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Pennsylvania Free Camping Rank and Rules

Pennsylvania ranks #5 of 50 for free camping

Pennsylvania ranks #5 of 50 for free camping, with 19.4 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Pennsylvania free camping in numbers

Pennsylvania ranks #5 of 50 for free camping, with 19.4 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#5
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
19.4
Known dispersed sites
866
Land area
44,743 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
311
State-land rule
Marked sites only
Forest restrictions tracked
0

Dispersed camping in Pennsylvania

Can you camp on Pennsylvania state land?

Marked sites only. The Bureau of Forestry publishes 792 marked camping spots on state forest land: 717 you can drive to, plus about 75 primitive or trail-shelter sites. (58 Pa. Code §135.41) Camping is banned on the roughly 1.5 million acres of State Game Lands, except along the Appalachian Trail. Pennsylvania also runs a separate permit system for primitive camping on state forests. We did not check it, so we do not describe it. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Pennsylvania?

Our records hold no National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in Pennsylvania. That is not the same as having none, so check the forest's own alerts page before you camp.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.