When we pulled into Lakewood Park Campground in Barnesville, Pennsylvania, we were mostly looking for a convenient place to stop on our way up to New England. It was a location of necessity more than destination, but it ended up being a quiet, peaceful surprise that we wouldn’t hesitate to revisit. Though it sits in a fairly remote area with not much around, the campground itself felt like a small hidden community — well-kept, friendly, and incredibly spacious.
The Site
We booked Site 94, a back-in site that turned out to be the biggest we’ve had on our journey so far. Seriously, Shaun joked that we could have started a used car lot with all the open space. Not only did it easily fit our trailer and give us multiple options for parking the truck, but it still left room to breathe. We had a good amount of privacy on both sides, and even though one neighbor was a little closer, it didn’t feel cramped.
The site included a fire ring and picnic table, and had a nice mix of sun and shade — trees lined the back while the front stayed open. One heads-up for light sleepers: there’s a train track behind this row of sites. We could see trains roll by while working at our computers, but they only passed a few times a day and didn’t bother us much.
Hookups and Access
We had full hookups, including water, sewer, electric, and even cable. Everything was in excellent shape and worked without a hitch. Pulling in and setting up was simple, thanks to the wide road and roomy site. We felt comfortable maneuvering our rig and didn’t run into any tight spots.
Campground Amenities
The campground offered more than we expected. There’s a recently built office and camp store where you can grab essentials or even order some food on the weekends. No pool, but there is a large private lake that was perfect for fishing, something Emily took full advantage of. She fished after work a few times and enjoyed how peaceful and uncrowded it was.
There’s also a playground for kids, and the place definitely had a family-friendly vibe — we saw lots of kids out exploring and making the most of campground life. The laundry room was clean and had several machines that worked well.
Connectivity and Essentials
Cell service was decent, and the campground Wi-Fi actually worked better than expected. Still, we defaulted to Starlink since it was faster. If you’re planning to stay for a bit, keep in mind that there’s not much immediately nearby. The gas station across the street (The Brown Bag) has some basics and sandwiches, but if you need groceries or supplies, you’ll be driving at least 15 minutes. Same goes for restaurants and fast food. We made a run to Walmart early in the week, and learned the hard way that most Pennsylvania Walmarts don’t sell beer.
Pro tip: follow the directions in your confirmation email when heading to the campground. It’s easy to find if you stick to their route, but Amazon, on the other hand, seems confused. One of our packages was delivered to the old office instead of the new one. The staff was great about helping us track it down.
Vibe and Experience
The overall atmosphere was rustic but well-maintained, with a peaceful, low-key energy. It was super quiet, with no noise issues and no overbearing rules or curfews. The check-in process was quick and easy, and the staff was incredibly friendly. Even though nothing particularly standout happened during our stay, the people we met all left a positive impression.
Some daily highlights:
- Sunday: Rolled in, grabbed food and ice cream from the office, and hunted down a misdelivered Amazon order.
- Monday: Grocery run and dinner from Subway — ended up on a beer hunt thanks to PA laws.
- Thursday: Dinner plans got derailed when a local restaurant closed early, so we hit Tommy’s Italian Specialty Sub instead. Emily went fishing.
- Friday: More fishing for Emily, and Shaun walked to The Brown Bag for a sandwich. Got some unexpected entertainment watching kids attempt dirt bike tricks in the lot across the street.
Final Thoughts
Lakewood Park Campground was a quiet, spacious stopover that exceeded expectations. The peaceful setting, friendly staff, and roomy site made it a great break from the road. While it may not be close to much, it had everything we needed to relax and reset before the next leg of our trip.
Would we stay again? Absolutely.
