Jennifer G.
Scout
ScoutLakewood Park Campground
Beautiful and Fun
Beautiful and fun. Kind staff. Hoping for a dog park in the future.
Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Cambra, PA
Ricketts Glen State Park Campground accommodates pets at designated sites with electrical hookups for RVs and tent campers. Whispering Pines Camping Estates and Red Rock Mountain Campground also welcome pets with clean, spacious sites that include picnic tables and fire rings. Most pet-friendly campgrounds near Cambra require leashes no longer than 6 feet, and owners must clean up after their animals. Accommodations range from primitive tent sites to full-hookup RV spots, with several properties offering pet-friendly cabins for those preferring solid shelter. Campgrounds maintain designated pet exercise areas away from swimming beaches and playground equipment. The tent sites at Red Rock Mountain Campground require a short hike in but provide exceptional privacy for campers with well-behaved dogs.
Trails throughout Ricketts Glen State Park allow leashed dogs along the Falls Trail system featuring over 20 waterfalls on well-maintained paths. The hiking trails remain challenging enough for active dogs while being manageable for most owners. Most campgrounds provide waste stations and water access, though limited cell service throughout the region means researching nearby veterinary options before arrival is essential. During summer months, Lake Jean at Ricketts Glen offers a refreshing option for dogs that enjoy swimming, though pets must stay out of designated human swimming areas. Whispering Pines campers particularly appreciate the spacious sites that provide 200-300 feet between neighbors, allowing ample room for pets to relax without disturbing other campers. Winter camping with pets requires additional preparation as temperatures can drop significantly in the mountain terrain.
Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Cambra, Pennsylvania (138)
1. Ricketts Glen State Park Campground
68 ReviewsSweet Valley, PA10 milesWebsite+1 (570) 477-5675$15 - $92 / night
"The biggest draw to this state park (which no one in Pennsylvania I spoke with seemed to know about) is the 22 waterfalls!"
"There are various trails for all skill levels, and pets are welcome!"
2. Whispering Pines Camping Estates
5 ReviewsCambra, PA4 milesWebsite+1 (570) 925-6810$50 - $110 / night
"Family friendly, Pet Friendly. The owners Dave and Teresa go out of their way to make your stay very comfortable"
"Rented one electric site and onenon-electric right next to it for a two tent set up for my family of five adults and two children and one dog. The sites were level, clear, and pristine."
3. Red Rock Mountain Campground
4 ReviewsCambra, PA6 milesWebsite+1 (570) 925-5039"Close to many family places such as Ricketts Glen and The Red Rock Scoop for ice cream! Love rummaging through the on-site flea market to see what I can find!"
"Quiet hours are not enforced, there were kids running around screaming well after midnight which was annoying because we were waking up for a sunrise hike at Ricketts Glen."
4. Worlds End State Park Campground
28 ReviewsForksville, PA23 milesWebsite+1 (570) 924-3287$20 - $62 / night
"They need a larger pet area. The camping is great. Love the hiking trails"
"This is another Pennsylvania state park with excellent recycling facilities."
5. Pioneer Campground
12 ReviewsLaporte, PA18 milesWebsite+1 (570) 946-9971"We own some property near this campground and have stayed here a few weekends as a home base while we clean up our property. The owners are just amazingly nice people, always very helpful!"
"Our tent site was secluded and quiet, but not too far off the beaten path!"
6. Knoebels Campground
24 ReviewsMarion Heights, PA25 milesWebsite+1 (570) 672-9555$59 - $160 / night
"Knoebels 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."
"You can walk to their amusement park from the grounds as well as their giant pool with waterslides and diving boards."
7. Indian Head Campground
10 ReviewsCatawissa, PA18 milesWebsite+1 (570) 441-8628"Not much to do at the campground but it is 20 minutes away from Knoebles. The fees are fairly cheap."
"Good location, right on the river. The campground overall is very pretty. A few old, junk trailers around the property need to be hauled off."
8. Lake Glory Campground
15 ReviewsCatawissa, PA22 milesWebsite+1 (570) 356-7392$50 - $80 / night
"This campground is only minutes away from Knobels Amusement Park. The campground itself was clean but not a lot of amenities being it’s part of the amusement park."
"It’s a nice spacious campground next to the park."
9. West Creek Campground
1 ReviewBenton, PA9 milesWebsite+1 (570) 293-9485$75 - $375 / night
"Great location for hiking."
