooms. Big Lake and a few miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.
The Iron Ore mines from the past have left the creek water stained red which is why its called the Red Mo with the locals.
Tent campsites near Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania sit within the Appalachian Mountain range at elevations between 600-1,200 feet. The area experiences distinct seasonal changes with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F during peak camping months. The region's humid continental climate creates lush vegetation throughout Tiadaghton State Forest, providing natural screening between most primitive campsites.
Creek exploration: At Ravensburg State Park Campground, multiple access points to the stream provide opportunities for wading or swimming during summer months. A camper noted, "There are few hiking trails; short and long that take you to beautiful views along the creek with a couple of places deep enough to swim."
Forest hiking: Bonnell Flats Campground connects to several forest trails ranging from 1-5 miles in length. Moderate difficulty trails lead to elevated viewpoints of Pine Creek and surrounding valleys.
Wildlife observation: Morning and evening hours provide optimal wildlife viewing opportunities. The forest areas contain white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and numerous bird species. Early risers at Sand Spring Road Site can often spot wildlife at dawn when activity peaks.
Natural sound barriers: The rushing water creates ambient noise many campers appreciate. One visitor explained, "We just keep coming back. In a few sites, you can set up hammocks right by the creek, which is my favorite part."
Spacious tent sites: The raised tent pads at Ravensburg State Park Campground receive consistent positive feedback. According to a recent camper, "Most sites are spacious. They have nice raised tent pads. It's very humid so many picnic tables have green moss."
Uncrowded camping: Midweek visitors frequently find near-empty campgrounds. One reviewer shared, "Tent camped here one night, perfect for a quick little stopover. Not too many folks!"
Navigation challenges: GPS directions sometimes route travelers incorrectly. One camper advised, "Park is easily accessible from I-80, just be aware of your directions and make sure they're taking you to the park via Rocky Road. Mine did not, and I ended up down a seasonal road that did not end at the park entrance."
Road noise varies: Some tent campsites near Jersey Shore experience periodic traffic noise. A visitor mentioned, "It's right near a road so you hear car (and horse & buggy!) noise — would try to get a spot further away from the road if possible."
Stream volume fluctuations: After heavy rainfall, water levels and noise increase significantly at Walters Road Site. Water crossings on access roads may become impassable after storms.
Best sites for children: Sites 1-4 at Ravensburg provide easier creek access with gentler slopes for children. A frequent visitor noted, "It's good for large groups (you can get sites in a row) or just you. There are plenty of trees that are good for hammocking."
Safety considerations: Limited cell service exists throughout the camping areas. Families should bring physical maps and establish meeting points. The park ranger at Ravensburg "drives through a number of times. They are always very friendly."
Educational opportunities: Button Road Site provides access to historical logging routes and former CCC camp locations. Children can learn about Pennsylvania's conservation history through interpretive signage.
Length restrictions: Most forest roads leading to primitive campsites restrict vehicle length to under 25 feet. RVs longer than 25 feet should use only Ravensburg's designated sites.
Water access points: No hookups exist at primitive forest sites. RVers must bring all necessary water or access community fill stations in Jersey Shore, approximately 12-20 miles from most campgrounds depending on location.
Ground conditions: Middle Hill Road Site access roads contain multiple steep sections with loose gravel surfaces. Four-wheel drive is recommended for RVs, particularly after rainfall when surfaces become slippery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jersey Shore, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jersey Shore, PA is Ravensburg State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
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