Campgrounds and RV parks near New Alexandria, PA

Keystone State Park anchors most short trips. The 78-acre Keystone Lake has warm and cold water fishing, and a fishing area by the spillway is ADA accessible. The Pa. Fish and Boat Commission stocks the lake with trout several times a year. A swimming beach, boat rentals, and lake-loop trails keep families busy without leaving the park. Hikers can pick from short and mid-length routes. Stone Lodge Trail is a 1.4 mile, steep loop that winds through hardwoods up to ridge top conifers. Davis Run Trail is a 2.5-mile trail. Lake Side Trail is a 2-mile loop around the lake. McCune Run Trail is a short hike to a beaver pond and wetland area. Pine Trail is a short loop trail through a red pine and white pine plantation. Day trips from a New Alexandria base include Idlewild and SoakZone in Ligonier, Fort Ligonier, and the waterfalls and whitewater at Ohiopyle State Park in the Laurel Highlands.

The main RV camping season runs mid-April through late October. Camping cottages and yurts are available for reservations from mid-April to mid-October. Tent and trailer sites in a variety of settings are also available from mid-April to mid-October. Private parks in the area follow a similar rhythm, generally opening in spring and closing in late October or November, with a few offering seasonal or permanent sites. Summer weekends and holidays are the busiest windows. It is advisable to book well in advance, especially for summer weekends and holidays when the park tends to be busiest. Fall brings cooler nights and foliage across the ridges, and shoulder-season sites are easier to secure. Winter access is limited. Shower facilities may not be available after October 1. The park offers a variety of trails open year-round for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and ice fishing is popular when conditions allow. A multi-year drawdown of Keystone Lake for dredging is planned, so travelers should check the park office for current lake and swim-beach status before booking.

Terrain around New Alexandria is rolling hardwood and farmland, transitioning east into the Allegheny Plateau. Sites vary from lakefront and forested loops at Keystone State Park to open full-hookup pads at Fox Den Acres Campgrounds and Madison/Pittsburgh SE KOA Journey. Full hookup sites accommodate RVs with electric, water, and sewer connections, while primitive sites serve tent campers and those preferring simpler setups. Facilities at the state park include modern bathhouses and a dump station. Both campgrounds have a modern bathhouse, and a sanitary dump station is available. Cell service is unpredictable in and around many Pennsylvania State Parks, so download the park map before a visit. A note on firewood: to help protect the forest from invasive insects, such as the emerald ash borer, campers should not transport firewood over long distances and use local firewood instead.