RV Parks In Apollo, Pennsylvania

For public camping, Crooked Creek Lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about 15 miles away near Ford City, is the closest option, with electric sites, a boat launch, and a swimming beach. Keystone State Park, southeast of Apollo in Derry Township, offers electric sites around Keystone Lake plus cabins and yurts. On the private side, Mountain Pines Campground is a full-hookup family resort with a big pool, Silver Canoe Campground near Rural Valley has around 100 sites with glamping options, and Mountain Top Campground in Tarentum offers valley views. Between them you can cover a rustic lake weekend or a full-hookup resort stay.

Some do, some do not, so it pays to check. The public sites are the limited ones: Crooked Creek Lake has a mix of tent and RV sites with some electric hookups but no sewer, and Keystone State Park offers 20-, 30-, and 50-amp electric service without full hookups. For true full hookups with water, electric, and sewer at the site, look to the private resorts. Mountain Pines Campground advertises full RV hookups, and other private parks in the area offer full-hookup pull-throughs. If staying hooked up the whole trip matters to you, book a private resort; if electric plus a dump station works, the public lakes are a great value.

The public sites are the value play. Crooked Creek Lake, run by the Army Corps of Engineers, generally runs in the 15 to 35 dollar per night range depending on whether you take an electric site, booked through Recreation.gov. Keystone State Park electric sites fall in a similar state-park range. Private full-hookup resorts cost more, typically landing in the 35 to 55 dollar per night range and higher for premium or pull-through sites, with amenities like pools and mini golf built into the price. Weekends and holidays run at the top end everywhere. If you are staying a week or more, ask the private parks about weekly rates, which usually knock the effective nightly cost down.

For summer weekends, book early. Crooked Creek Lake takes reservations on Recreation.gov up to six months in advance, and its limited electric sites go quickly for July and August weekends. Keystone State Park opens its window up to 11 months out through the PA DCNR system, and lakeside electric sites there fill for holidays too. Private resorts have more give but the nicer full-hookup and pull-through sites still book up for holiday weekends. Spring and fall weekends are easier, and midweek you can often find same-week openings at both public and private parks. When in doubt, reserve early and cancel later rather than gamble on a walk-up.

Late spring through early fall is the season. From May into June the campgrounds reopen, the hills are green, and the fishing is strong before the crowds peak. Summer is the busiest and warmest stretch, great for boating Crooked Creek Lake but humid with afternoon thunderstorms and crowded on weekends. Our favorite time is September and early October, when the ridge color comes in, the days stay comfortable, and the crowds thin out before the public campgrounds close for the season. Winter is not RV weather here, with cold, snow, and closed public campgrounds, though a couple of private parks stay open year-round.

Yes, but choose your park carefully. Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park have some sites that handle larger rigs, but site lengths and interior roads vary at both, so check the specific site details on Recreation.gov or the PA DCNR system and confirm turning access. For a guaranteed big-rig fit with full hookups, the private resorts like Mountain Pines are the safer bet, since they offer pull-throughs built for larger motorhomes and fifth-wheels. Always verify site length, pull-through availability, and low tree clearance when you book, especially at the older wooded public sites where mature trees and tight loops can limit access for a 40-footer.

Not really. Apollo is a small river borough in Armstrong County, so there is no established free or dispersed camping in the immediate area, and overnighting on borough streets is not an option. Your public choices, Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park, are both reservation-based, though you can sometimes find same-week openings midweek. Genuine dispersed or boondocking camping is well away from here on state forest land elsewhere in the state. Close to Apollo, plan on a reservation at either the Army Corps lake, the state park, or one of the private resorts rather than counting on a free or first-come spot near a summer weekend.

Yes. The larger private campgrounds in the area provide dump stations for their guests, and the public recreation areas offer dumping facilities as well, though the Army Corps and state park sites are electric-only for hookups. If you are just passing through and need to empty tanks without staying, call ahead, since some private parks limit dumping to registered campers or charge a fee for non-guests. Confirm the dump station location with your park at check-in. Want the full rundown of tank-dumping options in the area? See our guide to RV dump stations in Apollo for the utility-side details.

There is more here than the small-town size suggests. The Roaring Run Trail runs right along the Kiskiminetas River at the edge of town, a crushed-stone rail-trail great for walking and biking. Crooked Creek Lake, about 15 minutes away, offers boating, waterskiing, a peninsula swimming beach, and fishing on Corps-managed water. Keystone State Park adds 1,200 acres of woodlands around Keystone Lake with swimming, hiking, and fishing. The "Kiski" River itself is good for paddling and fishing. Pittsburgh is close enough for a day trip when you want city attractions, and the Derry area preserves regional railroad heritage. It is a solid base for a water-and-trails trip.

