Amid DOGE Cuts, These PA Campgrounds Are Seeing Historic Spike In Reservations

PENNSYLVANIA — State-run campgrounds around Pennsylvania are seeing a massive increase in reservations as spring gets underway, following staffing shortages and related fallout at federal campgrounds.

Federally-owned sites have struggled to maintain the same level of services, including campground reservations, due to massive budget cuts in recent months by the Trump administration.

Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) says that it's led to a "record breaking" summer of bookings, and a 30 percent increase in campsite reservations from 2024. Officials are optimistic that the numbers represent more than just overflow from the shuttered federal sites.

RELATED: Hundreds Of PA Campsites To Close Indefinitely Amid DOGE Cuts

“Pennsylvanians and visitors alike are embracing the outdoors like never before,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a statement. “With increased demand for camping, we encourage everyone to plan ahead and take advantage of the many beautiful sites still available.”

Despite the surge, there are plenty of openings, especially for those who plan. About 24 percent of all campsites across Pennsylvania's 124 state parks and 20 state forests have been reserved for the peak season, generally considered Memorial Day to Labor Day.

While dozens of locations have seen huge increases in reservations, the largest is Trough Creek State Park, on Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County. Officials estimate a ridiculous 189 percent spike in reservations this year over last year.

The next most popular locations are Prince Gallitzin, Bald Eagle, and Greenwood Furnace, where large lakes within the state park offer boating, fishing, hiking, and swimming.

The Raystown Lake area was among the hardest hit by federal closures, with several popular sites, including Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy's Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds, as well as others nearby, all shutting down.

All told, some 425 federally-owned, public campsites in Pennsylvania have been closed due to the funding cuts.

Reservations for state-run sites can be made online at visitPAparks.com or by phone at 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757).