10. Hickory Run State Park Campground
60 ReviewsAlbrightsville, PA34 milesWebsite+1 (272) 808-6192$15 - $72 / night
"We took the short drive to Hawk Falls Trail and also completed the Orchard Trail Loop."
"The bathroom facilities were clean, the hiking in the area was gorgeous and pet friendly and I’m looking forward to going back"
Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Cambra, PA
71 Photos of 138 Cambra Campgrounds
Jen R.
Ricketts Glen State Park Campground
Debbie H.
Bodnarosa Campground
Luis B.
Indian Head Campground
Elise D.
Lake Glory Campground
Giancarlo R.
Worlds End State Park Campground
Jackie F.
Frances Slocum State Park Campground
Amanda + Will
Riverside Campground & Riverside Roadhouse
Michael
Locust Lake State Park Campground
Debbie W.
Splash Magic RV Resort
Brian C.
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort at Milton
Sarah C.
Hickory Run State Park Campground
JOHN T.
Williamsport South-Nittany Mountain KOA
Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Cambra, PA
653 Reviews of 138 Cambra Campgrounds
- Chris G.
GuideTwin Grove RV Resort
Great campground! Lots of fun
We loved it here. It accommodates a large family reunion with plenty of space. The campground was well populated but we didn’t feel cramped at all. Super dog friendly. Many little dog parks throughout. Great pool.
- Tiffany S.
TravelerTwin Grove RV Resort
Beautiful Campground
Nice campground with well taken care of sites. There is a pond to fish from, a dog park for your furry friend to play at and a few playgrounds for the kids.
- Tiffany S.Traveler
Twin Grove RV Resort
Beautiful Campground
This is an amazing campground! There are 2 dog parks right next to each other, which is great for your furry friend to be able to run around and play off leash. And for the kids there is an arcade, a ferris wheel and some other rides. On Saturday nights they usually have a band playing on the stage which is really neat. There is also a ice cream place to get a nice cold treat. The RV spots are really nice and well kept.
- SSean B.Scout
Splash Magic RV Resort
Friendly and very helpful staff
The area is beautiful and I would like to stay in the winter when many of the activities are available and it is warmer. I am just learning about using a travel trailer and the staff was of great assistance. They were easy to reach and were genuinely interested in my stay and plans. They have a dog park which my dog loved.
- CCindyGuide
Stonybrook RV Resort
Well maintained and comfortable RV Park
We stayed here for 3 nights and thought well of the park. The place was meticulously clean and the permanent campers keep their sites so well. The pool was warm, clean and enjoyable. There’s a nice playground and a GaGa pit. There’s lots of space to walk your dog on leash but no dog park. We had an issue with our surge protector and the manager had an electrician out to us quickly who helped us solve a problem. Pleasant staff in the camp store. The laundry area and shower rooms are beautiful and clean.
There is nothing to do in the immediate area, but we were there to use the bike trails and bop around Jim Thorpe…about 25 minutes away via pretty country roads.
Gayle B.
RangerWilliamsport South-Nittany Mountain KOA
Awesome!
One of our favorite places to camp! My daughter loves the pools, gem mining, and slushies. The farm animals are adorable. We go every year with friends who use a tent while we use a travel trailer and we've both loved our sites and the facilities. Dog park is great, too!
B C.ScoutWilliamsport South-Nittany Mountain KOA
Wooded campground
Very wooded campground. Gravel pad was narrow so the picnic table was within two feet of the trailer side. We had a pull through site that was uneven front to back so that our tongue jack was all the way down to get level enough. Side to side it was fine. The playground was excellent. The camp store was new looking and well stocked. The staff was friendly.
No breed restrictions for dogs. The dog park was good.
Kham L.ScoutLocust Lake State Park Campground
Beautiful lake. Horrible staff.
Good for day trip (but not returning). Bad for camping. Racist visitors. Rude and ignorant staff. Brace yourself, this is a long review.
In short, staff are rude. Park ranger don't know how to critically think. Racist visitors are allowed to stay (details below). Illicit drug use allowed by staff/ park rangers.
The park: it's a nice park with a good lake and activities. Short hikes are easy and fishing is good for kid activities. There's also a small beach area with sand that's great for kids and adults. Kayaking was decent and we caught some good size fish in the deeper parts. It's a shame our experience will lead us others to never return.
The campsites: they're the average small campsites that could fit two 4 person tents and one car, some sites are larger. We got a good shaded site with tall trees. Our picnic table was in pretty solid shape and not deteriorating. Most sites are too close to each other where neighboring ignorant campers will be ignorant. That's where one problem lies.
