Pennsylvania has more campground variety than most people expect — Ricketts Glen's tiered waterfalls, Ohiopyle's whitewater on the Youghiogheny, the Delaware Water Gap, and the PA Grand Canyon all deliver strong itineraries.
Consider price for the size you need. The average rental runs about $115/night, with travel trailers starting around $80/night and Class C motorhomes typically running $155/night.
Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels have a 13-foot height clearance. The Turnpike tunnels — particularly the Kittatinny and Blue Mountain tunnels — run 13 feet clearance. Vehicles over 13 feet must use the parallel US-30 or I-78 bypass routes. Know your vehicle's height before planning any Turnpike routing.
Ricketts Glen enforces tight site length limits. Ricketts Glen State Park campground caps most sites at 35 feet. The park's access road and campground loops were designed for mid-size rigs. A Class C or travel trailer under 30 feet navigates cleanly; confirm specifications if you're in a larger unit.
A travel trailer works well for Pennsylvania's southwestern parks. Ohiopyle, Fallingwater, and Laurel Highlands are best explored with a tow vehicle — the roads through the Yough Gorge and around Fallingwater are narrow and the Fallingwater parking area does not accommodate large motorhomes.
Fall foliage season (mid-October) drives peak campground demand statewide. Pennsylvania's forest campgrounds — Ricketts Glen, Promised Land, Ohiopyle — fill completely for Columbus Day weekend. Book 4–6 months ahead for any October weekend stay.
Pennsylvania is well-serviced and beginner-friendly. The main logistics involve tunnel clearances on the Turnpike and early booking for popular state parks.
Pennsylvania state park campgrounds use the PA DCNR reservation system (pa.reserveworld.com). Sites open 11 months in advance. Ricketts Glen, Promised Land, and Ohiopyle fill fastest. Set a calendar reminder — the most popular sites go within hours of opening.
Ohiopyle State Park has one of the best whitewater corridors in the East. The Youghiogheny River through Ohiopyle is the primary draw. The campground has electric hookups. Whitewater outfitter permits are separate from your campsite — book rafting and kayak trips in advance for summer weekends.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area campgrounds book through Recreation.gov. Dingmans Campground has electric hookups. The NRA straddles the PA-NJ border — confirm which side of the river your campsite and planned activities are on.
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metro areas are navigable with a rig but require route planning. Pittsburgh's tunnel approaches and Philadelphia's city streets require knowing your height and avoiding low-clearance overpasses. US-30 bypasses the most problematic sections near Pittsburgh.
With all there is to do and see in Pennsylvania, you won't be able to see everything all in one day. Fortunately, there are plenty of top campgrounds throughout the state.
For instance, Philadelphia South/ Clarksboro KOA Holiday is ideal for staying a few days while you're exploring Philly. It offers a peaceful atmosphere, tons of amenities, and is just 20 minutes from downtown. The Madison/ Pittsburgh S.E. KOA Journey, in Ruffs Dale, offers somewhat the same amenities but is fairly close to I-76 and I-70.
At the Robin Hill RV Resort & Campground in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, you're nestled between the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The RV resort has 270 sites spread out across 38 acres and is equipped to accommodate any size rig, including the newest versions on the market today. Amenities included here are a playground, a basketball court, hiking trails, a store, fishing, and more. This place is also near Knoebels Amusement Park, Hershey Park, and Crayola Factory.
Camping can also be found in many of the state parks like Caledonia State Park in Fayetteville. There are two campgrounds at Caledonia that are equipped for RVs of any size.
When RVing in Pennsylvania, it's always helpful to know where to find all of the good dump stations. As you explore the state of Pennsylvania, you'll notice that a large portion of truck stops provide sanitary dump stations for RVs, including the Flying J Travel Center, Love's Travel Stop, and Pilot Travel Center.
You'll also find them in many campgrounds and resorts in Pennsylvania, such as Mills Bridge Village and Resort in Ronks or Rocky Springs Campground in Mercer. A dump station is offered at the Village Scene Manufactured Home Community and RV Park for a $10 fee.
