Campgrounds and RV parks near Progress, PA

Hersheypark drives most family trips to the area, with roller coasters, ZooAmerica, Hershey Gardens, and downtown Hershey attractions all within a short drive. Downtown Harrisburg adds the State Capitol, the Susquehanna riverfront, and the National Civil War Museum. Gettysburg National Military Park and Lancaster County's Amish farmland are both within an hour. Outdoor options are close as well. Gifford Pinchot State Park allows boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, and disc golf on and around Pinchot Lake, with a public boat launch and mooring areas. The Appalachian Trail crosses Peters Mountain just north of the city near Camp Hebron, offering day-hike access to ridge overlooks above the Susquehanna.

The main camping window in south-central Pennsylvania runs from mid-April through late October. Gifford Pinchot State Park's campground operates on a seasonal schedule that typically runs from the second Friday in April through the third Sunday in October, and Camp Hebron follows a similar mid-April to mid-October season. Harrisburg East Campground and Hersheypark Camping Resort stay open year-round, though pools and some amenities are seasonal. Summer is peak. Hersheypark drives heavy weekend bookings from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and state park sites fill weeks ahead for holiday weekends. Pennsylvania state parks limit stays to fourteen consecutive nights between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and twenty-one consecutive nights during the rest of the camping season. Spring and fall bring cooler nights, lighter crowds, and better site availability. Winter camping is limited: private parks operate with reduced amenities, while the state park campground closes and the park shifts to ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and ice boating when conditions allow.

Expect a mix of highway-adjacent private RV parks and quieter wooded or lakeside campgrounds within a short drive. Harrisburg East sits near the PA Turnpike and beltway, so some sites carry road noise; gravel sites typically include full sewer, water, 30/50-amp electric, cable, wi-fi, a fire ring, and a picnic table. Hersheypark Camping Resort spans 55 acres with more than 300 sites, including full and partial hook-up RV sites, tent sites along a creek, log and deluxe cabins, and a tiny home. Gifford Pinchot's 289-site campground has macadam pads that fit large motorhomes down to small tents, with many electric sites and a limited number of full-hookup sites. Pets are permitted only on designated loops at the state park, and Camp Hebron is pet-free.