It’s no surprise that the popularity of camping has risen in the last few years — there’s nowhere better to social distance than in the middle of the woods. In fact, a survey by Kampgrounds of America found that 9.1 million Americans tried camping for the first time in 2021.
Camping doesn’t always mean roughing it, though. If you decided you disliked camping in a musty scouting tent three decades ago, it’s time to give it another shot. Some campgrounds can feel more like mini-amusement parks — with water slides, daily activity schedules, and other amenities that take the entire experience up a notch.
Good news: There are a slew of these luxury (or, at least, not-so-rustic) campground resorts around the Pittsburgh area. Every campground included here has sleeping options ranging from tent sites to RV rentals to deluxe treehouses, so there is no need to sleep on the ground if you don’t want to. We’ve rounded up just a few of the best, so grab your s’mores stick — and your selfie stick — and head to one of these posh spots.
Mountain Pines Campground, mountainpinescamping.com
Located in Champion, Pa. in the Laurel Highlands, Mountain Pines Campground has every type of lodging ranging from rustic tent sites to a four-bedroom grand lodge that is anything but basic. The owners report their campground features one of the largest swimming pools in Pennsylvania, and the mini-golf course and fishing pond add to the fun. Some of their theme weekends include a classic car cruise event and an ax-throwing shindig.
Austin Lake RV Park and Cabins, austinlakepark.com
Located about an hour from Pittsburgh in Toronto, Ohio, Austin Lake Park has an inflatable obstacle course on the lake, as well as kayaks, pontoons, paddleboats, and bumper boats. With a packed schedule of activities like wagon rides, BINGO, and a communal pancake breakfast, this campground is known for making friends out of strangers.
Friendship Village Campground and RV Park, friendshipvillagecampground.com
This beloved slice of heaven is located about two hours from Pittsburgh in Bedford, along the Raystown branch of the Juniata River. It boasts two swimming pools, an inflatable jump pad, mini-golf, volleyball, cornhole, and more. It’s a great spot for fishing, too. Some of their theme weekends include Christmas in July and a Hawaiian Beach Party.
Pioneer Lakes RV Park, pioneerlakes.com
This adventurous campground in Somerset is located in the heart of the Laurel Highlands, making it a perfect jumping-off point to check out sites like Fallingwater, Laurel Caverns, and Fort Necessity National Battlefield. They also have a pool, tennis and basketball courts, a lake with human-powered boat rentals, and wacky events like a glowing pool party, and a chocolate-themed weekend.
Kampgrounds of America, koa.com
KOAs, as they are affectionately known, are a brand of franchised campgrounds spread out across the country. While there are commonalities to all KOA’s, since they are individually owned and operated, each one is a bit different. A few of the most popular in this region — the Uniontown KOA, the Erie KOA, and the Lake Milton/Berlin Lake KOA just over the Ohio border — are packed with fun swimming pools, inflatables, golf carts for tooling about, and live music and movie nights.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Parks, campjellystone.com
Like KOA, Jellystone Parks are a network of privately-owned campgrounds that comprise a larger brand. If you’ve ever wanted to ride in a giant pic-a-nic basket pulled by a tractor while the Yogi Bear theme song blares, this is the spot for you. Seriously, though, these campgrounds do it right. Arcades, water slides, mini-golf, and foam parties — it is actually impossible to be bored. Some of the most popular locations for Pittsburghers are Jellystone Mill Run in the Laurel Highlands and Jellystone Kozy Rest near Slippery Rock. Each spot features slightly different amenities, but both guarantee nonstop entertainment.
If you’re not ready to book a weekend away, many bougie campgrounds offer day rates for use of their amenities. Check one out for a day of fun, and we bet you’ll be booking a few nights soon after. While there is so much value in the peaceful state parks and quiet campgrounds dotted throughout this region, sometimes you just really need to go all-out at one of these deluxe parks.
To rent an RV to take to one of these parks, check out gorvrentals.com or outdoorsy.com, which let you rent travel trailers and motorized recreational vehicles just like Airbnb. If you want to go the tent route, camping gear is a popular item to lend in local Buy Nothing groups, so ask around before purchasing. Local 3 Rivers Outdoor Co. and companies like Kit Lender and LowerGear also rent camping gear out so you can try before you buy.
This article appears in Jul 5-11, 2023.
