Frank P. Martin
Senior Member
Registered: January 2000 Location: Fayette Ridges of PA, USA Posts: 999
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Review Date: Mon September 20, 2010
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Would you recommend the campground? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Quiet, Picturesque setting, Park attractions (lake, swimming, amphitheater, visitor center) within walking distance
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Cons:
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Poorly designed Dump Station, No camp store
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Keystone State Park is one of two of the closest state parks to Pittsburgh that has a campground (the other is Raccoon Creek State Park). The campground consists of two loops, Lakeside and Hillside. Both loops are built into the hill that rises up from the lake and McCune Run. When I camped there back in the 80's none of the sites had hookups. Today, many of the sites have been updated, electrified (but still no water & sewage) and will accommodate a large RV. Because of the terrain, a perfectly level campsite is the exception rather than the rule. I had to raise my trailer about two inches on the one side.
Compared to most PA state parks, this park is rather small. The campground sports only 89 campsites in total. Therefore, amenities like a camp store will not be found. But it's smallness also puts most of the park attractions close at hand and within walking distance. The beach might be the only exception as it's a bit of a walk being that it's on the opposite side of the lake from the campground. Overall, this park is much better than Raccoon Creek SP where you have to drive to all the park attractions.
Keystone is a quiet park and I enjoyed being able have my windows open with no noise other than the wildlife itself. This is another plus over Raccoon Creek where the tranquility is sometimes marred by aircraft approaching or departing from Greater Pittsburgh International Airport.
There are two shower houses (one in each camping loop). The one I used in the Hillside loop was functional but could use an update. It's best feature was the shower- It had a real handle to allow you to regulate the water rather than those stupid buttons you push.
The dump station can service two RVs- but that's in theory only! The access/exit road for the two dump stations is in a "U" shape and too narrow for two RVs to pass each other safely. The dump stations are located at the "U"'s apex so RVs can't be parallel with the dump station on the narrow loop road. With a trailer, you have to swing way wide in order to get your outlet aligned with the catch basin; and impossible to do if another RV is using the other station.
The James A. Kell Visitor Center near the Lakeside loop was a former lodge used for vacationing executives' families that worked for the Keystone Coal and Coke Company. The center holds a wealth of information that covers nature and the history of the area. It's educational and entertaining for both young and old, and is certainly worth a visit.
------------------------------ 2009 GMC Sierra 2500HD | Crew Cab | Standard Box | 4WD | Duramax/Allison
2000 Jayco Eagle 266 | FBS | TT
1986 Coleman Laramie pop-up -- Still in the family!!!
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