Campgrounds and RV parks near Harrisburg, PA

Hersheypark is the region's headline family draw, and staying at Hersheypark Camping Resort adds park perks. Guests get free front gate shuttle service and extra hours at Hersheypark, and the resort promotes early access programs so campers can visit the evening before and start the next day early. ZooAmerica, Hershey Gardens, and the Hershey Story museum round out the immediate area. On the water and trails, Gifford Pinchot State Park is the workhorse. The park offers boating, fishing, disc golfing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming, along with winter activities including ice fishing, ice boating, and ice skating when conditions allow. Pinchot Lake supports paddling and small boating in season. In the city, families use Harrisburg East Campground as a base for the State Capitol, the National Civil War Museum, the Susquehanna riverfront, and day trips to Gettysburg and Lancaster County.

Harrisburg has a four-season climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Most public campgrounds run a mid-spring to late-fall season, while a few private parks stay open year-round. Spring is cool and wet, with campgrounds reopening and lake activities returning by late spring. At Gifford Pinchot State Park, the main camping season runs from the second Friday in April until the third Sunday in October, with the full range of facilities typically available during that window and limited facilities outside those dates. Summer is the peak booking period, driven by Hersheypark crowds and school vacation. Harrisburg East Campground's heated pool is open from Memorial Day weekend until September 15, and Hersheypark Camping Resort runs its pools seasonally. Fall brings cooler nights, foliage, and easier availability after Labor Day. Winter is quiet: once temperatures drop below 30°F over the course of three days at Hersheypark Camping Resort, water is shut off immediately through April 1, though the Historic Landis Barn bath house and the 2-Bedroom Deluxe Cabins have water year round, so cold-weather RVers should confirm hookups before booking.

Expect a mix of highway-adjacent RV parks and wooded, lakeside campgrounds. Harrisburg East's camping areas are gravel, of varying lengths, and all have sewer, water, 30 or 50 amp electric, a cable TV connection, wifi, a firepit, and a picnic table, with a dump station and on-site propane. Traffic noise from the nearby interstate is a common trade-off for the convenient location. Hersheypark Camping Resort is larger and family oriented. The year-round campground has more than 300 open and shaded sites, including 50 cabins and two Tiny Homes with heat, air conditioning, and additional amenities; full hook-up sites with electric, water, sewer, and cable; partial sites with electric, water, and cable; and no hook-up tent sites. Gifford Pinchot State Park has one of the commonwealth's largest campgrounds with 289 sites spread along the southern shore of a scenic 340-acre lake. All sites feature macadam pads that accommodate everything from tents to large motorhomes, many sites include electric hookups with 20, 30, or 50 amp service, and 22 sites offer full connections with water, sewer, and electricity. Pets are permitted on designated sites only.