What's more, you'll find that service plazas along many of the Pennsylvania major highways generally provide dump stations, including Valley Forge and Allentown, for a small fee.
Many come to Little Buffalo State Park to cool off in the 5-foot public pool with two waterslides right along Holman Lake. The park has eight miles of trails for hiking and exploring. Camping, picnicking, and fishing are few things that help make this place popular, but the special events are what take it over the top. The yearly Old Fashioned Apple Festival in October and the Christmas walk in December are popular times to visit.
Keystone State Park has a beach for swimming, building sandcastles, and relaxing. All trails are for hiking only except for Lakeside Trail, which is open to biking. A dump station is available at the campground. The park has 1,200 acres for exploring and makes a great day trip or long-weekend stay.
Locust Lake State Park is nestled on the side of Locust Mountain, making it a secluded hideaway. Between the two campgrounds is the 52-acre Locust Lake, where you can fish and swim at the designated beach areas.
Laurel Hill State Park consists of 4,062 acres of mountainous terrain in Somerset County and a 63-acre lake. It has a wide variety of environmental education and recreational programs, including hands-on activities, evening programs, and guided walks. Clothing, books, and educational toys can be found at the gift shop.
Although Pennsylvania doesn't have a national park, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is about a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Philadelphia. The park rises above the Virginia Piedmont to its east and the Shenandoah Valley to its west with two peaks, Hawksbill and Stony Man, reaching 4,000 feet. The different kinds of weather and topography create a mix of habitats in which tens of thousands of living creatures thrive.
The park has over 500 miles of trails for exploring, like Hightop Summit, which winds up a ridge to a 3,296-foot rocky viewpoint with moderate difficulty. It's a three-mile round trip hike that generally takes about three hours. The Whiteoak Falls is another great challenging hike to cascades and waterfalls. This moderate 4.6-mile round trip hike goes to the upper falls before returning. One of the most popular travel spots inside Shenandoah National Park is Skyline Drive, which runs over 100 miles through the park. Bears roam the hollows, and brook trout populate the tumbling streams just beyond Skyline Drive.
The Liberty Bell, once known as the State House Bell, rang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House to assemble lawmakers to their meetings and signaled to the townspeople that it was time for the daily reading of the news. After some hard use, the Liberty Bell cracked, and attempts were made to repair it in 1846. Unfortunately, the bell was unable to be fixed. An inscription is written near the top of the bell about liberty and the bell's history.
The American Philosophical Society Hall was built in 1789 and provided a central meeting place for its members. Among those members was former president Thomas Jefferson, who encouraged the American Philosophical Society outfit to explore the American continent further. Today, there are journals to validate this expedition and other exhibits of history, science, art, and Philadelphia's earlier days.
The John Coltrane House is another great place to visit in Pennsylvania if you're interested in jazz. As you approach the house, the first thing you'll see is the wheat-paste mural of the legend holding a tenor saxophone.
Explore the historic Eastern State Penitentiary that held notorious lawbreakers, including Slick Willie Sutton and Al Capone. Day and night tours are offered that include the penitentiary's history and a look at death row, as well as award-winning exhibits about prison today and the root causes of mass incarceration.
Because it's one of the oldest states and played such a fundamental role in United States history, there are a ton of Pennsylvania landmarks that you will want to take in while you're RVing across the Keystone State.
On average expect to pay $182 per night in Pennsylvania.
Do you need to be a certain age to rent an RV in Pennsylvania?Yes. The minimum age is 25 to be eligible to get an RV Rental in Pennsylvania from RVshare.
Does RVshare have emergency roadside assistance?Yes. Every RV rental booked through RVshare receives 24/7 emergency roadside assistance.
Does RVshare offer one way RV rentals in Pennsylvania?Yes. Prior to renting any RV, check with the owner since not all will offer this particular option.
Do you need a special license to drive an RV in Pennsylvania?No. You don’t need a special license or CDL to drive an RV in Pennsylvania.