The best camping near Lake Erie State Park

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Lake Erie State Park adventure.

90% (6 reviews)

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Public campgrounds in the park
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Stay at a public campground in Lake Erie State Park

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Lake Erie State Park Campground

109 sites · RVs, Tents In Lake Erie State Park

Top-rated campgrounds near Lake Erie State Park

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The Quarry

52 sites · RVs, Tents200 acres · West Falls, NY

Property with a limited number of sites with power however plenty of tent camping and self contained camping. The property was a recreational area with 88 camping sites. It is now a personal entertainment venue. On the property is a bath house with 4 warm showers and two toilets, men’s and woman’s.

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Zoar Valley Forest Retreat

2 sites · RVs, Tents7 acres · Cattaraugus, NY

🌿 Private forested land against the ledge of Zoar Valley. Large, spacious campsite areas, good for groups. A rare location that is secluded and quiet, away from people and traffic. For those that want to feel isolated and immersed in nature and the forest. Includes seven acres to primitive camp on, or bring an RV/camper in (10ft clearance at gate). Each site has a picnic table, and brick fire pit. Pergola party shelter and brick oven located at Site 2. 🔒Locked gate at each site entrance from road for privacy and security. Site 1 is closer to the road, Site 2 is deeper in the woods, with adequate privacy and space between the two sites. ♻️ Take out what you take in, leave no trace. 🌙 Porta potty toilet on site maintained regularly, shared between sites April-November 🌳The campsite borders state forest to hike freely, and is about 1000ft until the top edge of the valley with beautiful vantage points of the valley. Drive down the road a few miles to the Forty Road trail head that leads to the creek down in Zoar Valley.

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The Eternal Campground

4 sites · Tents3 acres · Orchard Park, NY

2 miles from and on the same road as Chestnut ridge Park, home of the Legendary Eternal Flame. Only campground in Orchard Park. A humble 3 acres but we offer very intimate sites. There are only 6 sites with all of them having access to the creek, and a recreation area featuring a volleyball/badminton net, cornhole, and at night there is a mini outdoor movie theater with a 10 foot screen where we play a movie when the sun goes down depending on the audience. Park on the road outside the white lines or directly on the side lot where it says Park. Follow arrows to get to site, I will most likely be able to meet you at entrance though to show you around.

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The Crosspatch

7 sites · RVs, Tents10 acres · Salamanca, NY

Family owned for 41 years! The Crosspatch got it's name because it is a triangular piece of land located between Route 242, Route 353 and Baker Road, the patch between the crossroads! The Crosspatch has been a working horse ranch in the beautiful Enchanted Mountains of New York for many yearsLearn more about this land:We have two camping areas, one with a pavilion and outhouses and a creek and one with only walk to (approx one third mile hike private access, in the woods.) Both beautiful and private.

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French Creek Flood Plain Overlook

1 site · Tent36 acres · Union City, PA

This tent site sits in the woods on a hill just above the corner of French Creek (2022 PA River of the Year!) and a small tributary creek. It faces northwest over the valley providing amazing sunset views. This location is on the high-side of the Union City Dam which is a dry bed, flood control dam. Which means during snow melt, or rainy streaks, the dam will fill up and flood the entire valley. However during dry spells, French Creek will appear as any other creek. At peak flooding, it will make its way all the way up the tributary valley, making a beautiful lake front campsite. Unfortunately, this only occurs a few weeks out of the year (typically early spring and occasionally during wet falls) and is fairly unpredictable (you can compare the high-water vs low-water views from the photos). Most of the summer you can still enjoy the view over both the tributary valley and French Creek valley. (DISCLAIMER: Once or twice a year during the wettest streaks, the water rises high enough to flood the driveway, making it impossible to drive up directly to the campsite. If this happens, you will be notified before so you can choose either to be refunded and not stay or you can park 100 yards up the road and hike into the campsite to enjoy the unique and rare lakefront views. Again, these are natural events that are infrequent and unpredictable, but also provide a truly spectacular setting.) Located at the end of a dead end dirt road, adjacent to 100's of acres of federal protected land, and within sight of agriculture fields, there is an abundance of wildlife. For over 20 years, an active eagles nest has been located 1 mile north providing amazing opportunities to see either adult or juvenile eagles flying over French Creek hunting for fish. Deer can be seen early morning and late evening in the fields, as well as frequently crossing both valleys. All types of waterfowl flock the lake when it's flooded. I've personally seen up to 1000 geese at one time. Beyond relaxing and wildlife watching, there are plenty of other activities to explore in the area. Access to many nature walking trails. The Union City Dam, less than 1.5 miles down the road, provides walking, biking, scenic driving, and picnic opportunities. Kayaks/canoes can be used to float the creek when dry or paddle up and down the reservoir lake when flooded. Centrally located between the 2 small towns of Union City and Waterford with gas stations, grocery stores, great local dinning options, and more. About a half an hour drive to Erie and Presque Isle State Park. Come enjoy this extremely unique stretch of French Creek and Pennsylvania woods! DISCLAIMER: There is an active gravel pit to the North of the campsite. During weekdays from about 7 AM-5 PM, you will likely hear and possibly see some activity from the gravel pit.