The bathrooms: better off digging a hole. Empty or near empty toilet paper. Some toilets were overflowing. It's just bad maintenance.
The staff: this is the real problem. I can deal with racist people; that's easy. What I can't is rude, ignorant, and or inexperienced staff. As mentioned, I camp all over the country and highly respect park rangers. This team was very different.
We arrive at the gate and was greated by Jane. She asked if we had any pets or alcohol. We didnt but a family member told her they had a dog but weren't staying the night. Jane said it was okay and told us we had 10 minutes to unload and park our cars at the big parking lot. We said okay and we all continue.
Less 10 minutes goes by (I know this because we just got to the site and opened the car doors to unload) and Jane drove by and said, “I said that you have 10min to unload, policy is 1 vehicle per site. You guys have too many vehicles, you have to remove them now!” A family member said to her we got here 5min ago and are in the process of unloading. Jane proceeds to say, “I also said no pets anywhere in this site. I see you have a dog. You need to take your dog off the site. They can’t stay.” She said this as a couple walked their 2 full grown labs right by us. The family member asked her “what about them? Aren’t those dogs?” She looked at us and said,”there’s a dog park further down for those sites down there. Your site isn’t allowed to have dogs.” If you remember when we entered we already established that a member had a dog and they were not staying the night and Jane was okay with it. So we tell her that we'll unpack and move the cars as she instructed at the gate.
Jane drove off and stopped to talk to the couple camping behind our tent. As they were talking, I noticed the man Jane was talking to kept turning back to look at us. We continued to enjoyed our day and the dog that Jane was complaining about left the campground. It was maybe 5am the next morning, someone’s child was crying. And from the tent behind us where Jane was talking to the man the day before, we hear a male’s voice yelled,”SHUT THE F*CK UP!" Around 6am we called to report the man and the lady we talked to said someone will come out asap.
Throughout the day the same man that was accompanied by a female, hurrled slurries of racial remarks to us and the other surrounding neighbors (they were not caucasian) throughout the day. We and two other families that we know of reported him. Again, the front office said someone will be out asap, yet throughout the day the man continued his racial remarks. At this point we had a feeling nothing was done about the racial-remarks-yelling man. We gave up on the staff that was responsible to keep the establishment a family friendly environment.
Someone reported us for having a dog and too many cars on our campsite. Who could that be? And so, a park ranger came and told us in a not-so-friendly way to remove the dog and limit our vehicles. This park ranger was clearly ignorant. If he took seconds to assess our campsite, he would have counted 1 car per campsite. As far as the dog goes, there was none because it left with the owners the day before as stated to Jane (from the gate). The ranger obviously did not assess the situation before engaging in a demand that proved his ignorance to the many people before him. Though we knew his ignorance was apparent, we hoped God would enlighten him to do the right thing. So we proceeded to inform him of the racial-remarks-yelling man behind our campsite continuing to do what he was raised or learned to express; hate. And also that multiple people at our campsite smelled a stench of what can only be marijuana coming from behind our campsite. Sure, we don't know 100% exactly where it came from but it was strongest around the campsite where the racial-remarks-yelling man resided. The park ranger confirmed that they had received other complaints about that racial-remarks-yelling man and that "we" will loop back around and speak with him. I checked and marijuana was not legal for recreational use in Pennsylvania.
Their policies possessed a strict 10 minute limit to unload your camping gear along with your supplies and children but must not possess anything about foul language, rudeness, hate speech, or illicit drug use because the racial-remarks-yelling man was still there with his female companion and the stench of marijuana after we left the campground. That or the staff believed the racial-remarks-yelling man's action were fair. Whatever the case, it is a mystery for there was no update from the rangers or staff and the man continued to hurl hate towards us and the surrounding non-caucasian families after multiple reports from multiple families as confirmed by the park ranger.
In conclusion, racist people are easy to deal with. But when the staff and park rangers fail to enforce a family friendly environment at a family friendly campground, victims to people like the racial-remarks-yelling man wonder what kind of people are operating this establishment?
Benefit of the doubt, maybe staff was busy... And you can't leave a review on their website without it being "approved" for publication. Best way to have 5 star rating
Guide to Cambra
Winter camping with dogs near Cambra requires special preparation in Pennsylvania's mountainous terrain. The area sits at elevations between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, with temperatures often dropping below freezing from November through March. Most pet-friendly campgrounds in the region remain accessible year-round, though reduced winter services are common during the coldest months when snowfall can temporarily limit access to more remote sites.
