RV travel in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is huge, mostly rural away from the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia corridor, and has the Northeast's largest expanse of National-Forest-quality public land. The Allegheny National Forest in the northwest, Susquehannock and Tiadaghton State Forests through the Pine Creek Gorge ("Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon"), and the Poconos in the east provide more genuine RV-friendly public camping than every other Northeast state combined. The catches: the PA Turnpike charges RVs by axle and adds up fast, the back-road grade descents off the Allegheny Plateau melt cooler braking systems, and Philadelphia + Pittsburgh are both RV-unfriendly cities best transited around. Plan for the tolls, use low gear on the descents, and Pennsylvania pays back the planning generously.
Last verified: 14 May 2026
Free RV PDF guide to Pennsylvania
Driving rules, RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways, NPS reservation rules, BLM and NF boondocking, propane, dump stations, weather, and emergency contacts. Save it to your phone for offline use on the road.
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Driving rules
Interstate (cars)70 mph (most rural segments); 65 mph metro
PA Turnpike (I-76/I-276)70 mph rural; tolled by class -- RVs typically Class 2-4
Interstate (trucks + towing)Matches posted
US/State highway (cars + towing)55 mph default
Built-up areas25-35 mph (posted)
Drive onRight
SeatbeltsRequired for all front-seat occupants and all under-18 in any seat
Cell phone use while drivingHands-free only; texting prohibited
RV-friendly and RV-restricted highways
RV-friendly
I-80Ohio border to NJ border via Clearfield, Lock Haven, and Stroudsburg. Free, four-lane, the workhorse east-west route. Heavy truck traffic but easy.
I-76 / PA TurnpikeOhio border to NJ via Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. Toll, axle-priced (RVs Class 2-4 typically), full-service plazas every 30-50 miles.
I-79Erie to Pittsburgh and WV border. Free, four-lane.
I-81Maryland border to NY border via Harrisburg and Scranton. Free, four-lane.
I-83Maryland border to Harrisburg. Free, four-lane.
US-6Erie to NY border across the northern tier. Two-lane scenic byway through Allegheny NF and Pine Creek Gorge. Manageable for most rigs.
US-22Pittsburgh to Harrisburg cross-state. Mostly four-lane, some two-lane stretches.
US-15Maryland border to NY border via Williamsport. Four-lane upgraded to interstate standard most of the way.
RV-restricted
PA-487 through Worlds End SPTwo-lane with 12-15% grades and tight switchbacks. Not for any RV over 30 ft. Use US-220 alternative.
PA-44 north of Slate Run (Pine Creek Gorge rim)Two-lane with steep descents into Pine Creek. Manageable for most rigs but use low gear; long downhill ahead of Slate Run.
Most state-forest roads in the Poconos and AlleghenyForest roads in PA state forests are typically gravel and may be single-lane. Suitable for dispersed camping only if your rig clears low branches and your tires handle gravel.
Philadelphia tunnels and the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76 metro)I-76 through Philly is one of the slowest urban interstates in the country. Avoid weekday rush hour entirely; expect 25 mph crawl. Use I-476 (Blue Route) as a bypass.
Pittsburgh Liberty Tunnel and Fort Pitt TunnelBoth have height limits (12'8" and 12'10" respectively). Verify your loaded height including AC.
Steep descents off the Allegheny Plateau (US-219, US-15 south)9-10% grades over multiple miles. Use lower gear and pulse brakes; coolant brake fade is a real risk for marginal rigs.
National parks and monuments
Independence NHP (Philadelphia)Free entry to Liberty Bell + most sites; Independence Hall timed ticket free. No RV camping. Park outside the city and use SEPTA, or use a private campground in Valley Forge area and drive in tow car.
Valley Forge NHPFree entry; $25/vehicle for visitor center weekday lot fee in season. Day-use only, no NPS camping. Valley Forge KOA nearby.
Gettysburg NMPFree entry; visitor-center museum $19 adult. No NPS camping. Gettysburg Campground and Artillery Ridge nearby are RV-friendly with battlefield tour shuttles.
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHSFree entry. Day-use; visitor center near Cresson. Small lot.
Johnstown Flood NMFree entry. Day-use; visitor center at South Fork. Small lot.
Fort Necessity NB$15/vehicle (7 days). Day-use; Pennsylvania-Maryland border. Laurel Highlands campgrounds nearby.
Eisenhower NHS$10/person tour; book ahead. Adjoins Gettysburg NMP. Use Gettysburg campgrounds for RV.
Flight 93 NM (Shanksville)Free entry. Day-use; small lot near Somerset.
Hopewell Furnace NHSFree entry. Day-use; near French Creek SP for nearby RV camping.
Delaware Water Gap NRA (PA side)$10/vehicle day use. Dingmans Campground (PA side, NPS-managed) takes RVs to 35 ft; reservable. Best NPS-managed RV camping in the Delaware Water Gap.
Steamtown NHS (Scranton)$7 adult. Day-use; small lots; downtown Scranton.
Boondocking and dispersed camping
BLM: No BLM land in Pennsylvania.
National Forests: Allegheny National Forest (517,000 acres, northwest PA) permits free dispersed camping along most forest roads, 1500 ft from any developed campground or boat launch. Popular areas: along FR-127, FR-145, and around the Allegheny Reservoir (Kinzua). Pennsylvania also has 2.2 million acres of state forest (Susquehannock, Tiadaghton, Sproul, Bald Eagle, Tioga, Elk, Loyalsock among others) which permit free primitive camping with a free DCNR Camping Permit at most locations -- the largest state-forest dispersed-camping program in the East. Stay limit 14 days at one site, then move.
Stay limit: typically 14 days per location.
Service stops
Propane: Plentiful in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Erie, Scranton, and along all interstates. Reasonable in the Poconos and Allegheny region. Sparse in the deepest Susquehannock and Sproul state-forest interior -- top up in Wellsboro, Williamsport, or Coudersport before heading in. Most KOA and Good Sam parks fill on-site. U-Haul and Tractor Supply locations widespread.
Dump stations: Reasonable coverage along the Turnpike, I-80, and at most PA State Park and DCNR campgrounds (free for registered guests). Truck stops at Turnpike service plazas have fee dump stations ($10-15). PA Sheetz and Wawa locations along major routes occasionally have RV dump access -- verify before stopping.
Fuel: Diesel and gas widely available along all interstates and US highways. Genuinely sparse in the Allegheny NF interior, on US-6 between Wellsboro and Coudersport, and in the Susquehannock-Sproul SF complex. Carry an extra 5 gallons for the Pine Creek Gorge and Allegheny NF back-roads. Fuel prices typically lowest along the Ohio and WV borders and highest in the Pocono tourist corridor.
Weather windows
Best monthsMid-May through mid-October. Daytime highs 70-90 F lowlands, 65-80 F Allegheny Plateau. Foliage peaks early to mid-October across the state.
Avoid monthsDecember through March. Snow common; the Allegheny Plateau averages 80-100 inches/year. Erie gets lake-effect snow that can dump 4-6 ft in single events. Most state-park campgrounds close mid-Oct to mid-May. Summer humidity Jul-Aug oppressive in lowlands.
The Allegheny Plateau back roads in winter and mud season are genuinely impassable to RVs. Stick to I-80, I-86 (NY just over the border), and the Turnpike between November and April; treat US-6 as summer-only for any rig over 30 ft.
Emergency and road conditions
State patrolDial *11 from a cell phone for State Police; 911 for emergencies