You can. Crooked Creek Lake is the standout for waterfront-style camping, with Army Corps sites near a Corps-managed lake, a boat launch with trailer parking, and a sandy peninsula beach for swimming, all about 15 minutes from Apollo. Keystone State Park puts you around 1,200-acre Keystone Lake with swimming and boating a short walk from many sites. Both are reservation-based and close for winter, so book ahead for the warm months. In town, the Kiskiminetas River and the Roaring Run Trail give you riverside walking and paddling access even if you are staying at a private resort nearby. For true lakeside camping, aim for Crooked Creek or Keystone.

Generally yes. Pennsylvania state parks, including Keystone, allow leashed pets in designated pet-friendly camping loops, though not every site is open to pets, so check the current rules and book a pet-friendly site when you reserve. Army Corps campgrounds like Crooked Creek Lake typically allow leashed pets at campsites as well. Most private resorts in the area are dog friendly, but policies vary, so confirm when you book. Keep pets leashed, clean up after them, and never leave them unattended in a hot rig during the humid summer months. Some private parks ask for proof of vaccinations or limit the number of pets per site.

It comes down to hookups and the kind of trip you want. The public options, Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park, win on setting and price: you are on or near the water, on public land, for well under private-resort rates. The trade-off is electric-only hookups, no sewer at the site, and seasonal closures. The private resorts like Mountain Pines win on full hookups, pull-throughs, and amenities like pools and mini golf, at a higher nightly cost and open later into the shoulder seasons. Our rule of thumb: chasing the water and can live with a dump-station routine, book the public lake; want full hookups and resort comforts, go private.

It is a handy one. Apollo sits on the Kiskiminetas River in Armstrong County, northeast of Pittsburgh, with PA-66 and PA-56 running through town and US-22 a short hop south for a fast four-lane run toward the city and the PA Turnpike. From here you can reach Crooked Creek Lake in about 15 minutes, Keystone State Park in a little over half an hour, and downtown Pittsburgh in around an hour for city attractions. The Roaring Run Trail is right in town for a morning ride. For a trip that mixes lakes, rivers, rail-trails, and a taste of the city, Apollo makes a low-key, well-placed home base in Western Pennsylvania.

For public camping, Crooked Creek Lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about 15 miles away near Ford City, is the closest option, with electric sites, a boat launch, and a swimming beach. Keystone State Park, southeast of Apollo in Derry Township, offers electric sites around Keystone Lake plus cabins and yurts. On the private side, Mountain Pines Campground is a full-hookup family resort with a big pool, Silver Canoe Campground near Rural Valley has around 100 sites with glamping options, and Mountain Top Campground in Tarentum offers valley views. Between them you can cover a rustic lake weekend or a full-hookup resort stay.

Some do, some do not, so it pays to check. The public sites are the limited ones: Crooked Creek Lake has a mix of tent and RV sites with some electric hookups but no sewer, and Keystone State Park offers 20-, 30-, and 50-amp electric service without full hookups. For true full hookups with water, electric, and sewer at the site, look to the private resorts. Mountain Pines Campground advertises full RV hookups, and other private parks in the area offer full-hookup pull-throughs. If staying hooked up the whole trip matters to you, book a private resort; if electric plus a dump station works, the public lakes are a great value.

The public sites are the value play. Crooked Creek Lake, run by the Army Corps of Engineers, generally runs in the 15 to 35 dollar per night range depending on whether you take an electric site, booked through Recreation.gov. Keystone State Park electric sites fall in a similar state-park range. Private full-hookup resorts cost more, typically landing in the 35 to 55 dollar per night range and higher for premium or pull-through sites, with amenities like pools and mini golf built into the price. Weekends and holidays run at the top end everywhere. If you are staying a week or more, ask the private parks about weekly rates, which usually knock the effective nightly cost down.

For summer weekends, book early. Crooked Creek Lake takes reservations on Recreation.gov up to six months in advance, and its limited electric sites go quickly for July and August weekends. Keystone State Park opens its window up to 11 months out through the PA DCNR system, and lakeside electric sites there fill for holidays too. Private resorts have more give but the nicer full-hookup and pull-through sites still book up for holiday weekends. Spring and fall weekends are easier, and midweek you can often find same-week openings at both public and private parks. When in doubt, reserve early and cancel later rather than gamble on a walk-up.

