Laurel Hill State Park

Join us on a video tour of Laurel Hill State Park in Pennsylvania; video uploaded here on Campendium for your immediate reference. We visit some prime RV campsites and the scenic lakeside picnic and day use area. A dump station and fresh water fill is available within the Laurel Hill State Park Campground. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 11.0 Mbps download speed and 0.12 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 67.5 Mbps download speed and 2.17 Mbps upload speed. T-Mobile cellular service clocked in at 3.08 Mbps download speed and 1.43 Mbps upload speed.

I wish I had had more time to spend at this park as it had some appealing trails I would have liked to have checked out. My site was in an electric (only) loop. Also I was in the "no pet" area which as someone not used to pets was very nice. My site seemed typical: it had decent space from adjoining sites and lots of trees all around. I needed little help in getting my camper level. One oddity was the fire ring was located way too far away - almost in the next camp site. It occurred to me later that maybe I could have moved it. The bathrooms are quite dated. The one near me was not heated. With the temps dropping below 40 that was a bit unpleasant. My cell signal on Verizon was weak but with my booster I was able to get a good enough signal to conduct a Zoom meeting. It was quiet at night (except for the person some distance away who shot off fireworks at 9 for about 10 minutes). Everyone I dealt with at the park was polite and professional.

Lots of campsites and lots to do here! There are a very few full hookup sites, with the rest being about half electric and half for dry camping. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Sites 103 -171 are deep in a forested area and were gravel. Sites 6 - 97 are the pet campsites, much more open and mostly grass. Sites 172 - 269 seemed to be a mix. Plan to do some leveling. We arrived without a reservation and the entrance booth sign said it was not manned until 3:00. However there was a list several pages long with available campsites and the cost for each one, along with envelopes to pay by the honor system. A ranger did come around later and bring a permanent tag for the post. The bath house was clean, but very basic. Plenty of hot water and pressure. There are numerous trails, a beach area with kayak and bike rentals, playgrounds, and a Visitor Center with information about the CCC which built the dam here that formed lake. During the winter when the campground is closed, the map shows several snow mobile trails. This is definitely a destination park. Note that the directions to the park take you to an entrance, but not the campground. It’s 4 miles further, but signs will direct you.

Sent from my iPad

Arrived here 07/07/2018 - Expected to be part of the post July 4th crowd, To our pleasant surprise only about 2/3 of our pet free loop had campers. By Monday we were 1 of only 3 on this 35 site loop. Site #138 was a paved and level back-in spot. We had a short walk to the showers, They were older but worked fine. Plenty of hot water.
We had no TV Air channels and cell service was not enough to stream. Our site had electric but no water. Fuel and supplies should be brought in from Somerset (about 10 miles).
We totally enjoyed our time here and will be back. Nice and cool, daytime highs 75+/-, nighttime low 50's. Elevation just over 2000 Ft
Several deer wondered thru our site each evening. Good sized lake to play in.
Firewood & ice is available next to the gatehouse and it's on the honor system, $5 per bundle and $2 per bag.

A late May stay was great timing for Laurel Hill - the weather was warm but cool in the evenings at the higher elevations. We stayed in the 172-205 loop in site 189 - it was a challenge swinging in our 25' Airstream with the foliage very close to the paved driveway but a few pivots and patience paid off. In that loop, site 173 would be the most preferred: more cleared opening and a private little seating area with firepit and picnic table somewhat removed from trailer parking and along a small rocky stream perfect for kids to play along. If you have anything more than a 25' trailer and a large SUV, you may be limited to the other open-field sites. Note, water access was very limited on the 172-205 loop (nearest was only a fountain in the middle of a thicket of woods; definitely need to fill at campground entrance to save a trip. Firewood $5 on honor system at entrance (which is quite convenient). In late May, we were the ONLY camper in the loop on a Sunday night so we felt like we had the woods and space to ourselves.

Bathrooms were variable across the several bathhouses we used - some seemed more recently renovated some dated. Laundry and outdoor washer/dryer spaces were well maintained. Campground playgrounds were what I remember as 1980s vintage (stainless steel slides, metal, and painted wood). Updated playground space is located along the scenic lake where you can rent kayaks ($10/hr) and a concession stand (not yet open) serves the sandy beach space which was nicely groomed (though not yet warm enough to use in May).

Worth a visit, especially if passing through and you'd preferred quiet wooded space over open field campgrounds like those nearby that pack you in beside your neighbors. It's a solid 30+ minute drive to a grocer but a few pizza, deli, etc. spots are not too far so plan accordingly. Definitely consider bringing a kayak - access from the beach side parking would make dropping in very easy for a leisure paddle.