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Rustic Acres Rentals

13 sites · RVs, Tents50 acres · Pittsfield, PA

Rustic Acres Rentals is 50 acres of mostly dense woods with a beautiful stream running through the property that is great to cool off in the summer or just to sit by and relax. The property sits in a valley, so it blocks the lights from town at night to create super bright stars. We are 12 minutes to the closest boat launch on the Allegheny River, 20 minutes from Rocky Gap ATV Trail, and 40 minutes from Kinzua Dam and Kinzua Reservoir where you will also find the heart of the Allegheny National Forest. Endless things to do here including miles of biking and hiking trails that have amazing overlooks of the reservoir.

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Chappel Hill Tree Farm

2 sites · RVs, Tents140 acres · Grand Valley, PA

This 140-acre property is an old farmstead last farmed in the 1950's. It lies in the Allegheny Plateau region of NW Pennsylvania and is mostly hardwood forest today. It is surrounded by thousands of acres of private forestland and is very secluded. Our goal is to provide a private and secluded yet accessible camping experience where you will see more deer than people. AANR friendly. There is excellent Verizon and T-Mobile service. The skies are dark at night and the sounds of nature will surround you. Campsite 1 is near where the farmhouse and barn once stood. The site is shaded by large, old maples that once shaded the farmhouse. Old fields surround the farmstead, but the woods are a short walk away. It is the most popular campsite with an outhouse, fire ring and picnic table available. Campsite 2 is on the other side of the property. There is a fire ring but no picnic table. Both sites easily accommodate anything from tents to RV's. Each site has a separate, gated, gravel road access. These are the only 2 campsites on the property and they are far enough apart (1/4 mile) to avoid any contact should both sites be occupied. There is a 2-mile loop hiking trail on the property that traverses a variety of habitats which are home to many animals and birds. The trail is well maintained and mowed. The terrain is flat to gentle slopes. The 1/2-mile Narnia Loop trail weaves through a young spruce forest like a maze. It is so cool, literally, even on the hottest days. The Allegheny River is about 10 miles away, near Tidioute, PA, and has excellent paddling and fishing. Titusville, PA is about 15 miles away and is home to Oil Creek State Park which has great trout fishing, an excellent paved bike/hike trail, and Drake Well Museum site of the first oil well ever drilled. Finally, you will be on the doorstep to the Allegheny National Forest with all the outdoor recreation it has to offer. We hope you enjoy the peace and quiet of nature on our property as much as we have. If you are curious about more details of the history and management of the property, please ask your host, Dave Trimpey, and he will be glad to share his knowledge of the land. Learn more about this land: The property was a family farm from the late 1800's to the mid-1950's. Aerial photos of the 1940s and 1950s show much of the surrounding area was being farmed for crops and dairy cattle. Agricultural farming ended around 1956 and the farmer, Mr. Matkovich, planted acorns in many of the fields. An observant hiker may notice rows of red oak trees today in former fields which are now forests. In the 1970s the property was acquired by Lester Noll. He planted some of the remaining fields with spruce and fir for Christmas trees. The old farmhouse was still standing until it burned down in 1975. Mr. Noll sold the property to Dave and Rhonda Trimpey, your hosts, in 1992. We continued and expanded the Christmas tree business for 20 years and one point having nearly 6,000 Christmas trees growing in the fields around campsite 1. The Christmas tree part of the business ended in 2014 and management of the land now focuses on timber and wildlife. We have always used the property for personal recreation - primarily hunting, hiking and camping - and decided to open it up for others to enjoy by camping through Hipcamp in 2020.