What to do
Waterfall photography: 22 waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park Campground create ideal conditions for nature photography. "The biggest draw to this state park (which no one in Pennsylvania I spoke with seemed to know about) is the 22 waterfalls! We saw 18 of them on a four-mile moderate hike, but if you want to see the additional four, you could make it a seven-mile hike," notes Lee D.
Birdwatching: Multiple ecosystems attract diverse bird species year-round. The forest areas near Lake Glory Campground provide habitat for owls, woodpeckers and migratory songbirds. "One of the quietest and most spacious campgrounds we've ever stayed in," reports Charlie & Danielle B., noting the natural setting creates perfect birdwatching conditions.
Ice cream stops: Local dairy treats make for essential breaks between hiking and camping. "Don't miss The Old Mill Ice Cream. The best Ice Cream on the planet!" advises Vince L. from Lake Glory Campground, highlighting one of several regional dairy shops serving homemade treats within 15 minutes of most campgrounds.
What campers like
Private tent sites: Secluded walk-in areas at Red Rock Mountain Campground offer exceptional privacy for tent campers. "We camped at Red Rock as couples. We stayed in primitive tent sites which you had to hike into. They were very private," explains Samantha M., describing the tent-only area that requires a short walk from the parking area.
Campsite spacing: Generous site dimensions at Whispering Pines Camping Estates provide exceptional room between neighbors. "Our campsite was probably a good 200-300 feet or more from the other sites on either side of us so we basically had a large front yard," notes Charlie & Danielle B., describing the spaciousness that provides privacy and room for dogs to relax.
Winter cabin options: Heated accommodations available during cold months. "We had the pleasure of renting a cabin at World's End State Park for the first time in February 2016 after being convinced by friends to check it out. The cabins stay very warm with a wood burning stove," shares Christine D., describing winter camping alternatives for those with pets who prefer solid shelter during freezing weather.
What you should know
Cell service limitations: Signal varies significantly throughout the region. At Worlds End State Park Campground, "No cell service, which is refreshing. The sound of the creek nearby is really soothing," says Katy R., highlighting the digital disconnect common throughout the area.
Water restrictions: Testing issues occasionally affect campground water systems. "The water had been tested earlier in the season and unsafe levels of manganese were detected. All water spigots were shut off and covered but we were told it was safe to wash our dishes and brush our teeth," reports Lee D., noting that campgrounds typically provide advance notice when restrictions occur.
Limited grocery options: Plan ahead with supplies before arrival. "There's also not much in the way of grocery stores or restaurants nearby. There's one small grocery store and a couple restaurants about 9 minutes away," advises Charlie & Danielle B., recommending that visitors stock up on essentials before arrival.
Tips for camping with families
Halloween events: Special October activities make fall camping especially appealing for families with dogs. At Pioneer Campground, "We started with a trip in the summer because of their candy bar hunt and heated swimming pool. We try to get the same campsite each year because it is wooded and spacious," shares Gayle B., who adds, "We love decorating the sites and taking the kids trick or treating."
Amusement park proximity: No-admission theme park offers unique value for family campers with pets. "Connected to the park, a great way to visit! If you're an early to bed kinda person it'll be tough, the roller coasters are right there!" explains Joe B. about camping near Knoebels, noting the convenience of staying close to attractions.
Pet exercise areas: Dedicated spaces separate from human recreation zones. "The sites are very close to the road (154), although there was not a lot of traffic (at least when we were there)," notes Lee D. about pet-designated sites at Worlds End State Park, which provide convenient access for dog walks.
Tips from RVers
Winter leveling challenges: Prepare for freezing ground when camping in colder months. At Hickory Run State Park Campground, "The sites vary in size quite a bit and this happened to be one of the largest ones, made for a larger camper/motor home but also had a mulched area for tents which was nice," explains Ally S., noting the importance of proper site selection for larger rigs.
Senior service limitations: Limited staff available during shoulder seasons. "Arrived mid-afternoon, visitor center/Ranger office was closed, our reservation sheet was available in a mailbox near the door with instructions. No human contact," reports James S., describing the self-service approach common during quieter periods at many dog-friendly campgrounds near Cambra.
Electric hookup value: Temperature management for pet comfort during extreme weather. "Not much shade in the full hookup loop, so was happy to have electricity for A/C," says James S., highlighting the importance of climate control amenities when camping with pets in summer heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Cambra, PA?
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Cambra, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Cambra, PA is Ricketts Glen State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 68 reviews.
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dog-friendly camping near
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What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Cambra, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 138 dog-friendly camping locations near Cambra, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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