Late spring through early fall is the season. From May into June the campgrounds reopen, the hills are green, and the fishing is strong before the crowds peak. Summer is the busiest and warmest stretch, great for boating Crooked Creek Lake but humid with afternoon thunderstorms and crowded on weekends. Our favorite time is September and early October, when the ridge color comes in, the days stay comfortable, and the crowds thin out before the public campgrounds close for the season. Winter is not RV weather here, with cold, snow, and closed public campgrounds, though a couple of private parks stay open year-round.

Yes, but choose your park carefully. Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park have some sites that handle larger rigs, but site lengths and interior roads vary at both, so check the specific site details on Recreation.gov or the PA DCNR system and confirm turning access. For a guaranteed big-rig fit with full hookups, the private resorts like Mountain Pines are the safer bet, since they offer pull-throughs built for larger motorhomes and fifth-wheels. Always verify site length, pull-through availability, and low tree clearance when you book, especially at the older wooded public sites where mature trees and tight loops can limit access for a 40-footer.

Not really. Apollo is a small river borough in Armstrong County, so there is no established free or dispersed camping in the immediate area, and overnighting on borough streets is not an option. Your public choices, Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park, are both reservation-based, though you can sometimes find same-week openings midweek. Genuine dispersed or boondocking camping is well away from here on state forest land elsewhere in the state. Close to Apollo, plan on a reservation at either the Army Corps lake, the state park, or one of the private resorts rather than counting on a free or first-come spot near a summer weekend.

Yes. The larger private campgrounds in the area provide dump stations for their guests, and the public recreation areas offer dumping facilities as well, though the Army Corps and state park sites are electric-only for hookups. If you are just passing through and need to empty tanks without staying, call ahead, since some private parks limit dumping to registered campers or charge a fee for non-guests. Confirm the dump station location with your park at check-in. Want the full rundown of tank-dumping options in the area? See our guide to RV dump stations in Apollo for the utility-side details.

There is more here than the small-town size suggests. The Roaring Run Trail runs right along the Kiskiminetas River at the edge of town, a crushed-stone rail-trail great for walking and biking. Crooked Creek Lake, about 15 minutes away, offers boating, waterskiing, a peninsula swimming beach, and fishing on Corps-managed water. Keystone State Park adds 1,200 acres of woodlands around Keystone Lake with swimming, hiking, and fishing. The "Kiski" River itself is good for paddling and fishing. Pittsburgh is close enough for a day trip when you want city attractions, and the Derry area preserves regional railroad heritage. It is a solid base for a water-and-trails trip.

You can. Crooked Creek Lake is the standout for waterfront-style camping, with Army Corps sites near a Corps-managed lake, a boat launch with trailer parking, and a sandy peninsula beach for swimming, all about 15 minutes from Apollo. Keystone State Park puts you around 1,200-acre Keystone Lake with swimming and boating a short walk from many sites. Both are reservation-based and close for winter, so book ahead for the warm months. In town, the Kiskiminetas River and the Roaring Run Trail give you riverside walking and paddling access even if you are staying at a private resort nearby. For true lakeside camping, aim for Crooked Creek or Keystone.

Generally yes. Pennsylvania state parks, including Keystone, allow leashed pets in designated pet-friendly camping loops, though not every site is open to pets, so check the current rules and book a pet-friendly site when you reserve. Army Corps campgrounds like Crooked Creek Lake typically allow leashed pets at campsites as well. Most private resorts in the area are dog friendly, but policies vary, so confirm when you book. Keep pets leashed, clean up after them, and never leave them unattended in a hot rig during the humid summer months. Some private parks ask for proof of vaccinations or limit the number of pets per site.

It comes down to hookups and the kind of trip you want. The public options, Crooked Creek Lake and Keystone State Park, win on setting and price: you are on or near the water, on public land, for well under private-resort rates. The trade-off is electric-only hookups, no sewer at the site, and seasonal closures. The private resorts like Mountain Pines win on full hookups, pull-throughs, and amenities like pools and mini golf, at a higher nightly cost and open later into the shoulder seasons. Our rule of thumb: chasing the water and can live with a dump-station routine, book the public lake; want full hookups and resort comforts, go private.

It is a handy one. Apollo sits on the Kiskiminetas River in Armstrong County, northeast of Pittsburgh, with PA-66 and PA-56 running through town and US-22 a short hop south for a fast four-lane run toward the city and the PA Turnpike. From here you can reach Crooked Creek Lake in about 15 minutes, Keystone State Park in a little over half an hour, and downtown Pittsburgh in around an hour for city attractions. The Roaring Run Trail is right in town for a morning ride. For a trip that mixes lakes, rivers, rail-trails, and a taste of the city, Apollo makes a low-key, well-placed home base in Western Pennsylvania.

Yes — there are free RV waste disposal options available near Apollo.