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Lake Erie Views

3 sites · Lodging41 acres · Brocton, NY

Great views, Local wineries & Breweries, off grid camping. Enjoy!

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(5)

Ellicottville Woods

1 site · Lodging13 acres · Great Valley, NY

13 beautiful wooded acres, 7 minutes from Holiday Valley and Ellicottville village. Flat area for pitching a tent or a camper plus parking, electricity and an outhouse. Running stream further along the property for water (filter before drinking). Holiday Valley offers skiing (voted #6 in the East), mountain biking (dedicated bike lifts to the top of the hills), zip lining and the village has great restaurants and breweries.

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Steelhead Run Recreation Area

2 sites · RVs7 acres · Westfield, NY

When arriving at Steelhead Run you are greeted by the sounds of Lake Erie in a tranquil wooded setting. Only steps away from beautiful Lake Erie and Chautauqua Creek. Our location offers an array of experiences from walks along the beach, wildlife viewing, relaxing to the view of incredible sunsets and so much more. Cocktails, food, and public boat launching can be found just half a mile up the road. A quick drive inland, the historic town of Westfield provides weekend farmers markets, wineries, eateries, and antique shopping.

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Hideaway Valley

1 site · RV, Tent6 acres · Springville, NY

Learn more about this land:Over 1000 feet of frontage on Cattaragus creek. Great for fishing. Large gravel pad for cars or RV. Great spot to start or end Kayaking trip. Zoar valley tavern with food and live music is less than 1/4 mile away.

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The Heron Farm & Event Center

86 sites · RVs, Tents300 acres · Panama, NY

The Heron is an Organic Farm, Event & Wedding Venue, and Campground. A place to connect deeply with nature & art, eat real food and create lasting memories! We are the home of the Great Blue Heron Music Festival and the Green Heron Growers. For more information on our farm, our Farm Store and our Events, visit our website, theheron.org You'll notice a handful of weekends that the campground is closed or would appear fully booked; those may be times that we have ticketed music festivals happening, in which case you can find that information on our main website. Our many camping and lodging options allow families to relax, enjoy nature, and create memories. We have around 100 sites throughout our 300 acres, some woodsy, some with views of the rolling hills and some with electric service. The Heron grounds boast a swimming and fishing pond, and over 4 miles of on-site hiking trails. Located on over 400 acres in beautiful Chautauqua County, NY, we are a working organic farm with a shiitake mushroom yard and on-site farm store. We host weddings, educational workshops, retreats, private events, captivating music festivals, and much more! We offer many different options for camping, from tent sites nestled in the woods to RV sites with electric hook-ups (electric site reservations are to be made on that specific listing and are limited). We allow pets, all dogs must on a leash 6ft or shorter in length and held by an adult, there is a $20/stay pet fee for pets that can be paid prior to arrival. Beach/Swimming Rules: Two adults 18 or over are required to supervise when there are children swimming. (Even if only one child is present.) No swimming outside of the designated/roped swim area. No watercraft allowed anywhere in the pond. Do not use soap in the water, we have showers! No alcohol, no glass or open containers. On-site Phone is for Emergencies only (located in the beach hut to the left of the beach area). Creating a reservation is your agreement with this rule. Local Attractions: Panama Rocks, Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua Lake Overland Trail (The Westside of Trail) over 35 miles of hiking, Chautauqua Gorge, Audubon Nature Center, Rails to Trails, Ellicottville Brewery, Southern Tier Brewery & Distillery, Lake Erie Wine Trail, and much more! Please contact us with questions and inquiries. Come and share the Magic of The Heron! Welcome Home!

The best camping near Lake Erie State Park guide

Overview

About

How’s that for a pedigree? The swimming might not be great but there's plenty to do at the shallowest of the Great Lakes. It’s a great place to picnic, watch the migratory birds, fish, and lounge on the beach. Take a canoe or a kayak out on the lake. Take advantage of the winter snow to go cross-country skiing. There’s even a disc golf course called Shipwreck Bluff Disc Golf Course. Forgot your putter at home? You can pick up a spare from the visitor center.

In addition to the 97 campsites (tent & RV), there are 10 cabins in this 355-acre campground, with plenty of views of bluffs and protected water to go around. People rave about the sunsets here. Since the sites are lakeside, you can watch from the comfort of your camp chair.

Once you’ve had your fill of lake life, head over to Niagara Falls. It’s just a short drive down the road.